HDTV to DVD

[shadowburner]

I have a HDTV quality movie of a show from the discovery HDTV channel saved as a avi on my hard drive. When viewed on my computer monitor, the image quality is great!!!

The file size is only around 2.7MB enough to fit onto dvd
1. Is there a way to do this and if so what program(s) would I need and how do you do it?
2. If viewed on a HDTV television via DVD would the quality be as good?
Please help.

[Nelson37]

How and with what hardware/software did you capture the HDTV? What sort of connection to cable/satellite?

You need to encode the AVI to a DVD compliant resolution, 720x480 would be the obvious choice depending on the resolution of the AVI. TMPGENC is a good choice for an encoder and inexpensive. I use Vdub to strip the WAV audio, Besweet to encode to AC-3, TMPGENC to remux the enocded video and AC-3, then MyDVD or DVDlab to author and burn.

[shadowburner]

I have no Idea how it was captured, I downloaded from newsgroups

[shadowburner]

So you are saying that my image quality would be worse than 1080i, which is the quality of HDTV?

[Nelson37]

HDTV can be 480p, 720p, 720i, or 1080i. The best res on DVD is 720x480p. Yes, this will downgrade the quality somewhat but unless you have a Blu-Ray player there is nothing better available. Using a hi-res source should yield a good quality encode, however.

[shadowburner]

WOW, that Blu-Ray player looks pretty cool, but the price is a big turn off!!
Virtual dub error "Could not locate decompressor format for "WMV3" unknown"

[Baldrick]

If you downloaded it why are you posting in the capturing forum? I'm moving your topic.

[mmasw]

First of all, I'm assuming you meant 2.7GB rather then 2.7MB.

When you say an HDTV "movie" of 2.7GB, then you are almost certainly in possesion of a movie that has been compressed....perhaps by quite a bit. It may have originated from an HDTV source, but it is no longer HDTV Compliant in any fashion.

You also mentioned the dreaded WMV word. That may mean that you actually don't have an AVI file but rather a MS frankenstein/we control the world/pay me now Codec.

Converting WMV to DVD is a process that requires an essential non-pc accessory.....I recommend single-malt scotch.

In other words, it can be a laborious, frustrating process, especially when the final product ends up with the audio out of sync.

If it is WMV, you may be able to accomplish it with TMPGEnc, if you have updated DirectX and all the plug-ins. You can also use an app like EO Video to convert WMV to AVI, and then convert the AVI to MPG-2.

It can be done....I have done it; however, you may in the end, be disappointed with the video quality. What looks "great" on your pc may not look good on your tv....especially after converting a compressed file "upwards".

If you enjoy a challenge, this process may be for you, but if you just want the movie, you may be better off trying to find the dvd on the net....it may cost a little money, but then so does single-malt scotch.

[shadowburner]

I still think it is in true HD format, it is a 47minute documentary about preying mantis's that came from Discovery Channel HD and it is 2.7GB

[alenhard]

47 minutes, 2.7gb= not HDTV IMO

YOu still haven't said anything about how it was captured or what the file's properties reveal about the resolution, etc.

[BJ_M]

Discovery Channel HD is @ 19.7 meg bit rate t.s mpeg2 stream (vs. dvd @ a max of around 9) ...

47 minutes - is doubtfull its still in HD mpeg2 format ... though it could be WMV HD or some other mpeg4 type codec ...

[shadowburner]

Why all the doubt that I have a real HD show on my hard drive? it is WMV HD. And really, who cares? I have now sucessfully burned it to DVD cutting the quality in Half and am getting ready to delete it.

[shadowburner]

If you want the file yourself, let me know and I will tell you where to get it
mail shadowofyou@yahoo.com

[Anonymous65]

We run our 1080i HDTV channel at about 8-10 Mb/sec, not much higher than standard DVD bit rates. The other half of the standard 19 Mb/sec channel stream is used for 3 SDTV channels...
If the HD video clip is compressed with Windows Media encoder, you can get down to a 3-4 Mb/sec stream, no problem.

[BJ_M]

no wonder most broadcast HD looks like crap to me .... and lately many many of the SD channels are starting to all look like VCD's with blocks all over the place (and notice many channels getting really dark also) ..

1080i accually requires a min. of around 26meg bit rate (ideally around 40-50) to have no noticable artifacts for 29.97fps source ...
compression for IMX is around 110-118meg for lossless compression to give an comparison (also mpeg2 but no B frames)

[bugster]

compression for IMX is around 110-118meg for lossless compression to give an comparison (also mpeg2 but no B frames)

And what is IMX?

[BJ_M]

compression for IMX is around 110-118meg for lossless compression to give an comparison (also mpeg2 but no B frames)

And what is IMX?

Sony IMX (D10) and the MXF File Format , in-between d-beta and beta sp (quality of d-beta at the price of beta sp) .
The IMX format is at studio profile MPEG-2 4:2:2 Profile @ ML, which is I frame (only), 8-bit intra-frame compressed component digital at 50Mbps (designated the SMPTE D-10 format) Or with the HD upconvertor board - supports HD formats also (at the higher bitrate - as in hdcam)...

[bugster]

compression for IMX is around 110-118meg for lossless compression to give an comparison (also mpeg2 but no B frames)

And what is IMX?

Sony IMX (D10) and the MXF File Format , in-between d-beta and beta sp (quality of d-beta at the price of beta sp) .
The IMX format is at studio profile MPEG-2 4:2:2 Profile @ ML, which is I frame (only), 8-bit intra-frame compressed component digital at 50Mbps (designated the SMPTE D-10 format) Or with the HD upconvertor board - supports HD formats also (at the higher bitrate - as in hdcam)...

Do you ever wish you had never asked

Right over my head but thanks anyway

A broadcast quality camera/recording system using some form of mpeg by any chance?

[FT Shark]

It is true; you can never put HD video on a standard DVD.

1. Highest resolution is 480p, not 720p or 1080i
2. HD bit rates a many times higher that DVD bit rates and will never fit on a standard DVD disk.

You may have a captured HD source but you must convert it down to DVD standards in order to view it on you DVD player. Once you do that it will never look the same again.

[BJ_M]

It is true; you can never put HD video on a standard DVD.

1. Highest resolution is 480p, not 720p or 1080i
2. HD bit rates a many times higher that DVD bit rates and will never fit on a standard DVD disk.

You may have a captured HD source but you must convert it down to DVD standards in order to view it on you DVD player. Once you do that it will never look the same again.

well you can accually put hd compressed material on a dvd, in mpeg2 and also wmv format , and play it on your pc ........

also -- in about a month or two --- stand alone dvd players (bravo D3 for one) will be sold that can output this HD material via the DVI output to a HDTV ...

also -- right now you can buy a samsung 931 (and a few other players) that output HD via DVI (but its upconverted -- but it looks mighty good - i got 2 of these players now untill the true hdtv players are out soon)

[Baldrick]

i think ft shark meant standard dvd-video.

[dcsos]

I'm new to HI-DIF
isn't there a flag that prevents hard drive recording?..
OK not recording, but copying that recorded file is impossible due to DIGITAL RIGHTS MANAGEMENT.....(NO?)
also Windows has released EIGHTEEN HI-DEF titles on DVD
http://www.wmvhd.com/
these of course will only play in a computer..and are bundled with a standard DVD also..Microsoft reccomends a 3 gig dual processor system with a minimum of 512mb ram and a AGP 8X card with 64mb ram (min) to play back without stutter. I can tell you a 4x agp card will not do as the titles look for AGP 8X.

Most of this stuff on NEWSGROUPS is WMV of standard def version of a HI-DEF broadcast, but some exceed STANDARD resolution and I wanna know how that can be recorded.
Also doesn't the HI_DEF CABLE sysytem in anyones home area cut down the data rate mercilessly on such fare, preferring a higher bandwith only during PRIME TIME?

[alenhard]

@ FT SHARK:

I'm confused now- do you mean that 480p is a higher resolution than 720p or 1080i? I thought it was the other way around...

[bugster]

@ FT SHARK:

I'm confused now- do you mean that 480p is a higher resolution than 720p or 1080i? I thought it was the other way around...

It is the other way round. But 480p is the highets resolution supported by DVD-Video.

720p or 1080i are HDTV and not supported by standard DVD-Video.

[alenhard]

Thanks for the clarification.

[FT Shark]

Sorry about the confusion. Bugster said it the way I ment to say it. 480p is the highest a standard DVD player will allow. They won't allow 720p or 1080i. Also, Baldrick was right I ment Standard DVD-Video that is playabel on todays DVD players.