Best Export Settings for HDV footage to DVD

[Stephen Smith]

Should look good. How long is the video?

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Vimeo page

[David Mayer]

Video is 30 minutes.

Forgot to mention: I capture using Capture Preset:
HDV-Apple ProRes 422

iMac 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7, 8 GB
OS 10.6.2
Final Cut Pro 7.0

[Stephen Smith]

Are you using the “DVD: Best Quality 90 minutes” setting in compressor? I recommend just going with the setting and not changing it. It should look great.

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Vimeo page

[David Mayer]

1. When they move, their image follows
them – kind of blurs behind them as
they move.
2. Image is just not crisp.

Looks Much better in FCP.

Dancers are fairly well lit with LED light.

Camera is 20 feet away.

Dave

iMac 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7, 8 GB
OS 10.6.8
Final Cut Pro 7.0

[David Mayer]

good question

looks equally bad on computer and TV

has a little bit of fuzzy VHS quality to it, too

iMac 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7, 8 GB
OS 10.6.8
Final Cut Pro 7.0

[Stephen Smith]

Are you using the setting I mentioned in compressor un altered?

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Vimeo page

[David Mayer]

In Compressor, I start with 90 minutes Best Quality.

This is the best I could customize:

MPEG-2
Mode: 2-pass VBR Best
Average Bit Rate: 7.7 – I bumped this up but it seems to not be able to go higher.
Maximum Bit Rate: 9.0
Motion Estimation: Best
Allows up to 67 minutes

Can I customize even better for a short movie?

iMac 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7, 8 GB
OS 10.6.8
Final Cut Pro 7.0

[David Mayer]

Can’t find any mismatch.

iMac 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7, 8 GB
OS 10.6.8
Final Cut Pro 7.0

[Richard Van harderwijk]

Hi

“…I export as Apple ProRes 422 NTSC 48kHz Anamorphic…”

Try export with sequence settings and let compressor do all conversion.

It looks as if you do two conversions, one -only?- scaling in FCP, from HDV->NTSC and then in compressor conversion to MPEG2. And the standard setting 90 mins should work fine.

[Stephen Smith]

This is how I like to make DVDs and they always look great.

I go to File, Export, QuickTime movie. This will export your video into the codec that the sequence settings are set to. Make sure Setting is set to Current Settings. Make sure Make Movie Self-containde is checked.

Then import the movie into compressor. Drag on the Best 90min DVD setting and don’t change anything. Export it out and then bring it into DVD studio pro. It works like a champ every-time.

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Vimeo page