Variable Bit Rate for Vegas to DVDA (Media too large)

[Stephen Mann]

Do it yourself:
https://www.videohelp.com/calc.htm

Use the defaults, plug in your video time, round down to even 00 and you should be fine. Some people tweak their bit rate to get exactly the 4.37Gb or whatever, but it’s a waste of time. The difference from a 4.3Gb and a 4.37gb DVD is negligible.

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

[Mike Kujbida]

Those values are too high for a 2 hr. DVD.
Try 8,000,000 / 4,688,000 / 2,808,000 and do it in 2-pass mode.
BTW, https://www.johncline.com/bitcalc110.zip is the bitrate calculator I always use.

[Scott Gifford]

Thanks Mike, I’ve been marking down my own calculations regarding video length and the amount of storage needed. I sometime use a bit calculator which was created within an excel spreadsheet, but its a bit confusing and often gave a poor calculation. I will try Mark’s bit rate calculator now. I did notice it does not list Blu-Ray DVDs. Is there an upgraded version?

Scott Gifford
Scott Gifford Studios

[Mike Kujbida]

Scott, I haven’t seen an update to this calculator in several years.
While there is no Blu-ray template, you can click in the Disk Type box, scroll down to User-Defined Capacity and create your own custom template.

[Gilles Gagnon]

Hi everyone,

Mike, you’ve helped me stay off the bridge as well a while back on this topic. I’m faced with a similar dilemma.

I have 8 videos which I’ve rendered using the VASST create DVD script. WHen I plunk them in to DVDA (client would like all 8 on single DVD if possible) it estimates the size at 6 GB. The video is lots of talking heads.

Q. Is there anything I can adjust on DVDA to make them fit or must I either split them on 2 DVDS or re-render?

Thanks for keeping me off the bridge again! 🙂

Gilles

[Scott Gifford]

Hi Gillis, what you can do is put all 8 videos on the timeline and render out an AVI file. Then open up DVDA and add the movie AVI file. Next go to prepare disc. At the bottom of the DVDA page is an option, “fit to disc” click yes and it will fit the video onto the disc. However, the bit rate will be small. My suggestion is to but a DL DVD. When you create the DVD select disc type as DVD-9 ( DVD DL 9 G disc). This will give you more room, better bit rate, better video and will play exactly like a regular DVD . that’s it!

Scott Gifford
Scott Gifford Studios

[Mike Kujbida]

“…it estimates the size at 6 GB”

Gilles, DVDA has a long history of incorrectly reporting fie sizes.
Go back and check the total size of the mpeg-2 and ac-3 file(s).
If they’re within limits, ignore the warning that DVDA gives you.

“I have 8 videos which I’ve rendered using the VASST create DVD script.”

I’ve never used that tool.
Instead, I add up the length of all the videos (are that ll on a single timeline?), use my bitrate calculator and create a custom render template based on what it says.

[Gilles Gagnon]

Thanks to you both for your responses.

my thoughts:

1. I would rather not create a single AVI as each video has specific effects on its video and audio tracks. I’d have a project with too many tracks.

2. How can I tell if my burner will burn DL dics? (I’ve never used such) and am I guaranteed that it will play in any player?

3. i’ve checked DVDA’s calcualtion and unforturnately… they’re accurate.

4 I tried the “fit to disc” with my 8 mpg videos and I got an error stating that the media files are too large.

Do I have to re-render everything? if so, I think I’ll just burn 2 DVDs.

Thanks again

Gilles

[Mike Kujbida]

Gilles, if you don’t want to render everything again, then 2 DVDs are your only option.

[Gilles Gagnon]

Thanks Mike.

Now I know. Once it’s rendered, you can’t use DVDA to make a the media/files fit if the source is too large.

Thanks… 2 DVDs it is.
Gilles

Gilles