Settings for authoring Blu-Ray that will play in a PS3?

[StitchedPigeon]

I'm trying to create a blu-ray movie that contains AVCHD videos of various vacations that I've been on over the past year (just your typical collection of home movies), but I've had problem after problem in trying to create the damn thing. I've used VS Pro X4 to create four individual movies (representing four different vacations, each saved as vsp files); I then created my "menu file" to compile all four movies into a single blu-ray with each one having menu buttons that then go to chapter sections (I hope that makes sense...sorry for not using/knowing technical jargon - I'm really new to this whole process). Then, due to VSX4 never completing a successful burn, I simply had it create the Blu-Ray folders and then used ImgBurn to burn them to disc.

ANYWAYS, what kind of project settings do I need to be using in VS? I will be playing the disc in a PS3 (not sure if that matters as opposed to a regular BD player). I finally managed to produce a successful burn, but it was only able to play once in my PS3 - for some reason after it initially played fine, it wouldn't play again even though there was no damage to the disc. The disc was a BD-RE DL by Maxell. I had previously tried BD-DL Verbatim discs, but I was never able to finish a burn with those, and I got tired of flushing my money down the toilet on those.

I'm just trying to figure out why I'm having so much trouble getting my movie from my computer to a playable disc!! Dx

Here are my current project settings:

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

And here is a screenshot of my Share > Create Blu-ray properties: click.

Blu-ray burner that I'm using: Matshita BD-MLT U240AF. It is connected via USB cable to my Vista 64 laptop. All of my drivers are up to date.

Hopefully that's enough info. If not, let me know and I'll provide what I can. Thanks in advance for any help or advice you can give me.

[Ken Berry]

A couple of thoughts... First, when you say you have created four movies and saved them as vsp files, in fact you have not created movies. A vsp file is a Video Studio Project file, and it is a small text file which merely tells the program what video is in the project, where it is located on the computer and what editing has been done to it. So in effect what you are doing is putting those project files into the burning module, building the menu, then asking VS to both convert those project files to the movies you thought you had, and then actually burn them to disc. Each of these processes is demanding enough, particularly since you are using the toughest format of all i.e. AVCHD, and your computer might just not be able to cope. And unfortunately you have told us nothing about your computer specifications.

What I would be doing -- and what I in fact do -- is first convert those vsp files one by one into the movies you thought you already had. To do so you go to Share > Create Video File > AVCHD and choose an appropriate option there. (I think you have instead been finishing your editing, saved the vsp, then done the same with the three other vsps, then selected Share > Create Disc > Blu-Ray.) Then, when I have those four actual movies, I would select Share > Create Disc > Blu-Ray. When the burning module opens, I would manually insert each of those 4 movies in the burning timeline and proceed from there. But when you first open the burning module, that timeline needs to be empty, so if there is anything there, just delete it, then insert those 4 movies. That way you will only be asking the burning module to actually burn the disc since the conversion to a movie will already have been done in the editing module. Far less demanding on any computer.

The second thing is pure speculation on my part. I see you have been using dual layer Blu-Ray discs. I have never used them apart from one Sony dual layer rewritable disc I have. Otherwise, I use only single layer Blu-Ray blanks (Verbatim). In the bad old days, Video Studio's burning module often had trouble burning standard definition DVDs on dual layer blanks, and the same could be happening here with Blu-Ray blanks, but I just don't know. I have never tried it myself, even with my rewritable disc, and I can't recall anyone else on this forum having specifically mentioned dual layer disc problems. Have you tried burning to single layer Blu-Rays?

By the way, I don't think there is anything special you have to do for a PS3. I happen to use one also as my one and only Blu-Ray player. I even have it connected to my home network and it does a great job.

[StitchedPigeon]

Thank you for your detailed response. It's very informative.

Perhaps my problem is indeed rooted in my work process. I thought it was ok to use VS projects instead of already-converted movies when you burn the disc. Is that wrong? Regardless, I'll try converting the individual projects and see if it works.

When I go to Share > Create Video File, should I then choose AVCHD or should I go ahead and choose the Blu-ray option instead? Is there a general rule of thumb to use here based on the original video type?

Here's my computer's specs:

• Model: Asus Notebook G50VT Series
• Operating System: Windows Vista, 64-bit
• Processor: Intel Core Duo CPU P7450 @ 2.13GHz 2.13 GHz
• RAM: 4.00 GB
• Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GS
• Hard Drive Capacity: C holds 190GB (31.5GB are currently free, but there will be more after I delete my BD folder and convert things the way you said to do), D drive holds 100GB (only about 6.3GB free)

Is there any other info that would be helpful?

[Ken Berry]

It won't make too much difference whether you choose AVCHD or Blu-Ray as the output, though I would stick with AVCHD since it is already one of the Blu-Ray formats which can be burned directly to disc without further conversion. If you choose Blu-Ray then there will be a conversion from AVCHD mpeg-4 to Blu-Ray transport stream mpeg-2, which is the other main Blu-Ray format. But both will be good quality.

And yes, it is an acceptable and logical workflow to burn a project vsp file instead of an actual video. But that in turn depends on a number of other factors, including how powerful your computer is.

In that regard, thank you also for providing your computer specs. While it is sufficient to edit and play AVCHD, it is at the very much lower end of the scale. In other words, it may not have quite enough grunt to do those two demanding tasks -- conversion AND burning -- in the burning module all as part of one process. As I said above, AVCHD is the most demanding of current video formats, requiring a fairly powerful computer to handle it smoothly. In your case, four conversions in the burning module plus the actual multiplexing and burning might just have been the straw that broke the camel's back.

But let us know what happens when you try my suggested workflow.

[canuck]

In addition to what Ken said, your hard drive space is limiting your process. Especially with AVCHD and BD work you need lots of free hard disc space and 31GB is not very much. You can almost forhet about using drive D with only 6GB free. If those drives are fragmented then your process will slow down a lot.

[lata]

Hi StitchedPigeon

In regards to disc space, when you burn a disc some temporary files are created during the process, these are saved to the working folder.

Now Video Studio uses two working folders, one used to "capture and edit" the files, (press F6 from the edit timeline) the other is used for the burning process.

From the burner module again press F6 (or icon lower left)
Make sure the allocated folder has sufficient capacity for the burn/create temp files.

I have always been told you need twice the capacity of your video, so if the video is 25 Gb then you need 50Gb free.

I guess the capacity of your drives could be a real issue.

[StitchedPigeon]

I've converted all of my vsp movie projects to AVCHD files and have remade my disc menu project using the converted files. I'm currently using VS to burn my disc (as opposed to imgburn) just to see if it can do it now that I've supposedly done the converting ahead of time.

However, now I'm confused because even though I thought I had converted all of those movies, VS has been spending hours now doing some converting of its own. What gives? I thought the whole point of my converting each individual project was to avoid this part of the burning process. Did I do something wrong, or am I just not understanding?

[Ken Berry]

In the burning module, click on the Options/cogwheel icon in the bottom left of screen. In the dialogue box which appears, make sure the 'Do not convert compliant MPEG files' is ticked.

It would also be useful to know the exact properties of your new AVCHD files or which option you used to convert them.

[StitchedPigeon]

I can't tell you the properties because the process is still going on and it won't let me look at anything except the progress bars at this point. It's only at 65% in about 15 hours... I was thinking that I selected the option that you mentioned, though. If this thing craps out on me and I have to start again (or if I'm lucky and it actually burns a successful disc lol), I'll be sure to post the project and AVCHD properties before I start trying to burn again.

This whole thing has really been a learning process for me (and I thank you so much, Ken, for helping me with a lot of the problems I've encountered). I'm going to make some detailed notes once this is all over with so I won't have to go through so much trouble for my next project. lol

[Ken Berry]

Something definitely sounds wrong there! 15 hours and still going? Phew!!!

Can you at least recall which option you chose under AVCHD as the output in Share > Create Video File? And can you confirm that when you opened the burning module, the burning timeline was either empty, or you cleared it of whatever was there before you manually inserted your new AVCHD files?

I'll tell you a secret about the PS3, though, if you don't already know it... You don't actually need to burn a Blu-Ray disc in order to be able to playback your high definition creations in their original format on your PS3. After finishing your editing and creating your new AVCHDs from the project files, you can then transfer them to a suitably large USB stick drive or external hard disk . But this is important: first, on the drive, you create a new folder labelled exactly VIDEO -- it must be in capital letters for the PS3 to be able to recognise it. The stick drive or external hard drive also needs to be formatted with the FAT32 system, not NTFS. But I think all stick drives are formatted that way anyway, and most external hard disks are also formatted with FAT32 as they both can be used on either PCs or Macs, whereas Macs (and PS3s) cannot 'see' NTFS drives.

Then you just transfer your AVCHD files into the VIDEO folder and connect the drive into one of the PS3's USB ports. Then navigate in the PS3 screen on your HDTV to the Video icon. Your stick drive or external hard drive should show up, and you select it then select your VIDEO folder, and all your AVCHD files should be listed. Select the one you want and then press the play button on your PS3 remote. It should play perfectly in full high definition.

And if, like me, you have your PS3 connected to your home network, either (like me) hardwired (because I have one of the original non-wireless PS3s) or a wireless one and your wireless output is strong, then you don't even need to transfer your files to a stick or external drive, but play them directly from your computer. I keep all my video creations in a VIDEO folder on my computer(s) in the network. Once you have a suitable server, make sure it syncs regularly with your VIDEO folder to ensure your latest additions are recognised.

As a server, I use a variety, including Windows Media Player, PowerDVD 12's media server, and Nero's media server, but also the free tailor made PS3 server which is the best of all since it recognises all the directory structure on your computer rather than just selected folders as the others do. Google for that server if you don't already have it and want to network your PS3.

[StitchedPigeon]

For starters, my entire project (raw video files from cams included) takes up about 70 GB of space on my computer, so just hanging onto those files isn't an option. I need them on a disc and out of my machine. lol

Another factor is that I would like to be able to play this movie on other blu-ray players, so just putting the video files on a jump drive isn't ideal. I also would prefer that it be something that has a menu like what I'm doing with this.

(To explain a little: As a family, we like to catalog all our vacations and special events by year, so for each year, I'll have a disc of all the things we've done in that year. So that's what I'm going for with this.)

It's always taken that long for me to create this project. I'll add more details shortly since I'm about to leave work. I'll update this post in about 30 minutes after I get home and see if the thing is done "processing" (or whatever it's been doing all afternoon). Who knows? Maybe it will be done and I can try it out on my PS3. Maybe? Hopefully? I'm crossing my fingers...

UPDATE
At 20 hours 15 minutes, the Total Progress is now at 70%. I expect it will just error out or something at 99% and I'll chunk my laptop across the livingroom. So... no news, I guess.

[Ken Berry]

I fully understand your desire both to clear out your computer and conform to past family practice, plus making your videos more generally playable by others. A couple of extra thoughts.

First, the price of external hard drives has dropped dramatically in recent years. I just bought a 1.5 TB drive for $145, and others may be even cheaper. But the point is that these days you don't really need to worry about huge amounts of storage. I put all my edited video on a 1 TB external hard drive and have that more or less permanently up next to my PS3. But you will find that most Blu-Ray players these days will also play AVCHD direct via USB in much the same way as the PS3. Certainly the Sony ones do, unsurprisingly, and they also seem to use the same technology used in the (Sony) PS3, requiring a folder named VIDEO. Others may not even require such a folder. So while I accept that discs are much more portable and distributable, you could still carry a hard drive (or large stick drive) around to family members who have Blu-Ray players and have at least a 90% chance that they will play.

Second, regarding menus, as you will see if you try it, the PS3 provides a menu of its own. To cite one of my own examples, when I open my VIDEO folder on the PS3 screen, I pick another of the listed sub-folders, say 'Spain'. After selecting that, I get a list, plus icon, of my videos in that sub-folder: Madrid, Toledo, Valencia, Barcelona. So in fact you get this -- admittedly basic -- menu, but after all, what more do you really need?

[canuck]

StitchedPidgeon,
how long in time is the video your are trying to put on the BlueRay? If you have a "slow" system it can take up to 20 or more hours depending on the time length.

[StitchedPigeon]

SUCCESS! The disc burned and then played in my PS3! I did a happy dance.

Your suggestion with the external hard drive sounds like a really good alternative. It would certainly save me all the trouble that I've been having trying to burn these things to disc, though I expect a lot of my problem was likely due to the disc being dual layer. I'm definitely going to look into getting an external hard drive now.

And just for the sake of providing all the details of this thing, here's the specs for all of the files I was using:

1. For the five individual movies that I made -- Share > Create Video File > AVCHD > AVCHD (1920x1080P):
   • MPEG Transport-Stream Files
   • 24 bits, 1920 x 1080, 29.97 fps
   • Frame-based
   • (HDMV-NTSC), 16:9
   • H.264 Video
   • Video data rate: Variable (Max. 18000 kbps)
   • Audio data rate: 384 kbps
   • Dolby Digital Audio, 48 KHz, 2/0(L,R)
2. For the final project which contained all five movies -- Share > Create Disc > Blu-Ray > Project Settings:
   • MPEG files
   • 24 bits, 1920 x 1080, 29.97 fps
   • Upper Field First
   • (HDMV-NTSC), 16:9
   • H.264 Video
   • Video data rate: Variable (Max. 20000 kbps)
   • LPCM Audio, 48000 Hz, Stereo
   • and nothing was checked except for the option to not convert compliant MPEGs

Thanks again for all your help with this, Ken! You're the best!

how long in time is the video your are trying to put on the BlueRay? If you have a "slow" system it can take up to 20 or more hours depending on the time length.

The total length of all the videos combined is 3 hours 11 minutes, and it fills 29GB of the 50GB disc.

[lata]

StitchedPigeon

Nice to hear you managed to burn the disc.

just a comment on your video properties.

1 / First if the original videos are HD then their properties should be used to create the final video's, the five videos.

2 / The properties of the five videos shown in the first list should be used as the settings shown in the second list.

3 / Edit the burner module Project Settings to match the video files properties.
-------------------------------

Comparing your settings..................

Changing Frame Based to Upper Field may impact on quality
By using 18000kbps the final file sizes will be smaller
By using Dolby Digital again the file sizes will be reduced.

By rendering settings like for like should reduce the render times
------------------------------

I have looked over the older posts but did not see any reference to the original video files properties, maybe i just missed that info?