Problem burning reliable DVD's with DVD Architect

[alonav11]

Hi all,
I work as a home video editor and making DVD's of my movies for costumers that work 100% is very important to me. I have a problem that when I burn DVD's with DVD Architect I can never be sure that the DVD won't come out choppy or get stuck some places. Sometimes my DVD comes out fine without a flaw, and sometimes it comes out bad. The problem is that some of the movies are much too long to watch every time to see if they get stuck anywhere.
so my questions:
- Is there any way of making DVD's that work all the time without getting stuck? I usually use Verbatim DVD-R, a fairly good(I think) LG burner and my Vegas DVD Architect software. What could be the cause of these DVD getting stuck? It's really frustrating!
- Is there any software that can check for me if the DVD came out alright or not so that I don't need to watch the whole thing myself?
Thanks a lot for your help

[Baldrick]

Hi all,
I work as a home video editor and making DVD's of my movies for costumers that work 100% is very important to me.

100% compatibility is impossible for home burnt dvds because not all dvd players supports dvd-r and some are very picky about what dvd media brand you are using, www.nomoarecoasters.com www.videohelp.com/dvdmedia www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers

How are you testing the media? just on your standalone dvd player? are you getting reports from users with choppy playback?

[alonav11]

Well I'm sure somthing with my DVD burning is wrong because pretty much one out of three DVDs I burn come out choppy.
I check my DVDs on my home player, and I get quite a lot of complaints from costumers about choppy DVDs - so I burn another one and see if it comes out ok - but looks like its pretty random if the DVD will work or not. Is this really somthing normal? that you need to burn and then just pray that it will come out ok? I am willing to invest in this - is there a burner I can buy that will make the odds better?

[GeorgeW]

Some things I keep in mind when Authoring DVD's (to avoid playback issues like video stuttering)

-keep video+audio bitrate <= ~7.5mbps
-keep the total size <= ~4gb (on dvd5)
-use Dolby Digital (AC3) audio for a good mix of "global" compatibility, and a lower audio bitrate to allow for higher video bitrate (mpeg audio can use the same low bitrates as DD audio, but not all NTSC DVD Players will play mpeg audio)
-use quality discs instead of no-name generics
-don't use sticky labels on your dvd's
-Burn as DVD-VIDEO (not just a data dvd -- the files must be written properly, and in the proper order on the dvd)
-if you only have a prepared DVD Folder, then use software that can properly format a DVD IMAGE file (*.ISO), and then burn the image file. (I use IMGBURN 2.x to create the IMAGE file, it can also burn directly from DVD Folders)
-for DVD+R discs, see if your burner supports bitsetting the booktype to DVD-ROM
-keep burner firmware up-to-date (follow instructions carefully when updating firmware)
-keep burning software up-to-date
-if space for your video allows a high bitrate (say >= 7mbps), then try CBR instead of VBR (VBR encodes can have bitrate "spikes", and depending on how high the "spike" is, it might be enough to cause a hiccup during playback)
-don't always burn at the max speed of your burner/media combo (I've had great success burning at 4x, but others have had better results burning at max speeds like 8x or 16x -- it could depend on your dvd disc quality and how well they work with your burner)
-try different media (brands and types) Not all DVD±R/RW will work with every player, or some will work better in some players than others...
-disable any non essential background programs (i.e. virus scan, anti spyware, etc... -- of course, if your machine is connected to the internet, you might not want to disable these applications)
-don't do anything else on the machine during the burn (or keep activity at a minimum - especially heavy disc-related tasks)
-uninstall any "packet writing" software (the kind that lets you drag-and-drop files to a dvd RW disc as if the disc was just another storage drive)

[spanky123]

-don't do anything else on the machine during the burn (or keep activity at a minimum - especially heavy disc-related tasks)

Can using the PC at the same time as burning cause problems (ie. skipping or missing data etc.) ?

[GeorgeW]

-don't do anything else on the machine during the burn (or keep activity at a minimum - especially heavy disc-related tasks)

Can using the PC at the same time as burning cause problems (ie. skipping or missing data etc.) ?

I don't think it will cause "missing" data on the disc (maybe it will), but it might cause the burning buffers to empty during the burn, causing a disruption in the burning process, which might in turn cause stutter during playback.

But that all depends on the computer specs (or how well the computer is optimized for video/dvd work). Some computers are well enough equipped to burn simultaneously to multiple burners. But the "borderline" computers can have a problem doing that...

Regards,
George

[alonav11]

Thanks a lot for all your help!
I usually keep the video bitrate as high as possible(~9.4) - I thought that will make my DVD quality the best. Is this causing my DVDs to be choppy?

[GeorgeW]

Thanks a lot for all your help!
I usually keep the video bitrate as high as possible(~9.4) - I thought that will make my DVD quality the best. Is this causing my DVDs to be choppy?

imho, that could very well be the reason your DVD's stutter during playback on some dvd players...

Regards,
George

[alonav11]

What is then bitrate exactly? If I reduce it don't I reduce my video's quality?

[GeorgeW]

What is then bitrate exactly? If I reduce it don't I reduce my video's quality?

Depends on your original footage. Most Hollywood DVD's are NOT encoded at such high bitrates (but their original footage is much higher quality than usual consumer footage such as miniDV, or even HDV, and they have the best encoders too).

What format are your originals, and if you encode at 7.5mbps and compare to your current 9.4mbps encodes, do you see a difference when played back on TV? You might be using high video bitrates without much actual gain in the final quality (at least detectable by the naked eye).

I'm assuming you are using Dolby Digital audio in order to get away with 9.4mbps video -- so that part seems ok.

Regards,
George

[spanky123]

Thanks a lot for all your help!
I usually keep the video bitrate as high as possible(~9.4) - I thought that will make my DVD quality the best. Is this causing my DVDs to be choppy?

Probably yes. I've tested some stuff on the XboX when burn't at high (above dvd standard) bitrates and they play back with glitches/choppy.

When I re-encode and reduce the bitrate then they play fine

I usually set the max bitrate to 8000kbps (I don't notice a difference when it's anything over that). With CCE (say about 4 passes), even VBR 6000kbps seems pretty perfect to my eyes for most videos.

[Jeremiah58]

I have a problem that when I burn DVD's with DVD Architect I can never be sure that the DVD won't come out choppy or get stuck some places. Sometimes my DVD comes out fine without a flaw, and sometimes it comes out bad.

I've noticed that as well. I use DVD Architect 2.
So, I've just used Nero Burning Rom and had no troubles after that.
More experienced users here, would recommend imgburn which seems to be better than Nero.

[InXess]

I'd look into audio formats you use. Try different ones and see what works best. Sometimes LCPM may give a choppy playback while MPEG and DD are usually smooth. One way of testing ready DVD is to quick scan (fast forward) in Power DVD or similar 8-32x normal speed and choppy disk would stumble most of the time. While still in DVD specs lower your total bitrate by 0.5 Mbps. Author the same material using another application to eliminate encoding. Use the simplest authoring with the same stuff (movie only) to see if authoring is contributing to your issue. Several ways to address it but 1 thing is for sure, switch temporarily to another author. program and see if you get the same problem.

[MysticE]

... - Is there any way of making DVD's that work all the time without getting stuck? I usually use Verbatim DVD-R, a fairly good(I think) LG burner and my Vegas DVD Architect software. What could be the cause of these DVD getting stuck? It's really frustrating!
- Is there any software that can check for me if the DVD came out alright or not so that I don't need to watch the whole thing myself?
Thanks a lot for your help

You didn't mention which model LG and if you are using the latest firmware. LG's are pretty good with a wide variety of media. You could also try burning at 4X.

To test a burn use the 'Transfer Rate' test in Nero CD-DVD Speed, only takes a few minutes. Look for a nice clean line.



If you have more than one burner/reader try the test in it also.

You can get it here.

http://www.cdspeed2000.com/go.php3?link=download.html