DVD Output at DVinfo.net

Todd Westacott · May 23rd, 2006, 08:02 PM

Just looking to get everyone's opinion but how much video in terms of minutes do you put on 1 DVD? I know that ideally a disc shouldn't contain more than an hour so if you are delivering a 90 minute of two hour wedding video do you break it up into two discs to preserve the quality or do you pack it all into one?

Brian Farris · May 23rd, 2006, 08:40 PM

People care more about convenience than quality. *cough* walmart *cough* Put it all on one.

John Harmon · May 23rd, 2006, 09:17 PM

I try not to go more than 90 min. on a DVD. I'd like to try using DVD+R DL's for longer edits, but I'm concerned about compatibility with people's video players. I print a disclaimer on the DVD cover - "...compatible with most players made since 2000...cannot guarantee compatibility with every unit...et cetera..." - but if their unit won't play the disc, it's "my fault," and I can't just tell them to get a new DVD player, which is what they need to do.

Don't use anything but DVD-R's. Some players won't do +R's.

Peter Jefferson · May 23rd, 2006, 09:26 PM

what John said...

one thign abotu DL discs is that i openly tell them that its available, but not offered openly unelss they specificllay ask for it.

Ive edited weddings (we're talking 4.5hour edits here from 15hrs raw footage) and throw them across 3 discs.. even doing it this way is cheaper than DL discs.. not as neat as having it all on one disc, but cheaper for me, and cheaper for them.I also offer a DivX version (full length) on DVDr if theyre player supports it.. youd be surprised how many ppl opt for this and come back and tell me they prefer the DivX version coz the colours are far richer than the DVD.. but thats just the codec.. lol

bring on MP4...

John Harmon · May 23rd, 2006, 10:31 PM

15 hours raw footage, Peter? What the hell...do you never stop the camera? 5 hours of footage is about as much as I've ever done, and my shoots are typically a 10-hour day. I do stay at the reception until the last song is played, which is a selling point for the company I contract with.

Richard Wakefield · May 24th, 2006, 12:35 AM

(following from John's reply)

15 hours raw footage?!! that must have been one hell of a ceremony! :)

i've never gone past 3 hours of footage (from 14hour wedding days) and I've caught absolutely everything I need to! and I don't think I would ever exceed a 1 hour DVD final edit....

Peter Jefferson · May 24th, 2006, 12:46 AM

lol let me explain abit..

i do alot and i mean ALOT of euro style weddings.. were talking 8am starts with 2am finishes, dancing and drinking starts at 8am... drinking as in drinking rocket fuel home made vintage stuff here.. lol

thats with 2 different prep locations.. usually weve shot at least 3 hours (EACH) before we get to the church

for an average wedding, i would have an average of 6 tapes (not hours.. tapes) 1 tape for the second cam at the ceremony and 1 tape for teh fixed cam for speeches. in effect about 4 hours of actual footage in total across 2 cameras..

yes long days, but the bank balance is greatful for it..

as for footage, if a client is willing to pay for this amount of coverage, they can have it.. im not one to pass up another couple thousand bux..

Dan Euritt · May 24th, 2006, 01:14 PM

it's not a question of how long the movie is, rather, it's a question of how well you shot it, and how well you are going to encode it.

if the lighting is good, and you use something like the mastering mode in procoder(with two-pass vbr), putting 90+ minutes on a dvd-r is not a problem... remember that weddings can be compressed really heavily because there isn't much motion at all.

using that workflow with weddings, you should be able to put 2 hours of footage on a disc.

Colin Pearce · May 24th, 2006, 03:51 PM

I managed to fit about 2 hours 15 minutes of school musical on a single-layer DVD. I was quite surprised how good it looked. I couldn't see any problem.

May 23rd, 2006, 08:02 PM	#1
Todd Westacott New Boot Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 18	DVD Output Just looking to get everyone's opinion but how much video in terms of minutes do you put on 1 DVD? I know that ideally a disc shouldn't contain more than an hour so if you are delivering a 90 minute of two hour wedding video do you break it up into two discs to preserve the quality or do you pack it all into one?

May 23rd, 2006, 08:40 PM	#2
Brian Farris Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Hattiesburg, MS Posts: 99	People care more about convenience than quality. cough walmart cough Put it all on one. __________________ Videography Blog - http://www.video.thirdprong.com/blog/

May 23rd, 2006, 09:17 PM	#3
John Harmon Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Warren, Michigan, USA Posts: 96	I try not to go more than 90 min. on a DVD. I'd like to try using DVD+R DL's for longer edits, but I'm concerned about compatibility with people's video players. I print a disclaimer on the DVD cover - "...compatible with most players made since 2000...cannot guarantee compatibility with every unit...et cetera..." - but if their unit won't play the disc, it's "my fault," and I can't just tell them to get a new DVD player, which is what they need to do. Don't use anything but DVD-R's. Some players won't do +R's.

May 23rd, 2006, 09:26 PM	#4
Peter Jefferson Inner Circle Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Aus Posts: 3,884	what John said... one thign abotu DL discs is that i openly tell them that its available, but not offered openly unelss they specificllay ask for it. Ive edited weddings (we're talking 4.5hour edits here from 15hrs raw footage) and throw them across 3 discs.. even doing it this way is cheaper than DL discs.. not as neat as having it all on one disc, but cheaper for me, and cheaper for them.I also offer a DivX version (full length) on DVDr if theyre player supports it.. youd be surprised how many ppl opt for this and come back and tell me they prefer the DivX version coz the colours are far richer than the DVD.. but thats just the codec.. lol bring on MP4...

May 23rd, 2006, 10:31 PM	#5
John Harmon Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Warren, Michigan, USA Posts: 96	15 hours raw footage, Peter? What the hell...do you never stop the camera? 5 hours of footage is about as much as I've ever done, and my shoots are typically a 10-hour day. I do stay at the reception until the last song is played, which is a selling point for the company I contract with.

May 24th, 2006, 12:35 AM	#6
Richard Wakefield Major Player Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Surrey, UK Posts: 680	(following from John's reply) 15 hours raw footage?!! that must have been one hell of a ceremony! :) i've never gone past 3 hours of footage (from 14hour wedding days) and I've caught absolutely everything I need to! and I don't think I would ever exceed a 1 hour DVD final edit....

May 24th, 2006, 12:46 AM	#7
Peter Jefferson Inner Circle Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Aus Posts: 3,884	lol let me explain abit.. i do alot and i mean ALOT of euro style weddings.. were talking 8am starts with 2am finishes, dancing and drinking starts at 8am... drinking as in drinking rocket fuel home made vintage stuff here.. lol thats with 2 different prep locations.. usually weve shot at least 3 hours (EACH) before we get to the church for an average wedding, i would have an average of 6 tapes (not hours.. tapes) 1 tape for the second cam at the ceremony and 1 tape for teh fixed cam for speeches. in effect about 4 hours of actual footage in total across 2 cameras.. yes long days, but the bank balance is greatful for it.. as for footage, if a client is willing to pay for this amount of coverage, they can have it.. im not one to pass up another couple thousand bux..

May 24th, 2006, 01:14 PM	#8
Dan Euritt Trustee Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Carlsbad CA Posts: 1,132	it's not a question of how long the movie is, rather, it's a question of how well you shot it, and how well you are going to encode it. if the lighting is good, and you use something like the mastering mode in procoder(with two-pass vbr), putting 90+ minutes on a dvd-r is not a problem... remember that weddings can be compressed really heavily because there isn't much motion at all. using that workflow with weddings, you should be able to put 2 hours of footage on a disc.

May 24th, 2006, 03:51 PM	#9
Colin Pearce Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 99	I managed to fit about 2 hours 15 minutes of school musical on a single-layer DVD. I was quite surprised how good it looked. I couldn't see any problem.