Limited to 720x480 Frame Size for projects

[Handsome Prints]

I am trying to burn a 1920x1080 file but under Project Properties -> General -> Frame Size, the largest Frame Size available is 720x480. I'd like to change that to 1920x1080. Could someone tell me how to enable the higher frame size in the drop down list? Or is it a limitation of my version of the software? I am using Corel Video Studio Pro X14. Thank you!

[Ken Berry]

X14 is now quite old and I can't recall exactly what it might have had. However, the quickest and easiest way to get it to set the Project Properties that you want would be:
1. In Preferences > General make sure the box beside "Show message when first video clip is inserted"; and
2. Then start a new project (File > New Project);
3. Insert a 1920 x 1080 video clip.
4. You should then get a message asking if you want the Project Settings to match. Say yes. Then, after you have done your editing, you just go to Share and choose the box at the top of that page that says "Same As Project Settings".

The other way would be to open the Project Properties box, as you have already done. And instead of Mobile, click the drop down menu and choose, say, Blu-Ray or AVCHD. See attached image. You should get a choice of 1920 x 1080 formats there.

Just remember that this screenshot is from VS 2022 and not X14. There may be differences, though I am hoping you should still get something like you want.

[Handsome Prints]

Ah, yes, when I choose to create a Blu-Ray instead of DVD, it defaults to 1920 x 1080. Thank you. Would there be any issue using these settings to save the ISO file to a DVD (aside from making sure there was enough disk space)? Actually, I assumed DVD players could output higher resolutions than 480p but it seems that is not the case. So it would seem that it would be a lost cause burning a higher resolution to a DVD?

[Ken Berry]

In fact you can burn HD AVCHD videos to a standard DVD up to the DVD's content level (4.7 GB). In other words it is a Blu-Ray disc which uses AVCHD format instead of m2ts files. Commonly known as an AVCHD disc. But the big condition is that these can only be played on Blu-Ray players. I used this format a fair bit several years ago in the early days of Blu-Ray. The quality was excellent compared to standard DVDs. And I could get around 20 minutes of AVCHD onto the disc, depending on the bitrate I used which was around 15000 kbps if I remember correctly. Given that my videos rarely exceed 20 minutes, this was all good for me.

Mind you, these days, DVDs and BD discs are going the way of the dodo, as more and more people simply put their HD and 4K videos onto USB sticks and external hard drives, and simply plug these into their flat screen TVs to play. And distributing USB stick drives is also becoming much easier and cheaper.

[Handsome Prints]

Very informative, thank you!

[lata]

The only other concern for me would be the frame order.
Can be interlaced – upper or lower field or progressive aka frame based.
Your conversion from 1920 to 720 should use the same field order.

If 1920 x 1080 is using upper field then the dvd 720 x 480 should also use upper field.
If using progressive then use progressive.

By default the program uses Upper Field, earlier versions did use Lower field, something to keep in mind.

[Handsome Prints]

So even though a portable DVD Player supports a resolution 1280x800p but doesn't support blu-ray, I'm stuck at the lower 720x480 resolution, is that correct?

[Ken Berry]

What is the make and model of this portable DVD player? It's the first time I've heard of a player supporting higher resolutions. A DVD is a DVD and when made, must conform to the standards of a DVD. The maximum resolution for a video DVD is 720 x 480 for an NTSC DVD and 720 x 576 for PAL. That's the international standard for a DVD, and 1280 x 800 is just not part of that international standard. And if you are using such video in a DVD project, which of course you can, then as part of the process that will be reduced to 720 x 480.

However some DVD players will recognize when a DVD is put into them that the DVD has been used to archive video files, rather than burnt as a video DVD. There would be no DVD-type menu, but the player may actually play at least some of the stored video even if the properties of the video may not conform to what a video DVD has to have. Maybe that is what you have.

But if it's a video DVD you are playing, the the maximum resolution is 720 x 480 or 576.

[lata]

Hi
Sorry for duplicating Kens reply, did not see that till i refreshed my browser, anyway.....

The international standards for a DVD Disc dictates that it should use a frame size of 720 x 480 for NTSC and 720 x 576 for Pal video. The video must be Mpeg2.
A DVD Player can only play DVD whereas Bluray (BD) player can play both.
The DVD Disc holds 4.3 GB of data.
The data rate used controls the size and quality of video
Video Studio defaults to using 8000kbps when rendering to Mpeg2

Using 8000kbps will allow for 60 minutes of video, when using digital dolby audio we can get 70 minutes to a disc.

As a guide
8000kbps is high quality video at 70 minutes + digital dolby audio
6000kbps medium quality at 90 minutes
4000kbps assumed to be vhs quality at 120 minutes.

At 60 minutes or less I always used a constant rate of 8000kbps
Frame Order
If burning a slide show containing still images I would also use progressive aka frame based.
For video, the frame order of original video should be used when rendering to Mpeg2.

[Handsome Prints]

Here's the DVD player: https://www.amazon.ca/MINLOVE-Portable- ... KHZ28?th=1

It says 1280x800p resolution. Given the explanations, I expect that resolution is for USB sticks. If you record a movie on a USB stick and plug it into a portable DVD player (or flat screen TV), do you still need to convert the video to an ISO file? Or should I expect modern TV's and portable DVD players to be able to play an MP4 file natively?

[Ken Berry]

Yes -- given you can insert USB drives and SD cards, it is not limited to DVDs, and will play video in other formats and resolutions up to the limitations they express. It also specifically excludes the AVCHD disc burnt on a standard DVD, also known as the Blu-Ray DVD.

[lata]

Hi
I understand 1280 x 800 to be the resolution of the screen not a limitation on the video being used.
It does show media type as CD, DVD, SVCD, VCD, Blu-Ray Disc the latter being a little confusing, as it cannot play BD discs, maybe able to play Bluray files via USB.
I did not see any reference to the size of video being played via USB or SD card nor any reference to mp4.
The user manual, if you have one may give more details.

You should try playing different formats via the usb memory stick or SD card.

If you render to Avchd that should create a compliant bluray video at 1920 x 1080 using a file extension m2t, if that does not play, rename to use .mpg as the files extension.

Playing discs is limited to standard definition dvd format.

[Ken Berry]

Trevor -- just to be clear, the specs for that player say this:

"【MULTIMEDIA SUPPORTED】 Direct play in formats: CD, DVD, CD-R/RW, DVD-R/+R, DVD+RW/-RW, VCD, SVCD (not blu-ray DVD)."

In other words, Blu-Ray discs are NOT included. The only reference to Blu-Ray is that it will NOT play a Blu-Ray DVD which is, of course, a BD format disc containing HD AVCHD and burnt to a standard DVD disc. As we know, such a disc requires a BD player, and this player is clearly not a BD player.

[lata]

Ken yes it is a DVD Player so will not play BD Disc
But it also shows
Media type CD, DVD, SVCD, VCD, Blu-Ray Disc -- which to me is confusing

Scroll down to Technical Details and the Memory Slot also shows Blu-ray Disc, also confusing.

I can only assume the usb or sd card can be used to play m2t files which are BD compliant.
Only Handsome Prints can test that.

[Ken Berry]

I'll grant you it says Blu-Ray disc in the technical specs and against Media Type up top. And yes, that is confusing. But when it goes into the Multimedia Supported section, it specifically says "not blu-Ray DVD" after SVCD. See attached screenshot. I take this to be more accurate of what it *will* than the tech spec reference since it does not mention AVCHD or m2ts.