VideoStudio X2 Authoring Problem

[mac219]

Hi,
Hopefully you folks can help, I've had VideoStudio products for several years now and have used them to capture VHS video to my computer and author on to DVD.
However I encounter the same problem in that I cant get any more than 60mins approx on 1 DVD.

I've recently started to video car racing meetings,which when edited down last for approx 2H 15 Mins.These are on DV tape. How can I get all this on one DVD (4.7gb) without huge loss of quality.

Any help much appreciated.

[Black Lab]

How can I get all this on one DVD (4.7gb) without huge loss of quality.

And there lies the dilema. Large bitrates equal high quality, but large file sizes. Lower the bitrate and you reduce the file size, but you also lower the quality.

Use this Bitrate Calculator to help determine what bitrate you need to set in order to get the best quality.

[Ken Berry]

You could probably squeeze 2 hours 15 minutes onto a single layer DVD if you used a bitrate of around 4000 kbps and also used Dolby audio, as it produces smaller file sizes, thus leaving a bit more room for video. But at that bitrate, the quality would be no better than decent VHS tape, depending on how good the original was in the first place.

[mac219]

Thanks for your quick replies, I'll do a few tests with different bitrates and settle with the best compromise between quality and length.

Phil