Vegas reduce bit-rate/file size to burn DVD – beginner hours/days still cannot do ???

[John Rofrano]

[Garry Preston] “(1) I need step-by-step how to switch Movie Studio HD Platinum 11 so it will reduce the file size/bit rate and fit my movie to a DVD. I accept that the quality will be reduced.”

You’ll need to Google for a bitrate calculator (there are lots of them on the web) to determine what bitrate you should use for the length of your video. Then go to Project | Render As… and select MainConcept MPEG-2 with the DVD Architect NTSC Widescreen video stream template. Press the Customize Template button and change the Average (bps) to match the bitrate that you got with the bitrate calculator. Then render your video.

Next, render your audio as Dolby Digital AC-3 Pro using the Stereo DVD template. If you give both files the same name just with different extensions, then DVD Architect Studio will know that the files go together. Finally just author your DVD in DVD Architect Studio.

[Garry Preston] “(2) Sometimes Movie Studio HD Platinum 11 sends my movie to DVD Architect before burning and other times it doesn’t – why is this?”

You must be using a different option. If you use Make Movie | Burn it to DVD or Blu-ray Disc | DVD it will skip DVD Architect and burn a DVD from the timeline. If you use Make Movie | Burn it to DVD or Blu-ray Disc | DVD with Menu it will call DVD Architect Studio.

[Garry Preston] “(3) Can I choose to work in DVD Architect without first starting in Movie Studio HD Platinum 11? And if so how do I find a file to work with?”

No, not if you need to edit your video. DVD Architect Studio is just a DVD authoring program. It takes whole movies and writes them to DVD. You need to make the whole movie with Movie Studio first.

~jr

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

[Garry Preston]

Thanks John,

I am working my way through your recommendations. I have calculated the bit rate, then went to Project|Render As… and selected MainConcepts MPEG-2 with the DVD Architect PAL Widescreen (for Australia) …so far no problems but I cannot see a “Customize Template Button”. Where do I find it or how do I create it?

Thanks, Garry

[Garry Preston]

Thanks John,

Please disregard my last post as I found the button …just needed to scroll down the page to see it. I am rendering now. I’ll let you know if it’s successful (or not) once I complete the remaining steps.

Again thanks,
Regards, Garry

[John Rofrano]

Great! Let us know how you make out.

~jr

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

[Adam Aadar]

Here is a good article that explains how to reduce file sizes without much of a loss of quality – https://www.deskshare.com/resources/articles/dmcpro_ReduceFileSize.aspx

[John Rofrano]

[adam aadar] “Here is a good article that explains how to reduce file sizes without much of a loss of quality -“

I would be careful when reading that article. It’s primarily discussing making small files for web based delivery and not DVD’s which require MPEG-2 video. (just a caution)

~jr

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

[Garry Preston]

Hello John,

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you …work has been busy in the lead up to Christmas. However today I got back to my pet video project and I am pleased to report that your advice/solution worked well in reducing the file size however I still haven’t burnt a DVD as I have run into another (probably minor) issue in DVD Architect Studio 5.

Having reduced the file size using Vegas as per your instructions – then when ‘burn DVD’ is selected, in DVD Architect Studio 5, I receive the error message “there is not enough space in the prepare folder”. How should I overcome this?

Thanks Garry

[John Rofrano]

[Garry Preston] “Having reduced the file size using Vegas as per your instructions – then when ‘burn DVD’ is selected, in DVD Architect Studio 5, I receive the error message “there is not enough space in the prepare folder”. How should I overcome this?”

It sounds like you’re running out of disk space. Go to Options | Preferences | Burning and see where the Default prepare folder is pointing (it defaults to your “My Documents” folder on the C: drive) and make sure that there is at least 9.4GB of free space or point it to a drive that does have enough free space.

~jr

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