DVDSP - just making sure i have this right
 

I need to author a dvd for a local film festival premiering next thursday night. Therefore, I have no time for pointless screw ups. I have been reading a lot of older posts on here and I think I have a good grasp on this. Can somebody kinda check my knowledge and let me know if I am on the right path?

15 separate films with random formats
12 psd head shot slides

I plan on creating one timeline in fcp that contains around 2-3hours of video. Then I will export that with compressor into mpeg 2 format? What is the highest quality format? Doesn't really matter on size. I can create multiple disks if need be.

I have built a few projects with dvdsp and know my way around it but I have never worked this amount of footage. Any tips on my particular process would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Brandon

About the most I've had any luck with quality is 2-1/2 hours and that was at 3.7 setting in compressor. That's assuming you want a single layer disk. If it's dual layer go for a bit rate of 5 or 6. Just remember not all DVD players like burned dual layer discs.
Since you can break into multiple discs, I'd go for the "best quality 90min" in compressor.

I may be an oddball but I prefer to export a QT movie out of FCP and then drop it in compressor. Mainly so I can keep using FCP while the encode happens.

Just my 2 cents!

Ya, I was reading that you can export from fcp as QT but to make sure to check "make self contained" off so that you can just drop it into compressor on its own. So that you don't have to compress twice.

Go with two discs if you can. Use 2-pass DVD settings in Compressor for the best quality.

I would make your Sequence in DV-NTSC Anamorphic, that way you're certain you're using all 720x480 pixels in the MPEG encode. This assumes all are in a widescreen aspect ratio, of course.

If you have some that are 1.85:1 or more, I would suggest letterboxing within the 16:9 frame.

I've had no quality complaints using the Apple > DVD > DVD: Best Quality 90 minutes setting.

Also, you might consider setting Chapter Markers on the Sequence before sending to Compressor. That way, you can have frame-accurate chapter marks. If you try to do it later in DVDSP, you have to set a Chapter break on an I-frame, which can be up to 1/2 second off from where you want it.

Make sure you build your Tracks in DVDSP to have a display mode of 16:9 Letterbox, that forces widescreen no matter what the DVD player is set to. Nothing worse for a filmmaker that to have their aspect ratio cropped during projection. Except a stoic, silent audience, of course...

what does this mean?

DRBurnDoubleLayerL0DataZoneBlocksKey contains an invalid value.

Ok,

after many hours yesterday, I am down to only a few problems. Here is my current method.

fcp sequence h.264 compression.
export to qt movie - not self contained.
import file into compressor.
compress using 90min best quality 2-pass.
Import assets into dvdsp.
create one menu with one button that leads to track one.
Heres where the problem is.
After I have built the project and saved to my drive, I cannot format because of the layer break marker. I have set the cell time and time again. even using chapter markers but it still will not let me select any of the markers manually. It also throws errors when I try it on automatic. I have been able to burn a single layer dvd with these settings and the end result looks fantastic, but I really need to learn more about how the markers work and where to place them. I know you have to make layer 0 larger than layer 1 but I still just can't figure it out. I am taking the single layer dvd down to the theater tonight to test it. I just really hope I can figure all of this out by thursday(filmstock film festival).

Any help is hugely appreciated.

I have been on numerous forums this morning and have come to the conclusion that I just need to set a lot of markers around the center point of my time line and let dvdsp pick one with the automatic selection. I really hope it works. Anybody else see something I am doing wrong?