dvd capture/author quality not so good

[unstuck2]

Hi All,
I'm not sure if the problem is in the capture, or the authoring, so I'll post here.
After a lot of frustrations and some good help here, I finally have my DV capture/burning working as follows:

DV camcorder connected to PC through firewire.
capture using Nero Vision Express
edit using either NVE or InterVideo WinProducer
Burn using NVE

I finally got the disk playing back on my Apex AD660, but the quality is worse than VHS! Really, there's no comparision between the raw tape and the DVD playback. I must be doing something wrong. Here's what I did:

Capture 60 minutes in NeroVision Express (13GB AVI file). Not happy with the edit choices in NVE, so edit sceens using WinProducer, and output file in AVI format again. (there are other choices including a second avi format, mpeg1 and mpeg2)
Import this new 12GB AVI file back into NVE, add chapter marks and menu (WinProducer does not do this), burn to DVD+R.

Very tickled that it works and plays back. Not so happy with the quality.
Is it a huge mistake to use two software packages like this? Does the quality degrade everytime the file is saved?

Please help me fix my process and get good quality before I spend the time on back og of 28 hours of home movies!!!
I'm so close.......
Many thanks.

[Rogue3]

My process:

-capture with pinnable studio DV AVI capture
-edit with studio 8
-save the edit as DV AVI file
-encode the new avi file using TMPenc plus as mpg
-author

I get excellent quality.

[andkiich]

I would start looking at some of the other capturing, editing and authoring tools. The ones you have now may not be as good as some of the other alternatives out there.

A cornucopia of programs can be found in teh TOOLS section to the left.

Happy experimenting!

[unstuck2]

glad to hear you have good results.
so, besides your tools being different your process is essentially the same as mine:
DV -> AVI capture --> Edit --> avi save --> burn (does encoding happen here?)

Saving the project twice in avi prior to final authoring burning is not an issue?

Which of the following is most likely to be my problem then:
1-firewire DV capture in Nerovision Express to avi.
2-edited file in WinProducer and use avi format to save project (there are two avi format choices
3- open new avi file in NVE and "re-edit" (?) (adding chapters/menu) in NVE
4-continue to transcode/burn in NeroVision Express.
The quality really stinks.
Thanks fo the help

Edit
one more thought. Could the problem be because I am missing the mpeg2 plugin? I'm not sure if I don't have it. I assume if I didn't it would not show as an option or burn DVD (and sVCD) videos at all, not just give poor quality. Is that right?
(FYI, I've been able to use DVDShrink and burn the resulting folders/files using current version of Nero Express and teh result is just fine)

[housepig]

Unstuck -

If the .avi looks good to you, but the resulting dvd looks bad, I would look at the software that's doing your conversion - looks like it's Nero Vision Express.

if the first capture looks bad, then I would change your capture method. But it sounds like it's a conversion problem.

In that case, rather than importing your avi to NVE and adding chapters & such, I would add a step - run your avi through a different encoder (I like TMPGenc, others here like Main Concept or CCE) to get it to a dvd-comlpliant mpeg-2 file.

If NVE can't import an mpeg-2 to do the authoring, I would suggest you check out a different authoring software like DVD Lab. Once you've authored (added menu and chapter points, etc), burn your authored files with Nero.

I don't know what encoder Nero uses, but it sounds like you don't get a lot of choices or control with it.

[chazzie]

Tried DV -> DVD today, worked perfectly, even at only 2300 kbit/sec (Multi-Angle test).

[unstuck2]

thanks for the responses.
I guess I'm trying to avoid experimenting by getting advice here.
since my last post, I tried doing the whole thing start to finish in NVE and got the same quality result. So the problem is not in switching between winproducer and nve and saving in avi in between.
My next test will be to make a new capture in NVE (post installation of mpeg2 plug in) and do the whole thing within NVE. But I am not holfding out much hope. Feel another coaster coming.
Next I wil capture in WinCoder (whihc came with WinProducer) and keep it all avi. I'll still have to author and burn in NVE though.
WinProducer can make an mpeg2 file, but I'm not sure how to get that onto a playable DVD using NVE. Any advice there?
thanks for the posts. I'll start worrying after about 20 coasters! It's hard to be sooo close though.

Edit
to answer the avi question: it looks fine on the PC, but it's a small window. I'm not sure if the original avi capture is the issue or the encoding in nve. Can anyone tel me who I can check if the mpeg2 plugin was installed properly?

[housepig]

first - get some RW media so you can avoid wasting coasters.

second - check your capture settings in NVE - what size are you capturing at? Is it dvd compliant resolution (ie 720x480) or is it some other size (which then has to be re-processed to a dvd legal size, which can hurt the appearance)?

What options does NVE give you for converting to dvd mpeg? Does it allow you any control over the process, or does it just give you a big red button that says "convert" and you have to accept whatever the program feels like giving you?

[unstuck2]

yep you got it. It gives a red button that says "burn" actually. Then it transcodes, then it burns and then you exit, or burn it again. You an "burn" to HD if you want where it makes the video_TS folder with the fies in it.
Very limited in terms of options.
As for RW, that's a great idea, except that my Apex AD660 does not play them. DVD+R only. So if I want to see the final product on the TV, I have to waste a DVDR blank.
getting really frustrated here. Just captured using Interplay wincoder which gives many output options including avi and mpeg2. The mpeg2 capture looks good on the PC and is a very small file. But I can't figure out how to get it from there to a disk.
This is my vacation week and I'd planned to spend the time editing and converting 6 years worth of home movies (~28 hours) but so far I'm not even off the ground yet.
thanks for the help.

[unstuck2]

assuming my avi capture is OK (which I think it is) can I use TMPGenc DVD to edit/make menus and create files ready for burning to DVD using Nero Express? Or am I missing another step/piece of software.
thanks for the comments. I know this can be done!!!

[housepig]

yes, you can do that - although I would encode your avi files to dvd-mpeg with TMPGenc first. Then add chapters & menus in TMPGenc Author (or DVD Lab, or whatever).

once you've compiled the disc, if you have PowerDVD on your computer you can watch it on the pc and check for sync issues before you burn it.

bummer about the rewriteables... they've saved me a boatload of discs...

[unstuck2]

well, it's after midnight on Sunday, but I'm doing back flips in the hallway!!!
Finally got it to work and work right!!!
Thanks so much for all the help.
So here's my process:
DV --> avi capture using NVE --> mpeg using TMPGenc --> edit/author/encode using TMPGenc DVD --> burn to DVD+R using Nero Express.

A little cumbersome but works for now. Excellent quality and runs on my Apex AD660.
I'm one happy camper. Although still open to making the process smoother/easier/quicker and would appreciate more input from the pros here.
Thanks a lot.

[housepig]

there are some "all in one" packages that work - NeoDVD works, it's just very limited in how you can put together the authoring.

But it will capture direct to mpeg2, and allow you to author, and even burn from within the program, and the quality is not bad. I prefer the quality boost of jumping through a few more hoops.

I capture as an avi with iuVCR, convert to dvd mpeg with TMPGenc, author with DVD Lab and burn with Nero. Yes, it takes time for encoding, and a lot of space for the avi files, but the results are so worth it - I'm grabbing from VHS (with an odd laserdisc here and there) and the end result looks great.

glad you finally got it working!