Loss of Quality during Video Editing.

[Chunking]

I have a stand alone DVD recorder. Here’s what I’m doing. I record something off TV (digital Cable so the source is very clean picture). Then I want to edit what I recorded (remove the commercials). So I take the disc and then load it into VideoStudio9. I remove the commercials and then export it out to and Mpeg2 so I can load it into Dazzle to make a new DVD. The problem is this. The Mpeg2 file created from VideoStudio9 is larger than the original and also less clear. I’ve tried to adjust the settings in VS9 but that just makes the file even larger. Is there another editing program out there that will load the disc and edit it without losing so much quality? I know each time you have to encode the file you’ll lose something but at this rate my VCR picture looks better than the finished product.

[Gildas]

That's weird, Chunking. The fact that your edited MPEG2 file is bigger than your original one, I would think that its bit rate is higher than the original. Usually you get a loss of quality is you lower the bit rate. Having a higher bit rate will not increase the quality of your original video as you may know. Garbage in, garbage out.
Double check what bit rate your edited MPEG2 file has for the video and the audio parts. Maybe VS9 adds more stuff inside the file in the end but the bit rate might be lower.

Personally, I use TMPGEnc DVD Author Pro to do my editing. I do the same thing as you with a standalone DVD recorder too. I record on DVD+RW shows from my DirecTV DVR and edit them on my computer before burning a clean copy with menus on a DVD-R or DVD+R. All done with TDA Pro on the computer.

[oldfart13]

Womble Mpeg Video Wizard to do edits. TMPGEnc DVD Author to make the DVD. Nothing simpler...

[Chunking]

thanks,
I'll try Tmpgenc. I like Vs9 because it's simple to use and it was the only program I have that would allow me to get the video off my RW disc. So I can do it all in one with TDA? Sound simpler than what I was doing. I don't know why VS9 would increase the file size but it was frustrating.

[thecoalman]

The reason it creates a larger file is because you have not adjusted the ouput settings to match your source.

Set the mpeg output settings the same as you source video. It should just reencode the parts that you have edited.... That has two benefits, a) 0 quality loss and b) it will significantly speed up your encode time.

You may have to look around in the VS settings, there is a checkbox for "do not convert compliant files". Not sure if that's for authoring or editing. I don't have it so I can't give you specific directions but VS9 is very capable of doing that.

Having a higher bit rate will not increase the quality of your original video as you may know.

In fact it reduces it. Anytime you reencode a video there is some amount of quality loss, even if you go to uncompressed AVI. It may just be minute when going to a higher bitrate but it's there, using a editor like VS which will only reencode the parts you have edited prevents that.

[Chunking]

Thecoalman,
I think that do not re-encode compliant files is for authoring. But I’ll look around in the settings some more for the other things you suggested. I understand there will be some loss but it was too much. The picture was fuzzy but the original was very clean.

[thecoalman]

Thecoalman,
I think that do not re-encode compliant files is for authoring.

Again I don't specifically how you set it up in VS but it will do it. The most important thing is the settings in VS match your source exactly, if anyhting differes it will reencode the entire clip....

[Chunking]

Ok, After some experimenting here’s what I have. I can export the file out of VS9 using the option “Same as first Clip” this exports the file without any rendering and the file looks just like the original. There was no loss of video quality. However, a new problem has arisen. The extracted file’s audio is AC3 format. None of the Authoring programs I have handle AC3. Vs9 handles it but it’s disc authoring is rather limited. Now I just have to find a good authoring program.

[mats.hogberg]

Most authoring apps handle AC3 - TMPGEnc DVD Author among them. What are you using?

/Mats

[Chunking]

I have a few. I was using Dazzle but that doesn’t handle it. I tied DVD Architect, that didn’t work either. I tried the TMPGenc DVD Author but I couldn’t get the sound to work. I did have the AC3 Plug-in but it didn’t seem to work. I guess I’m looking for a new Authoring program to latch onto.

[mats.hogberg]

The AC3 plugin is for encoding to AC3 - Authoring mpg with AC3 audio should work without it. DVD Architect also handles AC3. Something's wrong here.

/Mats

[Chunking]

Hmmmm, the files work fine when I Burn them to disc using VS9 Create a disc. When I load those same files in the other programs I don’t get any sound.

[oldfart13]

Is it you don't hear any sound or you don't get any sound after the disc is burned? Try to install a software DVD player that uses AC-3 soound. That should clear that up. For TMPGEnc, you will need the AC-3 sound plug-in to author a disc with AC-3 sound. I use both AC-3 and Mpeg II audio and don't have a problem with discs at all...

[Chunking]

I don’t hear any sound in TDA or Architect. I didn’t bother to burn since I didn’t hear anything. VS9 is the only program I get sound (before and after burn). The burned disc from VS9 works fine in all my dvd players. I was looking for a better Authoring program than VS9. I just use VS9 for editing the video.

[InXess]

PowerDVD 6 plays AC3. DVD Architect likes only its own kind of AC3 (check forum, covered many times). Now that you have DVD you can reimport it in authoring prog. like TDA (I hope...) and only change the menus. Just don't loose sleep over it. Main thing is is that it worked.

[Bjs]

If you cannot hear the ac3 audio during playback , install the ac3_filter package ... if not in the tool's section , it will be over at doom9.org site .

Also make sure you playback software can play ac3 ... if the free dvd codec is installed , you should beable to playback the dvd in windows media player and now hear the audio .

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Ifoedit , dvdauthorgui , muxman all accept ac3 for authoring .

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As for the increased size of the output file's from video studio , check your output setting's , namely the video bitrate .

Use gspot to check video bitrate of the original mpeg's , then set this as the bitrate for the project video output bitrate in video studio .

This should bring it under control .