High quality dvd

[artistiam]

Can someone post the simple steps into getting a high quality version of a dvd from final cut pro hd.

I want to use dvd studio pro but the directions don't even help I want to put of a video (don't care how the menu looks) out to dvd at the highest quality.

Someone help.

 

[PaPa]

im curious about this as well.

it seems as though when i burn to dvd, my wide shots always look very artifact full, and i dont know how ot avoid this. especially around borders and such, edges, lines.

white T shirts seem to have these dark artifacts around their borders.

 

[Drew Ott]

I don't know either. At highest quality settings I still get a lot of compression around the areas where nothing is going on. It's like the encoder realizes nothing is going on there and tries to save resources by giving me a big gray square instead of shadow detail.

 

[nmh]

Can someone post the simple steps into getting a high quality version of a dvd from final cut pro hd.

I want to use dvd studio pro but the directions don't even help I want to put of a video (don't care how the menu looks) out to dvd at the highest quality.

Someone help.

Just to cover a few basics:
Are you using compressor? If so, what preset(s)?
Have you added compression markers near where you see the artifacts?
Have you encoded/exported/viewed on a DVD player?
I recall there being limits on the bitrate for DVD video streams - what bitrates do you have now?

EDIT:
rereading the OP's question, it seems to be asking how to do it, and not about problems encountered.

If you have ilife, idvd is supposed to be easy.
If you want to use DVDSP, you can use a template, or make your own menus. I have not tried the templates, they are probably easier and you probably want to use those (or even idvd). If you want to make your own, it is straightforward enough. What I list below is covered (variously) by the training DVD that was included with the install media for me.

If you just want the video to play, you might consider: http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/first_play_warmouth.html

Steps:
Before DVDSP:
edit in final cut
add chapter markers (in final cut)
export - eg. to quicktime reference movie
compress - compressor, use DVD presets for video and audio streams (separately)
create a screen resolution tiff (eg. 720x480 for SD) with the text "Play Video" near the center.

Using DVDSP:
open DVDSP.
use the "advanced interface" (F3, or Window->Configurations->Advanced).
import assests: video file, audio file, image file (tiff).
They are now listed in the assets tab (lower left pane)
NOTE: upper left pane should have a few items in the "Graphical" tab visible: "Menu 1", "Track 1"
Select "Menu 1".
drag the image file (lower left pane) to the big pane in the middle (don't release), a menu will pop up, choose "Set Background".
The image will appear.
do the same, choose "Set Overlay".
Click on the image.
Click and drag to draw out a box surrounding the text (the text should change appearance).
The lower right pane will have details for the button you created.
Use the drop menu to change the target to "Track 1".
Drag the video track (lower left pane) onto the icon for "Track 1" in the upper left pane
Drag the audio track onto that same icon.
If I remembered all this correctly, you should be able to simulate the disk now.
File->Simulate Disk
See if the video plays, if it does you can use File->Burn to write it to a DVD and then test that.