PLEASE HELP! M2TS to DVD Video files, without change in aspect ratio???

[manono]

So outside of shrinking the image, this is normal on PC monitor vs. DVD?

It's normal when playing DVDs on televisions. You shouldn't have any overscan if watching the DVD on a computer monitor.

I believe when Skiller mentions 'shrinking the image', he's referring to adding black on all four sides so everything is seen when watching the DVD on a television. If I'm wrong about that, he can correct me.

I already mentioned how to greyscale your video - by editing the AviSynth script AVSToDVD (or any other converter using AviSynth scripts) uses to add lines such as 'Greyscale' or 'Tweak(Sat=0,Coring=False)'.

or could I grayscale it in Premiere Pro?

Never used it, haven't a clue.

[Adam2]

Please forgive me, I am very inexperienced with this type of software. Could you list for me step by step, what I do in "AVStoDVD" to do greyscale black and white?

I like the layout of "Video ReDo" to convert all my M2TS files to DVD, and have each one as a chapter. But the whole movie is too big for even a dual layer DVDr. Should I simply cut the movie in half, Part 1 on DVD1 and Part 2 on DVD2?

[manono]

Could you list for me step by step, what I do in "AVStoDVD" to do greyscale black and white?

No, as I don't use it. If you can't find where to edit the AviSynth script to add the Greyscale line, perhaps someone will come along to point you in the right direction.

But the whole movie is too big for even a dual layer DVDr.

You can create a DVD for any size you like. It's all dependent on the bitrate used.

[Adam2]

Ok, so I can successfully burn a test DVD from multiple M2TS files with "Video ReDo"...

However, I'm not very happy with the video quality of this whole thing. I used a Sony HDR-CX240 to record in full HD. I put the footage on my computer as M2TS files, the only possible way as they describe. Now the footage of the M2TS files is very grainy and lo fi, not at all like HD should be. And then comes "Video Redo" and converting DOWN to DVD format. Why doesn't this look HD?

I recorded at the highest settings, used a proper SD card... ugh...

[manono]

Why doesn't this look HD?

Because it's not? Your source is 1920x1080. Your DVD (if you're in NTSC land) is 720x480. It can't look anything like your source. You want Hi-def? Make a Blu-Ray from it and not a DVD.

I put the footage on my computer as M2TS files, the only possible way as they describe. Now the footage of the M2TS files is very grainy and lo fi, not at all like HD should be.

Only you know what process you followed to get it to your computer and if it was reencoded at a lower resolution.

[Adam2]

Ok: the Sony HDR-CX240 records in high-def and saves as M2TS files. I put those files on the computer. No re-encoding. Just like they say to. When I edit and save the M2TS files, they look so grainy. A keyboard instrument is shown, and you see the black surface of the keyboard moving with grain and "pixilation"?

How is that HD?

[Cornucopia]

An HD version of noise or grain is way sharper/more detailed than an SD version. It's still noise/grain, but there is a difference and it shows. Just because it's grainy doesn't make it not HD.

Graininess/Noise in camera recording usually has to do with:
1. Low low-light sensitivity (higher "ISO" setting, lower sensor quality)
2. Bad pixel lightness estimation (usually due to smaller sensor size)
3. Lower bitrate compressed storage of the video file/stream.

If you have a truly lossless process from the camera to the computer editor & the monitor, the file will look just like it did on the camera. Of course, the camera was probably showing only on the cam's viewfinder (which is regularly NOT hd quality yet seems so because of its relative sharpness due to its small size). Showing a live playback capture (NOT live direct capture - that would bypass the comrpession) on a computer monitor would probably reveal the inherent noise of camera. Which it has: it has a small, middling sensor with middling optics (so light lost), and doesn't provide much bitrate to its compressed files. If your footage was (most likely if musicians) shot in low light with that cam, it is very likely to be grainy/noisey, HD or not. It's a consumer camera, what do you expect?!!

Scott

[theewizard]

what does the keyboard shot, look like before the edit and save
what does media info say about the source file
and what does it say about the saved edited file

post a source screen shot, an edited saved playback screen shot and the media info each one

[Adam2]

An HD version of noise or grain is way sharper/more detailed than an SD version. It's still noise/grain, but there is a difference and it shows. Just because it's grainy doesn't make it not HD.

Graininess/Noise in camera recording usually has to do with:
1. Low low-light sensitivity (higher "ISO" setting, lower sensor quality)
2. Bad pixel lightness estimation (usually due to smaller sensor size)
3. Lower bitrate compressed storage of the video file/stream.

If you have a truly lossless process from the camera to the computer editor & the monitor, the file will look just like it did on the camera. Of course, the camera was probably showing only on the cam's viewfinder (which is regularly NOT hd quality yet seems so because of its relative sharpness due to its small size). Showing a live playback capture (NOT live direct capture - that would bypass the comrpession) on a computer monitor would probably reveal the inherent noise of camera. Which it has: it has a small, middling sensor with middling optics (so light lost), and doesn't provide much bitrate to its compressed files. If your footage was (most likely if musicians) shot in low light with that cam, it is very likely to be grainy/noisey, HD or not. It's a consumer camera, what do you expect?!!

Scott

Thank you for the post. I think you are correct. It is a consumer camcorder, and filmed in very low light. It's just like you described.