HD quality loss? .vsp too mpeg2 too AVCHD workflow?

westlight · Post by **westlight** » Mon May 12, 2008 6:24 pm

So far the only way I've been able to successfully create a disk in AVCHD was to take my .vsp file, render it to an mpeg2 which is saved on my hard drive. I then Open a blank new project go to Share>Create Disk>AVCHD, import the previously created mpeg2 file, create menus then burn this to a standard DVD to play back on my PS3.

So far the HD disk I've created via the above process look great on my HD TV.

So the questions are:

1) Am I losing quality doing it this way, rendering to mpeg2 first. (I also create stand DVD's from this mpeg2 file to share.)

2) Can MF6 recognize .vsp files and would that be a better option since VS11.5 Plus crashes every time I try to burn an AVCHD direct to disk?

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Mon May 12, 2008 7:34 pm

1. Probably, but since you say they look great on your TV the quality loss is so minimal you don't see it.

2. Yes, MF should recognize your VSP.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Mon May 12, 2008 10:50 pm

Are you converting to a standard definition mpeg-2 or a high def one i.e. HDV format? If the former there would be fairly considerable loss of quality. If the latter, there would be much less though still some since AVCHD of course is much more compressed mpeg-4 when compared to HDV mpeg-2 and mpegs are by nature lossy. But the end quality should still be very good. Think of it as being medium quality high def, instead of high quality -- still a lot better than standard def.

I have been following your travails in other threads, and am still surprised, though, that you are having trouble doing a project in AVCHD format, and then burning that .vsp file to DVD. That is the workflow recommended by our high tech guru etech to get the best quality disc when using AVCHD on VS11.5+. He says this gets the same quality as MF6 as fully patched, though he too says MF 6 makes the process simpler.

westlight · Post by **westlight** » Mon May 12, 2008 11:21 pm

Hi Ken, Thanks for keeping tabs on me/my issues.

Not sure if it's from adding the menu and chapters that's causing the program to stop or something else. I tried last night to render an AVCHD direct to disk from a .vsp file only to wake up to an error message. Sorry, can't remember what it said. Too busy swearing at the time to notice!

I set it up again before leaving for work this morning so I'll see what happens when I get home.

I have been checking the "two pass encode" option, and highest quality setting. As far as the other settings I can't remeber off the top of my head. I may just give MF6 a try if todays project fails. The video is about 37 minutes.

Crossing my fingers on that one!

So...I am correct that, unlike standard def's workflow, I should just burn to disk from the .vsp file, if I can, correct?

Re: HDV or standard...not sure at this point as I was doing it on my old PC and tried too many options. I'll check when I get home.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Mon May 12, 2008 11:39 pm

So...I am correct that, unlike standard def's workflow, I should just burn to disk from the .vsp file, if I can, correct?

Yes. Etech said you could still use the workflow Edit AVCHD > Convert to high def mpeg-2 > Open the burning module > Select AVCHD > Insert HDV file > burn. But he found this was often problematical, and definitely produced worse quality in VS at least, than burning the .vsp file.

Re MF 6, note that you need both the Plus version and to fully update it with patches 1 and 2 (ignore the Hot Fix if you manage to install it without problems with the SDK). I seem to recall etech talking about actually paying US$20 for a 'power pack' add-on similar to VS11.5+ but cannot find a reference to it just now on the Ulead site. I do remember at the time looking for it and finding it, though I didn't buy it then as I didn't have a high def camera. Am thinking about doing so now, though...

EDIT: Found it!!! http://ulead.com/dmf/plugin.htm And it very specifically includes, as you will see, improvements for AVCHD > DVD authoring...

westlight · Post by **westlight** » Tue May 13, 2008 2:24 am

I got home and checked the AVCHD project that I was trying to once again burn directly from the .vsp file and once again, failure. Got an error message..."5:0:0 Unspecified Error". Well, that helps a lot!

neonbob · Post by **neonbob** » Tue May 13, 2008 2:50 am

Ken Berry wrote: Yes. Etech said......

Where the heck is etech anyway?? I don't have questions too often with regard to this kind of thing, but when i do I pretty much know he's got the answers. He's a pretty valuable person to..... misplace

Post by **Ken Berry** » Tue May 13, 2008 3:07 am

He has apparently not been well. But we are all hoping he will be back with all cylinders firing very soon!