truth or myth: 9000 kbps is maximum for dvd players?

[kb1985]

Is that true that DVD players have problems with playing home made dvd's with max vbr higher than 9000 kbps? I wanted to make videos with even 9400 kbps but if that might be a problem for dvd players... is it true? MAybe the problem is only with the old ones?

[GeorgeW]

For burned dvd's, I'd say if your bitrate (video+audio tracks combined) exceeds 9mbps, you run the risk of dvd players "stutter" and "skip" during playback.

If your dvd is for your own personal use, then you can go as high as you like (up to 10.08mbps compliance) as long as your dvd player can handle the high bitrate burned by your dvd burner. But I wouldn't count on the same dvd being able to play on everyone elses dvd player (like family and/or friends).

If your target is a wider audience, then it would be wise to stay around the 7mbps range for a more universal compatibility.

If you plan to Replicate, then that's a different story...

ymmv

[guns1inger]

The problem is with the cheaper ones. The spec says 10.08, but that is for pressed disks. If your player can't handle pressed disks at that rate, then it is not compliant. I don't believe the spec actually has a maximum bitrate set for recordable media, hence the variations. If it is for home use, and you have a good brand player, bush as high as you can within spec. I know that my Pioneer will handle full bitrate recordable disks, so I am not so concerned.

Remember though, you can only an hour or so at full bitrate on a single layer disk. As much of what I do is longer than that, the issue doesn't come up often.

The other problem is that many encoders spike from time to time. The closer you are to the threshhold, the more likely it is that a spike will exceed it.

[daamon]

The other thing to consider is the scale of diminishing returns with regards to increased bitrate vs. gain in quality.

It's generally the case that any increase in bitrate above around 8,000 yields smaller and decreasing returns in terms of quality. I'm being intentionally vague coz video's not an exact science - it depends on the quality of your source footage.

In short, you're unlikely to notice any difference between 9,000 and 9,400 - probably won't even notice any difference between 8,000 and 9,000.

If it's playing on HDTV, then maybe you will. I don't know, I'm not lucky enough to own an HDTV.

Just my thoughts...