project settings in Videostudio 12 Pro X2

[benewbe]

Hi

What settings should I use for capturing and burning AVCHD video onto DVD?

Although I've used VS for several years, and achieved reasonable results from AVI footage, edited, titled, with chapters, and saved as MPEG2 video, to be burned to DVD, I've recently gone over to HD video and I am very confused.

I have recorded AVCHD footage onto SD cards (via Panasonic HDC -SD200 camcorder) and want to get a max of 30 mins HD video onto a DVD.
No problem with transferring AVCHD files from card to Videostudio video library.
No problem with editing, inserting transitions, chapters and titles, usng the default smart proxy settings of 720 x 576, although of course the program is considerably slower to respond than with SD video.
I saved the project as a VSP file using the same settings as the project's.

But what settings should I select when generating the Video file?
And what settings for the burn phase to DVD?

My initial attempts using AVCHD settings throughout either caused VS to crash or to elicit unspecified error 5.0.0.
I checked my Direct X was the latest available.
Attempting to burn the AVCHD files to DVD caused a variety of errors, unrecognised burner, unrecognised disks (although the same disks were written to in other later trials, and very very slow burning tmes (even for a 22 min disk). File size on the DVD was about 3.6 GB and no chapters had been recognised.

Through frustration I repeated the project using the same VSP file, same editing and titling, etc, but creating and MPEG Videoproject file, and burning this to DVD.
The 22 min footage was less than 1.6 GB, and rendering was much faster.
However, quality was poor to very poor (where camera panning was involved).

I find the manual not very helpful at all in explaining how to generate an AVCHD video on DVD from AVCHD files and what settings to use - there is so much choice and so little clear explanation, I think.

Thanks for your help.

Can someone please point me in the right direction?

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi

Give us some details of your video files properties.
Right click a clip and select Properties, what are they?

Field order.
Most HD video uses Upper Field, unfortunately the default templates use Lower.
This may cause some quality issues.

After completing the editing go to Share Create Video File.
Using the custom option :-

Save type as Mpeg files
Options-compression Pal DVD
Then set these:-

MPEG files Select DVD as the compression type.
24 bits, 720 x 576, 25 fps
Upper Field First
(DVD-PAL), 16:9
Video data rate: 8000 kbps (constant)
Audio data rate: 256 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio, 48 KHz, 2/0(L,R)

You could use Tools Make Movie Manager to create this template.
When complete use the new video file (mpeg2) to burn your disc

Share Create Disc-Add Video add your file made above.

[Ken Berry]

Trevor -- sorry to interrupt here, but the poster is after info on how to burn an AVCHD "hybrid" disc, not a standard definition DVD. As you would be aware, a hybrid disc contains high definition AVCHD video, and is burned in a sort of Blu-Ray BDMV structure but on a standard DVD blank disc. But of course it can only be played on a Blu-Ray player rated to play hybrid discs. The Sony PlayStation 3 is one such, but there are quite a few others.

So if he is starting off with AVCHD, then he should NOT go through the business of converting to mpeg-2 or anything else. And the VS templates for AVCHD all use Upper Field First...

I regularly burned hybrid discs with X2 and found it best to do my edits then jump straight to the burning module (Share > Create Disc > AVCHD). This allows greater control of the burn properties IMHO than the fixed AVCHD templates in the editing module. You can access the burning properties in the burning module by clicking on the middle of the three icons in the bottom left of screen. Untick the 'Do not convert compliant mpeg files' box, then change the properties in the big box above that.

I normally used AVCHD with a max bitrate of 18 Mbps. That would allow me to burn a hybrid disc on a single layer DVD which would only hold not much more than 20 minutes. Since the OP wants to burn 30 minutes to the disc, he would of course have to lower the bitrate to do so. I don't have any specific figures which will meet this limit, but would have thought that 16 or 16.8 Mbps would just about do so.

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi Ken

Thanks for the clarification, easy to refer back to DVD standards.

benewbe i now assume you own a Bluray player.?

With regards to Dirext X, the update does cure some problems with Video Studio.
The manual update does not change the direct X version number, so if you haven’t completed the update then its worth the effort.

[benewbe]

Thanks, Trevor and Ken for the swift response.

I have not bought a blueray player yet because I realise that the DVD disk generated by VS may not play.. so my intention is to generate my disk and take that with me when I buy the player. I think sticking to Panasonic should ensure compatibility.

To go back to my original questions, though, I have since researched the web a bit more, and see that my first attempt at creating a disk (when I converted inadvertently to mpeg) would have caused the quality issues. Although the process was quick, the end result was poor - makes sense.

So when I select the Share, create disk option I should select AVCHD as the option when burning to disk? - PLEASE CONFIRM
If I cut the video size down to 20 mins I should get this onto a DVD OK.
I'll try this again, but my first few attempts (as described in my posting) were unsuccesful, with missing chapters or no menu at all, which doesn't inspire confidence.

The latest version of VS promises better support for AVCHD burning on DVD, so I may well download a trial version of this to see if it improves things.

Thanks once again for your help. Its so frustrating - VS worked fine for SD video and did all I wanted. Now all I want is to repeat this experience using HD video!.

[Trevor Andrew]

Thanks, Trevor and Ken for the swift response.

I have not bought a blueray player yet because I realise that the DVD disk generated by VS may not play.. so my intention is to generate my disk and take that with me when I buy the player. I think sticking to Panasonic should ensure compatibility. You may be best to get a player, what happens when you have loads on DVD and they just dont play.

To go back to my original questions, though, I have since researched the web a bit more, and see that my first attempt at creating a disk (when I converted inadvertently to mpeg) would have caused the quality issues. Although the process was quick, the end result was poor - makes sense. Yes-you probibally used the wrong field order if using the default templatesas mentioned earlier.

So when I select the Share, create disk option I should select AVCHD as the option when burning to disk? - PLEASE CONFIRM YES
If I cut the video size down to 20 mins I should get this onto a DVD OK. A standard single layer disc holds 4.3 Gb
I'll try this again, but my first few attempts (as described in my posting) were unsuccesful, with missing chapters or no menu at all, which doesn't inspire confidence.
Have you installed all Video Studio Patches and manually updated Direct X--problems with missing icon/control buttons were cured with Direct X--can't tell if it will cure your problems till you try

The latest version of VS promises better support for AVCHD burning on DVD, so I may well download a trial version of this to see if it improves things. I dont have X3 but worth the trial run

Thanks once again for your help. Its so frustrating - VS worked fine for SD video and did all I wanted. Now all I want is to repeat this experience using HD video!.

[Ken Berry]

Just to reconfirm,

I regularly burned hybrid discs with X2 and found it best to do my edits then jump straight to the burning module (Share > Create Disc > AVCHD).

VS X2 will also definitely burn menus on hybrid discs. I can't comment on chapters as I never used these on my hybrid discs as they were so short (20 minutes).

If you download the trial version of X3, just be aware that you will only get the somewhat problematic DVD Factory 2010 as the burning module. While it is still possible to burn a hybrid disc with it, it is somewhat less transparent about how you go about it! You only get Movie Factory 7 SE if you buy and register X3. MF 7 uses the same approach as the burning module of X2 to produce a hybrid disc...

[benewbe]

I have just done two very short (2 min) tests using different burning options:
1. 16:9 HD PAL format - rendered very quickly as expected, quality not too bad, but defaulted to 1440 HD, not the best quality, for some reason. At least I can create chapters and generate a DVD. On the disk the file extension of the file was the same as on the SD card (source).

2. Using AVCHD when creating disk, I got an error when burning was about to start: internal error in burning engine.
This suggests to me that the burner doesn't support this type of file. But the same error came up when I tried using my blueray burner, and that must support blueray, surely?

Since I'm writing this at work I haven't got access to my pc docs and specs, but I'll have to follow up (2) to check whether I should be able to burn this.

I have also checked my version of VS and it is the latest.

I wonder if the problems above have been rectified in Pro X3?

[benewbe]

STOP PRESS. I've just re-read the VS manual (hard copy) and discovered that it mentions '8cm' disks for burning AVCHD videos. i have always used 12cm disks, and
I didn't consider disk sizefor one second as the cause of 'internal error in burning engine' that I received when trying to use the AVCHD option in 'Share', create disk.
I will try this.

I'll report back when I've tried this out...

[Ken Berry]

HOLD ON A MINUTE!!! That is the first time I have heard anything about 8 cm discs for AVCHD. That is just plain crazy... I for one have absolutely no idea where you can buy such discs unless you are talking about the small discs for SD mini DVD camcorders which use them. But take it from me -- and I am sure others will agree -- there is absolutely no need to go out and buy such silly little discs for your AVCHD hybrid discs.

You might have guessed by now that I have only ever produced my AVCHD hybdrid discs on standard size single layer DVDs (12 cm). And they have worked, each and every one of them.

But I have never heard such nonsense in my life ... though I confess I have never read the manual!! Guess that's yet another case of what I don't know won't hurt me!!!

[benewbe]

Re-reading the manual, yes, I see it means recording in camera to 8 cm disks.

So that still leaves me unable to burn to DVDs. I'm at a complete loss to think why.
My VS XII is ok re updates, as in MS Direct X:

1. I set the project props same as 1st video clip
2. No problem at all with editing, etc
3. I save the project as AVCHD videofile
4. I clear the timeline, drag the file created in '3' to the timeline
5. I select Create and set chapter points and then select Burn.
If I select create an ISO file rendering progresses so far and then stops - but there is no error message. I've left the PC alone for 1-2h at this stage, and nothing happens, no processor activity, nothing.
If I do start 'create' disk with a disk in hte burner, rendering progresses until the error comes up - internal error in the burn engine!

I really am at a complete loss as to what to try next.
It's so frustrating only being able to generate SD videos.

Is there anyone out there who has also experienced this?
Any suggestions welcome, and I won't buy any 8 cm disks!!

[Ken Berry]

I am getting a little confused. OK, let's start after your Step 3 where you successfully created a new AVCHD video file of your project... Or did you? Can you confirmed that after editing, your selected Share > Create Video File > AVCHD? Or did you, as you said, just select 'Save' when you said you saved your project as an AVCHD?

You also don't say what you chose after Step 3 to open the burning module of X2, but it should have been Share > Create Disc > AVCHD. This is what confuses me, since you also talk about choosing ISO as your 'Burn' option, but with AVCHD hybrid discs, there is no ISO option!

Anyway, though it goes against advice which I and others offer in relation to SD DVDs, in fact I prefer -- with AVCHD discs -- to finish my editing in X2, then instead of creating a new AVCHD file, I simply jump straight into the burning (Share > Create Disc > AVCHD). The burning module opens with my *project* file (not a video) appearing in the burning timeline. I then create a menu and burn an actual disc (since there is no other alternative available in X2). And I usually also click on the middle of the three icons in the bottom left of the burning screen and check whether I like the default properties for the burn or not. I find that I normally use the 1920 x 1280 option, and make sure that 18 Mbps is set as the bitrate. That guarantees very high quality output, though will only allow around 20 minutes of video to be burned to a single layer DVD.

[Rob717]

Can we verify some information first?

Can you please click start and then in the search box type "run". In the Run box can you type: dxdiag, select yes if prompted to check the drivers and then select the display tab.

On this screen can you post the Device Name, Release Date of the Drivers and also the Driver version?

Next launch VideoStudio Pro X2 and go into the editor, select the question mark at the top right corner and then select About Corel VideoStudio. Can you please post the VideoStudio Version number?

Right click on the icon for VideoStudio and select Properties, then select the compatibility tab and see if there is anything checked off on that tab. If you are running in a compatibility mode it can cause issue like what you are having a lot of the times. Windows Vista and 7 will sometimes put a program into a mode without the user knowing.

The last thing is to make sure you have Direct X updated, the link below brings you to a page that states its for Direct X 9.0c but the tool will actually update any version of Direct X including 11. Just because when you check Direct X and it says you have the latest version doesn't mean you have the most up to date Direct X files. Every few months Microsoft will release an update to Direct X, the tool below will make sure you have the updates files installed.

Direct X link:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... laylang=en

[benewbe]

Thanks, both for the replies - i won't be able to continue looking at this problem until Sunday at the earliest, so just confirming I am still very much determined to get to theb bottom of this problem re burning an AVCHD disk as soon as possible.

Cheers
benewbe

[benewbe]

Hi Rob
I have now done as you suggested:
1. The display drivers information is saved in my file DxDiag.txt, but I could not upload this - not allowed. I could cut and paste the info in a message but it's a lot to include. Please confirm you want me to do this.

2. Version of VS is 12.0.98.1
There are no compatibiity issues highlighted from VS, properties, compatibiity.

3. I have downloaded and installed Direct X files - the most recent was June 2010.

4. I will upload some HD footage and try creating an AVCHD DVD as soon as I can.

Thanks for your help.