DVD type recommendations?

[Scotness]

Hi Patrick I think it was last months PC USer magazine that did a review of all the DVD types available on the market in Australia - I've just chucked out all my PC User's unfortunately but I think they rated TDK's DVD's as the best - which was reassuring for me as they're the only ones I use for In My Image - there's been over 70 copies (2 discs each = 140 discs) sent to various parts of the world and no complaints about the discs yet. I susally use -R too.

Scot

[Patrick]

I don't really own any dv tapes or equipment that plays them. Still, it would be good to go through the whole process of encoding, authoring and burning as it will be good practise and also something to master.

Also, with regards to TMPGEnc encoding in the MPEG Settings, which 'field order' and 'source aspect ratio' settings would be recommended?

And in the Project Wizard (4/5), with Bitrate Settings, what would be the ideal figures to use for individual settings here?

[Scotness]

http://www.digvid.info/tmpgenc/beginners.php
http://www.digitalfaq.com/convert/tmpge ... ncplus.htm
http://www.videohelp.com/tmpgenc.htm#problems

[Alex]

I don't really own any dv tapes or equipment that plays them.

hmmm, how did you edit your project? If you're going to do low cost NLE , firewire is the central nervous system, and mini-dv the tape format of choice.

[VideoFred]

I don't really own any dv tapes or equipment that plays them. Still, it would be good to go through the whole process of encoding, authoring and burning as it will be good practise and also something to master.

Hello Patrick,

A good start, if you use Windows, is Nero. With Nero Vision Express you can do some editing and it does the AVI/mpeg2 conversion for you. You can also create menus with Nero, and, off cource, the burning process on DVD. I prefer Nero because it is easy to use, and it is a very fast encoder and burner. The quality of the mpeg2 file is very good.

Remember, once on DVD, you find no *.mpeg files, but *.vob files.
But the *.vob files are actualy mpeg2 files.

Fred.

[Patrick]

Cool Scott. I actually use TDK CDs to scan 35mm slides on to. Alex, the footage I am referring was obtained from the Internet. I would be using the laptop's own internal dvd burner for the burn. Though eventually, I will purchase mini dv gear for NLE purposes. Thanks for the recommendations on Nero, Fred. This DVD creation process is truly a whole new world for me.

[mattias]

just look at the clip. if it has interlace lines it's interlaced, otherwise it's not.

/matt

[Ralphie]

What software and parameters are you guys using to encode.
I am using Procoder 2.0 Lower field NTSC at a VBR 2pass of 6000kbps.
I have used TMPEGenc in the past and for the same settings and file size that Procoder creates I'm not happy with the TMPEGenc results at all. In general, I find software encoding not that great at all. Can anyone recommend a hardware encoder designed for the prosumer that doesn't cost multi-thousands of dollars. Canopus has 4 real-time hardware encoders. Has anyone ever tried them.
http://www.canopus.us/US/products/Index ... _index.asp

Ralphie

[mattias]

I'm not happy with the TMPEGenc results at all.

then you've been doing something wrong. tmpgenc produces spectacular results if used correctly, pretty much always indistinguishable from the dv version. in what way didn't it look the way you expected? i'd be happy to help you out finding the correct settings. the most common mistake is to not check the "basic ycrcb" box that removes the ccir-601 setup which otherwise makes the video look washed out. i've no idea where the authors got the idea that ccir-601 shoudl be used for dvd encoding. black is black on a dvd. broadcast is different but who's using tmpgenc for that?

/matt

[mathis]

What software and parameters are you guys using to encode.
I am using Procoder 2.0 Lower field NTSC at a VBR 2pass of 6000kbps.
I have used TMPEGenc in the past and for the same settings and file size that Procoder creates I'm not happy with the TMPEGenc results at all. In general, I find software encoding not that great at all. Can anyone recommend a hardware encoder designed for the prosumer that doesn't cost multi-thousands of dollars. Canopus has 4 real-time hardware encoders. Has anyone ever tried them.
http://www.canopus.us/US/products/Index ... _index.asp

Ralphie

I use a DVStorm with the mpec hardware encoder. While it is sometimes convenient it doesn´t give the quality Procoder or TMPGenc can produce.

[Ralphie]

I'm not happy with the TMPEGenc results at all.

the most common mistake is to not check the "basic ycrcb" box that removes the ccir-601 setup which otherwise makes the video look washed out. i've no idea where the authors got the idea that ccir-601 shoudl be used for dvd encoding. black is black on a dvd. broadcast is different but who's using tmpgenc for that?

/matt

This does make sense, although I find it hard to beleive that you find it indistinguishable from the dv version. Besides, my source footage is not DV, but 2:1 Avid meridian compressed. I switched to Procoder about 1 year ago. My main problem with TMPEG that it is was that frames with full color and movement looked OK but white text on black with fade ups/downs had heavy artifacting. Procoder unfortunately does the same but not quite as bad. My other issue is trying to figure out what max. bitrate is safe. I will try to find the "ccir-601" checkbox in Procoder.
Nonetheless, can you recommend an affordable hardware encoder, primarily for better results, and to save time.
Thanks, Ralphie.

[mattias]

This does make sense, although I find it hard to beleive that you find it indistinguishable from the dv version.

i promise. ;-) for film originated footage i see a light loss of grain especially in motion areas but that's it.

Besides, my source footage is not DV, but 2:1 Avid meridian

yeah, my source footage isn't always dv either, but the quality i get is comparable to dv quality, thus the comparison.

white text on black with fade ups/downs had heavy artifacting.

even with two pass encoding?

I will try to find the "ccir-601" checkbox in Procoder.

i don't know if there is one. i'm referring to tmpgenc only.

i don't have much experience with hardware encoders so i can't help you there. i've used them, but never compared results and never paid much attention to what i've been using.

/matt

[Ralphie]

white text on black with fade ups/downs had heavy artifacting.

even with two pass encoding?

I will try to find the "ccir-601" checkbox in Procoder.

i don't know if there is one. i'm referring to tmpgenc only.

i don't have much experience with hardware encoders so i can't help you there. i've used them, but never compared results and never paid much attention to what i've been using.

/matt

I know you were referring to TMPEG regarding the 601 color levels checkbox, I thought that maybe Procoder had a similar issue.
To tell you the truth, I can't remember if I used VBR2pass or CBR with TMPEG. It's has been so long since I've used that program, I probably used CBR of 8500kbps because back then I knew absolutely nothing about MPEG2 encoding.
Thanks for your help. I'll give TMPEGenc another try tonight.

[Uppsala BildTeknik]

I probably used CBR of 8500kbps

Then it has nothing to do with bitrates or CBR vs VBR.
It is something else in the settings.

[mattias]

Then it has nothing to do with bitrates or CBR vs VBR.

it still can. there's no such thing as constant bitrate, just less variable. the mpeg-2 spec contains a buffer size, and that can be utilized differently depending on the content over time. 2-pass vbr makes sense, though of course less so, even at very high bitrates.

/matt