HDV sizing to DVD

[sgraham]

My content is 1440 x 1080. I need it at 6000BPS to fit on a regular DVD. The only way VS11 will allow a constant 6000BPS setting for the output I want (MPG2) is to change the file size to 720x480 (standard DVD) BUT doesn't that adversely affecct the output? It doesn't seem that 720x480 is the same ratio as 1440x1080.

[DVDDoug]

The maximum resolution for a "regular" NTSC DVD is 720x480. There is a chart with the DVD requirements/specs on this page.

BUT doesn't that adversely affect the output?

When you reduce the bitrate and shrink the file size, something's got to give... You might get worse quality with high resolution and low-bitrate!

It doesn't seem that 720x480 is the same ratio as 1440x1080.

Video pixels are not necessarily square. So, the pixel-ratio is usually different from the image aspect ratio. Regular (4x3) and widescreen (16x9) DVDs are both 720x480 for NTSC, and 720x576 for PAL. (PAL uses a lower framerate in exchange for higher resolution.)

[sgraham]

Thanks Doug. I get that 1990 x 1080 are going to be square and 1440 x 1080 are not. So ok VS11 makes adjustment for that when I go to 720x480 and check off use non-square pixels. Wanted to check.

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi

Have a read at this tutorial,
http://www.hd-video-editing.com/HDTutorial_Page1.html

I am sure it relates to your problem regarding changing HD to 720 x 480

6000 kbps (constant) will allow 90 minutes of video per disc

[Trevor Andrew]

Just noticed your second post.

As far as I know you should use non-square pixel rendering for all your work.

Only in special/problem circumstances un check this option

[sgraham]

thanks Trevor I wish I had seen that tutorial four years ago when I started using VS. I've made about 160 commercial films with it. I'm not sure what you mean by 'my problem'. I started shooting with Canon XLH1 first of the year and I get a bit confused with HDV output on occaision. As long as VS11 can crunch out standard DVD at 720x480, figuring out 1440x1080 pixels, I have no problem. The videos the last 5 films with the new camera look good. For some reason when I went to output the custom MPG2-T it was set on 1440x1080 as standard and I was poking around when it complained about coming down to 6kbps, which started me thinking about the transitional aspect ratio between the two sizes.

[etech6355]

As far as I know you should use non-square pixel rendering for all your work.

Yes, Non-Square Pixel Rendering is usually always on..

I started shooting with Canon XLH1 first of the year and I get a bit confused with HDV output on occaision

If it helps, JCHunters tutorial is very good with excellent presentaion, although I'm not sure why on page 5 & 6 he displays frame_based and is de-interlacing his videos, especially when down converting to dvd.
When someone posts a question on this forum about jerky or non-smooth video the first reply from someone asks if they used the wrong fielding or de-interlaced the video (frame based).
So I would suggest when exporting to a new 1440x1080 video file leave the fielding the same as the source video(s) which is UFF. Down converting from 1440x1080 to 720x480 you also leave your fielding Upper_Field_First, not frame based.

I don't know if you have been rendering frame based or not, but if you have been then I would down convert 2 test videos, one frame based and one upper_field_first (fielded correctly). Then burn both of those videos to a dvd and compare them. Anything I've ever done that has started off UFF (fielded) and de-interlaced in VS to frame-based looks rather jerky when viewing and somewhat hard to view (seasickness)

I can't agree with his fast motion & arti-facts theory either for LCD/HDTV or progressive TV's on page 5 & 6.

One can decide though when viewing the videos back on a SDTV or HDTV.

[sgraham]

I need the HD to make my .WMV files (which are coming out outstandingly well straight out of VS11) look good. The project output (of the MPG2 UFF) is, by default, set to encode as frame based to the .WMV file. Frame based you told me was ok for Internet but not TV so I am set with the .WMV.

Since there is no way I am doing two editing projects with SD and HD, I have to figure out why DVDs look bad. I think it is going from 1440 down to 720 that is hurting me. I'm trying to reconvert and burn to disk an .AVI file LFF I converted from the original MPG2 UFF project.

The bad DVDs went from MPG2 UFF capture to MPG2 UFF file (so I can control BPS and setup to fit my standard DVD burn). They did indeed look like you say where you get seasick (and the overal arifacting and color were lousy too lol).

[etech6355]

Since there is no way I am doing two editing projects with SD and HD, I have to figure out why DVDs look bad.

I don't understand why your going to the AVI container format (maybe DV-type1).
I would put a 1440 compliant video file on the timeline, make sure it's an original and fielded properly. Trim it to about 5 minutes and perform 2 exports, 1 at 6000kbs UFF and 1 at 6000kbs framebased.
Then start a new project goto "Share -> Create Disk -> DVD" and burn both the compliant videos to dvd.

Your saying you created a mpeg2 file UFF and it looks bad, what was the source video? Was it an original high def 1440 UFF HDV file?
Something isn't working correctly, somehow, somewhere.

Question: Are your 1440x1080 source videos that your using to convert to dvd been Re-Encoded previously and now your re-using them? I do this all the time but I'm curious how you created the new videos (if you did).