Output to DVD vs. MiniDV

[inhaler70]

So…. Is there any reason why the output of my FCP project to DVD (using iDVD) looks crappier (and by that I mean, muddier and just not as crisp) than it does when I output it to a miniDV tape? Is there some sort of compression setting I’m missing?

My workflow in FCP is this:

File > Export > Quicktime (using the current settings – which should be NTSC DV) and the “Make Movie Self Contained” checkbox is not checked.

Then I save and use that Quicktime file to make a DVD in iDVD.

Is it the compression and encoding in iDVD? Am I doing something wrong? Should I use another program to burn the DVDs, like Toast?

Dang! I’d sure be appreciative if anyone had and pointers or tips or advice…

 

[inhaler70]

re: Output to DVD vs. MiniDV (ANSWER)

re: Output to DVD vs. MiniDV (ANSWER)

So…. Is there any reason why the output of my FCP project to DVD (using iDVD) looks crappier (and by that I mean, muddier and just not as crisp) than it does when I output it to a miniDV tape? Is there some sort of compression setting I’m missing?

My workflow in FCP is this:

File > Export > Quicktime (using the current settings – which should be NTSC DV) and the “Make Movie Self Contained” checkbox is not checked.

Then I save and use that Quicktime file to make a DVD in iDVD.

Is it the compression and encoding in iDVD? Am I doing something wrong? Should I use another program to burn the DVDs, like Toast?

Dang! I’d sure be appreciative if anyone had and pointers or tips or advice…

I had posted this question to another forum and gotten an answer, so I thought I might share it here... (thanks to C2V at the 2-Pop forums).

"It's the compression algorithms is iDVD, which are pretty lousy. Unfortunately, iDVD doesn't give you control over the compression, so you're stuck with what it thinks is best. You could use Toast, but you'd still have to get a compression tool to do the MPEG-2 encoding. Compressor works very well.

The best option is DVD Studio Pro (comes with Compressor). That way, you have control over the compression, and the algorithms are much cleaner. Oh, and you can make your own menus from scratch and not have to rely on iDVD's cheesy templates.

Good luck!
C2V"

 

[tigeba]

You should be exporting your timeline to compressor directly from FCP as opposed to exporting a QT file in DV format if you want the best results.

If you export to compressor from FCP the general flow is

Uncompress DV -> Apply Filters, etc -> Compress to mpeg2.


If you use an intermediate file it is:

Uncompress DV -> Apply filters -> Write DV ->Uncompress DV -> Compress to mpeg2.

This is my understanding of the benefit of the compressor integration in FCP. It definately takes longer this way, as it has to re-render all the footage.