Help with Putting 2 hours on DVD using Video Studio 9

[jcikal]

I'm using Ulead Systems' Video Studio 9, and can't seem to be able to put 2 hours of video to fit on a DVD for some reason. The most I've been able to fit is around an hour and a half (97 minutes to be exact). I first capture the video from my Camcorder (Mini DV), then encode to MPEG2, using 80% Video Quality Compression, and 6,000 Bitrate, and for some reason once the video's finished, it tells me that it cannot fit on a DVD and must re-convert to 5,000 Bitrate.

But when I then encoded another video at the 5,000 bitrate, it only can fit 90 minutes. What am I doing wrong here?

[Baldrick]

If you use pcm/wav audio you can only fit around 90 minutes using 5000kbits.

Lower the bitrate if you want to fit more minutes/dvd. Or use compressed ac3 audio or mpa/mp2 audio, pcm/wav is 1536kbits and compressed audio around 192-224 kbits.

Use a bitrate calculator to calculate the bitrate and set it manually, www.videohelp.com/calc

Or use dual layer media.

[guns1inger]

I don't know the software, but anything that bases it's encoding decisions on a quality % makes me suspicious.

The only way to do this is with a bitrate calculator. Determine what bitrate you require to fill (or squeeze) a given running time into a given space. Use this number when encoding. Assuming, for the moment, that VS9 allows you the freedom to enter a bitrate, override it's pointless, imaginary quality based numbers with something derive via maths and science, and you will get it to fit.

There are many bitrate calculators around. This site provides a hand, online version here. https://www.videohelp.com/calc.htm

According to it, with a single 224kbps audio track, you have an average bitrate of 4853kbps to encode your video with.

Of course, it you use something silly like LPCM audio, you wont get 2 hours on without it looking like crap.

What audio format are you uaing ?

[jcikal]

I'm using the LPCM audio, so that may be the reason. Problem is that LPCM is the default audio when capturing the video. What audio do you recommend I use? and how does it compare in quality to WAV/PCM audio? Thanks.

[guns1inger]

Anything else compressed to some degree, however unless you are starting with professionally recorded, studio grade source, you won't notice. I would suggest 2 channel AC3 at 224kbps for stereo source.