Disc Template Manager

[Bytheseaside]

Having successfully made several DVDs using VS8 & a Philips DVD burner, I'm now using VS X2 & a Samsung burner. Using this new set up, I've found my latest DVD won't play on my uncle's old Samsung DVD player, though it plays on several other machines. My old discs played fine.

I've read about burning at slower speed, but I normally use 4x DVD-RW discs - can't go much slower there. As the project is 1hr 10mins long, I wondered if it was the format that was the problem. I see that there appears to be an option on the Create Disc page (bottom left) to select the Disc Template Manager. However, though it offers the likely option of SP mode (as used by my Panasonic DVD recorder in my living room) I don't actually seem to be able to select it. The option buttons offer New, Edit, Delete, Reset & Close - not OK. I can select SP Mode, but it resets to HQ(Dolby Digital) as soon as as leave the window.

I assume SP mode (if I could make it work) would be lower quality than HQ, but I would only use it for difficult players.

Can anyone help please?

[weaver]

Hi

unfortunatelly I have the same problem with Samsung DVD players. Before my DVDs were working also on Samsung DVD player, since I installed the MF 6 my DVDs do not work on Samsung (does not matter how I burn the with VS or MF).

On all other DVD players my DVDs are wroking without problem (over 10 different types in my environment).

I think the Samsung DVD players have something against my DVDs...

[sjj1805]

.... I normally use 4x DVD-RW discs ....

I gave up attempting to use re-writeable discs years ago. I have never had any luck with them on several different computers with several different DVD burners. Try using a read only disc instead.

[Ken Berry]

... and see my comment on this at http://forum.corel.com/EN/viewtopic.php?p=191702#191702

[Bytheseaside]

Thank you all for that. I have to say I've been happy with my Verbatim DVD-RW discs. They seem to work very well on all but my Uncle's machine, so far... I think it's a good idea to have the option of re-burning discs: I'm forever making improvements & correcting errors discovered after the discs have been burned!

Can anyone answer my original question, please? How do I force the Create Disc section to produce an SP disc instead of an HQ disc, or is there a way to select it somewhere else?

Thank you.

[philip_l]

Hi

I've never had an issue with a RW disc either and they should work on all DVD players now unless it is a very old model.

When you say it doesn't play, in what way? Is the disk completely unrecognised or does it load up and give you the disks menu?

Regards

Phil

[Ron P.]

Can anyone answer my original question, please? How do I force the Create Disc section to produce an SP disc instead of an HQ disc, or is there a way to select it somewhere else?

Thank you.

Try changing it in the Project Settings, which is the Gear looking icon. In the Project Settings dialog, press the Change MPEG Settings and select SP.

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi John

What are the properties of your video files?

If you are working with Mpeg 2 files then you should use those properties through-out the editing and burning process.

If your project is longer than 60 minutes then you may have to reduce the bit rate below 8000, but that is the only thing you need to change.


The standard templates provided by (VS SP HQ) may not be suitable/compatible to your video.

So what are the properties of your video.~

Then theres the question of workflow, are you creating a video file of the project, or rendering the project in the burner module.?

[Bytheseaside]

Thank you Ron, I'll try that.

Phil - the player doesn't recognise the disc at all. No Menu, nothing!

[Bytheseaside]

Hello Trevor.

I always render a file first, then burn DVDs from that file.
Current Project rendered file:
PAL DVD, 3.94GB, ~4191secs. MPEG-2 Lower Field First, 104784 Frames, 24Bits 720x576 4:3, 25fps Variable bit rate.
LPCM Audio 48K 16Bit Stereo.

Another Properties list also says: Video Data Rate: 6000kbps, Audio Data Rate: 256kbps. Dolby Digital Audio: 48kHz 2/0.

I haven't changed any data rates myself: I've just left it to the software.

The current disc copies were all burned to -RWs using this file & play on every machine tried so far (except my uncle's old Samsung). I wondered if I tried producing an SP 2 hour type DVD, it might play on his machine. I could try burning the current set-up on a -R disc at below max speed, but it's a waste of a disc if it doesn't work!

I have played other -RW discs, burned using my old set-up, on his machine. It seems bizarre that changing to a Samsung burner has stopped a Samsung player recognising my discs!

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi John

A little confused as to the properties of your original video clips.
You indicate Audio as Digital Dolby and also LPCM, you cannot have both.

I am assuming your source video is from your DVD Recorder which would probably be Digital Dolby.
My recorder uses these settings :-

MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 576, 25 fps
Upper Field First
(DVD-PAL), 16:9
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 9200 kbps)
Audio data rate: 256 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio, 48 KHz, 2/0(L,R)

So I am not sure whether you are rendering to the correct properties. Using the default templates wont help as they generally use a lower field order.

Share Create Video File ¡V Same as First Video Clip would use your video files properties.
From the Create Video File window you can view the video/render properties (lower left panel)
Using your mouse to highlight the text, can you copy and paste to the forum. No need to render.

With the project being 70 minutes the bit rate should be about 7000 to reduce the file size below 4.3 Gb.
Using the Make Movie Manager to create a template is the best option.

Saying that if the render properties are wrong this would not cause the disc not to play, it should play but maybe not as good a quality.
Generally if the standard DVD disc does not play on some players it¡¦s a hardware problem, incompatible discs.

Using ¡VRW types may not play on all players, some just don¡¦t support ¡VRW type discs.

[Black Lab]

I think it's a good idea to have the option of re-burning discs: I'm forever making improvements & correcting errors discovered after the discs have been burned!

What I do is first burn to DVD Folder. I can then use a computer-based DVD player (PowerDVD) to play the view the disc (including the menu) and check for errors. If I find something wrong I go back to VS and edit, then re-burn to a DVD Folder. When everything is good I then burn to a disc.

[Bytheseaside]

I fear my wife always complains of my lack of attention to detail!!

I have made almost no attempt to set the Project Properties as I probably should have. I suppose I just used what popped up! The current project is set as follows:

Project Options from Project Properties:
Perform non-square pixel rendering - ticked
Audio channels: Stereo
Compression: 70
Video data rate: Constant 6000kbps
Audio Format: LPCM audio

I have been using PAL DVD (4:3) as my chosen rendering mode, though there seem to be many other suitable options. This seems to offer:

PAL DVD (4:3)

MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 576, 25 fps
Lower Field First
(DVD-PAL), 4:3
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 8000 kbps)
LPCM Audio, 48000 Hz, Stereo

Should I be using Upper Field First? (what's the difference?)
I see it says Variable bit rate even though my project properties say Constant.

The source of most my projects is my Canon SX10 camera - Still images (3648 x 2736 jpegs) & .MOV files (640x480 30fps). The rest of my projects are made from scanned BMP images from old colour slides.

I now view my DVDs via a Panasonic DVD recorder into a Panasonic 32" LCD TV. All modern TVs I've seen display my DVDs as widescreen & have to be forced to display 4:3. It would be nice if the TV could be told to display 4:3 automatically by the DVD. I don't know if that's possible.

I hope this is enough info for you.

Regards,

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi John

I had thought your source files were from the DVD recorder, if they were you would set the project properties to match them.

As they are 648 x 480 from the canon camera I would expect Frame Based, so no real need to worry about frame orders.
Both your video and images are 4:3 ratio so will fill nicely the frame.

As your source files are not DVD standard there is no real problem.
You have to convert the project to mpeg 2.
The easiest way to set the properties is to edit the project properties.

I would use:-

PAL (25 fps)
MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 576, 25 fps
Lower Field First
(DVD-PAL), 4:3
Video data rate: 7000 kbps
Audio data rate: 256 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio, 48 KHz, 2/0(L,R)

When your editing is complete¡K¡K you either do Share Create Video File-Same as Project Settings
This creates a new video file to be used in a new project to burn a dvd.
Or
Share Create Disc
Will render the project in the burner module using the project settings as above.
You can check the settings under the Options Cogwheel, but they will be as above.

As for the TV, if you have a widescreen TV then you should consider creating a widescreen movie.
Does your camera have a widescreen option?
Did you try the Auto aspect ratio option from the TV menu.?

Field Order

This is derived from the source video
DV-Avi is always Lower Field
Analogue capture VHS, TV tuner, your DVD recorder is most likely Upper Field.
High Definition will be Upper Field but can be Frame Based (no Fields)

Your camera that produces 640 x 480 is most likely to be frame based.
Video for internet will be Frame Based
Confused, don¡¦t worry too much about it.

[Bytheseaside]

Trevor,

Thank you for the explanations. I am reassured. I'll stick to rendering a video file first, then burn discs from that. I'll set the project properties as you suggest first.

When I bought my Canon camera I had a 4:3 tubed TV & a computer that was too slow to handle HD, so I declined the wide screen Canon & bought the SX10. Now I could cope with HD, but I won't be buying another camera - spent all my money on the new computer! Never mind, I'm very happy with the SX10 results.

My thoughts about having the disc select 4:3 on the TV resulted from me seeing other people play my disc on their TVs: in every case, they were watching 16:9 with all my nice pictures squashed out of shape! Most people don't seem to understand Aspect Ratio: they just like the screen filled up & don't notice if everything is a funny shape. If they do notice, they often don't know how to change it.

Regards,