Making Blu-ray from different formats

[Colleen]

I have used VS to make many DVDs, but never tried a Blu-ray. I generally have many video files rendered that make up the different chapters. I use a Canon HV40 and the videos are 1440 x 1080. I have been rendering them the same. I also just started using a GoPro which has videos at 1920 x 1080. If my final Blu-ray will have some chapters from each camera how should I render the files? Both 1440? Both 1920? Or can you leave them each as is?

[lata]

Hi Colleen

That a good question, I don’t know, I am sure others will have thoughts on this.

I think both sizes are Bluray compliant, whether we can add a mix to a disc Hmmm

I would do a quick test, adding the video files to the burner module you can choose to create a Bluray Folder.
That will run through the process of burning the files to your hard drive, and if that works then certainly it would burn to disc.
You should view the files within that folder in the Stream folder to check the properties 1440 or 1920

Otherwise I would convert all to 1920 x 1080, the properties you choose would depend on the original properties of your two formats.

[Ken Berry]

Your HV40 gives you HDV format which is not immediately Blu-Ray compliant (I have the older HV20). However, it is easily converted using VS to Blu-Ray compliant mpeg-2, retaining its 1440 x 1080 frame size, which is indeed one of the compliant Blu-Ray frame sizes, so no need to convert that to anything else. (Technically, that size is what is called anamorphic, but appears exactly the same as 1920 x 1080 on your TV screen.) You could also convert it to AVCHD mpeg-4, which is also Blu-Ray compliant, and again with the 1440 x 1080 frame size.

Your GoPro footage is already AVCHD mpeg-4, and thus Blu-Ray compliant (I have the Hero 3). It can be set to various frame sizes, but I recommend using the fully Blu-Ray compliant ones (1280 x 720, 1440 x 1080 or 1920 x 1080) as Video Studio has difficulty with some of the less standard frame sizes the GoPro can produce.

You can include both the converted HDV (either into Blu-Ray compliant mpeg-2 or AVCHD) and the GoPro footage in a Blu-Ray project without any further conversions...

[Colleen]

OK I did a quick render of one of my gopro videos. The only way it looks good without pixels flashing is to use HVC/H. 264 1920 x 1080 for the clip rendering. If I render as is in Mpeg-4 it looks fine until I try the Bluray folder then it gets all jumpy. Burning a bluray folder with both the file from my HV40 at 1440 x1080 and the file from my gopro 1920 x 1080 works best if I change the burn setting to Bluray H.264. They both seem to maintain their aspect ratio. Does this seem reasonable to you?

[Ken Berry]

There was no need to try converting the GoPro clips to another version of mpeg-4. That is what caused the pixelation, as you found. Although the GoPro clips use the .mp4 extension, they are already AVCHD using the H.264 codec, which is fully Blu-Ray compatible. The easy way of converting a project including them is to first go to Preferences > General, and tick the box beside "Show message when inserting first video clip". Then when you start a new project and insert one of the GoPro clips, you should get a message asking whether you want the Project Properties to match those of the clip. Say yes, and the Project Properties are changed accordingly. Then when you have finished editing the project, you go to Share, but instead of choosing AVCHD, MPEg-4 or the other formats available there, above it you will see a small box which you should tick. Then the words "Same As Project Settings" will become active. You give your new clip a name, note where it will be stored, and press the blue Start button. The project could even contain your HDV clips if you want, and they too would be converted to the Project Properties AVCHD.

But yes, there is no problem if instead you went to Share and selected a 1920 x 1080 format in which to output your project. And again, if you included HDV clips in the project, these would again be converted as part of that rendering process to Blu-Ray compatible AVCHD.

[Colleen]

I did render my one gopro clip using the "same as first video" so to keep it in it's original format. Then after going thru the bluray burning it became jumpy. That's why I then tried rendering it to HVC/H. 264 1920 x 1080 and changing the bluray setting to the same. That wasn't jumpy.

Also I use HDV split to transfer my HV40 videos. All those videos I have been rendering also using "same as first video" and they are all MPEG-2 transport stream. Doesn't that make them bluray compatible?

[Ken Berry]

No, I am afraid that HDV is NOT directly Blu-Ray compatible -- some internal code or other is not consistent, plus it was originally linked to another format of high def disc which lost out to Blu-Ray. But as I said earlier, it is easy to simply convert it to Blu-Ray mpeg-2 or AVCHD using VS. If you don't, it will happen in the burning process anyway, and doing it in the editing mode gives you a better chance to first have look to make sure the quality is OK...

[lata]

Hi
Can you give us the full details of your 1920 x 1080 video file.
From the timeline - Right click a clip and choose properties, what are they?
You can take a screen shot of that panel and create a Jpeg to attach to your post.

[Colleen]

I put both types of files.

[lata]

Hi Colleen
Both your video files need converting to a file suitable for burning a DVD.
Unfortunately, 59.97 is not compliant frame rate when used with 1920 x 1080 frame size.

Your video files should use 29.97 fps. (aka 60i)

The 1920 x 1080 needs rendering to use 29.97 fps
OK

For 1920 x 1080
After completing your project editing, do Share – AVC/HD 264
The top Profile option should be AVC (1920 x 1080, 60i, 18Mbps)
I am in the UK so see pal settings using 50i
The next option down increases the data rate to 20Mbps (AVC (1920 x 1080, 60i, 20Mbps)) that would probably retain a little more quality with increased file size, although you may not see any difference.
Render your project to these settings will create a video file suitable for burning a BD

First play the new video to view quality.

For the 1440 x 1080
Share Avc/H264 using the AVC (1440 x 1080, 60i, 25Mbps) profile will again create a suitable video file.
Again play to check quality.

To burn a disc....

Start a new project – Share - Create Disc – Bluray opens the burner module.
Top Left for Add Media – Add Video- browse for the video created earlier.
Yes you can add the 1920 and 1440 videos to your compilation.

When you finally hit the burn button the process should start with Convert Menu
If you see Convert Title then the video files are being converted, not what we want.

If you choose to create a Bluray Folder that will save the discs content to your hard drive (BDMV folder), the video files are in the Stream folder, you can play to again check quality.
Using ImgBurn we can burn the BDMV to disc.

Back to editing the project you could combine both videos to the same project, then decide which option to convert / render the project to?

[snowstorm]

Good evening
Sorry to get into this subject but I have similar "burning" problems

I am using VS x8Ultimate (version 18.6.0.6) with Bluray Plug in

I wish to burn Bluray disc with a video file with following info
M2t file
H264
1440 X 1080
29.97 FPS 24 BITS;16:9; 384 KBPS; Dolby 5.1 CHANNELS;48000KHZ
When I burn my Bluray I get an MPEG-2 Video file

Any ideas as to what I am doing wrong..


snowstorm

[Ken Berry]

I suspect you are doing your editing, then going straight to Share and selecting the Blu-Ray disc option... Can you please confirm?

If so, then what is happening when you go to Share is that the burning module opens and you have something in its timeline. But it is not your AVCHD H.264, but the video file ([YrProjectName].vsp). This is NOT a video file. It is a small text file telling VS what clips are in the project, where they are stored, and what editing has been done to them.) When you start the disc burning process, it will need to convert that project file into an actual video which will go on the disc. And to do this, it uses the default format which happens to be Blu-Ray compatible mpeg-2 rather than Blu-Ray compatible AVCHD H.264 mpeg-4: see the Options cogwheel icon in the bottom left of the burning screen.

There is nothing wrong with this conversion and the quality of your Blu-Ray disc should still be good. But if your really want to avoid this conversion in the burning module, you either have to change the Properties showing in the Options cogwheel icon to those of your original video -- though a conversion will still take place to convert your project .vsp file into video; or you would follow out recommended workflow.

That would be to first convert your project into a new AVCHD file *in the editing module*: Share > Same As Project Properties if you have matched the Project Properties to those of the AVCHD in your project, or Same As First Clip. Then when you get your new AVCHD, you go to Share > Blu-Ray. You will need to delete the Project file that appears in the burning timeline. Then click the Add Media/Add Video icon in the top left of the burning screen, browse to where your new AVCHD is stored and add it to the timeline. Click on that cogwheel Options icon again and make sure the box beside "Do not convert compliant MPEG files" is ticked. (Your new AVCHD is compliant, so no further conversion will take place.) Build your menu and burn. This time the video on your BD will be AVCHD.

[snowstorm]

Thank you Ken for your quick reply

What I am actually doing is go straight to share ;disc; AVC/H264;Bluray and then VS burning module
and insert my Video file; add music; title etc
Such video file is a "rendered file'' with details previously described.
Please note that such rendered file contains only JPEG;transitions and titles

Please advise
snowstorm