Vegas's MainConcept MPEG encoder is producing crappy results

[thief_]

I'm using Vegas to create the MPEG video file to import into DLP, but I've found that the MainConcept MPEG encoder which comes with Vegas is horrible:

Colours are saturated
Quality is really bad as compression artifacts are severe


So what do you recommend I do to get my Vegas project into a format which is compatible with DLP and which will result in really good quality output?

[BJ_M]

well what settings are you using - and what source ?

is this for DVD ?


what has this to do with authoring ? (moving it)

[edDV]

I'm having excellent results, what are you doing in detail from cap to encode?

[thief_]

I'm creating an MPEG file from Vegas using the default settings. The resulting video file is saturated in colour (darker) and has lots of compression artifacts.

What should I change?

[lordsmurf]

Well, for starters, I bet the bitrate is too low.

[guns1inger]

The implemntation on Mainconcept in Vegas is actually pretty good. Certainly better than Mainconcept's standalone release.

[thief_]

How do I check the bitrate of a finished MPEG2 video file?

[guns1inger]

bitrate viewer. If you saved the project in Vegas the render settings should have been saved as well, so you can check what they were.

[BJ_M]

hit custom and look at the settings -

"saturated in colour" would not be darker .. that would be the result of your settings before encoding , you never did answer what the source was -
For DLP, you will have to adjust IRE to 0 on some sources .. or you may have gone to far and cored the blacks ..

[edDV]

I think the default Vegas MPeg2 is VBR 8/6/4.

For highest quality use CBR 8500-9000 Kbps.

Mostly I use VBR 8/7/4 if I want over 60 min per DVD.


There must be something odd about your source material. I'm mostly making DVDs from DV tapes or realtime (Mainconcept) MPeg2 captures at 8/7/4 VBR* and the results are quite good.

* realtime capture is done with ULead Video Studio 8 version of Mainconcept MPeg2 Encoder.

[thief_]

BJ_M

My material goes this way: DV camera -> HDD via Vegas in AVI format -> Edited and rendered to MPEG using Vegas -> Uploaded into DLP.

Also, when I hit Custom in MPEG1/2, it does nothing.

What's IRE in DLP?

guns1inger

I used the MC standalone last night and made a few changes to the options (I can't remember what they were as I'm at work now), and the resulting MPEG 2 video file looks pretty good!

I think I'm going to have to re-install Vegas to see if that fixes my problem. Thanks all.

[edDV]

Oops, edited for PAL

It's beginning to sound like you don't have the Vegas MPeg2 encoder properly installed or it has incorrect settings.

What version Vegas?
Have you applied the updates?
Is your project setting "PAL DV (720x576, 25.000 fps)"?
Under "render as" is it set to Mainconcept MPeg2?
Under "custom" have you selected "DVD Architect PAL video stream"?
That gets you 720x576 8000/6000/192 VBR.

If you don't like that try CBR and 8500 Kbps under "video" tab for top quality.

Also, what is your DLP projector model?
What is its native resolution?

[thief_]

I'm using Vegas 5.0d. Project is Pal DV, rendered as Main Concept MPEG2, and the Custom button does nothing. But, when it DID work, I used the default template.

I think my next step is to reinstal Vegas and see what happens.

Also, what is your DLP projector model?
What is its native resolution?

Projector? DLP = DVD Lab Pro := DVD authoring software.

[edDV]

Projector? DLP = DVD Lab Pro := DVD authoring software.

Gotcha.

The custom button should work. Lots of controls in there.

Just a note, Mainconcept MPeg2 is an OEM toolkit. Each end developer tweaks it to their needs so expect slightly different performace with the different products (e.g. Adobe Premiere and Encore, Vegas, ULead,etc.).

[BJ_M]

dvdlab pro ... oh ...

DLP means something else to me completly ..


yes -- get the custom button working ..


tip of the day -- install the vegas 6 demo and it will upgrade your mpeg encoder to the latest version for your vegas 5 even after removing vegas 6 demo ...

[BSR]

Ha ha, I was following this thread because I was curious about compatibility with a DLP projector, and why they wouldn't accept standard DVD input. And maybe see what I'm up against in the future. My bad.

[edDV]

Ha ha, I was following this thread because I was curious about compatibility with a DLP projector, and why they wouldn't accept standard DVD input. And maybe see what I'm up against in the future. My bad.

Same here, I was wondering what could be different for a DLP projector with its little color wheels spinning.

[BJ_M]

my DLP projector doesnt have color wheels

[BSR]

my DLP projector doesnt have color wheels

hmm, maybe one of those 1960 versions with the greyscale wheel, .

Did a search, guess you have 3 seperate DLP chips, one for each color. That isn't a consumer version, is it? Or maybe the price has come down enough, I don't know.

[BJ_M]

3 chip

[edDV]

Slow day on Videohelp.com
Looks like they all figured it out.