Problems Authoring Blu-Ray a Disc

[Scubbie]

Hi,

I wonder if I can pick some brains on this one please.

I'm wanting to create a Blu-Ray disc later this year as a souvenir of a holiday. In the mean time I have been creating a few practise videos through VideoStudio X7 and now X8 but I have hit a couple of problems.

In both cases I have used the .VSP file to help create the BR disc or ISO image. I have also added a few other short videos to pack the BR disc a little. As this was an experiment/learning point I wasn't too paniced but I am concerned and wish to resolve this problem.

Video 1 - Originally created in VS X7, but relinked and saved from X8

Length: 11:00 (minutes:seconds)

The BR Menu works well enough. Plays all the videos until I create either a BR disc or ISO image. Once created this video is just absent from all the files.

Video 2 - Created entirely in VS X8

Length: 16:36

This video always seems to be authored as a DVD film, not HD, even though the video content is mostly HD and I've created an MP4 video in 1080p from it.

In both cases I used a VS template, that included a short video as the introductory piece. I realise that these aren't in HD and I've already created my own introductory piece for the holiday video of my own. The background video needs doing, but I can't do that until the holiday.

All the other videos in this project authored correctly.

I have also packed the videos, copied these created folder to my desktop and performed the same tests there with the same results.

If I use the MP4 file for video 2, the result is that the BR copy is a HD (1080p) video.

For reference I am working in PAL. The MP4 videos are 25fps. There is a mixture of both 1080p and 576p videos in the 2nd video. The first contains still images that are greater than 1920x1080 pixels.

[Ken Berry]

First off, have you bought the Blu-Ray module for X8? It is now a separate thing. If you haven't, that could explain why your attempt to author a BD disc/ISO is producing a DVD... And are you using the trial version of X8 or have you purchased the full version? If it's the trial version, it has some severe limitations in what it can do....

Another possibility might be your workflow... When you get to Share, are you first producing new video using Same As First Video Clip or Same As Project Properties? If your first clip is one of the standard def ones or you have matched your Project Properties to one of these or else accepted the default Project Properties, this would convert, in Share, the whole project, including the high def clips, to standard definition.

Once created this video is just absent from all the files.

Regarding this, could you provide a bit more detail please? I'm not sure I understand you. Which "files"...? Normally, as I'm sure you know, the video files on a BD disc or ISO are in the STREAM sub-folder and called 00000.mts, 00001.mts and so on... Do you mean the STREAM folder is empty?

[Scubbie]

Hello Ken Berry,

Yes I did pay the extra for the Blu-Ray module. I have been able to successfully burn a Blu-Ray disc but didn't expect these issues so it wasn't finished in the way I had anticipated.

Work flow isssue?

Ok, possibility, but I think that this has been checked & triple checked.

Video #1 = Intro video (series of sill images - .VSP file)
Video #2 = The one which wasn't included (Eden Project) (Series of still images, .VSP file)
Video #3 - No issues (Marwell '14) - full 1080 resolution (source same as Video #2)



In the Blu-ray disc the second video was missing. I also tried without the intro video with the same result.

I examined the BR Disc and .ISO files and looked in the stream sub-folder and played each of the .mts files, but it just wasn't there. All the other videos from the BR Disc Project were there, but not this one.

In the above image there are a few extra practise projects I've been playing with in order to become more familiar with VSX8. The video that is only coming out in SD is off the screen, but in earlier ones it was the 4th video. If you want to see this one I did upload it to YouTube:

https://youtu.be/8SdUpX_L4N0

Yes I know I've a lot more to do yet for an award winning video. It was more of an opportunity to become familiar with the whole process and to put in place some of the ideas I've been working on.

[lata]

Hi

If the second VSP Eden Project (2013) was created with an earlier version maybe there is some compatibility issues between X7 and X8 editings?

You will be best in converting your VSP project files to a MTS file, then add that to the Burner Module.

I always convert my projects to video before burning a disc, I am sure that Ken does the same as do most on the forums.

Certainly if you have problems you should do that.

[Scubbie]

Thank you Trevor.

I think that might be the best course of action. I had been looking to make use of the markers for the chapters in the original project files but can work around that minor inconvenience.

I wasn't sure if there would be any difference between the video quality by using the original project or by using a mp4 file.

I still disappointed by the severally reduced volume of templates available for the Blu-Ray section, compared to the DVD section. Since Corel are now charging extra for the right to create Blu-Ray discs, it would be nice to have at least as much content available.

[lata]

Hi

When you convert the VSP to a video file you should choose AVCHD to create a MTS file, the actual settings depends on your original video files.
That will burn to disc without further rendering / conversion.

I don’t know where MP4 comes into it, unless those are your original format?

Bluray menu templates there is a Menu pack available from Do More, I think Menu 2 pack installs to Bluray giving approx. 10 extra menus. Even so not as many as DVD, but you can customise and save the newer template as a favourite?

[Ken Berry]

Just to expand a little on Trevor's comment about MP4... Clips with the .mp4 extension are not automatically Blu-Ray compatible. In the first place, they would need to have been produced using the AVC H.264 codec and not all mpeg-4 files are produced with that. Normally, a BD-compatible mpeg-4 file will use the .m2ts (or .mts) extension, so when you share a project you choose AVCHD as the output format rather than mpeg-4, and you will get the correct format and extension and it will not be further converted during the burning process.

You also need to go into the Options cogwheel icon in the bottom left of the burning screen and make sure that the box beside :Do not convert compliant MPEG files" is ticked. That will ensure no further conversion of your compliant AVCHD clips will take place during the burning...

[Scubbie]

Thank you both.

I have been creating mpeg-4 files. I'll give the AVC/H.264 option a try.

Do you know if it will automatically include the chapters? If so this would be very beneficial.

[Ken Berry]

I can't really provide an answer to your question about chapters, though I think those will be included in the final video. Why I can't answer from my own experience is because I never set the chapters in the editing module. I always do it in the burning module with the completed video.

[lata]

Hi

I have not tested chapters in a while

As far as I know

1 / if you add chapter points to the timeline, name them then share create discs, the chapter points will remain including names

2 / if you add chapter points to the timeline Share Create Video file the chapter points will be retained within the video stream, not sure if the names are retained

Share Create Disc Add Video
Now choose Add / Edit Chapters – Auto Add Chapters – Auto Scan Scene Detection
That should find the chapter points, you may need to edit the chapter names?

As I say its been a while since I last tested and that was for DVD, I would need to retest using Bluray to be sure?

And if it does not work, take a note of the chapter points times from the manager.
That will make it easier when setting in the burner module.

Like Ken I rarely use chapter points, I will create / render smaller videos adding then to the timeline will create title menus one link for each video added.

[Scubbie]

Thanks again both Ken and Trevor.

I am currently rendering the last of the 3 main videos using a AV/H.264 option.

What I will also do is to render each in different formats (i.e. 25p, 25i, 50i & 50p) to see which is the better for the recordings I am making. Since I have a little time to experiment, I can make the most of it. Since my recordings are at 25fps I suspect that 25p or 50i will be the better choice, but it would be nice to see the difference.

I was aware of the auto chapter feature, although practise and familiarity might be the order of the day to utilise that one more. I had missed the bit about naming them, so I can look back at this one.

One point I will make is that it might actually be a lot easier adding the chapters at the end anyway. Since the software uses the markers that you can add, simply changing the length of a clip on the main video line will mean that all those markers are no longer in the correct position. This would be a right pain for a long video.

[lata]

Thanks again both Ken and Trevor.

I am currently rendering the last of the 3 main videos using a AV/H.264 option.

What I will also do is to render each in different formats (i.e. 25p, 25i, 50i & 50p) to see which is the better for the recordings I am making. ........

You should use the same as your original video files, I guess that is 25fps aka 50i, and almost certainly Upper Field.

Right click a clip on the timeline and choose properties. that should show the frame rate.

Yes its probably as easy to set the Chapter points from the burner module, some users just prefer the timeline option, unfortunately has caused a lot of problems in the past.
As far as I know creating chapters now works ok with no problems.

[Scubbie]

All my recordings are indeed at 25fps, which is the main reason I didn't select 24p.

50i may well be the better choice. What I'm doing is creating an ISO for each frame rate and I'll then view the results on my TV.

It'll take several days to go through the whole process. It might be that there is such little difference that I end up choosing based on the time it took to encode the ISO image instead. However this way I know I can at least choose.

The auto chapters didn't work particularly well IMHO. It lumped several very close together and then missed quite a few others.

As for picking up the chapters from the .VSP after creating the .264 video file, sad to say it but they weren't there on the 50P version. I've yet to complete the others.

[Ken Berry]

If you are making a BD disc or even just an ISO of one, there is no point in using 50p as an output format. The international BD standard only accepts 50/60P if the frame size is 1280 x 720. For 1920 x 1080 video, the video must be either 25/30P or 50/60i... (or 24P).

[Scubbie]

If you are making a BD disc or even just an ISO of one, there is no point in using 50p as an output format. The international BD standard only accepts 50/60P if the frame size is 1280 x 720. For 1920 x 1080 video, the video must be either 25/30P or 50/60i... (or 24P).

Hmmm... That's strange as the BR Authoring provides for 1920x1080 at 50p.

Any way, I've gone through all the different 1920x1080 options now and 25p or 50p were the better ones for what I was looking for. 50p was slightly better.

Unfortunately the BR Menu messed things up frequently. I've now contacted Tech Support and hope to get this addressed. I believe that there are a few "undocumented features" that could be amended, sorry I mean 'altered', to work in a more pleasing manner.

That same video never seems to be available to play. Sometimes it appears on the ISO image. This is irrespective of whether or not I use the .mts video files or directly through VS X8's .VSP files.

Another issue has been to do with going back to the menu after watching one of the videos. I have found that it plays them all in a never ending loop. This isn't acceptable.