AVCHD (1080i) to DVD

[rogerpb]

In advanced thanks for those that can help me.

I have to deliver to the client a Bluray and a DVD for the same wedding that was captured in 1080i AVCHD.

For the Bluray - so far so good using Adobe CS6 (Premiere and Encore). Nice quality

The problem is the downscaling from BD to DVD. The image in DVD is really bad!

What is the best configuration for CS6 to reach the best DVD quality? (I mean, the export settings for mpeg-dvd).
Is there any other software that can deliver better quality during the downscaling?
Is it possible to use DVD dual layer to improve the quality?
Should I use any other file format - instead mpeg2-dvd?


Thank you very much and sorry if this post had been discussed before (I am getting dizzy after try to get this information in the internet),
Roger

[Kerry56]

You can try AVStoDVD. It can output a full dvd, or as mpeg2 files or as separate streams if you want to author the video and make menus in something else. AVStoDVD does have some menu options, but I don't know if they would fit your requirements.

This program uses a very well respected mpeg2 encoder called HCenc. I've used this encoder in both AVStoDVD and BD Rebuilder to make dvds from blu ray sources with excellent results.

A double layer sized dvd should improve the picture quality considerably. But if you make a double layer dvd, make certain to burn using Verbatim brand +R DL dvds.

[poisondeathray]

...that was captured in 1080i AVCHD

The problem is the downscaling from BD to DVD. The image in DVD is really bad!

Presumably the BD was 1080i as well. You should start from the original project and assets, not the BD

Interlaced scaling is a known problem in premiere and many NLE's
e.g
http://www.precomposed.com/blog/2009/07/hd-to-sd-dvd-best-methods/

Many people use other methods to scale eg. avisynth, hd2sd script is a popular one on the Adobe forums (there are other methods and scripts as well, and hd2sd has multiple settings you can configure)

e.g. hd2sd tutorial
http://bellunevideo.com/tutdetail.php?tutid=12

Is it possible to use DVD dual layer to improve the quality?

It will not improve the scaling issues, but will allow you to use higher bitrates (less quality loss), thus better quality

[rogerpb]

Thanks,

but do you think the tutorials and scripts are up to date, since Adobe release the new CS6 with a better (?) render quality?

[poisondeathray]

Thanks,

but do you think the tutorials and scripts are up to date, since Adobe release the new CS6 with a better (?) render quality?

IMO, the render quality and MPEG2 encoding quality was never a problem . And there is no problem with progressive scaling (e.g. 1080p23.976 to 480p23.976 DVD with pulldown)

99% of the problem was from interlaced scaling algorithm used - and it still is a problem in CS6 . It doesn't matter what settings you use (MRQ, or GPU or not), quality is still very poor compared to other methods

[rogerpb]

Nice mate!

Tomorrow I will use those scripts.

Many thanks!
Roger

[rogerpb]

My Premiere CS6 does not recognize the FRAMESERVER plugin. It is not in the export-settings-format-list.

I have tryed to install the plugin in several folders and run all the thing as administrator (just in case).

Any gess??

Thank you againg
Roger

[poisondeathray]

Not sure, some people that can't get it to work use advanced frameserver instead; you can give that a try
http://sourceforge.net/projects/advancedfs/

Another option is to use a temporary lossless intermediate - this is typically what I do . e.g. ut video codec . The reason I prefer this way is it's faster if you have multiple effects, or need multiple output formats e.g. DVD + blu ray + web, or you use multipass renders for DVD (higher quality). You render 1 "master" and from that you use multiple scripts to resize to different formats

[rogerpb]

Poinson, the Bellu video tutorial teaches to keep the 1080i interlaced when downscaling to 480i. So, he uses only the features avaliable in the Premiere Pro in order to do that (no adicional plugin or other software). Actualy he uses other programs when downscaling from 720p - progressive.
Anyway I have set the GOP and BITRATES as he shows in the video.
I wander if if have any other suggestion, because the results still below the VHS quality.
I am sure that I will have problems with the cliente if I give her a DVD like that quality (even if my Bluray is very good).

Many thanks again,
Rog.

[jman98]

I have seen examples of downsizing from 1080i to 720p and 480p that looked fine. Maybe Adobe just can't do this very well. I'd do it under AviSynth, but that would be a workflow outside of your Adobe tools.

What did that tutorial say to use as GOP and bitrate? Approximately how long is your video? And where do you live? Going to 480 is stupid if you don't live in an NTSC country.

[rogerpb]

Jman, thanks for your help.

My video has around 60 minutes.
I live in a PAL country, but all the systems are capable to handle NTSC nowadays, including the cliente TV and DVD.
Attached, my configuration. Please, fell free to coment it.
I will try to use the AviSynth.

Thanks,
Rog.

[poisondeathray]

Poinson, the Bellu video tutorial teaches to keep the 1080i interlaced when downscaling to 480i. So, he uses only the features avaliable in the Premiere Pro in order to do that (no adicional plugin or other software). Actualy he uses other programs when downscaling from 720p - progressive.
Anyway I have set the GOP and BITRATES as he shows in the video.
I wander if if have any other suggestion, because the results still below the VHS quality.
I am sure that I will have problems with the cliente if I give her a DVD like that quality (even if my Bluray is very good).

Many thanks again,
Rog.

I actually haven't look at the tutorial closely. I just use avisynth, like everyone recommends (even on the Adobe forum)

hd2sd is just one way of doing it through avisynth (there are others); besides doing a better resize than Adobe, it also changes the colormatrix to SD (so colors will look correct on DVD) . It's slightly easier for people new to avisynth

I know from lots of experience, that interlaced resizing is terrible in Adobe (I've posted comparisons before if you search, and many other people have too...) . It doesn't matter what encoder or settings you use when the damage is already done before it's even encoded!

For encoding settings, you have room to increase the bitrate . You can use a DVD bitrate calculator, but going to 9Mb/s will still fit on DVD9 . But some people don't recommend going that high, because some cheap DVD players and very old models might have stuttering issues (I don't think it's a problems, and is still within DVD specs)



Specifically, what is wrong with the results ? It is possible for interlaced DVD that the resize is TOO SHARP - this results in line twittering . Often you need to low pass or filter some segments that are prone to this

[poisondeathray]

Also,

Since you're in a PAL 50Hz region, I assume your source was 1080i50 ? (also called 1080i25, same thing, just different naming conventions) . Your sequence settings in the screenshot say otherwise. Can you clarify what the source material is ?

Besides the other problems , the problem with using those settings to make NTSC DVD the default is frame blend "on", so it will be field blended (blurry) to make up the extra fields to 720x480i59.94 (also called 720x480i29.97, same thing, just naming conventions) . But if you have frame blend "off" it will duplicate fields (stuttery playback). Eitherway it's bad.

There are other ways to do this conversion instead of blending or repeating fields, but unless the client wants NTSC DVD or it's for world wide distribution, I would just use PAL DVD settings , 720x576i50 (also called 720x576i25)