Encoding/Burning- How The Heck To Do It?

nycineaste

nycineaste

Well-known member
Sorry for the broaaaadd question, But anybody have any tips or resources for learning about encoding/formats for the day when I have something DVD worthy? MPEG 2 is the DVD format, right? Everything I export from Vegas as MPEG 2 looks like garbage. Windows Media comes out better, but clearly that's not helpful.

Thanks in advance
 
Normally if you're making a DVD or Blu-Ray you would use an app like Adobe Encore. This will not only help you with the menus, but will create the disks direct from your Premiere project -- so it will take care of exporting in the right formats for you. That way you can master in 1080p and get the best out of both formats. You just have to worry about getting the aspect ratio right.
 
Also, typically your DVDs will NOT look as good as commercial DVDs because when they encode a commercial DVD a technician sits there and uses software to vary the bitrate sometimes literally frame by frame to to use bits where it needs them and save them when it doesn't.
 
nycineaste said:
...anybody have any tips or resources for learning about encoding/formats for the day when I have something DVD worthy? MPEG 2 is the DVD format, right? Everything I export from Vegas as MPEG 2 looks like garbage.
Click to expand...

First, the 'net is your friend: DVD spec, Blu-ray spec. Read these guides to the specs and you'll at least learn what's supported and what's not. Some surprising information there, like Blu-ray not having any 30p support.

As to burning a DVD, there's considerably more to it than you might think. That's why there are programs out there like Adobe Encore and the like to make burning a DVD easier and standards compliant. Helps with building menus, setting chapter markers (so you can pick scenes without having to fast forward through the entire video), keeping all the linkages happy, all that.

Search around. You'll find a number of DVD make/burn software packages out there.
 
If you're looking for a DVD-only authering program that isn't horrendously expensive then DVDLab Pro from Mediachance would be my go-to.

As for encoding the footage I use Sorrensen Squeeze 6, but only because it came with my MC production pack
 
gonzo_entertainment said:
Also, typically your DVDs will NOT look as good as commercial DVDs because when they encode a commercial DVD a technician sits there and uses software to vary the bitrate sometimes literally frame by frame to to use bits where it needs them and save them when it doesn't.
Click to expand...

This is called VBR, most of the encoders have this option... some commercial DVDs look better because their source material is from high-end cameras like RED or Alexa.
 
AtticusLake said:
Normally if you're making a DVD or Blu-Ray you would use an app like Adobe Encore
Click to expand...

...Unless you own Sony Vegas Pro, where "normally" you would use an app like Sony DVD Architect Pro, which is designed to build sophisticated DVD and Blu-Ray discs.

Sony Vegas Pro has many default export formats specifically designed to work with DVD Architect Pro.
 
I am struggling with generating Blu-Ray disks in Sony Vegas Pro 12..

First of all I am unclear whether I should in Vegas go to Tools\Burn Disc\Blu-Ray or do File\Render As and then try to load the file into DVD Architect Pro 6 and burn from there?

Right now, the problem seems to be that Vegas crashes consistently on any large mts (i tried a 2.5 hour mts, I then tried 1 hour mts, the software crashed on both)

I did manage to make a 15 min Blu-Ray disk and play it on a TV\Blu-Ray player.

I will try to find an export format that specifically mentions DVD Architect Pro.
 
kwkeirstead said:
the problem seems to be that Vegas crashes consistently on any large mts (i tried a 2.5 hour mts, I then tried 1 hour mts, the software crashed on both)
Click to expand...

Do you own Vegas Pro 11 or 10 ?

You might want to try rendering your MTS files in an earlier version. ( I find that Vegas 12 is very picky about the hardware it runs on )

Another thing to try is disabling the Video Card render in Vegas 12. ( another thing that can be flaky in V12 )
 
Thank you, I have Vegas Pro 12.

Sony just put out an update a day or so ago, so I am trying to run that one. I will see if I can find where to disable the "Video Card" render.
 
nycineaste said:
Sorry for the broaaaadd question, But anybody have any tips or resources for learning about encoding/formats for the day when I have something DVD worthy? MPEG 2 is the DVD format, right? Everything I export from Vegas as MPEG 2 looks like garbage. Windows Media comes out better, but clearly that's not helpful.

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...

First off... it is the bit rate that is probably greatest determinant of 'quality'... An NTSC/PAL DVD should have a bit rate for video of between 6-8Mbs. The DVD spec is higher, but most tend to be around the lower numbers.

For BD disks, the bit rate should be at least 20-25Mbs, if not greater. The Max is 54Mbs, but then most cameras that ordinary mortals use are around 20-30Mbs without hacks...

Where bit rate figures in is how much compression need be done to achieve a 'low bit rate'... Higher bit rate, usually implies less compression.

Also, MPEG4 is superior to MPEG-2, in terms of compression, bitrate, and artifacts...

I use the Adobe tools, Premiere and Encore, and have not had a problem with the resulting DVD or BD media I've created.
 
Well, you can see from the timeline that I have been at it for 13 days and counting.. I am now able to burn Blu-ray discs (bought a burner, bought a reader, bought a stack of blank discs).

I get really nice results but, sadly, no sound.

I am using recording 1080/24p, rendering in Sony Vegas 12 with option "Blu-ray 1980 x 1080-24p, 10 Mbps video stream" that yields a . avc file. The recording is about 1.5 hours.

My computing environment is Windows 7 Ultimate.

I then load the .avc into DVD Architect Pro 6 and then just click on "Make Blu-ray Disc" (not much opportunity to screw up on options here).

Curiously, in between these two steps, I tried to play the .avc file but my standard Windows Media Player does not recognize .avc (seems strange to me that it would not). I am now looking for software that can play .avc.

Seems logical that if I can play the .avc and not hear sound then I don't need to worry about that DVD Architect Pro is doing/not doing.

So, here's hoping someone can help, meanwhile I will try to generate something other than .avc but it seems to me I did that and got the same result.

I specifically remember generating a video file and then somehow an audio-only file, then using basic Windows "disc burn" capabilities and getting over a problem with ordinary DVDs where there was no sound.

Any assistance anyone can provide will be much appreciated.

Blu-ray disks are about $1, my DVD supplier gives me DVDs for 22 cents each.

Looking for a source of 100 blu-ray packs, hopefully at less than $1 each.
 
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kwkeirstead said:
... rendering in Sony Vegas 12 with option "Blu-ray 1980 x 1080-24p, 10 Mbps video stream" that yields a . avc file.
Click to expand...

Well, AVC is "Advanced Video Codec", i.e. h.264. That's a pure video codec -- so there's no way it could contain sound. That's why the option you've selected says "video stream" -- that's exactly what it is, a video (not audio) stream.

I don't know Vegas, but I think you need to look for a way to export a container format that combines video and audio, like .mp4, .mov, etc. Otherwise you need to export the audio stream and combine it with the video when mastering.

BTW I'm not surprised that Windows can't play a .avc file; it's fairly unusual to deal with "naked" AVC content.
 
With DVA 6, at least on SD DVDs which is all I currently do, I render a video file AND an audio file. I just choose the .wav template and render a wave file, then .mpg template, un-check 'include audio' and render the video.
Then just drop both in DVA. I have not tried blu-ray buy I assume you could do the same....
 
@billlysmith .. Good, I will try that.

Meanwhile, I have managed to make a few blu-ray discs from inside of Vegas 12, generating .iso files with these options.

Audio: 48,000 Hz, 16 Bit, Stereo, PCM
Video: 23.976 fps, 1920x1080 Progressive, YUV, 10 Mbps
Pixel Aspect Ratio: 1.000

I end up with both video/audio on the disc.

The results look pretty good.
 
Gary Huff said:
10Mbps is extremely low for Blu-ray. You need to be in the 20-24Mbps range.
Click to expand...

There is no reason (except space) to stop at 24Mbit.
Use as high bitrate as much space you have on the disc, just don't go above 38Mbit.

BD25-5% for muxing= 23750*8/60/(38+1.5)= 80Min (at 38Mbit) - assuming audio is 2.0 48KHz PCM (1.5Mbit)

Other way: 23750*8/60/movive lenth in minures= your average bitrate (Mbits) for audio and video

eg. 23750*8/60/90= 35Mbit- 1.5Mbit audio= 33.5 Mbit for average bitrate for 90min movie with PCM 2.0

If you do VBR use 38Mbit as max. If your average -audio bitrate is 38Mbit or more than that use CBR at 38Mbit.

For BD50 use 47000 as a starting (size) number.

Other solution- use Edius NLE which has easy to use and good DVD and BD exporter straight from timeline.

Andrew
 
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