MiniDV to DVD quality problem.

[PlasticChicken]

Hi All,

I just got a MiniDV camcorder. I have recorded a couple of video clips. Then, I've burned a DVD.

The problem I am having, is that when I compare the video directly from the camcorder to my TV with the burned DVD to the same TV, the quality of my DVD is not as good as the MiniDV tape. I have a 42 inch TV, so it's easy to tell!

Here what I do to burn my DVD.

- Transfer the video thru FireWire with Windows Movie Maker 2.
- Edit the video with Windows Movie Maker 2 and save the result as DV-AVI.
- Author the DVD with ULead DVD Workshop.
- Burn the DVD with ULead DVD workshop using the High Quality option.

By reading a couple of messages here, I have also encode my DV-AVI to MPEG 2 using TMPGEnc. Settings was 720X480, CBR 8000Kpbs. But the results with that methods give me also a loss of quality when I watch the burned DVD on my TV.

Is everything I do is correct? Could someone see any problems with the way I do my DVD???

Thanks for your help.

[Tommyknocker]

Yes, too many steps. I would capture with firewire, like you have, but use DVD Workshop to do the capturing, edit, and burning.

[Heavensent]

you can try other encoders

[Thorn]

For testing, remove the extra steps and encode directly from the captured DV to MPEG2 for the DVD. This will help you see what the maximum quality is before you add the extra steps and the importing/exporting. I suspect that moviemaker re-encodes the DV when exporting, and MS's DV codec is not considered the best for quality (any re-encode is undesirable anyway).

When you encode with TMPGenc, make sure that workshop is not re-encoding. Ulead likes to re-encode everything even if it's already in a suitable format - and that would decrease quality dramatically. If it takes forever to compile the DVD, it's probably re-encoding.

[PlasticChicken]

Well, I have capture directly from ULead DVD Workshop and burn a little clip of 15 seconds on a DVD. It's the same thing as before. The quality is not as good as the MiniDV tape.

The quality of the video on the DVD is not too bad, but I see a difference with the MiniDV tape. I am a little bit disappointed. I guess I will keep a copy of my MiniDV tape until better quality can be achieved.


Thorn : How can I tell DVD Workshop not to re-encode???

[shardison]

The quality will never be as good; DV tape is something like 32 mb per second. (Correct me if I'm way off) DVD can't handle that data rate and you'd have a really short video anyway.

Compressing the DV video to DVD standard bit rates is where all your quality is going.

But really, if you didn't have the DV tape to look at, would you complain about the quality? Probably not.

It will be a long time before you can get the DV tape data density (or quality) on a spinning disc. Hang onto your tapes but distribute the DVD's far and wide.

[indolikaa]

DV comes in about 216 MB/min = 3.6MB/sec, and that's MegaBYTES, not MegaBITS. (If my math is correct it's about 28.8 mbits, so you were close shardison ).

This is a very important number when you're using FAT32; you can only get just under 20 minutes per file. I use FAT32. Yes, you may shame me.

Your end result should be outstanding. What video bitrate are you using?

[Thorn]

Sorry, I don't know any more about Workshop than I've read in threads here (and I've forgotten since I didn't get it). Try searching for old workshop threads since people have been discussing getting the best quality with it since it came out.

You may want to try looking for a trial of another DVD authoring program, so you can at least test the quality difference if you know the other program doesn't re-encode.

BTW I save all of my DV tapes now if they're important, since I'll probably figure out a better method sooner or later.

[navatweb]

Try this:
1) Capture to AVI (capture just 2 minutes or so)
2) Download Cinema Craft Encoder (CCE) Basic Trial. (visiblelight.com)
3) Use this encoder to encode to mpeg2. Click on mpeg2. For real high quality choose 9000 bit rate.
5) Downbload DVD complete trial from Dazzle.com.
6) Import the encoded mpg2 file into DVD Complete, author the DVD and burn. DVD Complete will not do any re-encode. Make sure it tells you that it won't re-encode.

You can run this experiment in about 30 minutues, max. After you have familiarized yourself with the new products.

I have converted my old VHS-C home videos this way, and see no degradation in quality. Have done several miniDVs too.

The key is the encoder. As others have pointed out, make sure the authoring/editor does not re-encode.

Later, after this experiment is successful, use VirtualDub or some such program to edit the AVI and frame-serve CCE basic. You won't be creating the temporary AVI doing so.

Look at this forum and the usenet for advice on virtualDub.

CCE basic is $58, DVD Complete $50-100.

[indolikaa]

At 9000 it should be outstanding. Good grief, I normally average about 5000 and they look "freakin' real, man!"

While you're downloading DVD Complete, download DVDLab also! I've been working with it the last few nights and it rocks!

Oh, and by the way, greetings navatweb!