How to standardize final DVD-R to avoid compatibility probs

[Sonat99]

Hello everyone

I am doing freelance editing from home. Home videos my major market. My DVD output settings for my clients are; 720*576, PAL, CBR 6000 kbs, Field B, Audio 48000KHz 224 K.Capturing direct with Snazzi DV.AVIO in mpeg-2 format and burning with Pioneer DVR A104. (always with the slowest speed to avoid compatibility problems)

I edit in Ulead Video Studio7, depending on the inquiry I author either with Ulead DVD movie factory or Ulead DVD workshop. I have had 2 clients so far (I am very new in this) and both of these clients had compatibility problems with my productions (Set top players Sony and Pioneer models). Usually with DVD videos more than 40 mins video after a while gets blocky and freezes. I have made my productions all CBR to avoid these kinds of problems but I am still getting compatibility issues.

I was wondering if anyone out there has a studio or doing editing in the more professional scale and have standardized the process in such a way that, the compatibility issues with DVD players are at minimum. I use generic DVD-Rs which could be a problem but I have had problems with big name DVD-Rs as well. My latest customer has Sony DAV S500 player and the video freezes after 40 mins. In the dvd player list here it says it is compatible with DVD-R but there so many additional factors in producuing the final output. bitrate issue, brand issues..etc..


Thank you very much already, this is so important for me as it is affecting my business direct.

Sonat

[frankb]

Hi,

You do not mention whether you use a separate program to burn the DVDs.

I use Nero 5.5.n.n (latest 5.5 update). I read a neat trick in one of the forums on this site. Instead of burning a DVD, you chose to burn a UDF/ISO disk. As a format you choose UDF 1.02 (in one of the tabs). (Nero is on my other computer which my son is using, so I cannot check the exact steps and locations right now).

This sorted out some player compatibility issues for me.

Hope this helps.

Frank

[Sonat99]

Hi
thank you for your reply. I am using the built-in burning software from Ulead. and plus DVD workshop and Movie factory are authoring programs. How did you create the UDF 1.02 format?

[curryman]

You do not mention whether you use a separate program to burn the DVDs

Both Moviefactory & Workshop give the option to burn after authoring, so i'm guessing this is your route.
Like you mentioned, there are a lot of problems facing someone like yourself trying to make h/v for other people.(been there)
Not such a problem at home - buy a player, find a disc that works perfectly, and buy a whole bunch of them - problem solved.
You mentioned that you capture directly to mpeg. I have never tried this, I allways capture AVI(Firewire or Analogue) and convert to mpeg(Tsunami) and have done a few discs for someone with the same sony model you mentioned without any glitches and sony players are very very fussy in my experience.
As for the Pioneer, they are pretty good with dvd-/+r aswell as cd-r/rw so i'm guessing on two things here.
1. Change the make of Disc your using.
2. Don't know much about capturing directly to mpeg except it was developed for final output not editing, so if you have the option try capturing to avi then converting.
3. Don't label the discs - I know they look pretty but you are asking for trouble.
Good Luck.