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Sorry for the delayed reply. I have learned a lot since I last posted, but have a few lingering issues to be resolved. First, I don't see an option to use Smart Render in Share-Create Disc (that is, when "coverting in the burner module"). This option only appears to be available in Share-Create Video File. So if I use Share-Create Disc to burn immediately after editing without first doing Share-Create Video Files, I have no choice but to re-render the entire project, right? My other questions relate to the choices as to whether or not to "perform non-square pixel rendering" or to "apply anti-flickering filter," which are defaulted as on and off, respectively. I saw nothing in available materials explaining these options, although from reading a bit I understand that the former one relates to aspect ratio in some way. If I'm capturing 4:3 content for ultimate playback on a 4:3 screen, should "perform non-square pixel rendering" be checked? And under what circumstances would one employ the anti-flickering filter? Sorry to ask, but I have not been able to locate a manual that explains these items. If one can direct me to it, I'd be happy to read to learn more. Thanks for all of your help.

Strike the last comment -- I found the full manual. But although Video Studio will, when using Share-Create Video File, create a single clip containing all my edits and transitions, I can't figure out how to turn this into VOB files that will be recognized by, e.g., DVD Shrink. (My file is a bit too big to fit on a DVD). Of course, it just occurred to me that if putting it through DVD Shrink re-encodes the whole thing, I might be best off just burning the project through Video Studio and selecting a bitrate low enough to make it fit -- right?

Okay, I found that the place to make VOB files or a disc image is in Share-Create Disc. But from everything I can tell, there is no way to create video files or burn a disc without re-rendering the entire project. In other words, even if it uses Smart Render to not reencode most of the project when creating the VideoStudio video files, once you go to create VOB files, a disc image, or burn a disc, you have no choice but to re-encode the entire project. So what is the point of smart render if the whole project has to ultimately be re-encoded to get a usable end product? Or perhaps this is where the "do not convert compliant mpeg files" comes into play. But even with that box checked, you still have to select a bitrate, which seems to me to require a re-encode of the whole project.

Help.

No. You are creating a fully DVD-compliant mpeg-2 video when you use Share > Create Video File > DVD. Then you start a new project (to clear the timeline) and select Share > Create Disc > DVD to open the burning module. You insert your compliant mpeg-2 file(s) in the burning timeline. Then you check in the second/middle of the three icons in the bottom left of the burning screen. Make sure 'Do not convert compliant mpeg files' is checked. Then, when you build your menus and burn, your compliant mpeg-2 is NOT re-encoded. The only thing that is encoded is the menu which has to be made into video; and your mpeg-2 will be converted to .VOB files, but that does not involve re-encoding.

Note that you could avoid the Shrink step by using a suitable (i.e. slightly lower) bitrate in the Share > Create Video File stage. It is usually better to get the bitrate right in one single step, rather than use a 'wrong' bitrate and then have to correct it with another program which *does* have to re-encode it. Mind you, that being said, Shrink does a good job, as does Nero Recode whose main engineer is now the guy who developed Shrink in the first place...

Ken, thanks. Here is what I did after reading your response. As a test, I captured around 16 minutes of video using the ADS DVD Xpress DX2, which does a hardware conversion to MPEG-2, using the "best" quality setting (they don't let you pick a specific video bitrate) at 720x480 resolution, using an audio bitrate of 192kbps. This resulted in a raw MPEG-2 file of 671 MB. I then followed your instructions. I opened the MPEG-2 file in Video Studio (I have version 9 SE), split the video into four scenes and added a transition between each scene, but otherwise performed no edits. I then did Share-Create Video file (selecting the "Same as Project Settings" option), and this rendered very quickly (in a few minutes), saving the edited video as a .vsp file. I then opened a new project, selected Share-Create Disc, and selected the "Add Video Studio Project" option (which is what I assume you referred to as the "second/middle of the three icons in the bottom left of the burning screen"). I then added to the burning timeline the Video Studio project I had saved. At this point Video Studio showed the project size had inflated to 981 MB. I dialed the bitrate down from 8000 VBR to 5000 VBR and eliminated the motion menu, which brought the size of the project to around the same size as the original raw captured MPEG-2 file. I then "burned" the project to video (VOB) files. This process (using a PC with a XP SP2, a P4 2.54 GHz processor, 1 GB RAM, and no other programs running) consumed around 27 minutes, the vast majority of which was spent in the "convert video title" stage. It just doesn't make sense to me that it should take 150% of the time of the length of the video to complete this process, particularly because the only material to be encoded was the menu. In the past, the entire "Create Disc" process has consumed around one hour to do around 80 minutes of video captured and edited in a similar manner, and this includes disc burning time, which was not involved in this test project. Do you have any additional insights?

First, I said the button in the bottom left, not the "Add Video Studio Project" button which is the middle one in the *top* left... ""Add Video Studio Project" was in fact precisely what I would NOT suggest doing. So in fact you strike out on a couple of scores.

When you had your project in the Editing module and chose 'Same as Project settings', it in fact rendered to a DVD-compatible mpeg-2 since this is what your ADS device uses as its format. It was quick because it used SmartRender so that only the transitions needed rendering. I know you say you saved it as a .vsp project file, but that is NOT a video file -- it is a small text file which tells Video Studio what video is included in a project and what editing has been done to it. So you have to look for the actual mpeg-2 file which was created in this rendering process and in effect forget about the .vsp file.

Then when you open the burning module, you do NOT insert the .vsp file. You insert the .mpg file. Then you check in the middle of the three icons in the BOTTOM left of screen, the one that looks like a cogwheel and a mouse-over reveals as the Options icon, and make sure 'do not convert' is checked.

As it was, you inserted a project file, which is not a video file, and so it would have to be rendered come what may since it was not an mpeg-2. And even if it *were* an mpeg-2, you say you changed the bitrate. Well that too would require a full render if the 'do not convert' box were not checked. If that box was checked, no render would occur, but your resulting DVD would have an mpeg-2/VOB on it running at its original 8000 kbps bitrate.

As for the time taken for a render, 1x or 1.5x real time is in fact pretty good. People with less well-resourced computers often have render times 3x, 4x or more times real time for their renders.

trevor andrew wrote:

eclipse wrote:Thanks. I never knew one could adjust the bitrate at the burning stage. (Does this mean the bit rate only for what is being re-encoded, assuming Smart Render is enabled?) Now I think we're nearing the anwser. Where does one adjust this bitrate? And how does one check to be sure that Smart Render is enabled? I've never seen these options (although I have seen a box checked that says something like "do not render compliant video files"). Are they in the options within Share/Create Disc? (I'm not at my PC right now) Does it matter that I have only the SE Version of VS9? (Sorry for all the question marks.)

Have a read at My Quick Guides ---Creating a Video File, Quick Guide for Mpeg
Also read the bit on Make Movie Manager Add option, i think you may be creating your own templates

This is just my workflow in list form.

Using VS 9 --when you finally hit the burn button, you should NOT see the warning 'this action will atke sme time to render'

Thank you thank you thank you! Rather simple, in retrospect. I do have one lingering issue that you may or may not be able to address. Once I've made the desired splits into scenes and added transitions, when I go to the "Share" tab, select "Create Video File" and then select "Same as project settings," the "Create Video File" window that pops up prompting me to assign a file name and location to save the file has a "properties" box. The information in the fourth line of that box indicates that the project is frame-based. I had read somewhere that the DVD Xpress DX2 device not only does the hardware conversion to MPEG-2, but also deinterlaces in hardware to progressive video. I asked ADS about this and received a response stating that the device does not deinterlace, that (and I quote) "it appears that the video is deinterlaced while previewing but in fact this is only in preview. The video file is actually captured in interlaced mode." If that is the case, why would the properties info indicate that the file is frame-based? Guess I should note that in File-Preferences, the Default Field Order is frame based. Should this be changed to lower field first, assuming that the DVD's created for this will be in most cases viewed on a television rather than a computer monitor? Thanks again for all your patience and counsel.

Hi

When you first inserted your video file to the timeline the project properties were changed to match. This is what you would normally require.

After editing, when you Create a Video File¡XSame as Project Settings you are using the same settings as your Video File.

If you select Same as First Clip the properties should be the same, as we know they match.

What you see in the ¡¥save as¡¦ Properties¡¦ window should be the Project/Video Properties as captured/converted by DVD Xpress DX2. (It¡¦s a good idea to read this panel before hitting the save button.) From what you are saying that is de-interlaced.
I do not use DVD Xpress DX2 and cannot comment on its performance.
But you seem to have De-interlaced video, These properties are not in preview and should be correct. I don¡¦t know what preview has to do with it anyway?????

I do not see this as a big problem.

If you need interlaced simply change the project properties to indicate ¡¥Lower or Upper Field¡¦
I would use Lower, matching as my other video sources as digital.

As an aside----At this stage check the bit rate is suitable for the length of the video, only change if you really have to.

File Preferences
The option to choose your field order changes the default settings in the burner module.
Found under the ¡¥options cogwheel¡¦
This is only relevant if you were to render in the burner module.
As you create a video file first, hopefully to DVD compatible settings, the need to re-render prior to burning is not required.
I usually change this option to lower field. But I don¡¦t think it makes a bit of difference.

Hope this makes sense