Prevent re-encode of mpg2 before using DVDA Pro 5.0, what file type to use? AVI?

[Nigel O’neill]

Go to File | Render As… and select MainConcept MPEG-2 with the DVD Architect NTSC Widescreen video stream template for 16:9 or the non-widescreen template for 4:3. Then render your audio as Dolby Digital AC-3 Pro using the Stereo DVD template. If you give them the same name just with different extensions, then DVD Architect will know that the files go together. then just author your DVD in DVD Architect.

If you want fit and render, say, 90 minutes onto the same DVD (e.g. the 1st and 2nd half of the game on 1 DVD), you will need to use a bit rate calculator (such as Mark’s Bit Rate Calculator) and select 2 pass variable bit rendering as a Custom setting of the MainConcept MPEG-2 with the DVD Architect NTSC Widescreen template. The quality should be quite acceptable for DVD playback.

To download and use Mark’s Bit Rate Calculator:

https://www.johncline.com/bitcalc110.zip

Intel i7 920, 12GB RAM, ASUS P6T, Vegas Pro 10 (x32/x64), Windows 7 x64 Ultimate, Vegas Production Assistant 1.0, VASST Ultimate S Pro 4.1, Neat Video Pro 2.6

[Mike Yoneda]

Nigel,

My main concern is to have the files stay uncompressed and maintain the highest quality. I plan to burn both halves on a dual layer DVD so I should be able to fit them with no compression.

I previously picked the MPEG-2 format but it seemed to re-encode my original files since it shrank from 3 GB to around 2 GB. I really want the files to stay the same size because I noticed the finished product in DVDA was more “grainy.” I assumed that I was losing resolution because of the re-encoding in Vegas Pro.

Mike Yoneda
Mililani, HI

[Stephen Mann]

You have two problems here. The Sony HDR-CX350V id shooting HD in the AVCHD format – a very highly compressed format. Most of us can’t afford the camera or disk storage needed for uncompressed HD. Second, DVD is SD. Period. You have to recompress your HD to SD in order to make a DVD. Or, are you trying to make Blu-Ray Discs? Or are you shooting in SD?

Steve Mann
MannMade Digital Video
http://www.mmdv.com

[Mike Yoneda]

Sorry I wasn’t clear. I am shooting in SD. My output files are mpg2. For a 45 minute half, my raw mpg2 files are around 3 GB. My end goal is to use DVDA to burn both game halves on to a DVD (90 minutes of video). I plan to use dual layer DVDs so that I can fit the full 90 minutes. All I want to do is do some trimming on the ends of the file and add chapter markers for when a person scores a goal.

What would be the best way to do that to prevent re-encoding in both Vegas and DVDA?

I notice the way I’m doing it right now, in Vegas, it shrinks my 3 GB file down to about 2 GB. Then, when I take these two 2 GB files to DVDA, it fits on a single layer DVD but it’s grainy. I’m more concerned with the quality of the video than with shrinking the file size.

Mike Yoneda
Mililani, HI

[Nigel O’neill]

Fitting 90 minutes of SD video should be more than possible on a DVD, unless you are not using VBR encoding. I have shot 90 minute wedding receptions in HDV in poor light and then used 2-pass VBR encoding and delivered it on a DVD. Even when played back on a high-def TV, the graininess is not noticeable and looks great. If I use CBR, the grain is noticeable as DVDA does the heavy rendering and does not do so as optimally as Vegas.

Intel i7 920, 12GB RAM, ASUS P6T, Vegas Pro 10 (x32/x64), Windows 7 x64 Ultimate, Vegas Production Assistant 1.0, VASST Ultimate S Pro 4.1, Neat Video Pro 2.6

[Mike Kujbida]

I’ve done a 2 1/2 hr/ single layer DVD that looked OK.
It was shot with a good 3 CCD camera with 1/2″ chips on a professionally lit stage which helps but it can be done.
If you want to avoid the re-compressing that Vegas will do to it (unless you exactly match the source bit rate), try VideoReDo as this is it’s strength.

[Stephen Mann]

It doesn’t matter if you are using VBR or CBR, the size of the encoded file is solely dependent on the encoded bit rate. You have full control of that in Vegas, but not in DVDA. This is the main reason for doing your MPEG encode in Vegas.

You adjust the bit rate to encode as close to 4.7GB in file size as you can – but never exceed 8Mbps since many players have problems above that. (The spec says 9Mbps, but that’s what glass-mastered DVD’s aim for). Google “bit rate calculator” to get your starting parameters. Yes, starting parameters. No program can precisely predict the encoding parameters without actually encoding the file. It can only make estimates based on the most determinate factors of length, type of audio and any extra folders. If your video has a frequently-changing background, like people moving, trees moving, camera shaking, then the encoder won’t be too efficient, will make a lot of i-frames, and make a lower-quality encode for a given target file size. If you shot for encoding, have a stable background, minimize movement of your subjects, then the encoder gets more efficient and can cram more more video data into the same 4.7Gb container. Also, different CODECS will encode differently. In fact, the same CODEC won’t encode exactly the same every time.

Now, I’ve forgotten the question…

Steve Mann
MannMade Digital Video
http://www.mmdv.com

[Mike Yoneda]

My background is constantly changing since I am recording a soccer game and doing a lot of panning. After I do the trimming and adding chapter markers, so I save as AVI or mpg2 before taking it over to DVDA?

Mike Yoneda
High Angle Video
Mililani, HI

[Stephen Mann]

You should always use the best resolution available to you at every stage of the workflow.

In your case, you should be shooting in HD, editing in HD and only converting to SD when you encode the DVD files (MPG and AC3) in Vegas.

Steve Mann
MannMade Digital Video
http://www.mmdv.com

[Mike Yoneda]

Thanks Stephen for the advice.

I have never shot in HD yet. Will shooting in HD HQ be a big improvement over shooting in SD? Also, when I edit the HD HQ files in Vegas Pro, will it re-encode like the SD mpg2 files?

Mike Yoneda
High Angle Video
Mililani, HI