Video Studio Pro X4 Output File Size

[kevsim]

When first making the video in Edit mode, is there any way to see the final output size before or after selecting Create Video File before the file is created.

If I choose Create Disk it will show the output size.

If not what would the maximum running time be for DVD output?
kevsim

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi

There are many types of video file depending on what you are intending to make.

I assume you wish to burn a Standard DVD.
This will use Mpeg2 files, the Bit Rate used determines the file size.

8000kbps will allow for 60 minutes of video with a file size of approx 4Gb, the size of a disc is 4.3 Gb.
6000kbps will allow for 90 minutes
4000kbps allow for 120 minutes.

Share Create Video File – DVD will use the default template, whether this is suitable depends on your original video properties.
Unless you are using only still images and creating a slide show.

Create a short project, one minute and render to a video file, use different settings to compare the file sizes.

[kevsim]

Trevor,
Thanks for the info, exactly what I wanted.

I do have 2 other questions -
1/ Is there any rule of thumb if I used 5.1 sound how much it increases the file size.
2/ The difference between Variable and Constant bit rate.
kevsim

[DVDDoug]

Here is a handy bitrate calculator.

Or, once you know that kbs is kilobits-per-second, and that there are 8 bits in a byte:
File Size in MB = (Bitrate in kbps x Playing Time in minutes) / 140
(There is some rounding in that formula, and you need to know the combined audio & video bitrates,. And, with variable bitrate you need to know the average.)

I do have 2 other questions -
1/ Is there any rule of thumb if I used 5.1 sound how much it increases the file size.

With compressed audio, little or no difference.

Just like compressed video, the number of bytes used by the audio depends on the audio bitrate. In order to maintain quality, the bitrate used for 5.1 is often higher than that used for stereo, but not always.

In any case, the space used for compressed audio is a fraction of the space used for video.

Uncompressed LPCM audio is a different story. Stereo LPCM has a bitrate of 1536kbps which can eat-up a significant amount of space on the disc.

2/ The difference between Variable and Constant bit rate.

Variable bitrate is almost always better. It uses a higher bitrate when there is lots of motion, and a lower bitrate when there is "action". This gives you better quality for a given bitrate/file-size.

[kevsim]

DVDDoug,
Thanks for the info, but I must be doing something wrong.

Video files on timeline are AVI and video running time is 1 hour 23 minutes.
I want the completed file to be DVD and fit on a standard 4.3 GB DVD disk.
The file size when rendered as a DVD video file is 5.1GB.

Project Properties are set to PAL 25fps, Audio Format is Dolby Digital Audio, Audio Bit Rate is 256kbps, Frame Size 720 x 576, Display Aspect Ratio 16:9, Compression 70, Video Format MPEG 2, Video Data Rate is Constant, 6000kbps.

Am I doing something wrong as to the final file size exceeding disk size?
I would appreciate some advise.
kevsim

[Ron P.]

First it seems that you're jumping straight into the burn module, Share>Create Disc. So done a test, grabbing a couple of DV (avi) clips, and got lucky, the two clips I grabbed at random just so happened to have a total duration of 1hr 23 mins 13secs. I don't think I could do that again. Anyway, jumping straight into the burn module, the file size was shown to be way over, 5.67 GB. So I clicked on the Gear icon, (Project Settings), then Change MPEG Settings>Custom. I changed the Video Data Rate from 8000kbps, to 6000kbps, the audio from the default LPCM, to Dolby. Closed it, and the file-size bar updated to show a file size of 3.73 GB.

Then to double check this, I closed that project, started a new project, inserted the same clips, and it again reflected the size to be too large. Changing the above properties updated the file size.

So I think VS is reading the file size of your DV clips, and it does not update until you make the changes to the MPEG settings.

[kevsim]

Ron.P,
Thanks for the reply.
My question was, "How to output a file within Edit Studio, using the parameters described in an earlier post to achieve a final MPG file to suit a standard DVD burn.
What am I doing wrong in the settings for Bit Rate while in Edit Mode?

kevsim

[Ken Berry]

The file size when rendered as a DVD video file is 5.1GB.

I am not sure my friend saw this -- otherwise he would not have suggested you jumped straight to burning a disc.

However, I have to askL: if you first produced a new DVD-compatible mpeg-2 file in the Editing module, how exactly did you do it? Did you just finish editing and then select Share > Create Video File > DVD? Or something else? Same as Project Properties? If you selected DVD, for example, you would probably have ended up with a file the size you did since the default DVD properties use a bitrate of 8000 kbps...

[Ron P.]

If you did use one of the canned templates in the Create Video File menu, you can not adjust the bitrate. You need to choose the Custom option located at the very bottom. Then in the next dialog window, press the Options button, and go to the Compression tab. You can reduce the Video Data Rate on that tab.

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi Kevsim

You say the original clips are Avi,
1 / please right click a clip and select properties, what are they?

To check the project duration.
Immediately below the preview screen are some controls, float your mouse over each in turn, from the left are two words Project and Clip then several buttons Play-Home-Next-previous-End

With the project open in the timelines:-
2 / click the word Project
3 / click the End button
4 / view the digital clock this will indicate the duration of your project, what does it show.?

Project Properties
5 / Settings – Project Properties-Edit

Set the properties to these settings:-

PAL (25 fps)
MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 576, 25 fps
Lower Field First --------This should be the same as your Avi properties
(DVD-PAL), 16:9
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 6000 kbps) ------- this can be Constant
Audio data rate: 256 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio, 48 KHz, 2/0(L,R).

Create a video file of your project
How……….

6 / Share Create Video File – Same as Project Settings
7 / give the new file a name and select a save location, press Save
8 / the project will be rendered/converted to a single video file, when complete a thumbnail of the file will be placed in the library.
9 / Right click this thumbnail and select properties, note the file size, what is it? (expect about 3.8 Gb)

Burn a DVD
10 / Start a new project , the timeline is empty
11 / Share Create Disc-DVD
12 / the burner module will open in a new window, Choose Add Video Files, (top left icon) search the hard drive for the file created in 6 above.
13 / The timeline will indicate the length and size, the bar should be all green.
Continue to create the menu and burn a dvd.

[kevsim]

Trevor, these are the settings used on my second attempt to reduce file size.
I did however use the Share/Create Video File/DVD (16:9) template.
The file size was 5,085,000 KB.

You say the original clips are Avi,
1 / please right click a clip and select properties, what are they?
A/ Microsoft AVI Files.

Project duration = 1:21:22:24

Project Properties
PAL (25 fps)
MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 576, 25 fps
Lower Field First --------This should be the same as your Avi properties
(DVD-PAL), 16:9
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 6000 kbps) ------- this can be Constant (I used constant)
Audio data rate: 256 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio, 48 KHz, 2/0(L,R).

This time (3rd time) I used the same Project Properties but used Share/Create Video File/Custom with a bit rate of 6000 kbps set at constant.
The file size was 3,798,890 KB.

Thank you all for the help.
kevsim