Poor Quality on DVD Playback

[palmercw]

Using Corel VideoStudio Pro X3 and either Corel DVD Moviefactory 7SE or Corel DVDFactory Pro 2010, the playback quality of the burned disks is poor. While the completed project has excellent quality both direct from the hard drive AND when using Windows Explorer and just copying directly to the DVD, anytime I attempt to create a simple menu structure, it seems that the entire video is re-rendered causing a significant loss in video quality from the original. I have tried all settings in both packages even just including the created 660MB mpeg4 (rather than the project itself) in Pro 2010 and the result is a 220MB file. Again, when I just use Windows Explorer and copy directly the DVD, the original video is preserved including the 660MB file size and the quality is the same as the project. Any suggestions?

[DVDDoug]

660MB mpeg4 (rather than the project itself) in Pro 2010 and the result is a 220MB file.

There's you problem... Regular DVDs that play on all DVD players are MPEG-2. MPEG-2 is less efficient compression than MPEG-4, so the final MPEG-2 DVD needs a bigger file (higher bitrate) for similar quality.

I'm a little confused about your original video... Is your original video MPEG-4?

What are your project bitrate/quality settings for the DVD?

What's the playing time of your final video? If it's in the ballpark of 90 minutes or less, you can simply use a high bitrate (around 6000kbps) for high quality.


And regular DVDs are not high-definition, so if your original is HD, there will be resolution loss. And, there is always some quality loss when converting between formats.

[palmercw]

Thanks. A little further clarification.

The project parameters are: NTSC drop frame (29.97 fps)
MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps
Lower Field First
(DVD-NTSC), 16:9
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 8000 kbps)
LPCM Audio, 48000 Hz, Stereo

When I create a video file I use "same as project settings" and this is excellent for posting to YouTube.

However, I wanted to create a higher definition (3 minutes, 30 second football hilight video for my son) so I created another video using the HDV 1080i-60i(for PC) setting. Again, the quality of this is EXCELLENT when viewing the created video on my computer and when burned to the DVD (using Windows Explorer).

Only when I try to add a simple menu to the front of it (Press Play), the resulting video suffers greatly in video quality. I have used all the various settings in DVD Factory 2010 and still end up with a video that is 1/3 the size of the original. I have set it to "Best" quality and two pass encode. I am now wondering if I should use "custom" and two pass encode, AND 9800. I haven't burned a DVD this way because it only add about 50MB more to the video so I dont' see how the quality will be any better. Frankly, if there were any way to use the entire DVD for the 3:30 video, I would.

Thanks in advance for any help on this.

[Black Lab]

You still haven't told us what the properties of the clips are. Right click on one in the library or timeline and post the properties.

[palmercw]

MPEG-4
24 bits 1920x1080
29.972 frame/sec
14,000 Kbps

Taken from a HD camcorder. But, even the menu that I created is fuzzy.

YouTube Version here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUgjcr-LejE (without the main menu).

[Black Lab]

Ok. So you've taken HD footage and put it on a SD DVD. HD footage downconverted to SD should look better than regular SD. That's why you state it looks excellent. But from what I understand, there are very few HD menu templates that come with VS. So you have probably used a standard SD menu template, which won't look as good as your HD downconverted to SD footage.

If you want to maintain HD quality on a standard DVD you will have to create a hybrid DVD.

[Black Lab]

BTW, I just watched your video. What a coincidence. My son was a kicker too, having just finished his senior season. These videos are from his junior year. He had a long of 47 this past year and was named honorable mention all-state.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4manNCQ6c-E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU8xy7Ys ... re=related

[palmercw]

So, this is starting to make sense. Since I used a standard template, all content is going to take on the properties of the template no matter how high of a quality of the original video is. So, I have two choices at the moment 1) find an HD template and tie my video to that 2) or just forget about the templates altogether and just have a start program that kicks off the video when DVD is loaded (not preferable). BTW, small world with regard to our sons.... Any scholarships on the Horizon?

[Black Lab]

Not exactly. The type of menu doesn't determine the burn properties. But if you chose the standard DVD template when you went to burn, you are choosing a template with a bitrate that is probably 8,000 kbps. So you are taking your HD footage, which is probably around 20,000 kbps, and reducing that to 8,000. The quality is going to take a hit.

Do a search for a "hybrid" disc, or maybe someone else will jump in here and explain how to make one. That will enable you to burn your HD footage to a regular DVD while keeping the HD quality.

As for my son, he will play baseball in college. He was thinking of trying to do both, but decided it would be too much.

[Ken Berry]

A hybrid disc will only play on a Blu-Ray player rated to play such discs. Many do these days, including the PlayStation 3. So if you have such a player and want to know how to prepare such a disc, let me know and I will describe it -- though it is easy peasy.