Hi,
For those that have experimented, which method works best for creating a DVD from HDV footage?
1. Capture from camera(Canon HV20) in AVI, then edit and proceed to make DVD. Camera allows you to output HD material as AVI.
2. Capture in HD (mpeg), edit, then share (create) a DVD-compliant file. Then burn to disc.
I have only done the latter, since I was making hi-def movies. Since I had already made the movie, I converted the file to DVD. Now this was a bit tricky, not sure if I had the right settings. The HD file is upper field first, the default DVD setting is lower field first. so I have tried it twice, once with lower field first, then again with upper field first, its difficult to tell the difference, both seem choppier than the original. When converting an HD file to a DVD-compliant file, is it critical to maintain the original field order?
Also, how much difference is there with the quality when you choose different quality settings in project properties, and how much difference is there with 2-pass encoding? And are there some other tweaks to the settings to make the best quality DVD?
Thanks,
dhmark
Best quality DVD from HDV
Moderator: Ken Berry
My impression with the HV20 was it didn't have an internal downconvert feature if you recorded in the HDV mode.For those that have experimented, which method works best for creating a DVD from HDV footage?
1. Capture from camera(Canon HV20) in AVI, then edit and proceed to make DVD. Camera allows you to output HD material as AVI.
I thought with that cam if you recorded in the HDV mode then you could only capture HDV (mpeg2 High Def Video), to get standard def from the cam you had to record in standard definition.
Either way I get the best results by recording in HDV (High Definition), capturing in HDV, setting the project settings to match the HDV captured video (upper field first).
After I perform my editing I then create a new HDV video file on the local harddisk by going to "Share -> Create Video File -> Same As Project Settings".
Then I'll go into the DVD burning module and set my encoder properties (under the GEAR Icon "Gear Icon -> Change Mpeg Settings -> Customize)
to create a dvd using
VBR@9000kbs-9500kbs, upper field first, Dolby Audio
(I suggest creating custom dvd templates in the burning module and then apply one of those custom templates when using the burning module, you create the template under the template manager(lower left icon) and then apply the template under the GEAR Icon)
I then REMOVE the project file that was carried over from the VS11+ timeline from the burning modules timeline. Then click on the top left Insert Icon and insert my new HDV video file that I had exported from the VS11+ timeline into the burning modules timeline.
Then create chapters, menus & burn the dvd.
This method may be somewhat different than other suggested methods but the intent is to let the Burning module perform the HDV -> SD conversion using an actual HDV video file as the source and NOT the project file that's carried over into the burning module from the VS11+ timeline when you go from the VS11+ timeline into the burning module. I feel the burning modules encoder does a better quality conversion when going from HDV -> SD video
I'll also use this method to convert HDV -> AVC/H264 video. So for resizing or format conversions I'll use the burning modules encoder.
I do get different results using the burning modules encoder compared to the timeline encoder. I don't know why, they must be using different DLL's when encoding.
When encoding from the timeline going from HDV -> HDV performs a nice encode, or going from SD -> SD is a good encode or DV -> SD is a descent encode. Depends on the source video and output format whether I'll use the timeline encoder versus the burning modules encoder.
This also depends on your source material. It could also be that the timeline uses "SmartRendering" differently compared to the burning modules "SmartRendering Techniques".
When you record on these High Def Cams.
HDV (High Def) output via the firewire port is "Upper_Field_First" (Captured as mpeg2 video 1440x1080i 25MBS CBR, UFF)
DV (Standard Def) output via the firewire port is "Lower_Field_First" (Captured as dv.avi video 720x480/576i LFF)
You have to be careful when capturing DV.AVI because the capturing module may default to capturing in the Standard Definition Mpeg2 video format which is when VS11+ performs an "On The Fly" conversion of the DV video to mpeg2 video, this is still a standard definition video. If you do this then the fielding for the standard definition mpeg2 video is "Lower Field First" because the source is really DV.AVI
If you capture in the HDV mode (High Definition) the only choice is in the mpeg2 High Def format which uses "Upper Field First".
So I guess there are 3 methods to convert HDV to DVD. The Canon HV20 definitely allows outputting HDV as DV, so I guess that is one method to try. It means that the process would require 2 conversions, HDV to AVI (in camera), and from AVI to DVD (software), but if the camera does a better job than the software, then it might work better. Just have to try and see.
I tried the method of using the burning module to convert the movie, unfortunately it was not an apples to apples comparison. When I converted the movie using the "share" module, I chose the highest quality setting, 8,000 VBR, and 2 pass-conversion. When I converted the movie using the burn module, I chose very good quality, 9,000 VBR, and one-pass conversion.
In trying to compare the results, it appears that using the burn module, the motion (camera shake and picture motion) appears less severe and smoother (closer to the HDV original), but the picture quality is much worse (more pixellation artifacts). Maybe this is due to the different conversion parameters, and if they were identical, I'd get both the smoother motion AND high picture quality.
If I get around to trying all three methods with identical conversion parameters, I'll summarize the results.
dhmark
I tried the method of using the burning module to convert the movie, unfortunately it was not an apples to apples comparison. When I converted the movie using the "share" module, I chose the highest quality setting, 8,000 VBR, and 2 pass-conversion. When I converted the movie using the burn module, I chose very good quality, 9,000 VBR, and one-pass conversion.
In trying to compare the results, it appears that using the burn module, the motion (camera shake and picture motion) appears less severe and smoother (closer to the HDV original), but the picture quality is much worse (more pixellation artifacts). Maybe this is due to the different conversion parameters, and if they were identical, I'd get both the smoother motion AND high picture quality.
If I get around to trying all three methods with identical conversion parameters, I'll summarize the results.
dhmark
Hi all,
I've only done this once, just to prove that I could do it, so I can't claim any level of expertise or having compared options.
My camera, Canon HG10 records AVCHD onto its hard disk. I used VS11 to import the files from the camera onto the computer hard disk and then used "batch convert" to convert them into mpeg2 (DVD format), dolby audio. I laid those files on the time line, did a few crossfades and output directly to DVD. There was very little rendering although the burn was slow - 1 to 1, probably because I need to tweak the burner settings. Anyway, it played and I couldn't see any artifacts. It was smooth and the transitions were good.
I have nothing to compare this to, but just want to comment that it seemed to work nicely and I was very pleased with the ease of the process and the results.
I've only done this once, just to prove that I could do it, so I can't claim any level of expertise or having compared options.
My camera, Canon HG10 records AVCHD onto its hard disk. I used VS11 to import the files from the camera onto the computer hard disk and then used "batch convert" to convert them into mpeg2 (DVD format), dolby audio. I laid those files on the time line, did a few crossfades and output directly to DVD. There was very little rendering although the burn was slow - 1 to 1, probably because I need to tweak the burner settings. Anyway, it played and I couldn't see any artifacts. It was smooth and the transitions were good.
I have nothing to compare this to, but just want to comment that it seemed to work nicely and I was very pleased with the ease of the process and the results.
Quijote
S.V. Saeta
S.V. Saeta
In my apples to apples comparison, re-encoding in the burn module versus the "share" module is definitely superior in terms of smooth motion, about equivalent in picture quality, making it much better option.
I have to add another possible option to try, which is simply to record analog output from the HV20 into my Toshiba Hard drive DVD recorder as the initial method of converting to mpeg, then using that DVD in VS11+ to edit, but never re-encoding anything after that.
A while back before I had HDV camera and had a Sony Digital 8, I compared capturing AVI and then using software to convert to mpeg to simply recording Digital 8 output using analog outputs to the Toshiba, and the Toshiba produced a far superior picture than the software. The software produces big blocky pixellations noticeable on things like jackets and parkas.
I have to add another possible option to try, which is simply to record analog output from the HV20 into my Toshiba Hard drive DVD recorder as the initial method of converting to mpeg, then using that DVD in VS11+ to edit, but never re-encoding anything after that.
A while back before I had HDV camera and had a Sony Digital 8, I compared capturing AVI and then using software to convert to mpeg to simply recording Digital 8 output using analog outputs to the Toshiba, and the Toshiba produced a far superior picture than the software. The software produces big blocky pixellations noticeable on things like jackets and parkas.