HVX200/FCP/Compressor/DVDSP/PLASMA/-unacceptable quality

D

dcfilms

Member
Thanks for looking.

If someone is willing to explain this to me fantastic! If not, what I'm really looking for is for someone to point me in the direction of getting to the bottom of this! A website, a company, a phone number, an email, anything!

Really quick - I shoot most of my projects on the HVX200 (720p24pn). Of course I use FCP and the other apple apps listed above. My question is why is when I check my burned DVDs on any TV & computer - It just doesn't look good!

I have researched this like crazy! I've changed the GOP & Quality menus. I've done all the compressor presets along with some custom ones. I've tried out putting different formats from FCP. All this experimentation isn't empty thought, I have been reading articles from all sorts of places and then trying what they suggest.

Is compressor & DVDSP really capable of producing high quality SD DVDs? How do I produce them if so?!

My work flow -
FCP (720p24pn -> export Quicktime not self contained)

Compressor (I either use Highest quality 90 minute preset or custom -> my bit rate is AVG 6.2 highest 7.2 -> TWO PASS -> GOP IBP w/ 13 SIZE) Here is the summary

Name: Untitled MPEG-2
Description: No description
File Extension: m2v
Estimated file size: 160.94 MB
Type: MPEG-2 video elementary stream
Usage:SD DVD
Video Encoder
Format: M2V
Width: 720
Height: 480
Pixel aspect ratio: NTSC CCIR 601/DV (16:9)
Crop: None
Padding: None
Frame rate: 23.976
Frame Controls Automatically selected:
Retiming: (Fast) Nearest Frame
Resize Filter: Linear Filter
Deinterlace Filter: Fast (Line Averaging)
Adaptive Details: On
Antialias: 0
Detail Level: 0
Field Output: Same as Source
Start timecode from source
Aspect ratio: 16:9
Field dominance: Automatic:
Selected Progressive
Average data rate: 6.2 (Mbps)
2 Pass VBR enabled
Maximum data rate: 7.5 (Mbps)
High quality
Best motion estimation
Closed GOP Size: 13, Structure: IBP
DVD Studio Pro meta-data enabled

I Then bring to DVDsp burn a VIDEO_TS then burn at a slower burn speed using TOAST.

Thanks!
 
Thanks for the heads up - I just got done reading through the actual compressor manuel is the reference guide really a ton better? Are my standards too high for this? I don't know if you have seen the show "It's always Sunny in Philadelphia" but they shoot with DVX100's and their is really know way of knowing that by the image quality (In my opinion) it looks great on DVD. I understand that it's a professionally authored DVD but my DVDs are 20% that quality with a HVX!!

Have you heard of of Cine Craft Encoder a $800 plug-in for Compressor? Here is a link -

http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/cinema_craft_encoder.html

Sounds like a dream app to me but was wondering if there is a slight (cheaper) alternative for now using DVDSP.

On a side note & not to start an entirely different topic but what is going on with Blu Ray & apple! I'm loosing some business to companies that offer this and I'm stuck waiting for apple to jump on this! Think it's worth buying do I dare say a "PC" and devote it to DVD stuff. It looks like their a variety of options compared to the APPLE DVD world? Any thoughts?
 
What does your actual footage look like? The first step to good compression is making sure that the material to be compressed is clean. Minor things like cleaning up the blacks can cause a tremendous difference in the compression quality....
 
Hi ullanta,

Footage looks great! Properly exposed - everything looks good only my 23 apple display as well as a 720 p TV (quick reference) monitor. What is YOUR definition of cleaning up the blacks?

My problem seems to be with the actual burning to the DVD. The compressor product looks pretty good in DVDsp's Preview viewer. Is it more likely to be ? -

A. My compressor settings (is what I originally thought)
B. Burning to Video_TS file then bringing it into Toast or Popcorn
C. Brand of my burner (Lacie dinosaur but it works)
D. Brand of my actual DVDs (Memorex Printable DVD-R)

Another Side note but also what do people use for designing DVD covers & labels? I use a really junky Memorex software (for simple titles and pictures). Expressit S.E. 2.2 is the app - I would like to use Photoshop but does anyone know of a ps template that goes along with precut paper that would fit into a DVD case? Thanks
 
You may simply be running up against the limits of Compressor. Also good color correction and range checking to keep everything broadcast safe in luma and chroma is critical. You may need to spend a few $ and upgrade to higher quality encoding such as:

http://www.innobits.com/

Noah
 
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