Multi-angle dvd just not working out... do you have any tips?

Question

I am making a multi angle dvd with DVDSP and compressor. I have 2 video streams that are encoded at 4.0Mbps and with AC3 audio encoded at 192Kbps. The video looks 'ok' and I want to be able to switch between these 'angles' during the movie.
The video is broken up into 5 parts of 6min each. Which are all assembled in the Track1 consecutively with the AC3 audio, then the 2nd angle video (which is also in 5 parts) is added as the angle 2 sub-track.
There is a Track2 with the exact same video, but without the switchable angles and encoded higher at 6.8Mbps (preset 60min HQ) on this same disc.
With menus, the entire size of the disc is 4.1Gb
Everytime I build this dvd, it errors out with the "Video Bitrate Too High" problem. I have dropped the AC3 audio down quite a bit as well.
I can encode everything all over again using a higher compression, but there is tons of movement in my video, and it is already starting to get blocky at 4.0Mbps.
Is there another way? Am I missing something here in making a multi angle disc? I've rented videos where there are 2-3 angles that are switchable, and they look awesome. Surely, some one can share tips in making great multi-angle discs. TIA.

Answer 1

Hi There
I have created a mixed angle DVD that went to replication successfully but getting the mpegs right was very difficult. In the end I had to re-install DVDSP3 onto my system for two reasons 1) The only way my mpegs would work was if they were created thru Quicktime Mpeg Exporter which DVDSP4 removes, and 2) after I got it all working in DVDSP3 then tried to rebuild it in 4 it would not recognise my V2 or V3 angles - I didn't get any errors and it muxed ver quickly but only V1 was present. I have not been able to create a multi angle disc in DVDSP4 SD, even with mpegs that build successfully in 3.
The problem with all of Apple's encoders except QT Mpeg Exporter is that they create the occassional bitrate spike in both CBR and VBR, which will blow your encoding everytime in a mixed/multi angle project.
That said - here's how I exported my mpegs.
I made a QT movie of the complete V1 track (no cuts as Hal warned you about, they act as compression markers and force a GOP boundary) and placed it in a FCP timeline. Then added my chapter markers to the FCP timeline. Next, in a new vision track I added my mixed angle footage in the exact places where it is meant to come in and out, using the chapter markers.
Then I turned off the mixed angle footage and exported the mpeg of the entire V1 track using CBR 7Mbps closed GOP (Mpeg exporter is automatically closed GOP) and making sure that 'recognise chapters' box was ticked (can't remember exactly what its called). Once done I turned off V1 and turned on V2 then set my in and out points to the exact in and outs of each of my mixed angle tracks respectively, and exported these using the same settings.
When I dragged the mpegs into DVDSP and placed my V2 vision in I occassionally got a warning of GOP problems after a certain timecode, if this happened I only lost the last few frames of the clip which wasn't a problem in my project. Then tested and built and all was good - I then had to repeat the whole proccess again for an NTSC version which also worked.
So, there's my long winded way of solving the problem. Unfortunately if there's a better way I haven't found it and haven't read of an alternative on this forum of the Cow that has worked.
Good luck and let us know how you go.
Cheers
B