Revisit: Best Quality vs Best Performance

This earlier thread was marked "answered" but there still seems to be some confusion over these project settings. Here's what Ken Stone says at his idvd6 authoring site:
"These encoder settings control the quality of the encode, the speed of the encoding process and when the encoding will take place. The Best Performance setting is restricted to 60 minutes of video or less. When used, encoding will happen quickly and you have the option of selecting 'Enable background encoding'. With background encoding, iDVD will start encoding as soon as you place your video assets into the iDVD interface. You can continue to work on your project, add art work, background images and audio, create buttons, additional menus and build slideshows, all the while iDVD will be encoding your video. This is the fastest way to encode, but quality takes a bit of a hit. If you want higher quality, then you want the next encoding option.
If you choose 'Best Quality' you will notice that the 'Enable background encoding' is grayed out and you will not be able to encode as you work on your project. Encoding will have to wait until you have finished your project and click the Burn button. There is a reason for this. iDVD will automatically select the best quality possible for the total amount of video you have in your iDVD project. As quality will be determined by the length of your video, iDVD must wait until you have completed your project so it will know how much video it needs to encode and can make the appropriate choices. iDVD uses the same encoding engine found in Compressor, which ships with FC Studio and DVD Studio Pro."
. . . . so Best Performance is for speed but "quality takes a bit of a hit" according to Stone. Not necessarily what I've been reading here on forum.

What Mr Stone leaves out is that 'Best Quality' is for projects of between 61 and 120 minutes.
If you project is longer than 60 minutes you don't have a choice but to use 'best quality'.
IMO it takes an extremely eagle eye to notice the theoretical quality loss.

Similar Messages

  • Best Quality or Best Performance. Which?

    I am using iMovie to import a series of old videotapes and my question relates to producing the best possible output of these captured tapes from iDVD. So far it seems to me that the original tapes look better than their digital offspring written to DVD. Under Project info there are two encoding options, Best Performance and Best Quality. The help pages state or imply that Best Quality means just that. However that setting also produces smaller files, say 2.6Gb for an 83 minute recording as opposed to 4.6Gb when set to Best Performance. This doesn't seem to make sense as smaller files are presumably more compressed and therefore of lower quality. Can someone explain? What settings should I use?
    Thanks.
    Mac Pro   Mac OS X (10.4.9)  

    So if Best Quality uses a lower bitrate perhaps it should be called Less Quality
    Bitrate isn't everything. A good encoder may well produce better quality with a lower bitrate than another encoder with a higher bitrate. And often good quality takes more time to encode, too.
    I have done some tests and at least with that particular test material I got slightly better quality in a very few high-action scenes with Best Performance.
    But since most of my DVDs are >60 minutes, I always use the Best Quality setting.
    should a DVD from videotape have the same quality (good, bad or indifferent) as the original?
    MPEG encoding compresses data so the quality will always suffer. But usually you don't notice it. It also depends on the input material: difficult to encode scenes include high action, noisy low-light scenes, water, smoke etc.
    With Best Performance or with <75(-90) minutes' Best Quality the iDVD output quality has been OK for me.
    But I'd wish iDVD used compressed audio because uncompressed PCM audio steals way too much bandwidth from video in long (90-120 min) DVDs!

  • Best Quality vs Best Performance - I don't understand why

    This is a serious question - why does iDVD bother to offer you a choice between "Best Quality" (BQ) and "Best Performance" (BP)?
    First, these names are confusing (really, you could switch them and you'd be none the wiser as what they are telling you).
    Second, if your project is longer than 60 mins, then iDVD will tell you to switch the preference to "Best Quality" if you've got it set to the other. Hence, there is no choice, and the preference serves no purpose. iDVD should simply change the preference for you as it is annoying to have to open the prefs pane to change it.
    Third, if your project is shorter than 60 mins, the consensus of other threads on this topic is that no-one can tell the difference between between BQ and BP, since the VBR of BQ is never higher than the CBR of BP. So again, the choice seems pointless, apart from enabling background encoding.
    So my proposal is: iDVD should bin this essentially meaningless and confusingly worded preference, and instead have a single check box "Enable background encoding, if possible" (ie, your project is shorter than 60 mins).
    You know it makes sense.

    Ah, well yes I know how to feedback suggestions to Apple. My question here was - am I missing anything in suggesting they get rid of it? No point making a suggestion if I am inadequately informed, or no-one agrees it is a good idea.
    Seems like the answer is no-one disagrees, and so I will make the suggestion.

  • Best Quality or Best Preformance

    I am curious as to which is the better setting?
    I know I can get more material on each DVD if I use the best quality setting. Size isn't usually an issue that's why I am unsure as to which setting to use.
    A little background info: I am video taping a bands concerts and making DVDs for them. I want to give them best product that I can.
    Also anyone know how I can take a 12GB DV file and burn the raw data file to DVD so the bands web master can chop of the video to use on thier website?
    Thanks,
    Keith

    Keith and everyone who has chimed in:
    How do you format your external HD so that a PC will recognize the Mac OS extended format. I know my flash drives are recognized by both, but is it the same with the larger external drives. Just curious.
    Keith--Personally I have had no problems with my Lacie externals, but I would be a little careful with transporting them...seems like sometimes people have failures with them just sitting on their desks.
    As far as raw footage to DVD being expensive...If I'm understanding you...12 GB=3 DVD's/concert x 10 concerts=30 total DVD's. With decent DVD's being less than $1 a piece, really doesn't seem that bad.
    Whatever method you use, get an external to back up your files!!
    T.

  • Best Quality Export Settings in MPEG Streamclip to Edit HD Video in iMovie

    Hi,
    I import video from data DVDs and regular DVDs and edit the videos in iMovie.  In the past, I've always used MPEG Streamclip because it can read the native DVD VOB format.  I then use the "Export to DV" option in MPEG Streamclip which exports a .DV file readable by QuickTime or iMovie.  These are large files, but it is my understanding that this is best quality for editing.
    Now I have started to receive HD Videos.  When I use MPEG Streamclip the same way, it reduces the HD video into a windowbox 720x480 video loosing all HD resolution. 
    I've done some research online and apparently MPEG Streamclip's DV export options are pretty limited and other people have said to use the "Export to MPEG-4" or the "Export to QuickTime" which are more configurable.  Each of these requires a Compression Codec Selection.  Some have said to use H.264, but I've also read that you should not compress with H.264 if you're going to be doing editing.
    I do not care about file size, I want maximum quality.  The incoming DVD video is 1280 x 720 (HDTV 720p), what Compression selection do I select in MPEG Streamclip for "Export to MPEG-4" or "Export to QuickTime" to maintain the best quality for editing in iMovie?  I appreciate your help!
    Jerry

    Use Apple Intermediate Codec for best quality and best editing performance.
    If you have Final Cut Pro installed, you may have additional good options like ProRes 422.

  • How can I Burn the Best Quality DVD from a project in i-movie 06' HD?

    Hello I shot a sort film with a Cannon HV-30 HD camera, edited it in i-movie 06 HD, it looks amazing! However I am a bit confused on what setting to burn it at in I-DVD...Best Quality or Best Performance? I herd it will not burn in HD so what is the next best? The short film is about 14 minutes long. Any advice would be appreciated!
    Thanks
    Steven

    "Best quality" of course.  ;-)
    "Best performance" is just a faster burning/encoding process. The playback quality is a little lower than "Best quality". Since you burn once and play many times, go for "Best quality".

  • How good is best quality in iDVD6?

    Has anyone done comparisons as regards the best quality in iDVD6?
    Are DVDs authored using this option as sharp as videos played directly from the camcorder (dv camera / standard definition video)?
    Do some other DVD authoring programmes burn sharper DVDs - - or is iDVD´s best quality really best quality?

    excellent post with profound knowledge, Len...
    let me add:
    if the source is underexposured, low key, artificially amplified, extremly processed in edit, done with some cheapo camera, any compressor will make the final result worse... (no dv-cam creates a 0% black/-5%superblack...=>artifacts in mp2)
    the iLife suite is by concept for the consumer...- which normally handles some ~300$ camcorder... not bad for movies as I do... and iDVD does a good job to create easiely videoDVDs... I would never consider iDVD for handling footage shot with a 40k$ digi-beta...
    Golden Computer Rule No. 41: s* in, s* out....
    another cup of tea are all these stills-to-DVD discussion... but a 16MPixelPic on a 640x480 NTSC interlacing TVset....?
    ........ what I intended to say is:
    is the quality IN to iDVD really that good, that you can decide, iDVD does a OUT job good/perfect/excellent...? (you do Len, but many others here...)
    sorry for ranting...........

  • Best performance vs. Best quality in iDVD Prefs!?

    What is the difference? i have selected "best quality" and see no difference in picture, but one can fit more onto a dvd with best quality vs. performance. what is the difference!? thanks!

    A quick, simple explanation is given in David Pogue's little iLife '04 manual. I will pare it down a little:
    "Given that a blank DVD contains a limited amount of space, how much picture-quality data can it afford to devote to each frame of video?
    The Best Perfomance option in iDVD 4 ....allots a fixed, predetermined amount of data to each frame of video--enough to make it look great--no matter how many minutes of video is included. A lot of the DVD might wind up being empty if the project contains less than an hour of video. But, the burning process will go quickly and the video will look really great.
    The Best Quality option uses every micron of space on the blank DVD, analyzes the amount of video included and divides it into the amount of space available on the DVD. The amount of information used to describe an indiviual frame of video will vary from project to project, and it will take a lot longer to burn the DVD because of so much analysis. But it will give two hours of great-looking video per disc."

  • IDVD 5 project, 26 chapters, burns Best Performance not Best Quality

    My iDVD project WILL burn with 26 chapter headings at "Best Performance", but the same project will NOT burn at "Best Quality". The same file will burn at "Best Quality" without the chapter headings. I have retried multiple times. Each time Best Performance will burn, Best Quality will not.
    As a rule I use Best Quality. The last project finished a couple of months ago. (So, probably earlier than 10.4.7) Best Quality usually works for me, just not on this project.
    Note, I have filed a bug report but thought I should also share this with discussions.
    (All the usual remedies, with resetting cache plist repairing permissions performed between each attempt, and attempts to burn from a new user. The video file has no transitions)
    iDVD 5.0.1 (626), Quicktime Pro 7.1.3, 10.4.7
    Mac G5 Quicksilver 867 MHz, 2MB L3 cache, memory 1.5 gig.
    Entire video length is 00:45:58.
    My user set chapter markers are at [00:01:19.2637] [00:03:18.1194] [00:04:06.2638] [00:05:45.2235] [00:07:07.2781] [00:08:16.0988] [00:09:53.0879] [00:12:22.2126] [00:13:04.0552] [00:15:30.2190]
    [00:16:15.2725] [00:17:13.0799] [00:18:26.2418] [00:20:02.1206] [00:22:48.1704]
    [00:27:03.1369] [00:27:59.0637] [00:29:56.1588] [00:31:27.1161] [00:34:26.1298]
    [00:34:59.0097] [00:38:54.1302] [00:41:12.1516] [00:42:02.2966] [00:43:34.1742]
    [00:45:09.1127]
    So the first chapter marker is over one minute into the video and the last is 49 seconds before the end of the video.
    It took me a couple of weeks of futile attempts at Best Quality to figure this out. I am exhausted and don't have the energy to start deleting chapter markers one at a time to see if and when it will burn at Best Quality.
    Any thoughts?

    Hello Robert,
    I'm not really able to provide a solution - maybe some of the more knowledgeable users on this board will chime in - but can only offer a guess.
    There hav been several reports of compatibility issues between Tiger/QT 7 and iMovie/iDVD 5, so maybe that's your "bug".
    Recommended is:
    • OS X 10.3.9/QT 6.5.2/iLife 5
    • OS X 10.4.x/QT 7.1.x/iLife 6
    I would also try to create a new iDVD project for your movie after deleting iDVD prefs and repairing permissions. Then try to create a disk image (if you didn't try that already)
    hope this helps
    mish

  • Encoding: Best Performance vs. Best Quality

    So I have a project that if I select Best Performance it shows that the DVD will be 3.4GB, and if I select Best Quality it shows the DVD will be 2.0GB.
    So my question is: isn't that contrary to logic? Why wouldn't Best Quality be the largest size? Is Best Quality going to give me the best possible video quality?

    Since you have posted to the iDVD 6 forum, I asssume that is what you have.
    iDVD 6 has two encoding modes: 'Best Performance' and 'Best Quality'. iDVD '08 adds: 'Professional Quality'.
    People misunderstand the names and I wish Apple had used different names for all three modes.
    The below applies to a single layer disc (double the times for a double layer disc):
    'Best Performance' uses a fixed video encoding bit-rate that produces a DVD with a data playback bit-rate just about as high as a set-top DVD player can handle. This limits content to 60 minutes or less.
    'Best Quality' uses a fixed video encoding bit-rate that is BASED ON THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF CONTENT BEING COMPRESSED and is best suited for content between 60 and 120 minutes. Note that all the content is encoded at the same bit-rate so that it can fit on a single layer disc. (Apple calls this single-pass variable bit-rate encoding because 120 minutes of content gets compressed more than 60 minutes of content.)
    The new 'Professional Quality' uses a variable video encoding bit-rate that is BASED ON THE INFORMATION IN THE CONTENT BEING COMPRESSED. It uses a two-pass process to first evaluate the content and then encode it based on the motion/detail of individual clips. It is best suited for content between 60 and 120 minutes. Note that not all the content is encoded at the same bit-rate BUT the maximum data bit-rate on playback can not exceed the playback capability of a set-top DVD player. (This is two-pass, variable bit-rate encoding.) This means the BEST encoded quality should be about what is obtained with 'Best Performance' for content under 60 minutes.
    If your content is under 60 minutes, use 'Best Performance'. If your content is between 60 minutes and 120 minutes, use 'Professional Quality' if your processor is fast enough and you don't mind waiting about twice the time required for 'Best Quality'.
    About the only thing Apple can do to further improve the quality of DVD encoded video is to offer compressed audio instead of just the present uncompressed PCM audio because the audio 'eats up' part of the playback bit-rate a set-top DVD player can handle. Compressed audio would make more of the maximum playback bit-rate available for video.
    In your case, with iDVD 6, use 'Best Performance' for content under 60 minutes and 'Best Quality' for content over 60 minutes. Remember that your menu content counts against the total time limit.
    F Shippey

  • DVD burnt in BEST QUALITY but looks like a VCD when played on DVD player

    Made a 115 mins movie in Final Cut Pro, exported it to Quicktime and made a project in iDVD 6. If I check the quality of the movie before I burn it, it is all right, I select BEST QUALITY on iDVD setiings before I burn it but, then when it's ready, I check it on the DVD player and it is in very low quality, like if it was a VCD, it shows little squares on the images. Not the whole video but several times during playback. I've burnt dozens of videos like this one before and it never gave me taht problem but the last 3 videos I've burnt it shows it.
    HELP ME PLEEEEEEASE!!!!!

    I select BEST QUALITY on iDVD setiings before I burn it but, then when it's ready, I check it on the DVD player and it is in very low quality, like if it was a VCD, it shows little squares on the images.
    Set it to Best Performance if you are concerned about the highest possible visual quality w/in iDVD6 (keep in mind you cannot exceed 1 hr. in this particular mode).
    Also remember to burn from the disc image at 4x or slower using Roxio Toast or apple's Disc Utilities. I recommend using Verbatim or Maxell DVD-R for best results.
    Good luck and hope this is Helpful.

  • Multiplexing Error Problem vs. Best Quality

    I've been trying to make the .img file for a 29 minute iMovie which consist of 288 photos + beginning and end. I imported the 288 photos at 5 sec (no burns effect), created chapter marks, added audio and was able to create .img OK using Best Quality, as that's what I've always used in the past - many times. I added 4 sec subtitles to about half the photos which meant it created a second photo 1 sec long. When I tried to create the .img again, I got the multiplexing error. I've tried all combinations without success, UNTIL I tried Best Performance, and it created the .img file. I have over 40GB disk space, but only 786MB memory. All photos in iMovie really slows down iMovie after about 40-50 minutes worth, so I'm guessing memory availability might be an issue. I've done all the other things usually posted - run Onyx, delete iDVD.plist, restart before burn, etc. So why does a 29 minute iMovie of all photos create the iDVD .img file on Best Performance and not on Best Quality????. Suggestions appreciated. Thanks Terry
    Power Mac G4 1 GHz Dual   Mac OS X (10.4.8)  

    The size I gave on the photos was before they were imported to iMovie.
    One of the problem photos was a scanned photo using a Canon N1240 scanner, which has since died and the other was with an Olympus D-450 digital camera. Both were edited (size, cropping, color, brightness, etc) in Adobe Photo Elements V3. Most of the time I import the pictures (in groups) into iMovie using the Import command, but sometimes I just drag them in. I do NOT use iPhoto. I've done several thousand photos this way (my wife is into genealogy)and I have created multiple DVDs of current family and family history. The problem photo had been used in other DVDs without problem. In one test I ran on this particular movie including the two problem images, the .img file was created OK until I added subtitles to each image in iMovie. I've sometimes had problems editing subtitles in that it deletes the image and adds the title to the next image. I do an Edit UNDO and then move the image to which the title is to be edited over 2 images, click the update and then move the image back to it's original position when update finished. It's annoying, but works. Don't remember if I did a title edit to the problem images or not. I think you're right in that one of many things could have happened when the image was imported. Right now I'm thinking something may have gone wrong when I added or edited the subtitle. Just wish the iDVD and iMovie error codes could be made more specific so it would be easier to identify and fix the problem photo(s). Thanks for your response. Terry

  • Best quality to burn a dvd for duplication

    Looking for the best way to get the best quality burning a dvd for duplication for resale.
    I have iLife09. Its about a 33min video shot with a mini HDdv

    Hi
    My list on DVD Quality.
    *DVD quality*
    1. iDVD 08 & 09 has three levels of qualities.
    iDVD 6 has the two last ones
    • Professional Quality (movies up to 120 min.) - BEST
    • Best Performances (movies less than 60 min.) - High quality on final DVD
    • High Quality (in iDVD08 or 09) / Best Quality (in iDVD6) (movies up to 120 min.) - slightly lower quality than above
    2. From
    • FCE/P - Export out as full quality QuickTime.mov (not selfcontaining, no conversion)
    • iMovie x-6 - Don't use ”Share/Export to iDVD” = destructive even to movie project and especially so
    when the movie includes photos. Instead just drop or import the iMovie movie project icon (with a Star on it) into iDVD theme window.
    • iMovie’08 not meant to go to iDVD. Go via Media Browser or rather use iMovie HD 6 from start.
    3. I use Roxio Toast™ to make an as slow burn as possibly eg x1 (in iDVD’08 or 09 this can also be set)
    This can also be done with (Apple) Disk Util tool.
    4. There has to be about or more than 25Gb free space on internal (start-up) hard disk. iDVD can't
    use an external one as scratch disk (if it is not start-up disc).
    5. Verbatim ( also recommended by many - Taiyo Yuden DVDs - I can’t get hold of it to test )
    6. DVD-R (no +R or +/-RW)
    7. Keep NTSC to NTSC - or - PAL to PAL when going from iMovie to iDVD
    8. Don’t burn more than three DVD at a time - but let the laser cool off for a while befor next batch.
    iDVD quality also depends on.
    • HOW much free space is there on Your internal (start-up) hard disk. Go for approx 25Gb.
    less than 5Gb and Your result will most probably not play.
    • What kind of movie project You drop into it. MPEG4 seems to be a bad choice.
    other strange formats are .avi, .wmv, .flash etc. Convert to streamingDV first
    Also audio formats matters. I use only .aiff or from miniDV tape Camera 16-bit
    strange formats often problematic are .avi, .wmv, audio from iTunes, .mp3 etc
    Convert to .aiff first and use this in movie project
    • What kind of standard - NTSC movie and NTSC DVD or PAL to PAL - no mix.
    (If You need to change to do a NTSC DVD from PAL material let JESDeinterlacer3.2.2 do the conversion)
    (Dropping a PAL movie into a NTSC iDVD project
    (US) NTSC DVDs most often are playable in EU
    (EU) PAL DVDs most often needs to be converted to play in US
    UNLESS. They are plabacked by a Mac - then You need not to care
    • What kind of DVDs You are using. I use Verbatim DVD-R (this brand AND no +R or +/-RW)
    • How You encode and burn it. Two settings prior iDVD’08 or 09
    Pro Quality (only in iDVD 08 & 09)
    Best / High Quality (not always - most often not)
    Best / High Performances (most often my choise before Pro Quality)
    1. go to iDVD pref. menu and select tab far right and set burn speed to x1 (less errors = plays better) - only in iDVD 08 & 09
    (x4 by some and may be even better)
    2. Project info. Select Professional Encoding - only in iDVD 08 & 09.
    Region codes.
    iDVD - only burn Region = 0 - meaning - DVDs are playable everywhere
    DVD Studio pro can set Region codes.
    1 = US
    2 = EU
    Yours Bengt W

  • Trouble opening "best quality" slideshow file ...

    I'm very confused. Most of my slideshows have been created with best performance selected in the prefs. I just made a show on my 12" Powerbook using best quality. When I tried to open its file again, I got a spinning beach and had to force quit. I then launched from an older show that had best performance selected and iDVD had no problem. I tried opening the best quality show again, and forget it. Beach ball time. I force quitted.
    After a couple more failed attempts to open that file, I repaired permissions and chucked out my preferences plist. I tried opening again and got a window saying my preferences for the file didn't match the default preference and did I want that changed, and I clicked okay, and got the spinning beach ball ... I force quitted, went back and this time when the window opened I selected a different option, which directed iDVD to update the show. Then the file opened. However, the file is now set for best performance, as that's the default.
    This has left me confused about a couple of things. (1) It seems the original setting for best quality threw off iDVD, but I'm not sure why. (2) The quality/performance setting is general, but shows are unique files. How is all this supposed to jibe in using files where some are set for best quality and others for best performance?
    Also, I set my preference for best quality right at the start of making that problematic slideshow file. This seemed more sensible than setting it before burning, as wouldn't background encoding be going on otherwise? And isn't the lack of that what makes the quality better later on? But perhaps that's what hung up iDVD? Like I said, I'm confused. I simply want to use best quality for a show and be able to get into the file again later on after closing it.
    Any suggestions? Or ideas why iDVD kept spinning out on that file? Sorry this is so long .......... Any help will be very appreciated.
    G5   Mac OS X (10.4.2)   Also G4 12" Powerbook, Mac OS X (10.4.6)

    Thanks for your response, but I'm not sure I
    understand. What does "best quality" actually mean,
    then?
    Without getting to bogged down in explainations - talking about single-layer discs - Best Peformance uses fixed bit-rate compression for content under 60 minutes. Best Quality uses on-pass variable bit-rate compression for content under 120 minutes. It generally happens that for content under 60 minutes Best Performance give better quality than Best Quality.
    Also, do you have any idea why a show done using the
    best quality pref would result in the application
    getting hung up?
    BTW, my file is just a wee slideshow of 98 jpgs.
    About 12 minutes long.
    It MIGHT have been the presence of already encoded assets from Best Performance. (Best Performance can do background encoding because it uses a fixed bit-rate - Best Quality CAN'T do background encoding because the encoding bit-rate isn't set until all the content has been added.)
    F Shippey

  • How to best quality DVD?

    I have a new movie that runs an hour and a half and is presently 17.7 gigs.  I want to put it on DVD.  iMovie compress it down to 2.8 gigs before burning a DVD but I want best quality possible which I believe is 4.2 gigs for a 4.7 gig DVD (one side).  I've never done this before.  Can anyone tell me the basic steps to produce the best quality possible DVD?

    Hi
    Klaus1 is 100% right
    My twist to this is as follows
    DVD quality 
    1. iDVD 08, 09 & 11 has three levels of qualities. (version 7.0.1, 7,0.4 & 7.1.1) and iDVD 6 has the two last ones
    • Professional Quality
    (movies + menus up to 120 min.) - BEST (but not always for short movies e.g. up to 45 minutes in total)
    • Best Performances
    (movies + menus less than 60 min.) - High quality on final DVD (Can be best for short movies)
    • High Quality (in iDVD08 or 09) / Best Quality (in iDVD6)
    (movies + menus up to 120 min.) - slightly lower quality than above
    Menu can take 15 minutes or even more - I use a very simple one with no audio or animation like ”Brushed Metal” in old Themes.
    About double on DL DVDs.
    2. Video from
    • FCE/P - Export out as full quality QuickTime.mov (not self-containing, no conversion)
    • iMovie x-6 - Don't use ”Share/Export to iDVD” = destructive even to movie project and especially so
    when the movie includes photos and the Ken Burns effect NOT is used. Instead just drop or import the iMovie movie project icon (with a Star on it) into iDVD theme window.
    • iMovie’08 or 09 or 11 are not meant to go to iDVD. Go via Media Browser or rather use iMovie HD 6 from start.
    3. I use Roxio Toast™ to make an as slow burn as possibly e.g. x4 or x1 (in iDVD’08 or 09  this can also be set)
    This can also be done with Apple’s Disk Utilities application when burning from a DiskImage.
    4. There has to be about or more than 25Gb free space on internal (start-up) hard disk. iDVD can't
    use an external one as scratch disk (if it is not start-up disc). For SD-Video - if HD-material is used I guess that 4 to 5 times more would do.
    5. I use Verbatim ( also recommended by many - Taiyo Yuden DVDs - I can’t get hold of it to test )
    6. I use DVD-R (no +R or +/-RW) - DVD-R play’s on more and older DVD-Players
    7. Keep NTSC to NTSC - or - PAL to PAL when going from iMovie to iDVD
    (I use JES_Deinterlacer to keep frame per sec. same from editing to the Video-DVD result.)
    8. Don’t burn more than three DVDs at a time - but let the laser cool off for a while before next batch.
    iDVD quality also depends on.
    • DVD is a standard in it self. It is Standard Definition Quality = Same as on old CRT-TV sets and can not
    deliver anything better that this.
    HD-DVD was a short-lived standard and it was only a few Toshiba DVD-players that could playback.
    These DVDs could be made in DVD-Studio Pro. But they don’t playback on any other standard DVD-Player.
    Blu-Ray / BD can be coded onto DVDs but limited in time to - about 20-30 minutes and then need
    _ Roxio Toast™ 10 Pro incl. BD-component
    _ BD disks and burner if full length movies are to be stored
    _ BD-Player or PlayStation3 - to be able to playback
    The BD-encoded DVDs can be play-backed IF Mac also have Roxio DVD-player tool. Not on any standard Mac or DVD-player
    Full BD-disks needs a BD-player (in Mac) as they need blue-laser to be read. No red-laser can do this.
    • HOW much free space is there on Your internal (start-up) hard disk. Go for approx. 25Gb.
    less than 5Gb and Your result will most probably not play.
    • How it was recorded - Tripod vs Handheld Camera. A stable picture will give a much higher quality
    • Audio is most often more critical than picture. Bad audio and with dropouts usually results in a non-viewed movie.
    • Use of Video-editor. iMovie’08 or 09 or 11 are not the tools for DVD-production. They discard every second line resulting in a close to VHS-tape quality.
    iMovie 1 to HD6 and FinalCut any version delivers same quality as Camera record in = 100% to iDVD
    • What kind of movie project You drop into it. MPEG4 seems to be a bad choice.
    other strange formats are .avi, .wmv, .flash etc. Convert to streamingDV first
    Also audio formats matters. I use only .aiff or from miniDV tape Camera 16-bit
    strange formats often problematic are .avi, .wmv, audio from iTunes, .mp3 etc
    Convert to .aiff first and use this in movie project
    • What kind of standard - NTSC movie and NTSC DVD or PAL to PAL - no mix.
    (If You need to change to do a NTSC DVD from PAL material let JES_Deinterlacer_3.2.2 do the conversion)
    (Dropping a PAL movie into a NTSC iDVD project
    (US) NTSC DVDs most often are playable in EU
    (EU) PAL DVDs most often needs to be converted to play in US
    UNLESS. They are play-backed by a Mac - then You need not to care
    • What kind of DVDs You are using. I use Verbatim DVD-R (this brand AND no +R or +/-RW)
    • How You encode and burn it. Two settings prior iDVD’08 or 09
    Pro Quality (only in iDVD 08 & 09)
    Best / High Quality (not always - most often not)
    Best / High Performances (most often my choice before Pro Quality)
    1. go to iDVD pref. menu and select tab far right and set burn speed to x1 (less errors = plays better) - only in iDVD 08 & 09
    (x4 by some and may be even better)
    2. Project info. Select Professional Encoding - only in iDVD 08 & 09.
    Region codes.
    iDVD - only burn Region = 0 - meaning - DVDs are playable everywhere
    DVD Studio pro can set Region codes.
    1 = US
    2 = EU
    unclemano wrote
    What it turned out to be was the "quality" settings in iDVD. The total clip time was NOT over 2 hours or 4.7GB, yet iDVD created massive visual artifacts on the "professional quality" setting.
    I switched the settings to "high quality" which solved the problem. According iDVD help, "high quality" determines the best bit rate for the clips you have.
    I have NEVER seen iDVD do this before, especially when I was under the 2 hour and 4.7GB limits.
    For anyone else, there seem to be 2 places in iDVD to set quality settings, the first is under "preferences" and the second under "project info." They do NOT seem to be linked (i.e. if you change one, the other is NOT changed). take care, Mario
    to get this to work I
    • Secure a minimum of 25Gb free space on Start-Up (Mac OS) hard disk
    • Use Verbatim DVD-R (absolutely no +/-RW)
    • Set down burn speed to x4 - less burn errors = plays on more devices
    • No other process running in background as - ScreenSaver, EnergySaver OR TIMEMACHINE etc
    • and I'm very careful on what kind of video-codecs, audio file format and photo file formats I use
    • and I consider the iDVD Bug - never go back to video-editor to change/up-date - if so Start  a brand new iDVD project
    • Chapters set as they should - NO one at very beginning and no one in any transition or within 2 sec from it
    • Lay-out - Turn on TV-Safe area and keep everything buttons, titles etc WELL INSIDE not even touching it !
    Try to break the process up into two stages
    • Save as a DiskImage (calculating part)
    • Burn from this .img file (burning stage)
    To isolate where the problem starts.
    Another thing is - Playing it onto a Blu-Ray Player. My PlayStation3 can play BD-disks but not all of my home made DVDs so to get this to work I
    • Secure a minimum of 25Gb free space on Start-Up (Mac OS) hard disk
    • Use Verbatim DVD-R (absolutely no +/-RW)
    • Set down burn speed to x4 - less burn errors = plays on more devices
    • No other process running in background as - ScreenSaver, EnergySaver OR TIMEMACHINE etc
    • and I'm very careful on what kind of video-codecs, audio file format and photo file formats I use
    • and I consider the iDVD Bug - never go back to video-editor to change/up-date - if so Start  a brand new iDVD project
    • Chapters set as they should - NO one at very beginning and no one in any transition or within 2 sec from it
    • Lay-out - Turn on TV-Safe area and keep everything buttons, titles etc WELL INSIDE not even touching it !
    TO GET IT TO WORK SLIGHTLY FASTER
    • Minimum of 25Gb free space on Start-Up hard disk
    • No other programs running in BackGround e.g. Energy-Saver
    • Don’t let HD spin down or be turned off (in Energy-Save)
    • Move hard disks that are not to be used to Trash - To be disconnected/turned off
    • Goto Spotlight and set the rest of them under Integrity (not to be scanned)
    • Set screen-saver to a folder without any photo - then make an active corner (up right for me) and set
    pointer to this - turns on screen saver - to show that it has nothing to show
    • No File Vault on - Important
    • NO - TimeMachine - during iMovie/iDVD work either ! IMPORTANT
    • Lot's of icons on DeaskTop/Finder also slows down the Mac noticeably
    • Start a new User-Account and log into this and iMovie get's faster too - if a project is in a hurry
    • And let Mac run on Mains - not just on battery
    Yours Bengt W

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