Ready to Share/create DVD - one final prep question

[Dekade]

Please look at the attached screen shots.

Does it appear as though everything is set properly for a very good quality DVD? PLEASE NOTE: the entire video is 1:37:30. Thus i split it in half to create a Part 1 and a Part 2.

[Ken Berry]

Well, yes... But....

First off, a bitrate of 7000 kbps is not the best possible in terms of your project and intentions. That would be 8000 kbps. And with an 8000 kbps bitrate and Dolby audio, you can burn around 70 minutes of high quality video to a single layer DVD. Now your project is 1:37:30 which you say you have split in half, so roughly 49 minutes per half -- well within what you could burn with an 8000 kbps bitrate rather than the 7000 kbps you have set.

On the other hand, with a bitrate of 6000 kbps, you could burn your entire project to a single layer DVD and still have pretty good quality... Not as good as with 8000 kbps, but I am not sure you would see much difference in quality between your chosen 7000 kbps and 6000 kbps.

If it were me, I would try rendering the 6000 kbps video and see how it looks. If you're not happy with it, then go back to your split project idea but upgrade the bitrate to 8000 kbps for each half...

[Dekade]

Thank you very much for the detailed advice. I will opt for the 8000. The two discs don't bother me. I just completed the 7000 and it took 33 minutes to create a 50 minute video that resulted in 3.15GB. Thus I should have plenty of room for the 8000 on a 4.7GB disc.

By the way - is there a table or spreadsheet anywhere that comparatively shows the share method, times, kbps, GB, etc. and their respective options/results?

[Ken Berry]

... is there a table or spreadsheet anywhere that comparatively shows the share method, times, kbps, GB, etc. and their respective options/results?

There is possibly a detailed version out there somewhere. But essentially, given the basic unit of a single layer DVD at 4.3 GB:

Bitrate of 8000 kbps will allow one hour of video to be burned using LPCM audio; or approx 70 minutes using Dolby or mpeg layer 2 audio; -- highest quality video.

Bitrate of 6000 kbps will allow 90 minutes of video to be burned using LPCM; and approx 100 minutes using Dolby or mpeg layer 2 audio; -- good quality video.

Bitrate of 4000 kbps will allow 2 hours of video to be burned using LPCM; and approx 130 minutes using Dolby or mpeg layer 2 audio; -- quality no better than VHS tape.

Anything less than 4000 kbps is IMHO not worth the effort. While you will see commercial DVDs using lower bitrates, their method is using much more expensive equipment, multiple passes, and pressing rather than burning.

As a footnote, it might be added that a DVD can theoretically have a combined video/audio bitrate of 10000 kbps. Given that the audio bitrates are much lower than those of video, this means in theory that you can have a video bitrate much higher than 8000 kbps, and in some cases, 9000 kbps will work. But in practice many/most home DVD players have difficulty with bitrates over 8000 kbps, which is why we say that is the maximum you should use...

[Dekade]

Again, great detail. Thanks for the education. Your time in typing your reply will not go to waste.