Recommended DVD bitrate?

[Sturm]

I might be opening up a huge can of worms here, but I really would like to hear a few opinions... After getting some unsatisfactory search results, I thought I'd just go ahead and ask it myself: What does everyone recommend for the best bitrate when converting a video file to a DVD-compliant format? I'm using TMPGEnc Xpress and it defaults to 9000 kbits/sec (for both max & avg). Which would be fine, were I trying to fill up the entire DVD with just one clip, but that's not my aim.

One might say that I should use whatever bitrate will fill up that disc with all the clips I plan to use. Problem is, I have a ton of clips from various CVDs that I want to convert, so I'd like to fit as many as possible on one disk without sacrificing quality.

So I guess it's best if I explain what my source clips are: CVDs, as I mentioned, so the MPEGs are 352x480 (I'm using NTSC) with audio at 224 kbits/sec (I think). They were recorded originally from a satellite feed (basically the same as cable).

I ran a test disc at 9000kbps (max & avg) for video at 720x480 and it plays wonderfully on my two DVD players. I obviously don't want to do that for all my clips, or else I'd be using the same number of DVD discs as CVD discs! So what's the scoop? Any suggestions as to how I might go about doing this, or do I need to provide some more info? Thanks!

[ZippyP.]

Your best bet is not to re-encode your CVD's as they are DVD compliant as-is. Drop them straight into TMPGEnc DVD Author, create your menus and it will resample the audio to DVD standard 48 KHz as well as author and burn your disks.

If you must re-encode then it is best to match your source files, 352x480 aka 1/2 DVD. At that resolution I will go as low as 2000 kbps if using 2-pass VBR, 3000 if CBR.

[Dr_Layne]

I wouldn't re encode the mpegs. 352x480 is a valid dvd spec for mpeg2.

[Sturm]

Unfortunately, Adobe DVD Encore will not accept them at 352x480; I've tried. It tells me that it only accepts 720x480, 720x486, and 704x480.

If I use a program like DVD Lab, which will accept them, the resulting discs won't play in my DVD players.

[DRP]

Unfortunately, Adobe DVD Encore will not accept them at 352x480; I've tried. It tells me that it only accepts 720x480, 720x486, and 704x480.

In that case I'd get rid of Adobe DVD Encore as quickly as possible. It is clearly a crap application.

If I use a program like DVD Lab

Now you're talking

which will accept them, the resulting discs won't play in my DVD players.

Bollocks. You're doing something wrong in the authoring. CVD is and has always been a perfectly valid DVD resolution as well. Some older children's cartoon retail DVDs in the shops are even in this resolution, so nobody would make a DVD player that wouldn't recognise that resolution. They'd be risking a lawsuit if the player didn't play a disc with the DVD logo on it which was purchased legally in a shop.

What make and model DVD players do you have that you think won't play CVD-spec files with 48kHz sound on DVD?

[Sturm]

In that case I'd get rid of Adobe DVD Encore as quickly as possible. It is clearly a crap application.

Actually, I rather liked its free-form menu creation (via Photoshop) as opposed to DVD-Lab's. However, I don't wish to start a debate about who's authoring tool is better. Besides, I'm going to try DVDPatcher in just a bit to see if it will let Encore DVD accept the 352x480 without the need for re-encoding the video.

If I use a program like DVD Lab, which will accept them, the resulting discs won't play in my DVD players.

Bollocks. You're doing something wrong in the authoring. CVD is and has always been a perfectly valid DVD resolution as well.

I agree. I just did some checking and discovered that 352x480 is a perfectly normal DVD resolution. So I do have to give a thumbs-down to Adobe for not allowing it in Encore DVD. Who knows? Perhaps they'll fix this oversight in version 2.0... Time will tell.

What make and model DVD players do you have that you think won't play CVD-spec files with 48kHz sound on DVD?

The standalone player I have is a Panasonic DVD-S27 and the combo player is an Apex ADV-3800.

I do have some news to report now, though: I did another test just now using DVD-Lab and discovered that the Panasonic will not, in fact, play DVD-RWs. I never did test it with a DVD-R, so I assumed (wrongly) that it wouldn't work right. It does. Strangely, when I try to play the very same DVD-RW in my computer, I get some very odd results. Pixellated screen, colors all wrong, etc. Sound is fine, though. Very odd.

I just bought the Apex two days ago--works like a charm, so far. Plays both DVD-RW and DVD-R versions of the DVD-Lab burn using half-D1.

So, the bottom line: I assumed some things incorrectly. DVD-Lab works just fine without the need to use TMPGEnc Xpress to re-encode the video to 720x480. I will now try out the DVDPatcher tool to see if it will let me use my videos with Adobe Encore DVD. If not, DVD-Lab will be my authoring tool from now on. Later!