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Burning a DVD using FCPX/Compressor 4
I have a near complete FCPX project shot in 720HD/23.98, it is full length film, about 120 minutes in length.
After reading a bit on these forms, it seemed to be the opinion that to burn a DVD the best way is to export the project as a media file first, then import it into Compressor and burn the DVD.
I did it this way, and the DVD quality was good enough, but I noticed, when looking at the back of the DVD, it appears that only about 1/8 of the DVD was used to burn the 120 minute project that has numerous special effects, titles, music, etc.
Does this seem right? It there a setting you can use that tells Compressor to use as much of the DVD real estate as possible? Or doesn’t this matter? Or should I use a different protocol for burning a DVD for a higher quality product? For example, instead of exporting as a media file, go straight to Compressor and burn it that way… And what would be the setting for this if this is a preferred method?
Thanks.
Jack Niedenthal
Microwave Films of the Marshall Islands
http://www.microwavefilms.org
iMac i7 using Lion 10.7.x, HPX 170 using only one 64GB card
I live on an island in the middle of the Pacific, YOU are my only resource. -
5 Replies
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[Jack Niedenthal] “I did it this way, and the DVD quality was good enough, but I noticed, when looking at the back of the DVD, it appears that only about 1/8 of the DVD was used to burn the 120 minute project that has numerous special effects, titles, music, etc. “
In order to create a DVD-Videso – the kind that universally play in all players – the final stage MUST apply a specific type of compression (MPEG-2) and generate VOB files in a DVD friendly menu structure – so all disk players know how to handle the files.
This means that the amount of disk space ultimately used is totally dependent on how the MPEG-2 encoding is done at the end stage of the process.
If your software gives you control of that – you can back off on the compression to use more of the bit bucket. If your software doesn’t provide that, you’re stuck.
DVDs are a pretty “dumb” format in modern terms. They provide excellent compatibility – but not always great quality unless like Hollywood, you start with perfectly pristine masters and can have the expertise to allocate the bits into the bucket, perfectly – matching the content to the bucket capacity and making purposeful decisions to give more bit space to complex scenes and less to the “easy to encode” ones.
Some software allows you to opt for VBR (variable bit rate) compression over the typical CBR (constant bit rate) variety. Other programs don’t. And worse, sometimes using VBR actually yields visibly worse results than CBR encoding!
In my experience, it’s a case by case “try it and see” deal.
DVD’s are designed to be simple for the end user, but are anything but for disk creators.
Maybe somebody else has better advice, but after 15 years of making client DVDs – I’m just SO glad the era of them is slowly but surely coming to an end.
FWIW.
“Before speaking out ask yourself whether your words are true, whether they are respectful and whether they are needed in our civil discussions.”-Justice O’Connor
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I agree that 120 minutes should fill up more of the DVD than 1/8. It certainly did using FCP7 and the associated Final Cut Studio to produce the DVD. Since moving to X, I have wondered if the old DVD studio program can still be used to assemble DVD’s using X and the new compressor to generate the MPEG2 files. On the other hand, since I always gave away my finished product, it is much easier and higher res to use Vimeo and Youtube now to distribute it.
As Bill Davis noted, Hollywood DVD’s are much better because of sophisticated compression schemes. I always wondered how they did that.
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I looked at the presents using compressor in FCPX and there is only one labeled MPEG-2 for DVD. Here are the specs. It says 2.25 GB/hour. A single layer DVD has about 4.7 GB.
Name: MPEG-2 for DVD
Description: MPEG-2 elementary stream for DVD Authoring
File Extension: m2v
Estimated size: 2.25 GB/hour of source
Type: MPEG-2 video elementary stream
Usage:SD DVD
Video Encoder
Width and Height: Automatic
Pixel aspect ratio: Default
Crop: None
Padding: None
Frame rate: (100% of source)
Frame Controls: Automatically selected: Off
Start timecode from source
Aspect ratio: Automatic
Selected 4:3
Field dominance: Automatic
Average bit rate automatic,
selected: 5 (Mbps)
1 Pass VBR enabled
Maximum bit rate: 7.5 (Mbps)
High quality
Best motion estimation
Closed GOP Size: 1/2 second, Structure: IBBP
DVD Studio Pro meta-data enabled -
I would check the DVD to make sure the total file size seems correct. Mount the DVD in your computer. Select all files folders and hit cmd-opt-i. That will tell you how large the files are on the disc.
Michael Garber
5th Wall – a post production company -
Turned out the file size was 3+ GB, so it was all good. Thanks for the suggestion.
Jack Niedenthal
Microwave Films of the Marshall Islands
http://www.microwavefilms.org
iMac i7 using Lion 10.7.x, HPX 170 using only one 64GB card
I live on an island in the middle of the Pacific, YOU are my only resource.
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