Export settings for DVD

A

accentphotography

Active member
I have been searching the forum but evidently I have not used the correct wording so I apologize if it is here and I cannot find it.


I need to export 1.5 to 1.9 hour videos to DVD from FCP to DVD SP and I am so confused as I am never satisfied with the results.

Normally I go to FCP 4.5 and expert and export as a MPEG 2 with 2 pass. Any step by step instructions out there? Is MPEG 2 the best for going to Studio Pro 2? Thank you.
 
MPEG2 is the ONLY codec you can use for a DVD (well besides MPEG1 yuck).

Are you going to MPEG2 using QT Conversion? Export a self-contained movie at your current sequence settings a bring that into Compressor. Then use one of the DVD presets.
 
While you can just export the timeline in the native format & have DVD Studio Pro encode it, I personally have run into more problems w/ the DVD Studio encoding than anywhere else in that program. If you have compressor, it should do a much nicer job than FCP of DVD SP. There should be a few presets in Compressor for DVD, find the one that looks best for your project, set, leave for a few hours & and hope for the best!
 
I definately took a break and now the video is finished and ready to render to a MPEG2.

The run time is only 52 minutes which is probably the shortest video I will ever do.

The settings were (imported as anamorphic video from the DVX100b stretch):

Export>Using Quicktime Conversion

Under Video:

Video System: NTSC
Drop Frame (unchecked)
Start Timecode 00:00:00:00
Aspect Ration: 16:9
Field Order: Auto
Export Audio is checked
Create Log File is not checked
Write Parsing Info is checked

Under Quality:

Encoding: Two Pass VBR
Target Bitrate: 5.0 Mbps
Max Bitrate: 7.0 Mbps
Motion Estimation: Best

Final Information:

Estimated File Size 2.4 GB
Source Size: 720 x 480
Target Size: 720x480

So is that it? Are there any better settings? Should I have done a unsharp or sharpening on the video? How about the FCP DeInterlace filter? This video makes the DVX100b look like a $200.00 Sony.

Thanks!
 
As I am looking for more sharpness I have decided to try to use what I have and make an experiment to see which 52 minuted DVD looks best. I had been told that the original Mbps should not exceed 6 Mbps as some older DVD players have a time reading that rate and I also realized that when making a 2 hour DVD, I need the Mbps to be between 4-5 Mbps.

I made a normal DVD with no interlace or unsharp mask and burned it with DVD Studio Pro. Now I have rendered the same movie with DeInterlacing and I am exporting it now to make a DVD of that and then I will add a unsharp mask of 1.50, 1.0 and 0 to see what that does.

Is there a good and affordable deinterlacing program anyone can recommend? How about a good program to make the video look sharper?

Thanks!
 
David, can you give me an idea of settings? I am guessing buttons. I did end up using the same movie with DeInterlacing and I am exporting it now to make a DVD of that and then I will add a unsharp mask of 1.50, 1.0 and 0. I compared a normal, deinterlaced and a deinterlaced/unsharp mask and the last one was the pick of the litter. I am still not happy. I viewed it on a normal high end Sony 32" thru the S-video connector and was not happy then I went to my projector and upscaled it to 720p with it and it looked nicer. I am still waiting for that "Star Wars" impact it just ain't there.
 
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