DVD Studio Pro Newbie Needs Help!

I have a presentation deadline approaching and I need help desperately. I created my presentation using Keynote 3 (800*600 slides) and exported it to a Quicktime movie using H.264 compression at 29.97 fps (high quality settings). I then proceeded to use iDVD 6 and imported the Quicktime movie and created a simple menu using the templates provided.
I saved the entire project as a disk image and used the DVD player to check the disk image file. The quality of the DVD disk image file looked nothing like the original Quicktime movie. The images and text looked blurry and unprofessional.
I've spend quite some time on the iDVD and Keynote discussion forums and can't find a solution to my problem. The conclusion I've come is that the mpeg-2 encoder that iDVD 6 uses is problematic.
I don't want to start using DVD Studio Pro but I will in order to preserve the quality of my original Keynote presentation. So here are my questions...thank you in advance for your help guys....I really need it:
- I plan on playing the DVD on a 42" Plasma display at a sales office and also distributing it to potential buyers. Are my Keynote export settings optimal for iDVD use? Should I be using H.264 @ 29.97?
- If I must use DVDSP then what export/compression settings should I use in Keynote to preserve the quality? Keynote doesn't give me an option to use mpeg-2. I have ffmpegX so I can encode different formats...just need to know the correct one.
- Keynote exports separate audio and video files. I combined them using Quicktime. Is it possible to use the combined file in DVDSP or do they need to be separate.
Thanks for taking the time to read this post. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also, if you have any reading material pertaining to this matter please provide link.
~Eddie~
PowerBook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.5)

You can use a mov file that contains both audio and video. DVD Studio Pro will compress the mov itself. I am not overly familiar with the codec H.264 but either way its a codec that compresses the video, and if I am right that codec is used for compressing video to web based file sizes, which means heavy compression. When I create DVD material I use M2V format which is what DVD SP wants anyways so it cuts time and drive space in half. If you export an mov and import it into DVD SP, DVD SP compresses the file again which is M2V. Now you have two files, with twice the compression time. When creating M2V the only thing that you need o be aware of is the bit rate, which needs to be adjusted pending the duration of the video. Use 29.97 if you are NTSC and full frame rate, which you should be.
If you can not create an M2V file with associated aiff audio file, than export your QT file as uncompressed or as a QT Movie. The file itself will be huge but DVD SP will compress it properly.
I hope this helps

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DVD studio pro 4 encoding help!!

Hi all, i have a bit of a problem when using DVD Studio Pro 4.
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Whether you use DVDSP, Compressor, QT conversion, bitvice, etc., the media will be converted to SD mpeg2 when it goes on the SD DVD. You may find you get better results by using compressor to encode if you turn on the frame controls, which can enable better detail when the image is resampled down to SD. There are several advantages I find in my workflow to using Compressor rather than letting DVDSP do my encoding. If you are really interested, I can spell them out, but try it out and see if you get better quality on your DVD.

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Hi,
I've started with a task of creating a simple DVD with DVD Studio Pro 4. Task that has been shown a bit over my head for now.
Recently I created a DVD with iDVD and it worked nicely, but I wanted more hands on approach. I was supprised that DVD studio cant accept .m4v files and MPEG2 files. But in the program specs, in the Import FAQ section it says it can. So I don't know what video file to use.
Here are my biggest concerns when creating this DVD.
I have one menu. I have set a background photo for it, its 1920x1080 for 1080 HD video.
Should I go with max HD video, or use Standard Definition video instead?
I have already created my videos in m4v format. What do I need to do, so DVD Studio Pro 4 would read them? To mention this, I have converted them using VisualHub to MPEG-2, but DVD Studio Pro 4 refused to import them, clamming that they are not supported.
On that one menu, I want to have 6 buttons, that are actually a little pictures (stills from video, that I have already taken from video, and resized them in photoshop, and exported them as JPEG). How can I create buttons from those little JPEGS. One image for one button that will play one video.
In the end, I was thinking putting a little opening video before main menu showed. Video for about 5-6 seconds and then menu would show up. How can I do this? Is there some trick in Outline and Inspector that I should do? And also, what video (its tied with first question)?
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You should be making m2vs (without audio in them, in other words not multiplexed) for SD DVDs (which is what you are going for it sounds like.) MPEG-4 is compressed so you wind up recompressing.
Use Pro Res to send out a self contained movie from FCP or send the timeline straight from Final Cut to Compressor an preset (or one that you make yourself.) I prefer sending out self-contained versions in case I need to re-rencode or want to make items for various formats.
Movie setting up Compressor is [here|http://www.dvdstepbystep.com/compressor.mov]
Now there are geenerally two types of DVDs - SD (which is pretty much everything out there, except for blu-ray and the defunct HD DVD) and the HD ones. SD discs will play on anything for the most part and you can use HD video in making SD discs. When converting from HD sources, set up Compressor to tweak frame controls for resizing to better. Make sure aspect is 16:9 and when you put in the track set it for 16:9 Letterbox, not 16:9 pan and scan or pan and sacn letterbox.
As to menus check [this thread out|http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=11253338#11253338] for a real quick overview - sounds like you would probably want to composite the menu in Motion.
As to starting the movie, set the first play to the clip you want (which is a good idea in general - start with some video and not and menu) then set the jump from the track to your main menu.
Check out the bits and pieces posted [here|http://dvdstepbystep.com] there are alot of little things I put in there which can help you along and narrow down some things where you may have questions.
Also looking at the tutorials and manuals will also give you alot of the information, but the above should jumpstart you and help get you past some of the intial hurdles.

HD from FCP to DVD Studio Pro...Help!

Looking for opinions in getting the BEST possible Standard Def DVD from a Final Cut Pro sequence containing heavilly effected HD DVCPro P2 footage.
My sequences settings are:
Frame Size: 960 x 720
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Pixel Aspect Ratio: HD (960x720)
Editing Timebase: 23.97
Compressor: DVCPRO HD 720p60
Video Processing: Rendering in 8 bit YUV
I of course have Compressor and DVD Studio Pro 4, but have not gone from my HD sequence to SD DVD yet with quality results. I'm not concerned with time just highest possible quality so that it holds up well on HD televisions.

I just finished a 15-minute HD 1080i project in FCP that used AJA's DVC PRO HD 1080i 29.97 codec. I tried to make a self-contained QT movie and send it to compressor using the settings you suggested. Unfortunately, it came out with a lot of moraying and the detail around subjects eyes were pixelated.
Is there another setting you would recommend for going from 1080i to a Standard Def DVD?
thanks.

Will dvd studio pro solve my disc playback problems?

Hi folks-
I have to say I love my G5 and the very easy to use iDVD and Imovie apps. However I find that dvds I make will not play in many dvd players. This seems to be a known issue and I have tried various fixes without consistent results. Anyway, what I want to know, if anyone can tell me, is if upgrading to dvd studio pro will solve/help with this at all. As you all know it is very very disappointing to spend many hours and $$ creating a great video only to discover it is unplayable on random dvd players. It is also makes me look stupid, and I don't need any help in that regard.
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Need more details. Do they freeze and stutter or not do anything at all in these players?
If they freeze and stutter, are you sticking on labels? If so, this is most likely your problems. If they do nothing at all it could be a number of issues such as: bad drive, cheap media, etc.
Dual G5, iMac G5, PowerBook G4, IBook G4, G3, 604e Mac OS X (10.3.4)

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I have to create corporate dvd and the want really fancy things. For example..on a menu they want the link buttons..to fly in from the left..then when a link is selected..they want the links to fly out to the left..then have the menu jump.. someone said i could create it in motion..but im havin trouble incorporating motion with dvd studio pro..from saving to exporting to importing in dvd studio pro can anyone help me?..and suggestiong to other resources as well..?

Hi:
You can just use the Motion project itself in DVDSP with no exporting at all, with the advantage that when updating the project you'll see the changes in DVDSP automatically. But your animations could run slow because DVDSP uses AFAIK the Motion engine to render the Motion project.
Another option is exporting your Motion project as Animation and use that file in DVDSP to keep the most of the quality.
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Alberto

FCP to DVD Studio Pro exporting help needed - desperatey......

Hi.
Please help me if you can.
I am exporting a Quicktime movie from FCP for DVD Studio Pro 4. I chose the MPEG 4 option in the compression, make it best quality and bounce it. But when I look at the self-contained mov file, every time a person walks across the screen I am getting little lines on the light parts of the screen or a beating or sizzling effect in the dark parts. Basically it looks like everything is "alive" somewhat - objects like curtains seem to sizzle.
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I guess I don't know how to get the best quality bounce from FCP, in order to have a file that is less that 4G in size. Can someone please advise?
There are no directions on exporting FOR DVD Studio Pro in the Final Cut books, nor was there a FCP prep covered in the DVD SP books.

Quick workflow from FCP -> DVDSP:
In FCP, File Export QuickTime Movie
Select DVD Studio Pro Markers in the Markers drop-down (leave other settings as is)
Save QT Movie to your preferred location
In DVDSP, import your newly-created QT Movie
(You may want to confirm your encoding settings - both in terms of bit rate and whether
you're encoding on build or have background coding enabled - prior to this step though)
Best Quality workflow:
In FCP, trash the render files for your sequence
From the Menu, File Export Using Compressor
Now, in Compressor, select the appropriate preset(s): DVD: Best Quality 90 Minutes - 4:3
Optional: Delete the AIFF setting completely
Select the appropriate destination(s)
Optional: For the Dolby preset, alter Dialog Normalization (under the Audio tab of the Inspector) to -31. In the Preprocessing tab, alter the Compression Preset to None
Click Submit
Once the encode is done, import the .m2v and .ac3 (and/or .aiff) files into DVDSP
It's only fair to tell you that since this produces (pretty much) the best possible quality from Compressor, it may take as much as 5x-10x as long as the 'quick workflow' detailed earlier. (Especially if you've set DVDSP to do a one-pass encode)

How come my dvd studio pro 3 is not working properly with leopard? Need help!, How come my dvd studio pro 3 is not working properly with leopard? Need help!

I recently installed os leopard on my power MAC G5 and my DVD studio pro 3 application is not working properly as it used to be. I was unable to create motion menu and build the dvd properly. Then I deleted and reinstall dvd studio pro 3, but it did not solve the problems. What should I do?

I have a sneaking suspicion it won't work in 10.5.x, possibly because of the version of Quicktime...
System Requirements:
Mac OS X v10.3.2
733 MHz or faster PowerPC processor (G4 minimum) and AGP graphics card
256 MB of RAM (512 MB recommended)
20 GB available disk space
8 MB of video memory (32 MB recommended)
QuickTime 6.5
DVD drive required for installation
I think your going to need a dual boot Mac with 10.4.x on another drive or partition.

Newbie Help-I just installed DVD Studio Pro 4...

...as an upgrade from DVD Studio Pro 3 and now I can't find any of the menu templates or button templates. Does anyone know where they are located so I can import them back in to the program? Thanks!

Go to the Preferences menu choice of DVDSP4 and in the Destination Pane there is a drop down menu. Embedded down in the last line of the selections is the Show Palette Elements. Click on the Reset in the Stock category DVDSP began to load all of the templates back into the application.
When setting Destination Folders on a Project be sure to not change the Palette Elements. And, if they are changed for some reason, click Reset and DVDSP will load them back.

HELP how do I compress my DV Video into DVD Studio Pro??

Thank you in advance for taking your time out to even read this!
I have a 40 minute 4:3 DV format video in final cut pro and I need to fit it on a DVD (4.7 gig) using DVD studio Pro. I have the whole FInal Cut Pro package (compressor, live type, etc...) so how would I compress the video and then put it in DVD studio pro, with the highest video quality possible?
Again thanks to all you people taking time out to just help!!!! Darin.

Take a look at these liks also
http://dvdstepbystep.com/faqs_7.php
http://dvdstepbystep.com/faqs_3.php
http://dvdstepbystep.com/qc.php (Compressor 2 but concepts apply)
http://dvdstepbystep.com/fasttrackover.php (General workflow, but you can send from Final Cut without rendering exporting, more for settings)

Provide Feedback for the DVD Studio Pro User Manual and Onscreen Help Here

The Apple documentation team for professional video applications would like to know what you think about the DVD Studio Pro 4 Help documentation (available in the Help menu):
• How often do you use the DVD Studio Pro Help documentation? Under what circumstances do you use it most?
• How do you find what you're looking for in DVD Studio Pro Help? For example: table of contents, index, skimming, PDF links, PDF search?
• What do you like most about DVD Studio Pro Help?
• What is missing?
• Are there any particular examples of other manuals or documentation that you consider to be good models for future editions of the DVD Studio Pro User Manual and onscreen help?
• By what method do you usually learn a new application? For example: provided tutorials and manuals, third-party tutorials or books, training classes?
• What do you think is the most difficult feature/concept to grasp in DVD Studio Pro?
• What's the most frustrating experience you've had with the DVD Studio Pro Help documentation?
• Do you prefer electronic or print documentation?
• Are there any other delivery methods or media you think we should explore?
• What size computer display do you typically use to view the onscreen help? For example: 15-inch, 17-inch, 20-inch, 23-inch, or 30-inch?
• What resolution is the computer display set to when you view onscreen help? For example: 1024 x 768, 1280 x 854, or 1920 x 1200 pixels?
• Do you use multiple computer displays?

• How often do you use the DVD Studio Pro Help
documentation? Under what circumstances do you use it
most?
I'm working with DVSP for 4 months, so everytime I don't know how to do something I use the documentation. As the times passes I almost don't need it so often.
• How do you find what you're looking for in DVD
Studio Pro Help? For example: table of contents,
index, skimming, PDF links, PDF search?
PDF Search, but I think is not the best way to search because it shows too much useless results.
• What do you like most about DVD Studio Pro Help?
It is powerful and easy to use.
• What is missing?
A way of editing the DVD Project Source Code. Let me explain: in some big projects I just need to change the Jump from "button_1" to "button_2", and to do that I need to find the button under my menus and choose it from a list. If I can just type "2" instead of "1" it will be faster and error-free.
Advancing in this idea, if I can open the entire link list as a Source Code in TextEdit, I can see all the buttons and link all of them without seeking for each on menus.
Today the Connections Tab helps a lot, but I still need to find the button un the menus. With 5 or 4 menus is easy, but sometimes I have 50...
• Are there any particular examples of other manuals
or documentation that you consider to be good models
for future editions of the DVD Studio Pro User Manual
and onscreen help?
The OSX help is great!
• By what method do you usually learn a new
application? For example: provided tutorials and
manuals, third-party tutorials or books, training
classes?
Manuals, third-party tutorials and discussions foruns.
• What do you think is the most difficult
feature/concept to grasp in DVD Studio Pro?
• What's the most frustrating experience you've had
with the DVD Studio Pro Help documentation?
Using scripts. It could be better with a lot of examples. "To do that, try this one".
• Do you prefer electronic or print documentation?
In electronic is easy to find things.
• Are there any other delivery methods or media you
think we should explore?
• What size computer display do you typically use to
view the onscreen help? For example: 15-inch,
17-inch, 20-inch, 23-inch, or 30-inch?
I use AppleCinema 20
• What resolution is the computer display set to when
you view onscreen help? For example: 1024 x 768, 1280
x 854, or 1920 x 1200 pixels?
1650x1050
• Do you use multiple computer displays?
No.

Help.. First Time Using DVD Studio Pro!!

OK .. this is my first time using DVD Studio Pro. Before this I have always used IDVD for my Final Cut Projects, but I now need to branch out!
I've hit a bit of a brick wall. I've watched the video tutorials and tried to read the instruction manual, but it's heavy going!!!.. can someone help me get over the hump?
Here's where I've got to:
- In my Assets tab I have my two file - Test.mov QT Video File and Test.mov QT Audio file. Both are yellow uncompressed video. I also have a templates folder.
- I chose the template called brush cover which I can see under the menu tab on a window. If I go to that same window and select the graphical tab I can see a menu 1 and track 1.
- In my timeline I have dragged my Video and adui assets over and can see them and actually play the movie.
- What is also worth mentioning is that I can also see the 18 chapter markers that I created in FCP.
- Now I hit the brick wall!!.
- Back in my menu I see 8 buttons. In my timeline I have 18 chapters. How do I transfer my 18 chapters over to my menu so that I have 18 buttons each one representing a chapter?
- I'm sure that it's obvious and a silly question.. but for a rookie like me who's trying to figure this out from scratch it's not easy!
Thanks for any advise!!.. also if anyone has a good 'idiot's guide' for ex iDVD people moving to DVD Pro then I'd really appreciate it!
Many Thanks!
Steve.
-

Steve
Back in my menu I see 8 buttons. In my timeline I have 18 chapters. How do I transfer my 18 chapters over to my menu so that I have 18 buttons each one representing a chapter?
You can duplicate your 8 buttons menu so many time as you need to include your 18 chapters, creating a simple new button to navigate through Chapter Menu1, Chapter Menu2, etc.
Or you can duplicte&resize buttons to fit more of them in a single menu, but 18 button chapters could be too much for a comfortable navigation.
Thanks for any advise!!.. also if anyone has a good 'idiot's guide' for ex iDVD people moving to DVD Pro then I'd really appreciate it!
You can use the Search feature in this forum and almost for sure you'll find any answer you need, in particular for basic stuff.
You can visit Drew13's site [DVD Step by Step|http://www.dvdstepbystep.com] for some good tutorials, and Drew13 uses to stay tuned here to help you too!
And sometimes Google helps too !
Hope that helps !
Alberto

DVD Studio Pro Help!

Recently just got FCP2 and will admit I am a bit new to everything within it. I'm finishing up a film we have recently been doing and I'm basically ready for export/DVD creation process.
First: What is better to do when exporting to DVD Studio Pro 4: Exporting as Quicktime movie and have the studio do the encoding? Or exporting the final cut sequence through compressor and adding those assets in Studio Pro after. As of now I'm more comfortable using compressor and what I've done with it after loading into DVD Pro Studio looks great.
Second: What is the best way for chapter markers? On the DVD I'd like to have a sub menu of Chapter Selection but don't know the best way to do this. Do I have to export individual clips from Final Cut to add as a menu, or will adding chapter markers in FC do the trick?
Those are my main two questions for now so any help would be appreciated and like I said, I'm kind of a newbie to DVD Studio Pro so all basic help would also be great.
Thanks!

1. Export QuickTime, self contained, current settings, audio and video, no recompression.
Take that file and drop it into Compressor. Elect the preset consistent with the total length of the video in minutes, and use the ac3 audio encoder.
Then bring those assets into DVD SP.
2. Not certain what you are asking here. Set your markers first in Final Cut Pro before you export.
go to kenstone.net and search for "stories." A good tutorial there.

Animations, Themes in DVD Studio Pro 2 Stopped Working! HELP!

Hey All,
I upgraded to 10.4 and did all the necessary updates, including pro app support. now DVD Studio Pro 2 is no longer displaying any type of Animation. Whether it is a movie file or Theme Animation, all I get is a black screen in preview, Canvas and Final Burn. It has totally hindered my ability to create any type of animated menus. I've checked DVDSP2's packages and all the movie files are there and work fine in QT but not in DVDSP2. I need some serious DVDSP2 genius to help!
Thanks!
PowerMac Dual G4 1.2 - 1.5 GB RAM - GeForce 4 Ti Card - Quicktime 7 Pro Mac OS X (10.4.6)

I wasn't going to say anything, but, some people on these boards, (having simalar issues) had to wipe there drives and reinstall, before everything went back to normal.
I just didn't want to have you go that far, unless everything else failed and it's beginning to look that way.
I personally, when a major upgrade to the OS occurs, wipe my drive, just so there is no strange behavior with my application and gives me a chance get rid of all the unseen trash in the background, (that can cause problems) which are invisible to the user, (I do this about once a year.)
G5 Quad Core 2.5GHz 6GB RAM Mac OS X (10.4.6) [storage] X RAID's : [capture] Io : [decks] Betacam SP, S-VHS, DSR-11

DVD Studio Pro Newbie Needs Help!

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