Best Frame Type

[jsmatutes]

Just want to inquire regarding burning of videos to DVD using DVD Movie Factory 7SE. What would be the best frame type, is it frame-based, upper field first or lower field first? With regards compression, we are using here NTSC DVD, what would be its quality? With regards also to video data rate, do I have to use Variable or Constant and what would be the best kbps?

Thanks for your help.

Best regards.

John

[Ron P.]

Welcome to the forums John,

First I split and moved your post from the DVD MovieFactory forum and topic concerning service packs, to this, DVD MovieFactory 7SE forum, and provided a title that described your post.

Frame type, ie; Field Order should match the Field Order of your Video files. Frame Based, is non-interlaced, and mainly used for Videos that are comprised of photos, and to be viewed on a PC or Internet (which of course uses a PC to view them). Interlaced video, UFF/LFF (Upper Field First/Lower Field First) is for televisions, especially the CRT (Cathode Ray Tube). Most MPEG-2 video use UFF, while DV (avi) use LFF. While an DV is converted to MPEG-2 prior to being burned to disc, the original source dictates the Field Order, so those MPEG-2 clips will show a LFF field order. Reversing the field order can cause the video to not play smoothly. Now more important you can not, mix field orders into a single video clip. This is important in the Video Editor (VS).

Variable Bitrate is used if you want to try to squeeze a little more onto a disc. The program will apply a higher-bitrate to portions of the clip having a lot of detail/data, like fast moving racing scenes, and lower bitrate to the more static. What you end up with is really an average bitrate. To gain the most from using a VBR (Variable bitrate), you can also use the Two-pass encoding, this takes longer, but can provide more accurate application of the VBR. There's really no set-in-stone rule that you must use one or the other. There is a rule of thumb, where the Higher the bitrate, the better the quality, but the file size is larger as well. So if you need to fit more then roughly 1 hour of video on a Standard Def DVD, you should use a lower bitrate. Using a bitrate greater than 8000kbps, might pose problems for some DVD players reading it. For Standard Def (DVD), the standards dictate a maximum combined total bitrate of 10,000kbps, which would include the audio bitrate.

With that said, I have a Canon FS300, which records MPEG-2 at 9600kbps to a SmartCard. I've found that even my software players have a problem playing DVD's created using this high bitrate. So I use a CBR of 8000kbps.

Finally are you referring to Standard Def (DVD) or some high Def, like Blu-Ray or AVCHD? The above is applicable to Standard Def...

[jsmatutes]

Hi Ron,

Sorry for my late reply, I'm a bit busy for the past few days. First, I'm very grateful for you guys for creating this forum where we can learn a lot regarding video editing and burning. Now I know how to deal its frame type and bitrate.

With regards to your question on your last paragraph. Yes I'm referring to Standard Def (DVD). My video is actually have two (2) settings. You can either set it to standard which is using MPEG 2 when taking videos and the other is for blue ray. I have tried using the blue ray type but is giving me hard time because it requires bigger file. I save it to MPEG 2 file then tried to burn it to a standard DVD but can't make it because the file is too heavy. So I put it back to Standard setting.

Thanks again.

Best regards.

John

[Ken Berry]

If you want to make a disc which will be in high definition format, but on a DVD and which will play only in a Blu-Ray player, you have to burn it in AVCHD format. That is HD mpeg-4, not mpeg-2.

[ptbpilot]

VS X3 allows you to render your project as AVCHD --> then either 1920 or 1440. Is there any benefit to rendering as Mpeg 4 instead?

Pete

[Ken Berry]

AVCHD *is* high definition mpeg-4!