Project settings - AVCHD video

Roloilly · Post by **Roloilly** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 1:07 am

Yes, I need a pickup truck to carry my dvd's :

Hey if you knew my husband then you would understand. He hates having so many dvds, he's a neat freak

he's always bugging me because I have copies of my pictures and music all over the place.

Anyway, he's been doing the posts with me and since he's veeeeeery organized for his things, he wants to keep everything organized and numbered so if we loose 1 dvd, we can easily find it.

Glad we made you laugh

etech6355 · Post by **etech6355** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 3:02 am

Most Marines are neat freaks.......probably comes from crawling through to much mud................never affected me (duh!)

I'm not sure if recording such short clips (only a few seconds) could result in rendering problems, to join each clip does require re-encoding the videos. If you do want to edit them then join them first to a new file and edit the new file. If you use the Mpeg Optimizer to join then it will use "Smart-Render", I don't know how well that will work, if you have problems joining them then in the last step where you save the file (assign the filename) click on the "Options" and uncheck the "SmartRender" Box.
I've had to disable the "SmartRender" when joining some clips.

Roloilly · Post by **Roloilly** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 3:22 am

Now that I'm into editing, I'll definitely stop making such short clips

If you create a video file first, then put it in the burning module to create a disc, wouldnt you loose more video quality due to it rendering twice? I havent tried the mpeg optimizer feature yet, havent had time.

etech6355 · Post by **etech6355** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 3:56 am

If the burning module is working then great.
If you exported to a new avchd video file to your harddisk it would be compliant.
To burn the compliant file to an avchd disk you would then go into the avchd burning module and remove the project file (that's carried over from the timeline), then insert the video file you exported to the harddisk.
Because the video is avchd compliant it will not be re-encoded again and passed through the encoder.
In the burning module this is the setting under the "GEAR" Icon that says "Do No Convert Compliant Mpeg Video". If you unchecked that box would force a re-encode.

Actually I've had better encodes using the avchd burning module. Sometimes using the mpeg optimizer on avchd video can cause a hang, not always though.

Roloilly · Post by **Roloilly** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 2:31 am

etech6355 I was finally able to run 2 tests today:

1. I created a video file before burning it onto a dvd. I ran mpeg optimizer and saved it to my harddrive. Then opened vs+, went directly to the burning module, clicked on create disc, add video file and burned the avchd disc. The file did not get re-rendered and it burned really fast. The quality is excellent but I notice a very slight shakiness about a second after each transition.

2. I recreated that same file (from scratch), opened vs+, put the clips on the timeline, edited the clips exactly as the previous test and, selected create disc (avchd). It started to convert the title, took about 3 times longer than the previous test. However this one did not have the shakiness between transition and I think its slighty better quality.

With your experience, which way would you recommend out of the 2.

etech6355 · Post by **etech6355** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 4:25 am

However this one did not have the shakiness between transition and I think its slighty better quality. With your experience, which way would you recommend out of the 2.

I have also experienced better encoding from the burning module.

Remember under VS11+ Timeline Preferences to set encoding quality to "BEST".
The burning module is like a separate program inside of VS11. The burning module also has "Preferences" so under Preferences assign another "Working Directory". Then under the GEAR Icon click on "Change Mpeg Settings -> Customize". I've been using:
Compression/Quality = 100%
15MBS CONSTANT bit rate, Dolby 5.1@448kbs
1440x1080 Upper_Field_First.

In the burning module click on the lower left Icon and make a custom template with these settings. Then when you click on the GEAR Icon your template is listed, just select it. Faster for future projects. Before I actually burn the disk I also exit the burn module, save the project and go back into the burn module. This way if something errors out I don't have to go through making chapters & menus again.

If the video exported from the timeline doesn't look to good then I think it's because "SmartRender" was enabled. To disable it before saving the file click on the "Options" icon to disable it.
Exporting from the timeline though it will encode Variable Bit Rate and I don't know the compression/quality setting.
When reading avc/h264 video VS11+ see's them as VBR, even if they were encoded as CBR. I think many of the videos from these cams may be CBR encoded. No Problem, just select CBR in the burning module.

So, yes, I have been getting better encodes from the burning module.

Note: In the burning module you have an assigned "Working Folder". after VS11+ encodes the avc/h264 video(s) it will leave a copy in a temp directory located directly under the "Assigned Working Directory", the name of the directory is \DMP_TEMP\CvtedTitle\xxxxxx.mpg
Look in that directory if you want a copy of the video before it's multi-plexed to the avchd disk..

One other thing I've come to like in the burning module is the time meter on how long everything took to complete.

etech6355 · Post by **etech6355** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 5:29 am

Roloilly,
How are you playing back the avchd disks.
I use a Blu-Ray disc player connect to a Sony HDTV.
I do have software avchd players for the computer, somethings they aren't accurate playing back, depends. The best playback is on the Blu-Ray Disc Player.

Roloilly · Post by **Roloilly** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 3:58 pm

Hi there, I just finished creating another project. I am a bit disappointed though.
My original raw video clips for the project were 3.50 gig
Once I edited (added pictures and music) it went to 3.62 gig, good so far, I barely cut footage.
Now the problem lies once I create a disc, using the following specs:
MPEG files
24 bits, 1440 x 1080, 29.97 fps
Upper Field First
(HDMV-NTSC), 16:9
H.264 Video
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 16000 kbps)
Audio data rate: 448 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio, 48 KHz, 3/2(L,C,R,SL,SR)

After the disc is created, I noticed in the burning module that my project dropped to 2.34 gig, same amount of minutes and lenght.
What can I do so VS11+ doesnt compress it to a smaller file. I see some loss of quality from the original.
Do you think this has to do with the bit rate settings?
VS11+ shows that my raw video is VBR of 16,000 kbps, but I read in your previous post that this might show for everyone.
I have a Sony HDR-SR5 camcorder, I was looking in the manual but it doesnt show the bit rate settings it records in.

I am playing back my videos using the playstation 3.

etech6355 · Post by **etech6355** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 9:31 pm

After the disc is created, I noticed in the burning module that my project dropped to 2.34 gig, same amount of minutes and lenght.

Re-read this thread (2 posts up in this thread).
http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... 513#146513

Try these settings, I think the difference is these cams are using CBR (Constant bit Rate) and ulead defaults to VBR (Variable Bit Rate).

Remember in VS11+ Timeline and it's Burning Module under Preferences to set encoding quality to "BEST".
The burning module is like a separate program inside of VS11. The burning module also has "Preferences" so under Preferences assign another "Working Directory". Then under the GEAR Icon click on "Change Mpeg Settings -> Customize". I've been using:
Compression/Quality = 100%
15MBS CONSTANT bit rate, Dolby 5.1@448kbs
1440x1080 Upper_Field_First.

VS11+ may read these vidoes encoded at 15MBS CBR as 16MBS VBR because I think the audio is added to the Video Bit Rate.

I've even used 16MBS CBR which is a little high for home video.

Roloilly · Post by **Roloilly** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 10:38 pm

I'm burning one now with those settings. I'm experimenting now, using the unedited video and CBR 15000 tocompare.
The original dvd was recorded using the sony vrd mc5 recorder and it almost filled up the dvd. We are going to experiment with the different bit rates to try to get the same compression of the original copy we made. Sounds like the 15000 might be the way to go. I'll let you know how it turns out. Its been encoding for a few hours now

Roloilly · Post by **Roloilly** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 11:25 pm

The project just finished, at 15000 CBR it is slighty smaller than the original that was burned with the sony dv direct burner. I am now trying one at CBR 16000.
Havent checked for video quality yet. Will do so in a bit

P.s. Big difference in the size of the project as opposed to VBR.

Roloilly · Post by **Roloilly** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 9:16 pm

Here are my findings after several tests. All projects were created from scratch, using the raw video clips with different bitrate settings.

Original project was 3.50 gig (unedited, just used my original video clips)
Test #1 - Constant bit rate 15,000. The video quality was much better, same as original, however I noticed a slight pulsing effect throughout the video. The final project dropped to 3.19 gig. It shows that VS is compressing it at CBR 15,000

Test #2 - Constant bit rate of 16,000. Final project using original clips dropped from 3.50 to 3.41. Shows very little compression.

Test #3 - Constant bit rate of 17,000. Went from 3.50 to 3.63 gig. Basically no compression, but some loss of disc space.

Test #4 - Variable bit rate of 18,000. Went from 3.50 to 2.66

I havent watched the video for test 2,3,4, will be doing so tonight.

PS. One observation, using constant bit rate was a lot faster to encode than variable. About 2 hours savings.