Rendering DV for burning to DVD optimum settings

[John Rofrano]

[Geoff Edwards] “I find it very difficult to understand but I think I am making progress :)”

Feel free to ask more questions. That’s how we all learn. 😉

~jr

http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com

[Geoff Edwards]

Hi John

I think that I am making progress. My latest problem is that I couldn’t render to a Dolby Digital AC-3 file as the option wasn’t listed. It turned out I had the audio track muted!

I am getting a redder DVD than the MPEG4 render. DVDA Pro 5.2 previews the video similar to the MPEG4. Is there some sort of filter that could be applied to reduce the red? I am also surprised that the video has to be re-compressed in DVDA it is less than 7 minutes long.

I have viewed the DVD on another TV – a very good one and there is still a predominance of red.

[John Rofrano]

[Geoff Edwards] “I think that I am making progress. My latest problem is that I couldn’t render to a Dolby Digital AC-3 file as the option wasn’t listed. It turned out I had the audio track muted! “

Glad you found that. Yes, what Vegas Pro does is hide the templates that are not appropriate so if you only have an audio track you will not see video templates and visa versa.

[Geoff Edwards] “Is there some sort of filter that could be applied to reduce the red?”

I would use the Color Corrector. Are you using your Video Scopes (Crl+Atr+2) and making sure that you colors are legal? The Vectorscope will help you with that. Also make sure that your luminance values are legal with the Waveform monitor. VHS tape is very susceptible to red color bleed so you might also need to use the Color Corrector (Secondary) to just desaturate the reds depending on if the whole frame is too red or just the reds are too saturated.

[Geoff Edwards] “I am also surprised that the video has to be re-compressed in DVDA it is less than 7 minutes long. “

If you rendered using MainConcept MPEG-2 using the DVD Architect PAL video stream template it should not be re-compressing anything. You must have not done this.

~jr

http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com

[Geoff Edwards]

Hi John

Thanks. I have double checked that I had used MainConcept MPEG-2 and DVD Architect PAL video stream template but DVDA Pro still recompresses the movie.

I have also applied the Broadcast Colour filter to the footage and re-rendered it. The playback from the DVD is still too red, although as before Vegas and DVDA Preview displays the colours (as adjusted by me) to my satisfaction.

Geoff

[Geoff Edwards]

Just to recap. I have edited my footage and produced a nice video MPEG4. I have selected Single Movie in DVDA Pro 5.2 and previewing the project the playback is identical to what I see viewed by clicking the MPEG2 file on my PC.

Unfortunately, when I select Make DVD the result is not the same the colour is poor. The colour, viewing on TV is altered its excessively red. Something is also wrong in that the movie should not be recompressed by DVDA.

I have checked the DVDA Online Help file and my settings are correct in that I am using the MainConcept MPEG-2 encoder and the DVD Architect PAL video stream and the Audio has been rendered with AC-3 audio. It is stated that the project will not be rerendered by DVDA but it is, so what settings may there be that alter the behaviour of DVDA.

[John Rofrano]

[Geoff Edwards] “Unfortunately, when I select Make DVD the result is not the same the colour is poor. The colour, viewing on TV is altered its excessively red.”

Is your computer monitor calibrated? Are you color correcting on an external PAL monitor? (you should be ). If you don’t want any surprises, you should be color correcting on an external monitor via firewire for SD delivery.

~jr

http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com

[Geoff Edwards]

Thanks John But I have improved my footage using Vegas Pro, not that it is of poor quality, it is very good SVHS. Alterations were made and viewed at standard DV size it is excellent. I should not have to “correct” it again for DVD output. And it would not be possible as my installation a 23 inch Dell high definition display would not be of any use. Perhaps I need to get on to Sony as DVDA should not recompress according to Sony. The footage and who knows what else DVDA is ruining. The movie is great on my PC. The DVD is crap on the TV and on my daughters 4K ready TV. I have also rendered a black and white version to check contrast and sharpness. That was fine.

[John Rofrano]

If you are watching it on an HD TV then I agree that you should not have to correct it again for DVD. If you are watching on an SD CRT TV then you would have to correct it again for DVD because CRT’s and LCD/Plasma/etc. have different gamma and color response.

I guess the real test is how does it look when you place the DVD back into your computer and view it on the monitor you corrected it on? Does it look different than it did on the Vegas Pro timeline? That will tell you if the DVD process is altering it in any way.

~jr

http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com

[Geoff Edwards]

I have played the DVD on my PC and it looks similar to what it looks like on TV redder than the project on Vegas.

I found that with a higher bit rate than 9,00,000 DVDA will compress the footage. Subsequently, adjusting the project bit rate in DVDA results in a closer rendition of the project colour as played in Vegas but there is a degradation in quality. See photo of TV screen: Perhaps its a red herring but I have noticed that I have had trouble viewing high definition material on youtube – lots of pixellation so I replaced the video card. I have re-rendered the project. However, the maximum bit rate I set to 6,000,00 and burnt another DVD. Same result ok at full screen on my PC but poor with white patches all over the screen from the DVD same as the screen photo above.

[Joe Mccord]

Awesome info for Sony Vegas Users!- Thanks John!