VideoStudio X6Pro Poor rendering of MTS files.

[MMC4520]

Hi,

I am using VideoStudio X6 Pro.

I have been doing video editing for a local kids Theatre company (freebie) and I am not a professional.

They have changed their video camera and they have provided me MTS video format.

Playing the MTS file in windows media player, the video is crystal clear.

It looks ok in VideoStudio but after it is rendered to a DVD its quality has dramatically dropped .... pixilation being the main issue.

I have tried using various trial converters and converting it to an AVI or MPeg2 format first and then editing it but I am still getting very poor quality output.

The final compression is very small (if any) ....

I had about 40 mins of video, so the mpeg2 file should not have to be compressed, but the final dvd was far worse than the actual video file.

I am at a total loss .....

How can I get the best results from using an MTS file format ??????

Many Thanks for your help,

Mike.

[Ken Berry]

Well to start with, .mts video is high definition AVCHD mpeg-4 which usually uses a high speed bitrate of anything between, say, 16,800 kbps to 27,000 kbps. On the other hand, a DVD, by international standard, must use standard definition mpeg-2 with a maximum combined video and audio bitrate of 10,000 kbps (though in practice the video bitrate on commercial DVDs might be as high as 9800 kbps, while on home produced ones will usually be no more than 8000 kbps.) All other things being equal, a higher bitrate means higher quality and conversely, a lower bitrate means lower quality. So that is your immediate problem right at the outset. You are down-converting high quality high definition mpeg-4 to lower quality mpeg-2. You will never get quality equivalent to high definition video (e.g. from a Blu-Ray disc) on a standard def DVD. That's the nature of the beast.

The best you will be able to do is accept the VS default DVD template (Share > Create Video File > DVD) since your video is less than one hour. That uses the high quality (for a DVD) bitrate of 8000 kbps. But since that bitrate is probably at least half, or even a third of that of your original .mts, you are just going to have to accept the resulting quality loss -- though it still should be good quality for a DVD.

The other option, of course, is to buy a Blu-Ray burner and burn your AVCHD directly to a BD disc (since AVCHD is a Blu-Ray compatible format). However, that of course will require all the people who use your discs to have a Blu-Ray player at home.

[MMC4520]

Ken,

Many thanks for the reply .....

I realise that MTS is a high definition format.

I do not expect to get a High Definition quality on a DVD .....

The MTS file has the following characteristics :

Frame Width : 1440
Frame Height : 1080
Data Rate : 5039 Kbs
Frame Rate : 25 Frames / Second.

The problem that I have is that when I create a DVD from the MTS file, the resulting DVD has very poor definition .... far worse than if it had been taken with a lower resolution camera (that used to store the video in mpg or avi format).

So my question is :

Given that I have been provided with MTS files, how can I get the best result on a standard DVD ????

Should I convert the MTS file to an MPeg2 file first and then edit with Video Studio ????
Should I use VideoStudio and use the MTS files and just author to the DVD ????
Are there any setting that I should use ????

What is the best way to get the best results ????

If I should be converting the files what tools should I use .....

Many Thanks for your help,

Mike.

[lata]

Hi Mike

First can you provide the full video properties of your clips
Right click a clip in the timeline and select properties, What are they.?
You can create an image of the window and attach to your post.

You show the Data Rate as being 5039kbps, this is very low considering HD, its even low using Mpeg2 DVD. Are you sure this is correct 5039kbps that is?
Im sure Ken will comment on this………..

The video properties may also use Frame Based, using the default templates for a dvd will use Upper Field, that may impact on quality.
Given that the duration is only 40 minutes I would also use a Constant Data Rate not variable.
But as I say we need to know the full properties.

You will have to run a few tests to convert your video, for this you may be best to use Settings Make Movie Templates Manager to create your own template.
Otherwise edit the Project Properties to use these

Sample DVD Mpeg2 settings:-

MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 576, 25 fps
Frame-based
(DVD-PAL), 16:9
Video data rate: 8000 kbps (constant)
Audio data rate: 256 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio, 48 KHz, 2/0(L,R)

Add a clip to the timeline, then Share Create Video File—Use your new template listed at the bottom or Same as Project Properties, assuming you have set as above.

Play the new file to check quality.

[MMC4520]

Hi,

I really appreciate your support.

Attached is a MS Word document.

The first graphic is the details provided by Video Studio, the second is from Windows.

Many Thanks,

Mike.

[Ken Berry]

Should I convert the MTS file to an MPeg2 file first and then edit with Video Studio ????

That is what I would recommend. Put the original mts video in the VS timeline and then choose Share > Create Video File > DVD and accept the default settings if the video is less than an hour long.

Note that these default settings include Upper Field First, as in your mts settings, rather than Frame Based as suggested by Trevor.

Incidentally, I would accept the VS Properties, with a bitrate/data rate of 16,000 kbps rather than the Windows one. We never use Windows Properties here as they are too sketchy and in this case, misleading.

[MMC4520]

Ken,

Many thanks for your response ....

I have gone back several years to when I produced the DVDs pre MTS format.

When played on a large screen they also are of poor quality ....

I think a lot of the problems come from me not realizing how bad the original dvds (generated from cameras that created AVI or mpeg) were when played on modern, large screen equipment .....

That being said, the DVDs produced from MTS, seems to have more distinct lines (like scan lines) that cause the blurring ..... could be my imagination .....

So just in conclusion,

if less than an hour of recording just use the MTS file directly to DVD.
if more than an hour first convert it to an mpg2 format and then edit to DVD ......

Many Thanks for your help,

Mike.

[MMC4520]

Hi,

Sorry but one last question .......... hopefully

I have decided to also create a blu ray version of the show .... so I am looking to create my first ever blu ray dvd .... in fact I have to go to the shops to buy one (yes I do have a burner).

When I choose to create a blu ray dvd, in VideoStudio, the option to create an ISO file is greyed out ....

I can create the blu ray folders and burn directly to disk .....

I have looked online and there are rip programs to grab blu ray dvd content and create ISO files.

My normal operation for normal DVDs (all legit) is to create an ISO file and then use that with nero to make multiple copies.

How do I do that for blu ray as VideoStudio has the ISO option greyed out ????

Is there a simple single file format that can be created and then used to burn from ????

Does Nero use the folders directly ?????

Sorry to keep on asking questions ......

Thanks,

Mike.

[Ken Berry]

...if less than an hour of recording just use the MTS file directly to DVD.
if more than an hour first convert it to an mpg2 format and then edit to DVD ......

No, first convert to mpeg-2 in both cases.

Regarding the Blu-Ray disc, be careful of calling it a 'blu-ray DVD'. It is not a DVD, but there is a version of Blu-Ray disc which can be burned to a standard DVD. It is called a hybrid disc or AVCHD disc and uses your MTS footage directly. But it requires a Blu-Ray burner and the discs can only be played back on a Blu-Ray player. To get best quality, using the default VS bitrate of 18,000 kbps you can only fit about 20 minutes of AVCHD onto a single layer DVD, though if you used your original 16,000 kbps footage, that would allow up to around half an hour.

As you have found, VS does not allow creation of a Blu-Ray ISO, but only of a folder. However, if your have Nero, it will allow you to burn the folder to Blu-Ray disc. There is also a freeware program called ImgBurn which will also do the job.

Some people say you can burn the folder to disc just using Windows, but I have tried it and it does not work, at least for me.