compression artifacts

I'm not sure what is causing this so I don't know if it is in my FCP (5.0.4) export or a setting within DVD Studio Pro (2.0). The FCP project is 20 minutes, HD 23.98, 960x720, with 2 audio tracks and 2 video tracks.

Most of my transitions are showing major artifacting once built through DVD Studio Pro but if I take the same file and put into iDVD, there is no artifacting.

I have tried increasing the Bit rate up to 8.0 and the Max Bit rate up to 9.0 but that didn't help. And I've tried Motion estimation on Better and Best.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Bit rate is not just highs its los also.

If i assume that you are going from FCP via export qt movie self contained then importing that into dvdsp or idvd.

This may not be the best route.

In this case i would create the self contained QT then open Compressor. Find mpeg 2 elementary in the format choices and add it to the file.
Click on the new format choice you have just chosen.
In the inspector click the quality and turn on your frame controls then set every thing to better and set field to progressive unless you need it interlaced.
Click on the extras tab and make sure "include dvdsp metadata"
There is also a bit rate setting. I would say that for SD make the max bitrate something like 6.2 and average 5.2 rather than default. (notice the 10 point difference)
Someone in this forum may have a better idea on the bitrates of hd and i don't want to guess but it may be higher ( not over 12.0 i don't think)

Go back to the choices and find your audio formats and choose Dolby Digital Professional 2.0 and add that to the batch/movie you just added the mpeg2 setting to.

Destination is the place you want this file to go. I always make sure that i go to a different drive than the one that holds the source media. I like to make a folder named like "project name MPEG" and put an audio folder and a video folder inside.
The dolby2.0 goes to the audio and the mpeg2 to the video folder inside of the "project name MPEG" folder.

click submit and chill out for a little. when the encode is done, drag the "project name folder into dvdsp4 and burn the files.

""" What you do with what you have, is more important than what you could do, with what you don't have."

> > > Knowledge + Action = Wisdom - J. Corbett 1992 """"

>Bit rate is not just highs its los also.

BS. Quality is about setting the bitrate as high as you are allowed to go.


>and set field to progressive unless you need it interlaced.

BS again.

This depends on your source. If you shot 24P, then you output progressive, and this will allow you to save on bandwidth. The DVD player will add a pulldown on playback. Do NOT deinterlace unnecessarily. Your footage takes a hit.


>Find mpeg 2 elementary in the format choices

Use the DEFAULT PRESETS unless you know darn well what you're doing.

>I would say that for SD make the max bitrate something like 6.2 and average 5.2 rather than
>default. (notice the 10 point difference)

What 10 point difference!?! What are you talking about? The default for "best quality" has a max of 7.7 mb/s, average of 6.2 mb/s. I usually push that up marginally. Why would you want to lower that unless you're encoding longer than 90 mins and you have a bitrate calculator at hand.


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To encode quality looking Mpeg2, export either a self contained QT movie and encode that in Compressor, or export directly from the timeline to Compressor. Theoretically, exporting directly from the timeline should yield slightly better results.

In Compressor, select DVD: Best Setting 90 mins (if your footage is 90 minutes or less).

For the audio, delete the aiff setting if it shows (depending on your version of Compressor), set DialNorm to -31dBs (to turn off dialnorm). In the Preprocessing tab, switch film standard compression to "none".

Set your target location, when it's done, pop it into DVDSP



www.strypesinpost.com

Quote
strypes
BS. Quality is about setting the bitrate as high as you are allowed to go.

i agree.
I was more trying to talk about the distance from average to max. I was at onetime doing average bit at 5.0 and max at 7.5 on ntsc sd footage. I got terrible results in Compressor3 but when i went to 5.2-5 and +10 for the max. it cleaned right up.

i am gonna try the 7.7 - 6.2. Isn't there something about too high of a bit rate making it hard for pre - 05 players to play it?
i got some mosaics at the default settings. Tho i only use the default video setting about 10% of the time.

Quote
strypes
This depends on your source.

thats good to know. I do wonder about how to uniform a project with both 30i and 30p, or 24pa, stills and normal interlaced dv. I have had this often and i normally just progress it all. to get a better match.

I don't think i have ever used the processing tab i better check out the new goodie tag.

on the side tho strypes Is it good or bad to do gamma adjustments in this process of encoding with compressor? and can i trust the preview in compressor?

""" What you do with what you have, is more important than what you could do, with what you don't have."

> > > Knowledge + Action = Wisdom - J. Corbett 1992 """"

>Is it good or bad to do gamma adjustments in this process of encoding with compressor?

It's good to do any form of color adjustments only when you can SEE what you're doing on a calibrated broadcast mon.

>Isn't there something about too high of a bit rate making it hard for pre - 05 players to play it?

Why don't you use the DVD presets in Compressor? It's created for that.



www.strypesinpost.com

started back in compressor 2.
my mpg2 s were not looking all that good. then i learned shanes upres technique to get dv to better match hd.

i just used some of that concept and a lot of theory's till i got a very nice custom preset and then i stuck with it. i am having to the same with the new compressor.

so now i will try your technique.

""" What you do with what you have, is more important than what you could do, with what you don't have."

> > > Knowledge + Action = Wisdom - J. Corbett 1992 """"

Quote

The default DVD settings are tailored for DVD specs unless you know what you are tweaking, NEVER use a generic setting.

[www.lafcpug.org]

Shane on using a DEFAULT DVD preset.

[www.lafcpug.org]



www.strypesinpost.com