UL Movie Factory 6 won't allow change in MPEG settings

[lathompson]

It seems like Movie Factory is defaulted at a quality level that doesn't allow more than about 1 hour to 1.5 hours of video to be burned onto a disc. I'm trying to get approximately1:30:00 of video onto a DVD(4.7gig) and as I load it onto the timeline, it's going into the red zone meaning it's over the limit. I cannot seem to change the compression using the "change MPEG settings". When I check the current settings I get this:

MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps
Frame-based
(DVD-NTSC), 4:3
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 7000 kbps)
Audio data rate: 256 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio, 48 KHz, 2/0(L,R)

Since it seems to me that default would be an SP setting, allowing about 2 hours of video on the disc, I decided to make a change. Here's what I did:

I clicked on the "change MPEG settings", to make more room on the disc. First, I change the setting from HQ (digital dolby) to GQ(digital dolby). that did not provide any change in the green indicator bar back on the timeline.

Next, I changed the settings to: LP 4.3. That setting indicated it should provide 180min on a 4.3G disc. When I okayed that setting and left the properties window, I see that there is no change in the green indicator bar and yet, the new settings shown in the window read:

MPEG files
24 bits, 352 x 480, 29.97 fps
Frame-based
(DVD-NTSC), 4:3
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 2500 kbps)
Audio data rate: 224 kbps
MPEG audio layer 2, 48 KHz, Stereo

With this large change, why am I not getting more space to put more on the disc? How can I make changes?

[Ron P.]

Have you tried just changing the Bitrate? When you press Change MPEG settings, instead of using one of the templates, press the Customize button found at the bottom of the menu. Then on the Compression tab, you'll find the Video Data Rate. Change this to about 4500 to fit about 1½ hrs on a DVD. Also I would use Dolby digital and not MPEG-2 audio.

[lathompson]

Ok Vidoman, I'll give that a try, however I don't understand the need for all of the apparent choices to compress video to a disc, when a change of bit rate would be the only way to do it. I might also like to put 2 hours on a disc sacrificing some quality for space, so more bitrate reduction would be necessary then? Is this an intention of Ulead?

[Ron P.]

Yes it would be necessary to reduce the bitrate further to squeeze yet more video onto a disc. This is not Ulead, Intervideo, Corel, Adobe, or any other single product manufacturer's doings. This is just how video CDs and DVDs work. The size is determined by the bitrate used.

Another option used by many, involves using a program called DVD Shrink. Many have better luck with it, rather than trusting VS to accurately compress the video beyond the typical size used for SL DVDs.

[lathompson]

So, the program was designed to put everything together at one bit rate? And the offerings shown have no effect on video length? And if I wanted higher quality than the default, do I increase the bit rate? If so, is there a maximum or is the default setting the maximum?

This bit rate is changed under custom settings and I see that there is another choice to be made, that being compression. Is this something that affects the amount of video space as well or is it also not going to do anything?

I'm sorry for all the questions, but MF help/manual do not explain anything beyond bare facts. I need to understand these things in order to get the most from the program. I have many customers bringing me hundreds of small-length videos taken be their camcorders and downloaded to their computers. They ask me to put them together onto DVD. Some want 1hr. discs while others want 2hrs. or 3hrs. per disc. I need to be able to make this happen. I already use DVD Shrink but I didn't think it dealt with mpg files. I know it works magic on VOB files. I'll have to look at Shrink closer. Perhaps it is an alternative in determining how much to put onto one disc.