Low Quality DVD

[ska aks]

Hi, I have been edited all of my Christmas video using Corel Video Studio. Now I want to put it on DVDs and get them sent out. I make the DVD menu using share and I can preview it and it all looks very nice. The video quality is good, but when I burn it to a disc and pop it in the DVD player, the video quality is very bad. I Used to have CVS X4 and I never had this problem. Can anyone help me?

[lata]

Hi ska aks
And welcome to the forums.
I suspect your original videos are being rendered to different properties, its possible that the frame order may be changed from interlaced to progressive or visa versa.
You may need to create a more suitable MPEG2 DVD profile

First can you give us more info regarding your original video files, from Video Studio timelines or library right click one of your clips for properties, what are they? If you wish you can make a jpeg image of that panel to attach to your port.
Now view your project properties Alt + Enter, what are they, shows in the righthand panel, you can highlight / select the text to copy and paste to your reply here.

During the burning process Convert Title will render your project, it is these settings that we need to manage / control

If we choose to Create Disc Image, an Iso of the disc will be saved to our pc, we can play this iso using VLC Media player, checking quality before committing the files to disc, this cuts down on the number of coasters we create.

some info on DVD Disc workflow
http://lata.me.uk/corel/all.htm

[ska aks]

Hi Trevor,
Thank you for your reply. Sorry it took me a while to get back to you.
Here is a picture of the video properties. This video was off of my Canon ivis HF M41 camera which is old but the picture quality is great, and the quality is retained even when I preview this video in the software.

I am going through another problem looking for the projects I saved. It now says that they don't exist, so I am going to start another project. This one other problem is that the videos I've edited are still viewable in the edit mode, but when I try to add them to a project in the share mode it says that they no longer exist. I try to look for them, (I haven't done anything technical like change the save location or anything, but the program won't recognize them!) They are in the edit mode, they are still watchable there, but now when I go to "share" and am trying to find them the program won't recognize them. I have altered nothing. It seems like I have to start all over with the original video and re-edit, redo all of the subtitles and do everything in one shot because if I save it and try to go back, this problem happens. (I always select save project when I close the program out of fear that I will lose what I'd just done and my hard drive at one point had almost been filled with all of the saved videos I had edited, 119Gb of video would show how much I feel like I've been banging my head against a wall righ? -then it wouldn't let me create a DVD because it said I didn't have enough space on my hard drive). Sorry to veer off topic, but this was never a problem before when I was using CVSX4.
(I apologize if the frustration is shining through).

I am going to look at your link, thank you, I really appreciate it.

[ska aks]

I looked at the link. That's the basic idea, what is in the link. I can do that, but the quality is like a Japanese porno, if you know what I mean. You could say the entire screen is mosaic.

[lata]

Hi
First our project files are saved here, by default.
C:\Users\UserName\Documents\Corel VideoStudio Pro\My Projects
We can choose our own save location, I always save my VSP within the same folder as my video files.

Post Updated
From the File menu, at the bottom are 4 recently used projects, a quick launch option best describes it.

Service Patch SP2 is causing quality issues, we are advising users to re-install Video Studio 2022 to version 25.1.0.472
Please go to Help About, if the version shows 25.2.0.566 then you do need to re-install the program.
Running 25.1 will prompt you to download the update, cancel / close this panel.

Your DVD Video Quality
Other than SP2 affecting this
I can only assume that the MT2 video being progressive are being rendered using interlacing
You are best to set your own project properties to Mpeg2 as below
MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps
Frame-based
(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)

I have also attached a project file using these settings.
Ok
1 / change or set your project properties to the settings above
2 / complete the editing
3 / Share – Same as Project settings, this will render your project to a new Mpeg2 video file
Play this video to check quality, use one of your media players rather than VS.
4 / File New Project will clear the timelines
5 / Share – Disc – DVD opens the burner module
6 / top left for Add Media – Add Video Files choose the Mpeg2 video you created in 3 above.
7 / set your menu
On the last page choose “create Disc Image” this saves a copy of the disc content to an ISO file
We can play this file using VLC Media player to check quality
8 / From Video Studio Tools – Burn from Disc Image – find the ISO to burn to disc.

ska aks DVD.zip

DVD project file from VS 2022

(1.45 KiB) Downloaded 20 times

[lata]

One thing I forgot to ask how long your movies are.
This can effect the Video data rate: Variable (Max. 8000 kbps)

8000 kbps being used up to 70 minutes full quality
6000 kbps up to 120 minutes (vhs quality)

Below 60 minutes we could use....
Video data rate: constant (Max. 8000 kbps)
Constant rather than Variable

[ska aks]

Thank you so much for the information.

So if I am able to get rid of SP2 there is a good chance that my problem will be fixed? I downloaded my copy and I am stuck at home right now (pandemic blues) and I think the info I got to download the software is at work. It might not be possible to do right away. If I can't do that, will your other advice work besides the fact that my sofware is the 25.2? BTW I just checked and yes, my version is 25.2.

I was also having a crashing problem when I was "creating a video you can play on a computer" after I edited videos and I found that they wouldn't crash if I unchecked "enable smart render." I was thinking that all of my edits along with titles (I was trimming tennis matches and had the scores along with some other titles and pictures) was just too much work for the program to handle so I unchecked that box and things worked. Anyways, would that have anything to do with picture quality for DVDs?

All of my videos have been around 30 minutes when I upload them from my camera, which I have whittled down to at most 15 minutes using the multi-trim.

Now, looking back at the process I have been doing to make DVDs, am I doing this right?
1) I upload the videos from my camera to my computer often a few tennis matches from a day at a tennis tournament
2) then using "capture" I go to where I've downloaded the vids. When I select them it the program always gives me some huff and says it doesn't recognize the files as video or something like that, but when I go to edit they are all there and I can play them, so I guess they were captured ok.
3) Then I edit the video, say one tennis match
4) Once I'm happy with the edits, go to "share" and "create a video you can play on a computer"
5) When it finishes and is saved I go back to "edit" and "File" and "New Project" to edit another tennis match.(it asks if I want to save the current project, which I always choose "yes" but am having doubts now because I've already saved that first tennis match in the "share" menu, right?
6) when I have edited all of the matches, (steps 3-5) I go to "share" and select "disc" to create a DVD of all of the tennis matches on one disc, each a different selection on the DVD menu I make using the software. The DVD I am trying to make now is three matches, all together maybe about 40 minutes, there would still be a lot of room on the DVD if I were to burn it.
( I guess I am just wondering maybe about step 4. Should I be creating a different kind of video, or tuning something at this stage?)

I will try the zip file tomorrow. Thank you. Much appreciated!

Aaron

[lata]

Aaran
Your project properties should be set to Mpeg2 DVD
Please read my previous reply explaining the workflow.

2 /
Do not use Capture, that is generally used to import files to the computer, you have done that in 1 above.
Instead, right click the timeline for Insert Video, browse for your files.
You can if you wish import to the library, first create a new folder, right click the library for import video. Now you can drag and drop to the timelines.
4 /
share – using Same as Project Settings, these are Mpeg2 DVD, details from my previous reply
5 /
after finishing the edits do File – Save, then Share
I when doing File - New Project you are asked to save, no problem there.
The new project should be using Mpeg2 DVD

6 /
First do File – New Project
Then with an empty timeline Share-Disc-DVD
Add your video here, top left Add Video

[lata]

To download the installation files again we first need to uninstall the program.

You would have previously downloaded the installation files, By default they are saved to a folder on our desktop.
The VideoStudio2022_Installer.exe (7.156kb) file should allow you to download the files
If you do not have this file to hand download from
https://www.videostudiopro.com/en/pages/download/

You will need your serial number, I assume you know that.
From Help About – System Info shows the serial number, otherwise your Corel account ( Help -Account Settings.

[ska aks]

Thank you.

I have the serial number.

Here goes . . .

[ska aks]

So far, so good. I have it reinstalled. I was afraid that I would end up downloading the same version, but the only version was the 25.1 version, so I guess that worked!

Thank you!

[ska aks]

I just retried making a DVD. I previewed it, and I have chipmunks playing tennis. Somethings wrong with the speed.

I haven't done the other steps you showed me yet, about setting my own project properties.

I will try in a while, need to get away from the computer for a spell. Thank you so much.

[ska aks]

Ok, so I redid the videos. I had done them with the "same as project files" box checked and it has not ended well before so I chose Mpeg2. I watched the video using the media player in my computer, it works fine. Made the menu, now at preview I still have chipmunks. I will attach the picture I took of the advanced settings, the top part is hard to see, but the settings are the same as what you advised me;

24 bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps
Frame-based
(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)

although the audio is not Dolby Digital Audio, it's DPCM Audio, Dobly? Anyways, not only is the sound chipmunks, the entire video is going chipmunk speed. I also tried checking/unchecking the "Change Mpeg Settings" and it didn't change anything.

[lata]

Hi
To create a clear image of that panel I use Alt+Print Screen, this copies the panel details allowing me to paste to an image editor. (PSP)
I then save the image as a jpeg to attach to my post.

When you completed the editing you go to Share - I asked that you use Same as Project Settings, this should render the video using.

24 bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps
Frame-based
(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)

Your image although hard to view shows different settings, the settings you see here should be the same as your project settings
If you used Mpeg2 options then by default will use Interlaced ( Upper field First) this could be the reason for your poor quality.

click image for larger view

With your project settings set correctly and the rendered video using the same, the image above will use the same settings.
The video is known as a compliant video, the "Do not convert Compliant Video" is used.
When we Burn the ISO the process should start with Convert Menu, If Convert Title is seen then the videos are being rendered again causing the Frame Order to change, frame based to Interlaced or Interlaced to Frame Based, Not what we need.

Matching Project Properties to our video properties
This is important to retain the original quality, normally we would allow the program to change these setting.
Your 1440 x 1080 video being used, I decided to use the DVD Mpeg2 settings, these are your output settings.
I have no reason to assume these would not create a suitable video providing the settings do indeed match.

If you wish you can try setting the Project Properties to use 1440 x 1080.
however when burning the disc at some time your video will be converted to Mpeg2 DVD.

Are you able to share one of your video recordings with us, you would have to upload to a sharing site, One Drive, DropBox, Google Drive etc.
providing a download link with your post.

Your Camcorder recording settings
If the camera had HD options to record to 1920 x 1080 then that may be a better option than using the 1440 x 1080 frame sizes.

[ska aks]

Ok, tonight I tried one more time, the videos I did in Mpeg2 this morning, I went back to "share" and this time "same as project settings" and the quality is better - the videos are watchable! Thank you so much.

I really don't mean to be a complainer, but still, the DVD picture quality still doesn't seem to be as good as the camera, but it is much better.

I am burning six disks for this now which is going to close out my night (I'm on Japan time).

I am on Google Photo, but that's all right now. Would that work? I am sorry to be such a pain for you. Really appreciate your help! This is one job, I really needed to do, and finally I am getting it done! Thank you!