CS4 Media Encoder - 7Mbps and 5.1 audio too much?

Question

I recently re-encoded an SD DVD with a higher bitrate after initially using the "high quality" preset.  I did the calcs and the 1 hour 15 minute video with 5.1 DD audio worked out to a 7MPBS CBR and fit on one single layer DVD.
The picture quality is of course very crisp.  However, my problem is my player seems to be a bit glitchy on fast forwards.  Even froze for a while.  And there are a few blips or glitches in the video I did not notice in the lower bitrate render and burn.
I know that 8Mbps can be too much for some players to handle.  But could 7Mbps and 5.1 audio be too much? Not sure what Mbps that combination adds up to.  I also put quality on 5.  Not sure of that setting's impact.
Should I try 6Mbps CBR or go back to variable?  I am assuming that the issue is the render settings.  I am using the same media, same timeline, same playback chain, etc.
I am somewhat surprised that the "high quality" preset has a low of 1.5, target of 4 and max of 5 and "quality" of 4.  Or am I pushing it too hard with my settings?  I figured since I had the space and was not trying to cram 2 hours on a SL DVD, why not max out the file size.
Clearly there is a setting or combination of settings that is creating a problem.  Any help most appreciated!
BJBBJB1

Answer 1

I know that 8Mbps can be too much for some players to handle.
That's actually not true.  ALL DVD players will handle a combined video/audio bitrate of around 10 Mbps.  The cause of playback issues is more likely disks that don't read properly in the player.
The solution is threefold:
1. Quality burner (Sony/NEC is a very good brand)
2. Quality disks (Falcon Pro are the best I've used, better even than Verbatim or Taiyo Yuden)
3. Correct format (Some players work better with -R, some prefer +R)