DVD Quality Not Up To AVCHD or MPEG-4 HD Quality

[Reel Alien]

Hello All,

Just finished up a little slide show type project for the mother-in-law's 75th birthday.
When I rendered the project to an AVCHD or MPEG-4 HD file, playback quality is excellent.
So I needed to make a DVD version of the project as the old girl doesn't do 'puters.
But when I burned the project to DVD the resolution of the pictures/titles was reduced substantially.

I used the following settings for the project and burning:

Project Props:

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


DVD Props:

DVD Video 16:9

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


The resulting burn would only load on one of three (different brand) DVD players.
Picture quality poor. Visible jags on edges of titles. Flicker on background Lens Flare effect.


Then I tried changing the DVD settings to:

*DVD Slideshow 16:9

MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps
*Frame-based
(DVD-NTSC), 16:9
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 8000 kbps)
LPCM Audio, 48000 Hz, Stereo


This resulted in a quick load and play on all three DVD players. Flicker on Lens Flare effect gone.
Picture quality still poor. Jags still visible on titles.

This is my first crack at burning to DVD and I'm just wondering what I'm missing here.
I would assume that the DVD quality should be equal to AVCHD or MPEG-4.

Any guidance greatly appreciated.

[canuck]

Where did you get the idea that DVD quality would be equal to HD quality? Of course the quality will be lower for a DVD.

[lata]

Hi

What version of Video Studio are you using

Can we assume the main content of your project are images.
If there is any video content please give details, right click the clip and select properties, what are they?

Although HD is obviously better quality than standard definition creating a slide show should be pretty good.
You shouldn't be experiencing flicker, jagged edges etc just because its standard video

First the mother-in-law's DVD Player/TV is it HD?.. If yes does it have a USB terminal.
Render the project to HD video compatible with your player, upload to memory stick, play HD directly to TV via USB.
-------------------------------------
If you need to burn a standard DVD first render the video to a new Mpeg2 file

Edit the Project Properties (Alt + Enter) to match these settings:-

NTSC drop frame (29.97 fps)
MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps
Frame-based
(DVD-NTSC), 16:9
Video data rate: 8000 kbps Constant
Audio data rate: 256 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio, 48 KHz, 2/0(L,R)

Note I have chosen Constant data rate, If you choose Variable, use Two Pass Encoding, Constant should be fine...

Share Create Video File - Same as Project settings.
Before you hit the Save button, press Options and deselect Perform Smart Render.

Play the video on your PC to check quality. Hows it going so far?

If ok--to burn the disc
Start a new project, nothing in the timeline--Share Create Disc-DVD
Opens the burner Module
Add Media-Add Video File

Under the Options Cogwheel lower Left--make sure Do Not Convert Compliant is selected.

The

[Reel Alien]

Hey lata, Thanks for the reply.

Hi
What version of Video Studio are you using

Sorry, I should have mentioned that. X5.

Can we assume the main content of your project are images.

Yes. All jpgs. Except a 15 sec. lead-in .WMV file. One of VS's.

Although HD is obviously better quality than standard definition creating a slide show should be pretty good.
You shouldn't be experiencing flicker, jagged edges etc just because its standard video

And that's what I thought. I've made similar type slideshows in Vegas 9 and the resulting DVD quailty was definitely
better than what I've achieved with VS so far.

First the mother-in-law's DVD Player/TV is it HD?.. If yes does it have a USB terminal.
Render the project to HD video compatible with your player, upload to memory stick, play HD directly to TV via USB.

I know that it's just a basic DVD player. Unfortunately, (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) she's 3,000 miles away.
Coincidentally though, the family is getting her a new wide screen TV for her birthday. An LG I believe, likely would have a USB port.
That's a very good idea Lata, I'll drop my copy of the MPEG-4 HD on a stick as a backup.

If you need to burn a standard DVD first render the video to a new Mpeg2 file

Edit the Project Properties (Alt + Enter) to match these settings:-

NTSC drop frame (29.97 fps)
MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps
Frame-based
(DVD-NTSC), 16:9
Video data rate: 8000 kbps Constant
Audio data rate: 256 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio, 48 KHz, 2/0(L,R)

Note I have chosen Constant data rate, If you choose Variable, use Two Pass Encoding, Constant should be fine...

Share Create Video File - Same as Project settings.
Before you hit the Save button, press Options and deselect Perform Smart Render.

Play the video on your PC to check quality. Hows it going so far?

Done. Looking about the same on my monitor, but see below...

If ok--to burn the disc
Start a new project, nothing in the timeline--Share Create Disc-DVD
Opens the burner Module
Add Media-Add Video File

Under the Options Cogwheel lower Left--make sure Do Not Convert Compliant is selected.

OK. Now this is very interesting indeed, on a couple of fronts.
What I was doing was going right to 'Create Disc-DVD' from the actual project. This process took
almost 2 hours to complete. A 10 minute slideshow. I was a bit dismayed, but being my first crack
at DVD burning is VS, thought it must be normal. During this process CPU never exceeded 24%.

So now, following your instructions above, I decided to grab my MPEG-4 HD copy of the project and burn it.
Right away I could tell the rendering was moving along faster, a LOT faster! CPU hitting 90%!
Rendered and burned to disc in 2 min 30 sec. Just a little faster. :~)

So how's the quality? Just what I was originally expecting, plays on all 3 players I have here and looks
good on all sets. I'm freakin' delighted Lata. Thanks so much man, I was starting to run out of DVDs. ;~)

So may I ask, is this how it's typically done for burning DVDs in VS? Rendering project first, then importing
the file into the DVD module of a new project?

Thx again Lata.

[lata]

Hi Reel Alien

Good that you have improved the quality..........

Going back a long time and you had to create a video file, Mpeg2 before burning a DVD.

Ulead at the time then allowed you to add a VSP, a project file to the burner module.
To burn a DVD this file has to be converted to a Mpeg2, the process can be seen as Convert Title, immediately after hitting the burn button.
The settings used to do this can be set under the Options Cogwheel, these have to be correct.

Unfortunately many users had problems with this process and we advise that you first create a mpeg2 compliant file.
Once you create the Mpeg2 you can play it on the pc to check quality, that quality is what you would expect on disc as the source file is not changed.
Use this file to burn a dvd and the Convert Title process is not used, The compliant Mpeg2 being used to burn the disc without re-coding.

If you wish to run burn tests choose to create a DVD Folder or Disc image instead of a Disc, the burn process will continue as normal but saving to the hard drive, menus and all, saves on making those coasters. Play the Video TS folder on the pc again to check quality.

Whichever way you choose to go the Mpeg2 file has to be created, either by you or automatically in the burner module. The time to create this file will be the same.