[Daniel Ludwig]

Yes,
correct – the surcode plugin is the way to go within compressor 3, but keep in mind, that it only work with specific mac-os-versions.

if you wont see a way for using compressor 3, feel free to get in touch with me about the encoding.

I could quickly prepare a FTP-access for you for the data-transfer.

danny

[Daniel Ludwig]

Neil,
yes, you´re right – there are only transcoding-options/project-settings for PCM and AC3, but if you import a DTS HD-file, it wont be transcoded.

as I stated before: the compressor-plugin will only work with compressor 3 and only under specific mac-os-versions (10.5-10.6 as far as I remember).

It´s not worth the price.

danny

[Daniel Ludwig]

Neil,
there WAS a plugin that could creat DTS or DTS HD MA within compressor. but this was working only with compressor 3 and some older mac os systems ( Mac OS 10.5 and 10.6. as far as I remember).

I would advice to use a 3rd party service for encoding that has the DTS Master Audio-Suite. Encore could author DTS HD MA-streams. Please look at my posting in the DVD-Authoring section.

If you´re interested in, I might be able to do it.

danny

[Daniel Ludwig]

Neil,
Encore is capable to author DTS HD Master Audio. you´ll hear it during the authoring-process, but you can hear it on the final BD.

Are you based in NL? I´m based in germany – If you like I could give you a quote for the encoding, as I have the DTS Suite over her.

please feel free to write PM.

danny

[Daniel Ludwig]

Phil,
this message will be shown while your DVD will be burned and you should see the progress-bar getting longer, while this window also will show the burning-speed on the media as well.

toast14 is working fine on YZ, so it should work, by the way: check out for latest update.

danny

[Daniel Ludwig]

José,
you might check out with MPO, or maybe bertelsmann/avarto. MPO replication-facility is based in france, avarto is in germany.

danny

[Daniel Ludwig]

Chris,
the usual way is as follow if you start with PAL SD upper field:

1. deinterlacing
2. retiming/conforming from 25fps to 23.98fps (slow down by4%)
3. resizing 720×576 to 720×480
4. encoding to MPEG2 using a 23.98-setting, which will end up into MPEG2 29.98 NDF.

I would use Apple Pro Res for the entire workflow up to the encoder.

to use interlaced material could lead to terrible problems when doing a software-only format-conversion.

IF you need to have same duration, you need to create new frames using an adaptive engine with motion-vector-analysis. this will take VERY long time or come within an external hardware.

for internatinal distribution it´s a common way to use conforming for format-conversion especially if you are talking about blu-ray, but it´s similar for DVD as well.

the only difference is, that blu-ray could play 1080p23.98 or 1080p24, while SD DVD only could playback 25 or 29.98fps.

danny

[Daniel Ludwig]

Aaron,
UHD-BD is mostly built on HEVC (H265), and only a few H264-settings are supported.

Jargon has a release-candidate that is available right now, scenarist UHD will be available soon. both tools will be available at very high prices.

additionally you need a dedicated H265-encoder, which is very expensive, too.

as far as I heard, we´re talking about 50k for the authoring-application and additionally (min.) 40k for the encoder.

additionally audio-encoders…

a lot fun again! 😉

danny

[Daniel Ludwig]

Michael,
CBR is OK, if you have less content that should fit on the DVD/BD, if you have more content, that should go on the disc, and your bitrate would go below a dedicated bitrate/quality, then VBR usually will be used.

if you would like to author a BD I would advice to use H264, as it has much better quality at approx. half the bitrate of MPEG2. especially if you have a lot of detail in picture and fast motions H264 will win.

the codec H264 is newer than MPEG2 and has a lot advantages.

usually hollywood-BDs have a bitrate at arround 22-25Mbit VBR. you should use some headroom in VBR because it tends to have high peaks that might go over the max. allowed bitrates. 28Mbit to 30Mbit as max bitrate is far enough. 40Mbit for video is allowed max. by BD-spec. 48Mbit incl. audio-and interactive-graphic- (IG)-streams for 2D-BDs.

danny

[Daniel Ludwig]

Robert,
let´s start with the easy things:

1.) 720×300 is wrong for DVD, NTSC has 720×480 by spec
2.) MP4 is totally wrong – DVD has MPEG2 video by spec

in both cases Encore is going to transcode your video in the right direction.

to use MP4 is even worse, as you are use a highly compressed format to create another highly compressed format. you will have loose of quality by this as well.

so you should re-think your workflow and learn the DVD-specs.

1. export your video using a high quality (mostly uncompressed) codec. create a MOV- or AVI-file using apple pro res (on mac) or maybe AVID DNX (mac+pc). avid codecs are available for free on the avid-website.

2. use AME (adobe media encoder) MPEG2-DVD-presets to create the MPEG2-SD-elementary videostream and a dedicated AC-3 dolby digital audio-stream.

3. start a NEW DVD-project in encore. at one of the first sceens you could set the project-settings. there you´ll could set transcoding-settings as well. make sure they are set to NTSC video and dolby AC-3 audio.

4. author the project

NOTE: as soon as you´re input-files will NOT fit the DVD-specs Encore ALLWAYS will transcode the video and audio, as they NEEDS to fit the specs, otherwise you wont be able to create a DVD.

cheers

danny