Best Options for getting 1080 on to DVD

[Bill Stephan]

I would export a Quicktime reference file from Avid and do the DVD encoding in Sorenson Squeeze. All NTSC DVD is 720×480. Your encoding software/hardware will downconvert to that size and make the image anamorphic, so be sure to encode as 16×9.

For better quality, you can export an uncompressed Quicktime file and feed that to any of a number of high-end encoders.

Bill Stephan
Senior Editor/DVD Author
USA Studios
New York City

[Terence Curren]

Backing Bill here, Avid is very weak on resizing and encoding outputs. Best to go out straight and let a third party program encode for you. MC comes with a free copy of Sorenson Squeeze, did you install that?

Terence Curren
http://www.alphadogs.tv
http://www.digitalservicestation.com
Burbank,Ca

[Ryan Radchenko]

I appreciate your feedback but I may need a few more details. When I choose export options in avid there is an “Sorenson Squeeze-Encode for DVD” option I selected that along with a quicktime reference option but I got a message saying “Long GOP media can not be exported using QuickTime Reference” so then I tried to export as a quicktime movie and it said that I can not export using same as source and to choose custom settings. Is this where I should choose the 16:9 aspect ratio or use native dimensions? I exported one of each and they both look bad. Another option is to choose sorenson Squeeze-Encode for DVD along with HDV export seetings and that gave me an .m2t file which looks better but still distorts a little. Is there anything else I can try?

Then when I do get something exported out of AVID can you suggest a program that I can buy that will convert or encode and burn the file to a DVD? You may not be able to suggest a specific brand due to favortism but I need to know what works best.
Thanks again for your help.

[William Busby]

“Long GOP media can not be exported using QuickTime Reference”

You need to do a video mixdown first.

[Matt Mullen]

This error message occurs when exporting HDV material as a QuickTime reference that needs to be transcoded to a DNxHD resolution. There are two ways that this material can be exported.

First option is exporting it as a QuickTime movie file, or Transcode it to a DNxHD resolution to export it as a QuickTime reference file. Here are the steps.

Using the Transcode Command.

1. Select a clip or sequence in a bin.

2. Select Clip > Consolidate/Transcode.

3. Select the transcode option in the upper left corner.

4. Select the drives you will like to target the Transcoded media. NOTE: IF you are in a Interplay environment, with Dynamic Relink enabled, select whether or not to create new master clips for the transcoded media.

5. Click the Target Video Resolution menu, and select a video resolution. ( For more information about the different types of DNxHD resolution. You can display Help for the dialog box by pressing F1 (Windows) or the Help key (Macintosh). In the index tab search for DNxHD resolution.)

6. Select the appropriate options, as described in Transcode Options.

7. Click the Transcode button in the lower right corner. The application creates new media files and clips, according to your selection.

8. Select the clip or the sequence in the bin and export using Quicktime reference.

If the error persists after the clip or sequence has been transcoded, create a Video Mixdown to a DNxHD resolution. Then add this over your audio and export the mixed-down video.

[Ryan Radchenko]

I appreciate all your input but I’m still spinning my wheels. I followed the steps you layed out and I was able to export a qucktime reference but it plays choppy and Avid also created .new files for every clip in the sequence. Do I need all those .new files or can delete them? I still have no idea what target video resolution to choose. I chose DNxHD 145 MXF. I looked at the graph in th help menu but it still gave like 5 different choises. I also selected Convert Audio Sample Rate, Convert Audio Sample Bit Depth and Convert Audio Format. Should I have done that?

Is there anyway I can just use the quicktime movie file that I exported at 16:9? Can you PLEASE suggest something that I can purchase to encode and burn my 16:9 quicktime movie file to DVD. Thank you for your patience and expertise.

[Matt Mullen]

The .new clips are the clips that link up tot he new media you transcoded.

You only need to convert Sample rate, bit rate or audio format of you need to convert the sample rate, bit rate, or audio format. My guess is in this case you don’t need to do this.

The real issue here is what is actually wrong with the export?

[Kiki Vasilescu]

I have the same problem as Ryan. Did you solve it Ryan? Can you help me?
The specific problem with the video shoot in m2t with a JVC hd 201 GY and exported from AVID to ANY format is that the image, though in sync with the sound, does not have the proper speed. Sometimes the image is getting slower, sometimes faster (it looks like the exported movie, regardless of its quick movie format or avi format, it’s too large or complicated and the player just cannot de-code it in realtime, therefore it’s slowing down the image, and then is trying to chatch up and speeds the image…).
I’ve tried different methods to export. I’ve converted the damned source and transcoded the project (because the same error message with “Long GOP media can not be exported using QuickTime Reference” was appearing). However, whatever methond I’ve tried, with different combinations of quality exports, failed to produce something viewable. It seems like AVID is incompatible at all with m2t format and one cannot export the finished movie. I recall that only one time I’ve managed to export a very low-resolution quick time movie, that, after transcoded with Procoder into a vob project, worked as a movie. However, that was not a hd movie, but a sd movie, which is ridiculous.
Can any one help me, please? Ryan, how did you solve it?
Thanks

[Ryan Radchenko]

Well Kiki, the .m2t container is the most rediculous thing ever invented. It is compatible with nothing. You have to export your video from avid using the HDV setting and send to quicktime movie. This will give to an above mentioned .m2t which is a bluray file. But do you think you can just get bluray authoring software that will recognize the .m2t? Not a chance. I have to convert the .m2t into H.264 (mp4) to be able to do anything with it. For this I use “Alive HD Video Converter” then to get that HD video on to DVD (not bluray) I transcode the mp4 with multiAVCHD. This is an amazing freeware program that will get your 1080 stuff onto DVD without much quality loss. Download multiAVCHD then follow this tutorial on setting up your computer to use the program. https://adubvideo.net/how-to/setup-proper-playback-chain-windows

For bluray authoring I found Arcsoft Total Media Extreme to be the program. But remember, it still will not recognize stupid .m2t.

I hope that answers some questions for you.

[Joshua Schwarz]

even though this thread is ancient, i thought it might be worthwhile to straighten out some misconceptions posted here. if you use the video mixdown method to export hdv, your just wasting time and drive space.

hdv is encoded as mpeg-2 which is a long gop format and not compatible with quicktime’s mov container format. this is related to the encoding method used on dvd’s. m2t is a container format to combine mpeg2 and audio into a multiplexed file. so, the m2t export from the avid is the quickest way out. it’s essentially “same as source” encoding for hdv. once you have your m2t file, i recommend converting with the mpeg streamclip to something better for viewing and delivery.

joshua schwarz, producer/editor | post josh productions