Best [quality] settings for exporting SD video to DVD

[Todd Reid]

This is a concept that may take several posts and some research to fully understand. I’ve been working in the combo HD/SD world for over a year now, and I still don’t know all the answers.

But here are a few suggestions, first of all, I like capturing in HD even if I know I have to deliver in SD, cause that gives me a lot more flexibility on shot composition.

as far as 16×9 vs 4×3, try to capture “anamorphic” some cameras have this as a setting, as does fcp. What this will give you , when done properly, is a “smart letterbox”, that is a codec that knows if it is being played on a plasma or lcd and therefore shows up in true 19×9 (fills up your rectangle), and the same dvd (video) played on a regular tv will automatically add the letterbox (black bars) so that your video retains its 16×9 look.

I’ve done this many times to great success. You never know how a video you have created will be shown by a client, so this is a great way to maintain the widescreen-ness!

Regardless of anything else, compressed video (even some flavors of HD) give the immediate appearance of that compression (jaggies, blockiness etc.) There is NO way around this if you are forced into a highly compressed format like say DV.

That being said, make sure you have some storage that will accept some higher quality codecs, a RAID for example, utilize eSATA, some firewire 800 solutions exist.
This could allow you to work in some higher quality formats like uncompressed, or even DV50.

Hope this helps a bit.
Would need a bit more information to help you specifically.

[Ryan Atkins]

Thanks for that. What other information do you need?

Thanks,

[Todd Reid]

“The SD files I’m getting do not seem to be encoded at a high bit rate, or sometimes they will be in 4:3, even when I thought I exported in 16:9.”

exactly how (what codec) are you exporting them?

Are you using compressor (or other program), or directly out of fcp?

When you see the offending 4×3, you mention it is in your external monitor, is that during export, or playback after finished?

Some codecs force a 4×3 situation and many compressed codecs will give the appearance of “do not seem to be encoded at a high bit rate”, which is inherent in their specifications.

what kind of system are you working on? (storage, processor, RAM, I/O or hardware cards)

Bottom line is that mini-dv is a highly compressed format, but you may be able to get a better quality, I know that you can maintain a 16×9 (via letterbox) on it, as I’ve done it many times.

[Ryan Atkins]

Though exporting in h.264 gave a better picture, I had just been exporting in a self contained quicktime movie, the h.264 came from a quicktime conversion. When I capture and work with video in FCP, its most definitely 16:9, but I swear that whenever I choose to export in DV/DVCPro NTSC Anamorphic, it exports in 4:3. Basically I’m toying with exporting as a standard Quicktime movie, Quicktime Conversion and exporting using Compressor. As for the video quality, sometimes it look like I just exported VHS quality video. It’s very wierd and I don’t understand it.

I’m editing on a MacBook Pro 15in widescreen. Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 Ghz, 2GB 667mhz RAM, 256MB 8600 GT video card, 200 GB sata 7200 RPM hard drive. Will be getting an external soon.

Thanks for the help

[David Roth weiss]

[Ryan Atkins] “Basically I’m toying with exporting as a standard Quicktime movie, Quicktime Conversion and exporting using Compressor. As for the video quality, sometimes it look like I just exported VHS quality video. It’s very wierd and I don’t understand it.”

Ryan,

No need for confusion, exporting seems complicated because there appear to be lots of choices, but the fact is, there are only a few good one. Its like playing craps in Las Vegas, the table has all kinds of bets stenciled all over the felt, but only two bets are in your favor, the pass line and the come.

1) Let’s make this simple. When exporting from the timeline it doesn’t ever get any better than Export Quicktime Movie using “current settings.” Use only that when exporting your timeline.

2) The QT file created during the above export is then used in Compressor to create a DVD. There is no reason to export a SD file prior to encoding your MPEG2 in Compressor.

3) Never export an h.264 or any other QT from the timeline to use in Compressor as a source for another conversion or encode.

Does this clarify things for you?

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

A forum host of Creative COW’s Apple Final Cut Pro, Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.

[Todd Reid]

since your final destination is DVD, use compressor (either via export using compressor OR export a self contained QT then bring into compressor (debate still rages on which is better, but both will work just fine).

Pick the proper time length for your program (dvd settings/dvd best quality x minutes, 90, 120, 150 minutes). preset settings should be ok, but there are a few things you can tweak to get slightly better quality (do a search as I don’t know them off the top of my head).

Bring that export into DVDSP and you should be good to go.

[Ryan Atkins]

Ok, I guess I’m looking for the best setting for a file on the hard drive and for making a DVD. Would you say to always export using compressor? Basically, I’m seeing what works best for the following applications: single file to transfer amongst computers, DVD, HD content, and for Web (youtube, etc.)

I remember doing a standard QT movie and it looked worse than my original footage.

What do you guys usually use for these applications?

Thanks

[David Roth weiss]

[Ryan Atkins] “I’m seeing what works best for the following applications: single file to transfer amongst computers, DVD, HD content, and for Web (youtube, etc.)”

Ryan,

Let me repeat for the final time:

1) Let’s make this simple. When exporting from the timeline it doesn’t ever get any better than Export Quicktime Movie using “current settings.” Use only that when exporting your timeline.

That QT is “the holy grail,” equal in every way to your timeline, and from that you can make any other type of video be it DVD, web video, etc. at the best quality. Its is the file you should use to create a DVD, web video, etc.

Do you get it?

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

A forum host of Creative COW’s Apple Final Cut Pro, Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.

[Ryan Atkins]

thanks

[Miodrag Ristic]

Ryan,

You’ve probably confused us (including David) with your title “exporting SD video
to DVD” and then later in your post you are asking 2 different things;
SD to DVD and HDV 1080i to DVD (standard DVD).

There is an article/tutorial just released on Ken Stone’s website,
if you want to go from HDV to standard def. DVD,
basically, the way to go is to export your HDV from timeline to ProRes 422,
then that file to compressor and finally to DVD SP.

The link is here:

https://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/hdv_timeline_to_sd_dvd.html

If you were only asking about SD DVD then the only route to go is as David told you;
SD from timeline to QuickTime movie (not with conversion).

Mio