Squeeze Mode on DBX100B

M

mcguffin

New member
At the bottom of pg. 23 of Barry Green's "The DVX Book", he says to author a DVD as a 16:9-enhanced anamorphic DVD. This will apparently allow a DVD to reformat for either a 4x3 TV (as letterbox) or a 16x9 screen (as full screen 16x9. I edit on a Mac with Final Cut Express (and burn either through "Toast" or IDVD) neither of which show an option for "16x9-enhanced anamorphic DVD. Has anyone else had experience burning a "dual compatible DVD" when using "Squeeze mode".

Also, while I know there can be a 25% loss in resolution with squeeze mode, the .mov file I exported from FCE was of an unbelievably low resolution quality. Any tips for making a great DVD when using Squeeze Mode and editng on Final Cut Pro or Express?

Thanks for your thoughts.
 
Don't know what options for export FCE offers you, but FCP yields great results either exporting thru Compressor (using best quality DVD multi-pass VBR) or exporting as quicktime file. If your original footage and edited version looked great, then the problem would have been in how you encoded the file. Making a .mov file and exporting for DVD are two different things, so I'm not sure exactly what you mean. I assume your .mov file when played back on your computer looked poor. If so, maybe you were seeing an interlaced video displayed on your progressive computer monitor, which would show jaggy lines. Or perhaps, your exported file was so large and wouldn't run smooth on an underpowered computer.

Please supply more specifics of what recording format you shot, how you exported and what exactly your result was on screen and maybe I can offer better assistance.
 
Could this be the lines im seeing im my footage during playback... I captures 60i on both our DVX100a's and captured using the DV NTSC anamorphic working in a 29.97 timeline, i got the best export quality using quicktime conversion, current settings, but both in FCP and during the .mov playback i see vertical lines...

Thanks
 
bfsound said:
Could this be the lines im seeing im my footage during playback... I captures 60i on both our DVX100a's and captured using the DV NTSC anamorphic working in a 29.97 timeline, i got the best export quality using quicktime conversion, current settings, but both in FCP and during the .mov playback i see vertical lines...
Click to expand...

Am I correct in understanding that you shot 60i (progressive "off") in squeeze mode? That would be your problem right there. 60i and squeeze do not play nice together. Only use squeeze for progressive material on the DVX.
 
Oh yea duh i forgot you had mentioned that they dont play well together.... Sorry im fairly forgetful sometimes.

Thanks
 
I think DGW answered it for the FCP/E ppl and Toast is an awesome program!

But if anyone is wondering about best quality for Vegas/Windows this is ONE way I have achieved top quality. I prefer to render to .avi container (uncompressed) and then burn to DVD (.vob) using the program ConvertXtoDVD (http://www.vso-software.fr/products/convert_x_to_dvd/)
 
Thanks a bunch for the input!

DGW said:
Making a .mov file and exporting for DVD are two different things, so I'm not sure exactly what you mean. I assume your .mov file when played back on your computer looked poor. If so, maybe you were seeing an interlaced video displayed on your progressive computer monitor, which would show jaggy lines. Or perhaps, your exported file was so large and wouldn't run smooth on an underpowered computer.

Please supply more specifics of what recording format you shot, how you exported and what exactly your result was on screen and maybe I can offer better assistance.
Click to expand...

Yes, however I tried to view the file after editing, whether as a .mov or on a DVD, the image was pixelated with a slight blur to it. At times I feel like I'm watching something recorded on an outdated drugstore camcorder. The file size isn't obscenely large, either.

I usually shoot 24p or 60i letterbox, and export just as a quicktime or a quicktime conversion (changing only the quality settings when I do the latter). I also notice some pixelization when the footage is in my timeline on the canvas, but it's very slight, and the original footage looks clean and beautiful.
 
mcguffin said:
... I tried to view the file after editing, whether as a .mov or on a DVD, the image was pixelated with a slight blur to it. At times I feel like I'm watching something recorded on an outdated drugstore camcorder. The file size isn't obscenely large, either.

I usually shoot 24p or 60i letterbox, and export just as a quicktime or a quicktime conversion (changing only the quality settings when I do the latter). I also notice some pixelization when the footage is in my timeline on the canvas, but it's very slight, and the original footage looks clean and beautiful.
Click to expand...

When you export from FCE, use current settings and export a self-contained FCP movie. FCE doesn't have the most graceful compression on output (neither does FCP, to be honest). Use another program outside of FCE to compress the files for DVD.

Two other things to remember: 1) watching your video using QuickTime Player is going to make it look awful, so don't trust what you see there as representative of your actual media; and 2) iDVD has some of the worst compression for DVD and will destroy your video, making it look soft and washing the colors out.
 
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