I've tried to search, but couldn't find an answer. Maybe i'm not using the right keywords, so i thought i'd just ask. I am grabbing footage (little nephew video's) from my DV camcorder, and saving them. Not directly, but just to make a DVD from it and burn it. Here's my question now. What mode should i burn at? Normal (2 hours), High Quality (1 hour)? Why i am asking is this. My DV cam is 720x480(or something), and when i watch movies on DVD that's 100% quality and single layered DVD, it looks great and sharp and good detail. And that's in 2 hour mode. So my thinking is, wouldn't Normal Quality setting (2 hours) do just fine for home video's? I've been using High(1 hour) on DVD's because i want to make sure i keep as much quality as possible, but that's why i'm asking, because i'd like to be able to do 2 hours per DVD instead, but don't know if i really NEED to have to use 1 hour mode, if 2 hours will still be fine for home video content. I just don't want to have to sacrifice quality when it comes to important home video's, but don't want to sacrifice only getting 1 hour instead of 2 hours, if the quality of 2hours mode is just fine for that kind of content. So what i'm kind of looking for for an answer is either. 1) Yes, 2 hour mode is just fine for home video content, and using 1 hour is just overkill for that kind of material. 2) No, keep using 1 hour mode, It does give a noticeable quality difference. And whatever advice you can give me as well on this is very much appreciated. I'm a newbie with video content to DVD, and when it comes to personal home video content, i just don't want to make the mistake of guessing wrong, since i won't be able to get the footage again, since i don't store the original DV content. I will once Blueray or HD-DVD comes out, but for now. Dual-Layer is just too expensive. So single layer DVD is my main direction. Thanks again guys for your help, i didn't think of anywhere else to ask but Afterdawn forums. Home of the experts.
This really is the Type of question you should be answering yourself as you are really the only person who knows what you want and what you consider quality....Correct?? So why not make One DVD in 1 Hour mode and make another DVD in 2 Hour Mode and compare the two and then you can make the Choice as to if it is worth it to use 2 Hour mode or to stick with 1 hour mode..... You can even experiment with other DVD Formats which allow you to Fit even more Video on a DVD Like from 4 to 6 hours on a Single DVD with the Expense of Quality but then again if you used a Real Standalone mpeg encoder instad of whatever you are useing you would achieve much Higher quality while getting more Video on a DVD as the encoders Built into Most DVD authoring programs are pretty Bad when compared to a professinal Quality mpeg encoder..... Cheers
Well, the main reason i'm asking is because of the experts here. Meaning, i don't want to trial and error trying to make a Ferrari when i could ask an expert who makes them already, "How did you do it?". Understand that? I totally don't mean that sarcastilly if that's the way i'm coming acrossed by that example. But it's honestly a good example of why i'm asking. I don't want to spend hours/days/weeks trying to compare all different tests if many here have already done it, and can honestly answer, "Hey, yeah i played around and found that with home video, you don't really see any quality difference using normal, verses using high." Kind of like, You won't see a difference driving a 'Lamo' verses a corvette at 50mph on a straight road just driving. Both will be great vehicles using that speed. Verses, well, now at 150-170 and up, you'll start noticing a difference in performance. That's kind of the reason i'm asking. When recording one type of material, one quality setting may be more then adequate. I can record an episode of Family guy using xvid with certain (but much lower filesize) settings applied, that won't look any different then an MPEG-2 version of it of much larger filesize. I'm using Nero 7 now, but also own a last years copy of Adobe Premier. I use it here and there, but a good bit of learning curve to get real into it. I'd just like a direct answer from some people that have personally done some testing themselves. I'm not recording HiDef here, but i am using DV which is good quality to me. So thats kind of what i'm asking. For typical DV video, is it overkill to use 1 hour mode, if 2 hour mode quality will look pretty much the same to the naked eye?
Well it really all depends on what software you are useing because Some Programs will Make a 1 hour DVD that Looks Like Crap and some will produce a 3 hour DVD that Looks Awesome.... Also Most "Experts" don"t use software that limits them to 1 or 2 Hour Quality DVD"s as In Reality you can Fit much More on a DVD with Acceptable Quality when useing the Right Software..... I personally Have no problem Fitting 2 90 minute Movies on a DVD-R with very Good Quality when useing a High Quality standalone Mpeg encoder as Opposed to useing the Crappy assed encoders built into DVD Authoring programs..... There are also other DVD standards you can use that allow for more Video to Be put on a DVD ,These Standards use Lower resolutions and Bitrates but allow you to Fit up to 6 hours on a DVD with better than VHS quality..... So if you started encodeing your DV AVI files useing a Good Quality standalone Mpeg encoder Like "Tmpgenc Pluss" or "Mainconcept encoder" then you would have absolutly no Problem createing a DVD of 2 or even 3 hours with very Good Quality ,Probably just as Good as you were getting with 1 hour on a DVD...... Cheers
Actually, i am kind of understanding what your saying now, and what you mean. Depending on what program i'm using, i could easily fit much more content with the exact same quality detail outputed. That make sense. I guess i'll check into that 'Tmpgenc Pluss' you mentioned. That way i can guarantee getting much more video content on one DVD and still have the same quality. Then i'll try it one way with Nero7 "Nero Vision 4", which i just bought. Before then i always used WinDVD Creator. Then i'll use the same video's and redo another DVD using TMPENC PLUSS, and see if i can even notice a difference on my monitor (better way of seeing any noticable differences verses using my Sony 32inch and DVD player. I didn't really think you may have been understanding me in the 1st message after 1st readin it, but after your last response, it much better explained to me what you are meaning by things. Thank you for explaining more in detail of what you meant. I understand much better now of why/what you mean. It makes sense to me now. I've just never used much of anything other then Nero 6+7,WinDVD Creator, for encoding a DVD, so I didn't really think it could make that much difference because of the price being up there (i'm sure it's cheaper when compared to some high end encoders though, meant for nothing but encoding high quality video's.) Thank you again for that help. I'll start messing around more now with that info in mind, and see what settings work best with that piece of software. As well as a better understanding of the importance of video encoders. I encode A LOT of stuff in xvid, but don't see a hugh difference in quality loss at all to my eyes, when playing back on my Xbox, but that's why i want to learn a lot more about DVD encoding, as it's content i don't/can't afford to loose, or better yet, miss out on content quality, since i can't get it again if i don't do it right the 1st time around. Cheers back atcha Minion (mmm.. that handle sounds so familiar) Worldrave
Actually Tmpgenc pluss is just a Encoder that will compress your files to DVD compliant mpeg-2 format You will still have to Put the Mpeg-2 file through your DVD authoring program so you can add your Menu"s and Chapters but since the Files are allready DVD Compliant mpeg-2 files your DVD authoring Software should not re-encode the Files unless it is a really crappy DVD authoring Software.... I personally Like to use "MediaChance DVDLab Pro" because it doesn"t have it"s own encoder so it will never re-encode your Files and it has some of the Best menu options of any DVD authoring Program and will even let you Put VCD and SVCD Files on to DVD without re-encodeing, It also supports subtitles and Multiple audio tracks and you can even use video clips as menu"s..... Cheers
Hahahaha. My best friend just bought MediaChance DVDLab Pro the other week. I'll have to get it from him, and play around with it. I've heard a lot of good things about that. Nothing short of simple for a newbie if you understand the basics of menu's and how things work, yet you can grow pretty big into it. Like Photoshop is to pictures. Thanks for that. I'm gonna play around with that. I do kind of hate the limitations with Nero. It works fine, but there's a limit to what you can do with menu's options. Hey, thanks so much for your help. I learned some things for sure. Nice chattin with ya also.
