DVD Quality Horrible

[Quint]

VideoStudio 2020 Ultimate


I created my first project of a long backpack I did with my wife. It consists of multiple video's and Jpegs. I've saved the VSP file and also render it, project is approximately 24 minutes long. When watching the rendered video by connecting my laptop to the TV it is surprisingly much better quality than I expected considering it was recorded 8 years ago on a Panasonic video recorder. I then went to the share tab with the project open and proceeded to burn a DVD and found the quality horrible, extremely grainy. What am I doing wrong? The rendered video is much much better.


Thanks

[canuck]

For a start you could post the settings you used for creating the DVD, such as resolution, bit rate,etc.

[lata]

If you are indeed referring to DVD and not Bluray then you should render your original project to Mpeg2, the 720 x 576 / 480 options
Using this video to burn the disc
Knowing the original video properties will allow you to choose the correct properties for the Mpeg2 file.

If you simply opened the project Share Create Disc then the process will convert the project to Mpeg2 using its default settings which may not be appropriate. It is possible that the original video uses Interlacing Upper Field and the burner may be using Lower Field, that will certainly mess things up.

So knowing the details of the Project Properties and original video files properties would certainly help.

In addition to avoid creating coasters we can create a Disc Image ISO to play checking quality before committing to disc
I use VCL Medial Player to play the iso.

If you have saved the old VSP’s, you should use Windows Explorer to create a copy before opening with 2020. Once opened with 2020 and saved we can no longer open with any earlier version.

Some info on burning a disc here
http://lata.me.uk/corel/all.htm

[Quint]

Thanks very much for helpful advice lata.

I am a newbie for sure and I'm learning on the fly. My mistake was thinking that when I go to the "Share" tab with my project open and choose DVD that the program is converting the project to the proper format but it looks like what ever the format is on the Computer page of the "Share tab" is what is used when making a DVD. Is my thinking correct?


My settings are:

Profile:
MPEG-4 AVC (1920x1080, 30p, 15 Mbps)

Properties:
MPEG-4 Files
24 bits, 1920 x 1080, 30 fps
Frame-based
H.264 High Profile Video: 15000 Kbps, 16:9
48000 Hz, 16 Bit, Stereo
MPEG AVC Audio: 192 Kbps

I admittingly do not fully understand all the choices and how to apply them properly to my final rendering. i.e. why choose this particular profile/properties vs another. Lots to learn for sure.


This is what the video's in the project were recorded at:

Frame 1920x1080
data Rate 13156kbps
Total Bitrate 13412kbps
Frame rate 30 fps

[lata]

Can you give more details regarding the original video files as recorded by the panasonic camcorder.
Please right click one of those clips for properties, what are they?
The type of video, mts or mp4, and the frame order, interlaced upper / lower field or Progressive aka Frame Based.

When we burn a dvd the disc has to use mpeg2 video files, so your orginal video should be converted to mpeg2 using the same frame order.

[Quint]

So If I've already render the video as a MPEG-4 can I do a save as and change the name and render as a MPEG-2?

Frame order meaning/same as frame rate?


Original videos have an MTS extension.


They were recorded on an Panasonic HV-V500

[lata]

Hi
the frame rate is the 30fps and the frame order is the type of frame either Progressive or Interlaced.
The original frame order should be used in the final production, I am assuming Interlaced.

Right click a MTS on the timelines, what are the properties, in particular type Video Type, My MTS show as Upper Field, if it does not show upper or lower then it will be Progressive
Can you create a snapshot of that panel to attach to your post Alt + Print Screen will copy the panel to the clipboard, paste to an image editor to save as Jpeg.

You are best to import the MTS to the timelines, a message to match the properties to the project should show.
where we intend to burn a disc the completed project should be rendered to Mpeg2
We can however go directly to Share - Disc DVD the process will convert the project to mpeg2, although we do recommend first creating the mpeg2 using that to burn the disc.


You I assume have used the MTS in the project then converted to mp4 which was unnecessary when burning a disc, now the frame order may have been changed from the original.
During the burning stage the mp4 is converted again to Mpeg2
I believe it is the additional conversion -- MTS to mp4 then back to Mpeg2 that could be causing the quality issue, I can only think you have to avoid the mp4 and go from MTS to Mpeg2.

Using Pal
These are properties from my MTS
MPEG Transport-Stream Files
24 bits, 1920 x 1080, 25 fps
Upper Field First
(HDMV-PAL), 16:9
H.264 Video
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 16800 kbps)
Audio data rate: 384 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio, 48 KHz, 2/0(L,R)

and these the typical MPEG2 settings
MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 576, 25 fps
Upper Field First
(DVD-PAL), 16:9
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 8000 kbps)
Audio data rate: 384 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio, 48 KHz, 2/0(L,R)

[Quint]

I can't paste the picture to this reply box for some reason.

[Quint]

[lata]

thanks for the properties image, I have a Panasonic 900 series camcorder that records to the same settings as you show, other than being Pal at 25fps as the details in my previous reply
For NTSC you should use these settings to render the project to Mpeg2

MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps
Upper Field First
(DVD-NTSC), 16:9
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 8000 kbps)
Audio data rate: 256 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio, 48 KHz, 2/0(L,R)

Start a new project to empty the timelines - Share Disc - DVD -- here you add media - Add video Files, the Mpeg2 video
create the menu
Then chose to create a Disc Image ISO, we can play that to check quality
when you finally hit Burn the process will / should start with Create Menu, you should not see Convert Title so avoiding any further render.

Other disc options
we can burn a AVCHD to normal dvd discs, at 24 minutes is probably about the max size. A bluray player is needed to play these types.
You would also render the project to MTS. Share Same as first Clip or Same as Project settings

[Quint]

Thanks for all your help.

My initial rendering of the project was as a MPEG-4. I opened the project (.VSP) and did a "save as" and renamed it. I then attempted to save with new MPEG-2 settings and it just keeps crashing at around 75%. I'm guessing it's not liking my attempt to save at different settings?

[lata]

It does not make sense that rendering from mts to Mpeg2 should fail.
There must be something within the timeline at 75% that is causing the problem
What is on the timeline at 75% and have you applied any filters FX etc,

We are heading into new year so will not reply till tomorrow, 2021

Seasons Greetings

[Quint]

Happy New Yerar and thanks for your help.


I didn't see anything at the 18 minute (75% 0f 24mins.) mark that was suspicious it's a series of jpegs with transitions and it did render properly using the mpeg-4 format so I don't know whats going on.

I guess I may have to recreate the movie.

[lata]

Try rendering the project containing mts and jpeg images to mts
Share -same as first clip should do that.
Then add the new video to a new project to render to mpeg2

Should not need to do this, we must be missing something???

[lata]

Should not need to do this, we must be missing something???

What are your project properties, Settings - Project properties, they should be the same as your MTS video files properties you provided earlier with the properties image.

Project format should be AVCHD, you can copy and paste the text details in the righthand properties panel to your post.