Putting a 7.6 GB video on a DVD

[cameraz]

I'm a newbie so I hope this is the right forum.

I just edited a high-def video (1280x720) using Adobe Premiere Pro and if I save the video as an avi it becomes a 7.6 file. The video is 55 minutes long.

I ultimately want to burn the video to a DVD at the best quality possible. How do I fit this video onto a 4.7 GB DVD?

If I use SUPER to convert the video, what should I convert it to?

Thanks for your help.

[guns1inger]

Sorry, but you can't put SUPER and Quality in the same sentence unless you also include the term irony.

Export the film as a DVD compliant Mpeg-2 video and compliant audio stream. See What is DVD (top left corner) for details on the specs. At 55 minutes you can easily use a high bitrate - try 8800kbps Constant BitRate. Author these in a DVD authoring tool that will not re-encode the video - DVD Styler is one free option, as is GuiForDVDAuthor

[G)-(OST]

55 mins of video put on a DVD should fit with almost no quality loss, you are probably better to use a simple tool like DVD Flick for this, it is designed to be easy & is free

Check out the guides to the left<-----there are pleanty of guides on how & which tools to use.

[cameraz]

Export the film as a DVD compliant Mpeg-2 video and compliant audio stream. See What is DVD (top left corner) for details on the specs. At 55 minutes you can easily use a high bitrate - try 8800kbps Constant BitRate. Author these in a DVD authoring tool that will not re-encode the video - DVD Styler is one free option, as is GuiForDVDAuthor

Sorry guys,

I told you I was a newbie. This is only the second time I've ever used Premier (a big jump from Windows Movie Maker!) How do I export as a "DVD compliant Mpeg-2 video and compliant audio stream"? Do I export using Adobe Media Encoder? I did that using a small clip for practice, and there is an option to save the video as an Mpeg-2. The audio options are: 32, 44.1 and 48 kHz, and Dolby Digital, MPEG and PCM audio.

I chose Mpeg-2 and Mpeg audio at 32 kHz. After it rendered my file, it played back (on Wiindows Media Player) with a blank screen.

How do I find the bitrate setting?

Sorry to be so clueless, but everybody's got to start somewhere! Thanks.

[tomlee59]

Yes, everyone has to start somewhere, and guns1inger gave you a good suggestion that you apparently ignored. Before you go fiddling with settings, it's necessary to know what settings are acceptable to DVDs. And to obtain that knowledge, you should read "What is DVD" in the upper left corner of this page, as already suggested.

After you've gotten clear on what constitutes a DVD-compliant stream, you'll have a better idea of what to do next.

[cameraz]

Yes, everyone has to start somewhere, and guns1inger gave you a good suggestion that you apparently ignored. Before you go fiddling with settings, it's necessary to know what settings are acceptable to DVDs. And to obtain that knowledge, you should read "What is DVD" in the upper left corner of this page, as already suggested.

After you've gotten clear on what constitutes a DVD-compliant stream, you'll have a better idea of what to do next.

Sorry, but I haven't "ignored" anyone's suggestion. I did read the "What is DVD" but apparently I am more of a beginner than I thought.

After reading the material I still haven't "gotten clear" on what steps I should take to create a DVD with Premier. If my questions are above your knowledge, maybe somebody else here can help me.

I'm sure I should enroll in DVD Creation 101, but right now I just want to get this project done. Any significant help, and not just hints, would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[yoda313]

Do you have a dual layer dvd burner? I think you can just fit 7.6gb on a dual layer dvd.

THey say 8 or 8.5gb but thats marketing speak that isn't real world accurate. So I can't be sure if it will fit or not.

BUt if you do it may be worth the slightly more expensive dual layer discs. Then you don't have to convert.

Verbatim is recommended here for dual layer blanks.

If not you'll have to reconvert to fit single layer dvds. Use a bitrate calculator found in the tools section on the left of the screen.

As I'm sure its been brought to your attention reencoding will introduce some quaity loss. Its always best to do the encoding to fit your destination FIRST instead of after you've captured or created the video. That way you don't mess with the video more than you have to.

EDit - also Dvd spec is 48khz for audio not 32khz..... Also chouse dolby digital ac3 or pcm wav for the most compatible dvd you can make in a home setting. You can do mp2 audio but not every single player will accept it without a dolby digital track - Virtually all players SHOULD play it with just mp2 audio but its not guarenteed - note this is MP2 not mp3. Dvds won't work with mp3 audio - unless you only play them on a computer - it isn't dvd standard with mp3 - must be mp2, pcm wav, or dolby digital ac3 - dts can work but if its personal sources I don't know how you make dts from your own material.

[AlanHK]

I ultimately want to burn the video to a DVD at the best quality possible. How do I fit this video onto a 4.7 GB DVD?

Do you want to put a computer-playable video on a DVD (as a data file) or make a video DVD you can play on any DVD player?

Anyway, 55 minutes of video on standard DVD can easliy be done at very high quality.
But you will have to reduce the frame size to 720x480 (or 720x576 if you use PAL).

[cameraz]

I ultimately want to burn the video to a DVD at the best quality possible. How do I fit this video onto a 4.7 GB DVD?

Do you want to put a computer-playable video on a DVD (as a data file) or make a video DVD you can play on any DVD player?

Anyway, 55 minutes of video on standard DVD can easliy be done at very high quality.
But you will have to reduce the frame size to 720x480 (or 720x576 if you use PAL).

I want to create a DVD that can play on any DVD player. This DVD will be viewed on a wide-screen television. The video was taken at 1280x720. If I reduce it to 720x480, won't the quality suffer greatly?

Btw, thanks for your help.

[cameraz]

Do you have a dual layer dvd burner? I think you can just fit 7.6gb on a dual layer dvd.

THey say 8 or 8.5gb but thats marketing speak that isn't real world accurate. So I can't be sure if it will fit or not.

BUt if you do it may be worth the slightly more expensive dual layer discs. Then you don't have to convert.

Verbatim is recommended here for dual layer blanks.

If not you'll have to reconvert to fit single layer dvds. Use a bitrate calculator found in the tools section on the left of the screen.

As I'm sure its been brought to your attention reencoding will introduce some quaity loss. Its always best to do the encoding to fit your destination FIRST instead of after you've captured or created the video. That way you don't mess with the video more than you have to.

EDit - also Dvd spec is 48khz for audio not 32khz..... Also chouse dolby digital ac3 or pcm wav for the most compatible dvd you can make in a home setting. You can do mp2 audio but not every single player will accept it without a dolby digital track - Virtually all players SHOULD play it with just mp2 audio but its not guarenteed - note this is MP2 not mp3. Dvds won't work with mp3 audio - unless you only play them on a computer - it isn't dvd standard with mp3 - must be mp2, pcm wav, or dolby digital ac3 - dts can work but if its personal sources I don't know how you make dts from your own material.

Thank you very much for the info. I am getting closer to figuring out what I need to do. I would like to fit my video on a single-layer DVD, capable of being viewed on any DVD player. My first two efforts at this have failed, but I think that by the end of the day I will be able to make this happen.

Thanks again.

[AlanHK]

I want to create a DVD that can play on any DVD player. This DVD will be viewed on a wide-screen television. The video was taken at 1280x720. If I reduce it to 720x480, won't the quality suffer greatly?

That's standard DVD resolution. Same as commercial DVDs.
(You've been advised to read "What is DVD" before. It's there, very clearly.)

Unless you have a wall-sized screen, you should be satisfied.
If you want better, you'll have to get a Blueray.

[cameraz]

That's standard DVD resolution. Same as commercial DVDs.
(You've been advised to read "What is DVD" before. It's there, very clearly.)

Unless you have a wall-sized screen, you should be satisfied.
If you want better, you'll have to get a Blueray.

Great. Thanks for your help!

[yoda313]

@cameraz - you said the video is 1280x720. That is hd resolution and not standard dvd resolution. YOU MUST CONVERT this to 720x480 for it to be dvd compliant.

You do have other options available however. If you have a playstation 3 or a settop bluray player you can create a avchd dvdr. This would retain the original resolution at no quality loss. However it will not be playable on regular dvd players. But again you would be best served to use dual layer dvdrs for this at larger file sizez.

I think multiavchd can do this for you. However I have not used it. I use arcsoft total media extreme - it came with my hauppage hd pvr - to make my avchd dvdrs from m2ts files I record off my cable dvr.

As mentioned the only other option to you is to convert to 720x480 at 48khz audio to make a standard dvd that will play on any dvd player. That will introduce quality loss - no way around it. However it will be relatively minimal depending on your conversion software, expectations, and bitrate you choose.

Also a wdtv player from western digital can also play avchd m2ts files - it uses usb harddrives for playback. That would eliminate the need for discs and almost no storage restrictions - just get a larger harddrive for more files.

[cameraz]

@cameraz - you said the video is 1280x720. That is hd resolution and not standard dvd resolution. YOU MUST CONVERT this to 720x480 for it to be dvd compliant.

You do have other options available however. If you have a playstation 3 or a settop bluray player you can create a avchd dvdr. This would retain the original resolution at no quality loss. However it will not be playable on regular dvd players. But again you would be best served to use dual layer dvdrs for this at larger file sizez.

I think multiavchd can do this for you. However I have not used it. I use arcsoft total media extreme - it came with my hauppage hd pvr - to make my avchd dvdrs from m2ts files I record off my cable dvr.

As mentioned the only other option to you is to convert to 720x480 at 48khz audio to make a standard dvd that will play on any dvd player. That will introduce quality loss - no way around it. However it will be relatively minimal depending on your conversion software, expectations, and bitrate you choose.

Also a wdtv player from western digital can also play avchd m2ts files - it uses usb harddrives for playback. That would eliminate the need for discs and almost no storage restrictions - just get a larger harddrive for more files.

Thanks, Yoda! I will convert the video to 720x480 because I want it to fit on a standard DVD. By the way, I do have a WD HDTV player so I may try playing the video with that.

Thanks again.

[yoda313]

@cameraz - the wdtv player is really the best way to go. It will preserve your hd resolution and has a nice small footprint and is quite compared to some settop players - depending of course on how loud your external harddrive might be that is....

But I do understand the need to play on other players sometimes.

FYI did you know you can play the wdtv player on regular tvs? It has composite video jacks so you can connect it to just about any tv. That way it would auto downconvert the video so it can play on the tv it is hooked up to. Now it would be letterboxed (with big black bars if its a full widescreen movie 2.35:1). This might be something you should consider - you wouldn't have to convert it at all and you can still use the wdtv player. PLease be aware I haven't played my wdtv on a standard def tv yet so I don't know how good it looks (it will be high def on a standard tv - so it won't look nearly as sharp as on a hdtv that is).

[cameraz]

@cameraz - the wdtv player is really the best way to go. It will preserve your hd resolution and has a nice small footprint and is quite compared to some settop players - depending of course on how loud your external harddrive might be that is....

But I do understand the need to play on other players sometimes.

FYI did you know you can play the wdtv player on regular tvs? It has composite video jacks so you can connect it to just about any tv. That way it would auto downconvert the video so it can play on the tv it is hooked up to. Now it would be letterboxed (with big black bars if its a full widescreen movie 2.35:1). This might be something you should consider - you wouldn't have to convert it at all and you can still use the wdtv player. PLease be aware I haven't played my wdtv on a standard def tv yet so I don't know how good it looks (it will be high def on a standard tv - so it won't look nearly as sharp as on a hdtv that is).

Yes, I use a wdtv on a standard TV (36" Toshiba). Funny thing is, HD files fill up the whole screen, with no black bars on the top and bottom. I wonder if the hdtv adjusts the picture to fit. Anyway, the videos play very sharp and clean, even though it is playing though a composite hookup. Pretty neat.

[cameraz]

OK, guys, we have success ... sort of. I was able to burn a DVD of my video, and it works and plays well on my DVD players.

The only thing is that the quality is not what I expected it to be. Don't get me wrong, it's very watchable, but I just thought it would be a little better.

I used DVDflick to author the DVD, and checked off copy MPEG so that it wouldn't re-encode my video. I had rendered my video in Adobe Premiere, setting it on mpeg-2 DVD. But I couldn't find anywhere to set my bitrate. There was just a slider to set low to high quality, and I believe I had it set on the highest quality.

After I rendered the video with Premiere, I was surprised to end up with separate video and audio files. But DVDflick put the two together in perfect synchronization.

Anyway, I will do some more experimenting and see if I can end up with a higher quality DVD.

[G)-(OST]

If you got a big difference in quality from the source, then something has gone wrong with the encoding, like I said before, 55mins of video should fit on a DVD with virtually no quality loss.

Their are settings that need to be observed when reducing the video frame size.

Practice with a short clip first & when you are happy with the results, encode the whole video.

[cameraz]

If you got a big difference in quality from the source, then something has gone wrong with the encoding, like I said before, 55mins of video should fit on a DVD with virtually no quality loss.

Their are settings that need to be observed when reducing the video frame size.

Practice with a short clip first & when you are happy with the results, encode the whole video.

Will do. Thanks.

[cameraz]

Good news here. I figured out why my first DVD came out so poorly. I finally figured out how to set the bitrate, and noticed that the bitrate on my first DVD had been set to 1500! I set the bitrate to 8800 for my next DVD -- as suggested by guns1inger -- and I got a beautiful, high-quality DVD.

Something funny happened, however. When I play the DVD on my computer, using PowerDVD, it plays at 16:9 format. However, when I play the DVD on my standard TV, the picture fills up the whole screen at 4:3 -- no letterboxing!

The first DVD I burned did play letterboxed on my standard TV, so why doesn't this one? Hmmmm?

[cameraz]

The first DVD I burned did play letterboxed on my standard TV, so why doesn't this one? Hmmmm?

OK, I figured it out. There was a hidden menu item in DVDflick that I forgot to change. Video looks perfect now. I've since produced another video and it went very well.

Thanks to all of you guys for the guidance I received.