BEST HD QUALITY SETTINGS IN COMPRESSOR TO EXPORT TO DVD STUDIO PRO

I shot in HD, and edited with FCP. I am now trying to use compressor to make a DVD, but first I am trying to figure out what settings I should use in compressor to get the best quality for my DVD?? I wil be completing the DVD process in DVD studio pro.... Thank you!

Unless you have HD-DVD media and an HD-DVD burner, you are doing an SD DVD. As in, what most DVDs are these days (Blu-Ray and HD-DVD still being quite cost prohibitive on the user end). If you have standard 4.7GB DVD-R or DVD+R this is SD DVD.
As far as settings, depending on how many audio tracks you have and what format they are, I would take one of the two-pass MPEG-2 settings (e.g. MPEG-2 Best Quality 90 Minutes) in compressor, go to the Encoder pane -> Quality tab and raise the Average/Max bitrates. Set Motion Estimation to Best.
Keep in mind you want all your bandwidth usage (audio, video, subtitles, etc) to go no higher than ~9.5Mbps lest you run the risk of players choking.
If your HD source is real clean, even at the default 6.2 Mbps you should get great quality, but some extra bits in there will give more room to avoid artifacts...
Hope that helps.

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I'm a bit confused. Since my original camera format was 720/60p, and I converted the footage to Pro Res422 in order to edit in Final Cut Pro 7, should I convert back to a higher quality format before sending the file to DVD Studio Pro?

I'm a bit confused. Since my original camera format was 720/60p, and I converted the footage to Pro Res422 in order to edit in Final Cut Pro 7, should I convert back to a higher quality format before sending the file to DVD Studio Pro? If so, which Compressor codec is best to use in order to preserve the original 720/60p? How do I maintain the highest quality?

No...ProRes is a high quality format. Finishing format. Many TV networks take that as a final deliverable.
BUT...DVDs aren't high definition...they are SD. You cannot make a 720p60 DVD with DVD Studio Pro. Any DVD you make will be SD...720x480. The only HD DVD format out there is BluRay, and for that you need a BluRay burner.
As for making a high quality DVD...using the BEST QUALITY settings in Compressor will work:
#42 - Quick and dirty way to author a DVD
Shane's Stock Answer #42 - David Roth Weiss' Secret Quick and Dirty Way to Author a DVD:
The absolute simplest way to make a DVD using FCP and DVDSP is as follows:
1. Export a QT movie, either a reference file or self contained using current settings.
2. Open DVDSP, select the "graphical" tab and you will see two little monitors, one blue, one green.
3. Select the left blue one and hit delete.
4. Now, select the green one, right click on it and select the top option "first play".
5. Now drag your QT from the browser and drop it on top of the green monitor.
6. Now, for a DVD from an HD source, look to the right side and select the "general tab" in the track editor, and see the Display Mode, and select "16:9 pan-scan."
7. Hit the little black and yellow burn icon at the top of the page and put a a DVD in when prompted. DVDSP will encode and burn your new DVD.
THATS ALL!!!
NOW...if you want a GOOD LOOKING DVD, instead of taking your REF movie into DVD SP, instead take it into Compressor and choose the BEST QUALITY ENCODE (2 pass VBR) that matches your show timing. Then take THAT result into DVD SP and follow the rest of the steps. Except you can choose "16:9 LETTERBOX" instead of PAN & SCAN if you want to see the entire image.

Exporting to dvd studio pro

What is the best way to export sequences to DVD Studio Pro for output to DVD Video (PAL), just for television viewing? Currently using quicktime movie, but are finding artifacts on both menus and footage. Pixel type flashs, not always in the same places (seems to alter each time I do a new build).
I have been told to experiment with Compressor, but there are so many options where do I begin? Also how does the sound work with Compressor, whats the best sound file to use, does it matter?
I'm using FCStudio5 (upgraded recently from FCPHD4.5. Everything used to work fine on old version, now seem to have continual problems.

The best way to export to DVD Studio Pro is using Compressor - it's also the fastest way!
If your footage orriginated in NTSC, export it directly to PAL. It will take a little longer as PAL (720 x 576 @ 25 fps) has higher resolution than NTSC.
It doesn't really matter what sound setting you use, as long as it is 192 Mbit/s or higher.
Then create a DVD Studio Pro using the PAL settings and bear in mind that the picture frame (including menus) is 720 x 576.
If you regularly send/sell matherial to Europe, it's much better to shoot it in PAL!

What's the best way to master an MPEG 2 file for DVD Studio Pro.

In version 4.5 of FCP I was able to use QuickTime conversion to encode to MPEG2. Now that option is not there. I hate using compressor 2 to create MPEG 2 because when I do the MPEG 2 files always seem to studder and I don't know why. I shot my project in HDV. It is about 64 minutes long. Any suggestions on the BEST way to master an MPEG 2 file for DVD Studio pro? Thanks in advance!
Peter
PS - I'm using FCP 5

Some people have reported a field reversal problem with HDV to SD DVD encodes. There's an Apple technical document on this issue somewhere, but the problem was supposed to be addressed by a Pro Applications update a couple of years ago... This site might help you get to the bottom of the problem.
http://www3.telus.net/bonsai/Step-by-Step.html

Emergency questions exporting for dvd studio pro (ntsc and pal)

Hi,
I'm under a tight timeline and would appreciate any help possible. I'm experimenting with outputs/burning today so the real thing can happen tomorrow.
I have an hour long project that was shot on two different kinds of cams -- a sony hdv V1U and pan dvx100b. The first shot mostly in 16:9, the second squeeze 24p. We imported all footage as non-hd though, because the V1u has had problems syncing properly with hd settings with final cut. The issue/question now is this-
I don't know what file format (I'm assuming mpeg-4 for DVD studio pro, but using compressor or no?) or settings to use -- I'm used to mpeg-4, but for some reason it is coming out all grainy/pixelated and I'm not sure if I need to adjust the settings. Also, once exported into a usable/high quality format, I need to burn a ntsc dvd but also a pal dvd -- I've burned pal dvds on dvd studio pro before and know adjusting the settings is just in preferences, but I'm assuming the video will need to be converted into a different kind of file. Or no?
My sequence settings are 1440x1080 (16:9), quicktime video settings compressor hdv 1080i60. When I export as a quicktime file the conversion is great and no problems, but that isn't workable in dvd studio pro.
I would appreciate any advice you could offer,
Thank you,
Tenzin

Thank you, I'm trying that -- someone else just mentioned it needing to be an mpeg 2 file as well. The trouble I'm having now in compressor is it isn't converting when I press submit -- nothing is showing up in the batch monitor. I've tried this directly exporting from fcp using compressor, as well exporting quicktime from fcp and then using the quicktime file in compressor.
I'm not used to using compressor so I'm thinking I am not doing something properly in this process? Thank you for the suggestions, they are reassuring. Do you know if the same file produced by compressor can be used for the pal dvd?

FCP Export to DVD Studio Pro

I am trying to export a QT movie file from FCP to DVD Studio Pro, but once it is in DVDSP, the file is too large to fit on a dual-layer DVD-R. Not to mention there are other files that need to be on that same DVD.
I was told to always export it with CURRENT SETTINGS ..... but when I do, they are over 10GBs in DVD Studio Pro.
Do I have to re-edit my movie to make it shorter? Its only a 45min HD Video. Or is there a setting I am missing here?
Please help! Thanks so much.

Yes, export with current settings. But you're leaving out the crucial step, which is creating the mpeg file that dvdsp needs. You can either make it in compressor or let dvdsp do it in the background while you author your menus etc. It's the same engine either way. But having dvdsp do it, while in one way simpler-- the controls need a lot more drilling down to find. Sorry if that's a convoluted sentence. Too many jelly beans.

Compressor Incompatible Formats for DVD Studio Pro???

I'm at my wits end...I have exported DV/NTSC QuickTime movies from Final Cut Pro and then drug them into Compressor, where I have applied the "fastet" DVD encodes for SD video of 90, 120, & 150 minutes in Compressor (all Apple presets that I have not modified). The files come out, but when I try to drag them into DVD Studio Pro, it tells me that the video files are of an incompatible format. What am I doing wrong here? Any help will be greatly appreciated!

If you did not touch the presets, the first thing I would look for is whether you set the project to PAL and were trying to bring NTSC streams in or vice versa. ( If you had changed anything, such as the Codecs or typew of MPEG-2, then it could be something else.) Any details on the computer or veersion of Compressor and DVD SP?
Is this an upgrade over a prior install?

Exporting for Dvd Studio Pro

im trying to export students projects in my lab, what steps do i need to do to get them to work efficiently in Dvd Studio Pro. they are all on there own external harddrives.

I think we need a bit more detail.
Are you exporting footage from FCP?
If so, you should look to encode it to MPEG2 before bringing it in to DVDSP if you want to have control over the encoding process. You could use Compressor, or you could use any other encoder that you wish, as long as it produces elementary streams for DVDSP.
You could export from FCP using the Quicktime conversion OR the Compressor option.
You might choose to do neither and simply use the .mov file in DVDSP and let DVDSP handle the encoding as you work (in the background) or when you build.
Some more info would help

Install Order Question - Compressor 4 first or DVD Studio Pro 4 first...

Hi all, I have asked this on another forum but realized I probably should have tried here first.
I'm on a fresh install of Lion and am planning to use this to do authoring on. I want to use compressor 4 which I will get from the app store and plan to use DVD Studio Pro 4 from my FCS3 set.
I'm not sure on the install order tho.
If I put my FCS3 disc in, it requires to install compressor to install DVD Studio pro. Should I install from FCS3 first then buy Compressor 4 from the app store, or can I install compressor 4 first and some how bypass FCS3 attempting to install its copy of compressor? I don't really need/want 2 copies of compressor on my system... Any tips on what I can do to install just Compressor 4 and DVD Studio 4 without the Compressor and Qmaster from FCS3 I'd be most appreciative!!

My 2 cents…don't be in a hurry to get rid of Compressor 3.5 – particularly if you're planning to continue working with FCP 7. You can keep both on your system, no problem. (This raises the question of why you need v4, but I asssume you have good reasons.)
I would begin by doing the FCS installation, then doing all the required updates; then I'd download the Compressor app and install. I'm pretty sure that this will automatically create a FCS folder and move all your legacy apps to that folder. The APple best practices doc for a single partition install says next step is to open the legacy version of Motion and then close before doimg anything with the new app (in your case, Compressor4).
Pretty confident that all your FCS apps – including DVSP – should work fine after this.
BUT. Always clone your systems drive so you can revert in case you don't like the results. (Time Machine is not an adequent substitute. I use Carbon Copy Cloner but there are alternatives.)
Russ

Are Compressor files compatible with DVD Studio Pro?

I am buying Final Cut Pro X and Compressor, but I am working on a school project that needs to be finished in DVD Studio Pro. Would the compressed files be compatible with DVD Studio Pro even though FCP7 and FCPX are not compatible?

Yes. Compressor 4 (or any version) will create the DVD-compliant files that are used in DVDSP.
Russ

Slideshow Export to DVD Studio Pro

Is there a way in Aperture to export a slideshow that displays the file name at the bottom of an image so that it can be imported into DVD Studio Pro to be made into a chapter on a DVD?
I really need to do this! HELP!!!!
Kevin Hawkins

First, export the shots you want to use.
From there you can import directly to dvd studio pro and title them as a dvd slide show if you like. You can also do this with idvd.
The dvd slide show format is limited to 99 shots, though and has some other limitations, (transitions), as well. You can break these by turning the shots into a movie, using something like imovie or final cut pro. Both also support titling.
There are several stand alone programs for doing this too, including photo2movie, and still life, both of which have relatively low price tags.
Search the dvdsp or fcp forms for more on this. Also search for "ken burns effect", which you may want to consider if you do this much.

Film Export problem - DVD Studio Pro 4!

I have a problem when exporting my dvd as .img file.
The protokoll says (in german): Achtung: Die Datei „NAME-MPEG-2; 6,4 MBit/s; 2-Pass; 4/3.m2v“ im VIDEO_TS- oder HVDVD_TS-Ordner ist auf der fertiggestellten DVD nicht enthalten.
means the original file is not included. what can i do?
In my dvd studio pro document all data is imported and green light.
Need help!

It is probably a standard warning message to say that the file is not included in the video_ts folder - which is quite alright... you don't want that in there. When the video_ts folder is created it should only contain .vob, .bup and .ifo files. Anything else is technically 'illegal' to be contained there, and will be omitted.
Does your burn complete? Can you play the disc?

Best quality export to DVD Studio Pro for HD

Sorry if this has been resolved before but I am totally confused.
I am using FCP with a Sony HVR-Z1E. I aim to make the highest quality clips on my dvds prefering to have many short high quality dvds than having fewer long low quality ones. I would be very grateful if someone would sujest the best setting for this or to create a new one.
Thanks for any help
Regards Alf

Compressor has some presets for making high quality DVDs, I'd start with those. Take a short sample of your footage that you feel best represents the visual quality of the piece, and start testing different configurations. There is no one magical setting that is going to work for everyone. You'll also probably reach a point where you really can't tell the difference between one high bitrate and another higher bitrate. This can be a good indication that you've found the best quality option.
Using CBR encoding will give you the highest, consistent quality, but larger filesizes. Using VBR will maximise your quality to filesize ratio.
Do be aware that DVDs do have a bitrate limit of 9000 Kb/s. This includes both your audio and video. If you're audio and video bit rates add up to a sum greating than 9000 Kb/s, DVD SP will throw a weird error when you try to build your project.

Exporting to DVD Studio PRo from FCP5 .... Can't find answer anywhere..

Sorry guys, but I have read about 2 hours worth of posts without any answers to my question that is driving me insane. My eyes are bleeding and I am tired of experimenting having to wait hours for exporting to finish just to find out it isn't good quality or not acceptable in DVDSP.
Here is my deal and hopefully someone can help me resolve my issue.
I shot in 24p HDV and edited in FCP5. Finishes project and now want to burn on DVD for friends and family =) End project is about 18 minutes long 720p
Tried using QuickTime Movie export and "current settings" and the file ended up being like 370mb, which seems REALLY small, so I am not sure how to change "current settings," since I am convinced those settings are not the best quality.
I then tried DCHDV PRO 24F in the alternate settings and I ended up with a 5.6gb file, which looked beautiful but too large for a DVD. I tried using compressor to make it smaller using m2v conversation but DVSP refuses the file. I would love to use a QuickTime Movie export that can get the file around 4gb and keep the GREAT quality and still be accepted in DVSP.
So what I really need from someone out there is:
What the best settings for exporting a 18 min HDV 24p movie from FCP5 to DVDSP losing the least amount of quality as possible?
Poor quality to me is flickering credits, poor colors etc.

I believe you have the fundamental misunderstanding of what is happening in this process.
When you create a DVD, all video material - without regard to original format - is converted to a highly compressed MPEG2 format and the audio to either an aiff or ac3 format. The video and audio files are then mixed (muxed) together into a series of VOB files. The major controllers of final quality are: original footage quality, compression bitrate and the amount of motion within frames. The overall length has an impact on bitrate as the DVD spec was designed for a 2 hr limit. HDV presents it's own problems as the 15 frame GOP format is not simply converted to the SD NTSC format.
You may want to spend time to understand how the mpeg2 compression works so you can make suitable adjustments if the result is unacceptable. It is a bit of a dark art but controllable to some extent.
The easy setups available in DVDSP are a good place to start and each parameter within the compression process is adjustable.
good luck.
x

Export For DVD Studio Pro

What's the best export setting for an iMovie that I will be including on a DVD-SP project. I posted a similar question in the DVD-SP forum and was told to use MPEG-2 as my export setting under the "Expert Settings" tab. However, I didn't see this as an option. What's the best setting to use for a DVD project. I was under the impression that MPEG-2 is the standard for DVD but don't know what to do to get that quality from iMovie.

Well what -I- would do is a FULL Quality DV export from iMovie then use Compressor to encode to MPEG-2. Compressor gives you a lot more options and (arguably) better quality.
Daniel C. Slagle
Keeper of the "Unofficial" iMovie FAQ
http://iMovie.danslagle.com

BEST HD QUALITY SETTINGS IN COMPRESSOR TO EXPORT TO DVD STUDIO PRO

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