Creating Blu Ray from current projects

[mitchell65]

My camera saves to MTS as follows:
1440 x 1080
Upper Field First
25FPS
I set my project properties to match but at the moment I burn to a standard DVD at 720 x 576. This gives me good quality but in the future I hope to burn to Blu Ray. Will I just be able to burn straight to a Blu Ray disc from my saved projects given that I will have to invest in a Blu Ray burner, of course?

[Ken Berry]

Can you tell us the exact brand and model of your camera please? I ask since I am a little confused. You say the extension used is .mts, yet that is AVCHD mpeg-4. On the hand, the properties you give (especially the bitrate of 25 mbps) would appear to be for high definition HDV which is mpeg-2.

In any case, whether HDV or AVCHD, if you do your editing in that native format and keep both the project file and the original files, then yes, you can produce a Blu-Ray disc at a later stage. I do it, for example, with my HDV camera in order to produce a hybrid disc -- which converts the HDV to AVCHD and burns it in a Blu-Ray BMDV structure on a standard DVD, and not on a Blu-Ray disc. Such hybrid discs can only play on a Blu-Ray player rated to play them, but at the moment, the chief advantage is that they are far cheaper to produce than a proper Blu-Ray disc. But I also use the same HDV project to produce standard definition DVDs for distribution to family and friends who don't have a Blu-Ray player.

But if you eventually buy a Blu-Ray burner and find a source of cheap Blu-Ray blanks, then once you finish your editing, and again, regardless of whether your original video is HDV or AVCHD, you simply choose Share > Create Video File > Blu-Ray, and produce a new Blu-Ray compatible file which you can then burn. Or, after you finish editing, jump straight to the burning module (Share > Create Disc > Blu-Ray) and proceed accordingly.

[mitchell65]

Hi Ken
Thanks for the reply. My camera ia a Canon HG10 recording system AVCHD Video Comp. MPEG-4 AVC/H.264
The file is M2TS not as I said MTS. (Is there a difference?)
The FPS is definitely 25 FPS
I don't think I mentioned bitrate in my post?
Anyway here's a screenshot of clip properties;

Main thing is when I can afford the hardware I will be able to produce Blu Ray discs OK!http://www.jmwebsites.co.uk/Screenshot-1.jpg

[Ken Berry]

Sorry -- I saw the frame size, and then '25' and assumed it was the bitrate -- I didn't look closely enogh to see 'fps' and not 'mbps' as I assumed. oops: Moreover, with that frame size, I was thinking in terms of HDV and not AVCHD... So overall, a stuff up on my part.

But that being said, the rest remains accurate and yes, you can still, with the same project file and all the original clips, later burn a Blu-Ray disc!

[mitchell65]

Thanks for that Ken, I will start saving the pennies for the Blu Ray equipment and HD TV!
One last point on this subject. When I set my Project Properties I do not get the option to choose MPEG-4 only MPEG-1 or 2. Only by choosing MPEG-2 can I choose 1440 x 1080. Will this effect the quality of the finished Blu Ray disc?

[Ken Berry]

Essentially, when dealing with my high def video, regardless of whether it is HDV or AVCHD, is to simply ignore the project properties. When you think about it, if you have had a little experience with video editing, those properties are largely irrelevant. If you have 'captured' your AVCHD as AVCHD, and have it in the VS timeline, it remains AVCHD, regardless of what the Project Properties are -- simply setting different properties there does not automatically render the AVCHD into something else.

In effect, according to my own admittedly somewhat heretical viewpoint, the project properties are really only there as a guide for newbies and meant, particularly in the "old" days of DVD, VCD and SVCDs, as a way of avoiding some of the more obvious problems. One of the more obvious problems now, though, as you have found, is that Corel has not yet fully adapted to the Blu-Ray/high def era, and particularly the AVCHD aspect of it. It is indeed an oversight on their part that you cannot adjust the Project Properties to those of AVCHD mpeg-4...

But anyway, back to my heresy. In effect, for those hypothetical newbies in the 'old' days, if you put video into the timeline and set project properties for a particular product you had in mind, you could then go to Share > Create Video File > Same as Project Settings which is of course the very first choice under that particular drop down menu... and your rendered file would match those Project Properties... Took the risk of a wrong setting out of the equation.

But from my own point of view, the only really relevant point in the process is when you choose your output. So applying this to your situation, if you start off with AVCHD, add transitions, music etc during the editing phase, simply don't think about Project Properties during that editing. And when you finish editing and want to output as AVCHD (or HDV), then you simply choose Share > Create Video File > AVCHD (or HDV) or even 'Same as First Clip' and you will end up with a new single file which is AVCHD (or HDV) like the original.

[mitchell65]

Many thanks, Ken, for a most infomative reply. Hopefully by the time I have enough pennies for the HD equipment Corel will have come up with an update for full HD editing!
I does seem odd that with the proliferation of HD cameras that are available at very reasonable prices that the software providers do not seem to be getting up to speed. I intend trying the trial version of the new £550 video software. I will post to the appropriate Forum with results.

[sjj1805]

Many thanks, Ken, for a most informative reply. Hopefully by the time I have enough pennies for the HD equipment Corel will have come up with an update for full HD editing!
I does seem odd that with the proliferation of HD cameras that are available at very reasonable prices that the software providers do not seem to be getting up to speed. I intend trying the trial version of the new £550 video software. I will post to the appropriate Forum with results.

You have answered your own point. The video recording industry is undergoing a hard to keep up mini revolution with so many diverse new formats emerging that the bubbles are still rising and the largest bubble is yet to reach the surface. Whilst many may think that "Blue Ray" has won the moment - it is as I have put it "a moment".

I for one do not think any form of "moving parts" system will remain as the largest contender. The problem with any moving part is that it is subject to wear and tear, breakdown, scratching etc. I think that some form of solid state medium will come out on top.

Most people will be aware of the "humble" SD card - a postage stamp sized item. This was "recently" surpassed by SDHC which can reach incredible speeds and a capacity of up to 32 GB, even that is being surpassed as we speak by another format SDXC which goes up to a whopping 2TB (yes - Two Terra bytes!).

[Ron P.]

Most people will be aware of the "humble" SD card - a postage stamp sized item. This was "recently" surpassed by SDHC which can reach incredible speeds and a capacity of up to 32 GB, even that is being surpassed as we speak by another format SDXC which goes up to a whopping 2TB (yes - Two Terra bytes!).

2TB, that's enough to store the Library of Congress, 2x

[mitchell65]

Can see the point about the SD card but I think we are in the siuation that has repeated itself time and time again. The last being the eventual use of the VHS video tape system over the competition. That has now virtually been superceded by DVD's. The SD card or similar could quite conceivably be next but as I am now passed the 3 score years and ten milestone I wont worry too much
BTW Ken one advantage of changing the poject properties to mpeg-2 means that High Quality preview works on Project and Clip!

[RickMen]

Ken,

But I also use the same HDV project to produce standard definition DVDs for distribution to family and friends who don't have a Blu-Ray player.

I'm curious, can you please provide the properties of both the original HDV clip and the workflow & settings you use to create the standard def movie & DVD?

[Ken Berry]

I am afraid I am travelling at the moment and using someone else's computer to access the internet. But the HDV file properties are stock standard 1440 x 1080, UFF, 25 fps, mpeg layer 2 audio.

To burn that to a standard def DVD, I do the editing to the HDV, and then choose Share > Create Video File and choose a template I created which is essentially a standard def DVD, using 8000 kbps, 720 x 576, UFF and keeping the mpeg layer 2 audio. The only reason that I made a template for it is that I knew I would be making a lot of these, and since the default DVD template appears to be set for LFF, I thought it would be easier if I had an UFF one to choose. But you could also simply go to Share > Create Video File > Custom and set the properties there, including UFF.

After that, the process is identical as for any DVD-compatible mpeg-2.

[JackTheBear]

Have been using video studio since version 6 - Always had pretty good luck with the program - Have the X2 now and have been successfully burning great quality AVCHD disc's on regular DVDs - of course they have the limitation of disc space - 4.7 gig and these HD vacation movies often take up three times that space - I have a Pioneer BluRay burner coming and will give it a shot at burning our latest vacation. Have a Panasonic BD60 for playback and will try and let you know how they look. With 25 gigs of space on a BluRay disc - I should be able to put three vacations on each disc and put everyone to sleep! - ha
Cheers
Vic

[mitchell65]

Look forward to hearing how you get on!

[JackTheBear]

I guess the BluRay format is going to be just like any other "new" computer adventure. What was I thinking????? Just for the heck of it, without the BluRay burner being installed, I told VS to render my project in BluRay. Thinking (there I go again) it would show I had 20 gig of space left after rendering the project, I was surprised to see I was making out the entire 25 g disc. Yikes. Since the AVCHD disc was only 4.7 g, I figured the could put the equivalent of 4 AVCHD disc's on the one BR disc. I have to admit, AVCHD is plenty HD for me and I can't imagine what converting my project to a 25 gig BR format.
Of course I don't even have the equipment installed as yet but an getting a bit concerned - I wanted to make a longer duration video on a single disc, with the AVCHD quality - This is what I thought the BR format would provide.
Sooooooooooooooo I guess when I get the burner - I will see what compressing the output will look like to get the entire project on the disc.
Also and wondering if I can copy multiple AVCHD projects (4.7g each) on to the BluRay disc. Can one burn/copy multiple AVCHD disc's on to the BR disc and will the player see "folders" for these different videos?
Looks like the 50g BR disc's will take the vacation videos I have.
More questions than answers - Hope to have some soon - will just have to experiment like we all did with Cd's and DVDs