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Best output format when rendering a project to be burned to DVD?
Two things. One, I’m using Sony Vegas Pro 13. Two, I already know the basic answer – MPEG2. But, I’m an anal-retentive twerp, so I want to make sure I got it all figured out before I start burning my long-awaited project to DVD.
So I’m assuming MainConcept MPEG2, but which option, or options, exactly? My project is 1920×1080 at 23.976p FPS. Audio wise, I can double-check if that answer is needed. Again, I want to render my project out with the best settings for optimal DVD playback, which right away means setting the video quality to Best, but what else should I do?
If any other answers are needed based on my project specs, ask and I’ll answer.
Also, a bonus question: what program do you guys recommend (preferably free) for burning projects to DVD other than any Sony-based ones?
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14 Replies
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From what you have posted, you already know what to do basically.
Only thing left to do is Disable resampling on everything you have on
the timeline just before you render.For your bonus question: I use ConvertxtoDVD or either Ashampoo
Burning Studio, I dont use DVD Architect…. And If you use free burning
software, you’re gonna get what you pay for.Steve Rhoden (Cow Leader)
Film Maker & VFX Artist.
Owner of Filmex Creative Media.
Samples of my Work and Company can be seen here:
https://www.facebook.com/FilmexCreativeMedia -
[Seth Kopchu] “So I’m assuming MainConcept MPEG2, but which option, or options, exactly? My project is 1920×1080 at 23.976p FPS.”
You want to use the DVD Architect 24p NTSC Widescreen video stream template.
[Seth Kopchu] “Audio wise, I can double-check if that answer is needed.”
You want to render your audio separately as Dolby Digital AC3 Pro using the appropriate template for stereo or surround depending on what your audio is.
Make sure that you give the audio and video the same filename, just with a different file type (e.g., my_movie.mpg, my_movie.ac3)
[Seth Kopchu] “I want to render my project out with the best settings for optimal DVD playback, which right away means setting the video quality to Best, but what else should I do?”
That’s correct. Usually the Good setting is fine if you are not resizing your video but since you are resizing from HD to SD you should use Best.
[Seth Kopchu] “Also, a bonus question: what program do you guys recommend (preferably free) for burning projects to DVD other than any Sony-based ones?”
No bonus answer for me. I use DVD Architect from Sony and suggest that you do too. Whatever you use will affect how you render. If you use some cheap consumer DVD software, it might not accept the elemental streams produced by Vegas Pro and you may have to render differently (with video and audio combined) and have your audio re-encoded to work properly.
~jr
http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com -
[John Rofrano] “You want to render your audio separately as Dolby Digital AC3 Pro using the appropriate template for stereo or surround depending on what your audio is.
Make sure that you give the audio and video the same filename, just with a different file type (e.g., my_movie.mpg, my_movie.ac3)”
So I’m rendering out a silenced video and an audio track with no video attached to it. How (and this is a broad question) would my DVD burning software know to use both these files when burning them on a disc, and make them in sync? Or am I misunderstanding something here?
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https://forums.creativecow.net/readpost/24/985821
JR there (and the SCS KB article # 1105)*:
Name the files the same with only the mpg and ac3 extensions being different and DVD Architect will know that video and audio go together.*)The recommended settings for a DVD are rendered in two parts, the video stream and the audio stream. Make sure to render both files to the same folder with the same name. When importing the video stream into DVD Architect, the audio stream will import automatically.
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[Seth Kopchu] “How (and this is a broad question) would my DVD burning software know to use both these files when burning them on a disc, and make them in sync? Or am I misunderstanding something here?”
That’s my whole point. Professional DVD authoring tools like DVD Architect want to see two separate files. As long as you name the files the same, when you drop the MPEG file into DVD Architect, it will look for an AC3 file with the same name and sync them up. Apple’s DVD Studio Pro also works with separate streams. This is because AC3 and PCM are the only two legal audio formats for an NTSC DVD and neither of them can be put in an MPEG2 container.
Consumer DVD programs might not know what to do with two files. So you will have to take your high quality PCM audio from Vegas Pro and encode it as MPEG2 audio along with the video only to have the DVD program encode it again to AC3 or back to PCM. It’s a sub-optimal solution but hey, it’s consumer software so who cares about audio right? lol
~jr
http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com -
[Steve Rhoden] “Only thing left to do is Disable resampling on everything you have on
the timeline just before you render.”How exactly do I do that?
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Right click an event (what Vegas calls a clip), select Properties and click Disable resample.
Smart resample is the default setting.
If you don’t have a script to do this for you, you’ll have to do it to each event separately.
There’s a thread on the Sony Vegas forum with at least 3 different resample scripts offered for free so check it out.
Is There A Way To Permanently “Disable Resample”
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Some days I don’t know what happened to my brain as I forget things 🙂
You an also right click on an event and go Switches – Disable resample.
If you select multiple events, you can do it to all of them at the same time so no need for a script. -
John,
What should I change the template in the templates setting to better optimize my DVD’s final viewing quality:
I know to change the video rendering quality to Best under “Project”, but is there anything else I should do? Should the width be 720×480 when the project, natively, is 1920×1080? If so, will that change the quality of the final product? Also, should I use the pulldown method as suggested, or switch it to just 23.976?
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[Seth Kopchu] “Should the width be 720×480 when the project, natively, is 1920×1080?”
No. NTSC DVD’s are 720 x 480.
[Seth Kopchu] “Also, should I use the pulldown method as suggested, or switch it to just 23.976?”
Don’t change anything. Use the template as Sony has provided it.
~jr
http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com
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