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My wife and I have been using VS 9 & 10 for about 2 years, making DVDs of trips, family gatherings and events.
We have been pretty happy with our progress (despite many pitfalls and frustrations) and resulting final product.
By the thanks for all your help to date.
The current problem is the video on our 2 latest produced DVD is slightly distorted. Long horizontal objects have an obvious waviness. When people are moving at a distance there is a slight distortion. Close ups, especially without much movement are pretty clear. Family and friends who have viewed the videos have not mention any problems, but it is bugging me.
Project settings are the same for all our videos as best I can tell.
I believe the only change is I switched from an unreliable Toshiba optical drive to an LG model.
I did search for similar problems and reread the work flow tutorial.
Thanks in advance for any advice.

Steve,

Are these lines on a video clip or photo clip? This type of artifact is commonly called shimmering or flickering. Also if this is on a video clip, is it occurring during a camera pan? Do you have the option "apply anti-flickering to images" selected in the Preferences dialog, Edit tab?

Another thing to check and consider is the Resampling Quality set on the Edit tab. If you set this to Good or Better while editing, and don't have it set to Best for Rendering, then you might change that. It will provide a better resampling for your finished (rendered) video.

Then finally on the Compression tab of the Video Save Options, do you slide the Speed-Quality slider all the way to the right..100? This may also help with those little shimmers..

I know you say that the general conditions and properties of your projects has remained the same, you might want to check that you have maintained the same same Field Order throughout the project, from beginning to end.

You don't tell us what video camera you are using, nor actually give us any idea of your workflow. But if, for instance, you have a mini DV video camera, you would capture (using Firewire) in the DV format, which uses Lower Field First. You would edit in DV, also using Lower Field First, then you would go to Share > Create Video File > DVD to convert your DV into DVD-compatible mpeg-2. In this conversion, the Field Order *must* also be Lower Field First.

Finally, when you go into the burning module to produce a DVD, and insert your new mpeg-2, you must ensure that, in the middle of the three icons in the bottom left of the burning screen, that the box beside 'do not convert compliant mpeg files' is ticked. That way there is not chance of your mpeg-2 being converted or a new Field Order being substituted, during the burning process.

Typically, changing a Field Order somewhere during a project (or mixing Upper and Lower Field First video clips into one project -- another big no no!) -- will produce jagged edges in fast motion shots and in panning and zooming. This is not dissimilar to what you described in your recent projects (though I know you use the word 'waviness'). You might, for instance, have used a new video camera, such as a mini DVD or hard disk drive model, or even a HDV model, all of which use Upper Field First. But when you captured, you might then have applied your normal project properties which use Lower Field First... But I am only guessing here since you have not, in reality, given us enough information to go on...

Took me sometime to locate Terry's Tutorial (which I found in the Tutorial Forums, while searching MSP forum) . He gives an excellent explanation of changing the GOP (Group of Pictures), and Motion Search parameters, that can be adjusted to provide a better quality MPEG video.

http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... 9645#49645

First I am using VS9. I use a Panasonic 3CCD Mini DV camcorder and capture via fire wire.
I changed the Resampling Quality set on the Edit tab from good to best.
I checked "apply anti-flickering to images".
Already had 'do not convert compliant mpeg files' ticked.
I am going to apply these changes to my project and I'll let you know what happens.
Also the still images look perfect, highlighting the problems with the video.
Thanks,
Steve

Thanks for those details. However, can you confirm that after editing in DV format, you first produce a DVD compliant mpeg-2 (Share > Create Video File > DVD) and that the properties of that mpeg-2 include Lower Field First?

If you have your project in the Editing timeline in DV format, but do not first produce a DVD-compliant mpeg-2 as above, and instead go straight to the burning module (Share > Create Disc), then it is irrelevant that 'do not convert compliant mpeg files' is ticked. This is because in effect you will have a project file (vsp) in the burning timeline in DV format, and it will still have to be converted to mpeg-2, but as part of the burning process. And that conversion will occur according the properties in the window above the 'do not convert' box. You therefore have to make sure that the properties in that window are also set to Lower Field First.

Usually I do not make a DVD compliant mpeg-2 (Share > Create Video File > DVD) and that the properties of that mpeg-2 include Lower Field First. But I am going to do that this time.

After the changes you suggested it looks great.
I really appreciate your help.

I'm happy that it worked!!

can I just join in here as im having the same probs with a hdd camera - if it records upper field first then should I be using this when creating?

Generally, yes.

right have changed all the settings to upper field, saved as a file and then trying to create dvd but at the final burn stage it is changing it back to lower field?

After going to the [Share] Tab and selecting [Create Disc]
Click the cog wheel which is the second icon along the bottom left of the screen.

1. Make sure {Do not convert compliant MPEG files] is ticked.
2. Check the Field order shown in the box [MPEG properties for file conversion] is showing the desired Field order. If it is not then you can use the button [Change MPEG settings] to alter it.