16:9 DVCProHD 720p (23.98) and 4:3 DV (29.97, same disc, same menu, different tracks

Folks -

It's that time again to author a mixed-asset DVD, This one has the above described video assets- fortunately not on the same track- plus two slideshows and possibly dvd-rom content. I want to share my dvd game plan...

I'm concerned about being able to exploit the dvd anamorphic smarts correctly on the HD 720p material AND the SD 4:3 material. I would like to display the 4:3 material at full height, want to avoid windowboxing of any kind.

I think I can send the HD 720p sequence, (4 minutes), to Compressor and let it crunch an .m2v with an anamorphic flag which will be recognized by computer dvd players plus contemporary set top boxes, assuming all 16:9 settings boxes are checked. Am I right?

I think I can nest the 4:3 sequence (half hour) into a 16:9 sequence with pillarbox sides to get full height, and then export that for Compressor to create an anamorphic track of that. Am I right?

The questions...

Should I encode the 720p asset to 29.97 anamorphic 16:9? Or leave it 23.98?

Should I encode the resulting pillarbox 4:3 to 29.97 anamorphic 16:9? Or encode to 23.98?

How have you handled mixed assets like this?

- Loren

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Quote
Loren Miller
The questions...

Should I encode the 720p asset to 29.97 anamorphic 16:9? Or leave it 23.98?

Should I encode the resulting pillarbox 4:3 to 29.97 anamorphic 16:9? Or encode to 23.98?

Unless you have some reason to change the frame rates, I would leave both video sources at their native 23.976 fps.*** DVD players will add pulldown, as necessary. You can fit more material on a disc this way (or get better quality with higher bit rates for 23.976 sources).

In DVD Studio Pro, each track has a set aspect ratio. If these different sources are not going to be mixed, I would leave them as is (16:9 anamorphic for the 720p source and 4:3 for the DV source). Do not letterbox the 720p footage before bringing it into DVD Studio Pro.

There is some good info about this stuff in the user manual (Chapter 4 and elsewhere).

I would suggest that you set up your DVDSP project, and just transcode short portions of each video source. Put those into their own tracks and do some testing. Once everything seems to be working properly, then spend some time on improving the quality of the transcodes (to MPEG-2) and then import the resulting MPEG-2 files for the full length of the sources, replacing your test clips on the respective tracks.


-Dave

*** I am not sure, but if your DV source is already 29.97 fps, don't convert it when making the MPEG-2 file. Leave each source at its native aspect ratio (make the 720p into anamorphic SD and leave the DV, as is, at 4:3).

Thank you, Dave, fine recommendations, and testing is surely the order of the day. I'll try leaving the framerates alone for one set of tests.

BTW, I avoided the user manual and went to the fantastic Peachpit book, DVD Studio Pro 4: Authoring Professional DVD's in FCS 2 (it's been updated). Second edition by Sitter, Ramseier and Schofield. Very detailed procedurals got me going.

Also of use, Larry Jordan's DVDSP4 Essentials on Lynda.com, although it's a few years old.

Anyone else on mixed assets, separate tracks, or preparing a 4:3 show as pillarbox it (NOT letterbox) in a 16:9 nest?

Plunging forward with tests...

- Loren

Today's FCP 7 keytip:
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Followup:

I prepared each asset for 16 X 9 (nesting the 4:3 in a 16:9 anamorphic timeline) and exported each as such. Left frame rates unchanged.

A test build shows everything works beautifully. On computer everything shows up widescreen, with the 4:3 asset properly pillarboxed.

Only one glitch thus far- the two slideshows included don't return to the layered main menu I've set for the End Jump. So when you manually advance the last slide, you're left hanging in black. Only pressing the Menu button brings us back.

Any ideas?

- Loren

Today's FCP 7 keytip:
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Loren,

Quote
Loren
Only one glitch thus far- the two slideshows included don't return to the layered main menu I've set for the End Jump. So when you manually advance the last slide, you're left hanging in black. Only pressing the Menu button brings us back.

Does this happen when using Simulator or with an actual disc (or VIDEO_TS folder in DVD Player)?

Hmm, nothing comes to mind just now...

Have you considered converting the Slideshow to a track (which is what I usually do ? don't know if that would help/matter)?
(Be careful, you can't change it back, but you can use "undo".)

You may want to start a new thread on this specific issue (so more people see it?)...



-Dave