From my understanding DV PAL 4:2:0 and DVD Mpeg2 4:2:0 despite the numbers do not match. I am not an expert on this but I have been told there is no advantage to PAL's 4:2:0 in this situation.

Ervin, thanks for this. I am not as up on the jargon as you and most of the people here so here are my questions..

RE: step 3 - Do i use the adobe media encoder to do this, if so do I need to up the resolution to the HD res or is that available as a preset?

RE: step 3(the second one!) - "Frameserve to TMPG Enc".. I know TMPG Enc but have not used frameserve, assuming thats a program. Could you explain what this means.

Once I have done the frameserve tmpgenc thing will i be left with an avi or an mpeg?

Many thanks again

Yes, you use media encoder, there is no preset, just select generic mpeg2 1440x1080 upper field first, interlaced, and move the quality slider to max. Our friend "down and under" posted a nice tutorial on this a while ago: see http://www.esnips.com/web/Premiere-Pro-2-Video-Tutes.

Frame serving will not leave a real video file behind - that's exactly the reason it's used for. Frame serving provides a fake file that is seen as a real file by the encoding app - if you need a real file to be used in other applications, then you will have to output to a real file, but will need to have enough hard drive space for it.

no i use TMPGEnc DVD Author and I think I'm right in saying the newer versions accept m2t files so I will give your method a try. Many thanks

Ervin,

I have exported using the full res mpeg setting (it exported an m2v file) which I have imported into Virtualdub Mpeg2. I am having trouble seeing where to resize the video in virtualdub as ive never used it before.

Do I have to go to the compression setting under the video menu and choose a specific codec?

Do you know of any similar guides for completing the virtualdub step of this process so I can try and stop bugging you so much!

Thanks :)

David

In Video > Comression set compression to uncompressed (it's the default).

Under Video > Filters go to Add and select Resize. Set to 720x576 for PAL (720x480 for NTSC), Filter mode Lanczos 3 and tick the Interlaced box. OK to save and F7 to start the resizing/decompressing.

Leave everything else at default.

Just keep bugging me, I love to help!

Ok Ervin, if you like it then I will no doubt keep them coming..

next issue.. aspect ratio of the converted file. The original is 16:9 and the one I have output is 4:3. I set the frame size to 720x576 but if i remember right there is no difference in frame resolution between 16:9 and 4:3...

Where in the program to I specify a 16:9 output?

Expect more questions once this one is answered!

Thanks

Correct, both 16x9 and 4x3 are 720x756.

You specify the aspect ratio in the MPEG2 encoding software.

Keep'em coming!

ah i see.. and there'll be no quality loss by exporting in virtualdub as 4:3 and then converting to wide when I burn the DVD?

So now I have the exported avi file do I import this to the dvd authoring software and let it encode or am I missin ga step?

It says in your guide I now have to frame serve to TMPGEnc... I wont lie to you... that means nothing to me...?!

Thankyou kind sir.

You won't loose a thing - the final MPEG2-DVD file will be still 720x576, but it will have information embedded to "tell" the DVD player "this is a 16x9 video".

Now that you have the uncompressed AVI file - feed that to your favorite encoder or directly to the DVD authoring software. I prefer to go in two steps, encode with TMPG Enc and then author the DVD in Adobe Encore as Encore does a poor job at encoding.

If you already have the actual uncompressed AVI file, you skipped the frame serving part; that was INSTEAD of exporting to an actual file, in order to save hard disk space.

Ervin,

Yes ive noticed that the file is very large (1.4gb per minute..) My videos should be 70 mins max so i will be able to handle it.

I do not have my authoring software with me at work but I have 2 avi files, one created using mpeg full res export and virtualdub 4:3 conversion, and one where i simply imported the m2t file into a 16:9 SD project and scaled down to 54%.

If the authoring software allows it i will burn both to one DVD and compare on my tv.. looking forward to seeing the results.

What makes you want to use TMPGEnc for the encoding specifically? I used to use mainconcept mpeg encoder to encode. I'm not sure if you are familiar with that piece of software but would that do the same as encoding with TMPGEnc? In which case I can convert them both to mpegs now at work and burn and check a disc. I am always worried that somewhere deep in the mainconcept settings it is compressing the mpeg too much and possibly losing quality to save disc space.. which with a 70 mins dvd is not generally necessary.

Thanks

upgrade PP2 to PP3?
 

I will also add that with PP2, the downrezzing of HD to SD for mpeg video is just plain busted - the quality is very poor. PP3 corrects a number of issues that PP2 has, and the quality of PP3 for MPEG video is significantly better. You will easily be able to tell the difference

Brent,

thanks for that .So if I had PP3 what would the steps be? Import the HD footage into an SD timeline and down scale? Or edit in a HD timeline and just output to SD using the imporved media encoding?

David,

If your PC can handle the processing, I'd pull it into an HD timeline, edit it in HD, then you can export the final edit as either HD or SD. that's what I usually do.

btw - to clarify, with PP2, I found that if I exported mpeg-2 as progressive, then the quality was preserved. However, exporting from HD to interlaced (where you need it for a DVD) was where the quality took a big hit - this is what was fixed in PP3.

Brent

If Mainconcept works fine for you in an all SD environment, then it might be OK for this process as well. TMPGEnc is incredibly slow but by far the best encoder in the $100-200 range. Of course, a $2000 Cinemacraft that can perform 10 passes will blow away any other encoder...

(Sorry for the delay, I was away a couple of days).