Q: FCP X to iDVD project to large to burn on Standard DVD

IT doesn't matter what you output of FCP is; iDVD does the compression based on the duration, nothing else.

TThat's not what I'm saying at all. iDVD has always worked like this. I can give it a one hour uncompressed movie that's 450GB and iDVD will crush it down to standard def MPEG-2 and make a DVD out of it.

Try using an FCP X Master File export using ProRes LT.

1 hour should be "No Worries".

Up to 2 hours is possible using iDVD.

Al

The short version of answer:

iDVD doesn't care for size (GBs), but for length (hh:min).

for usual, single layerrd DVD-rs, the benchmarks are for 'max' quality' 60min, and max length is 120min.

Other apps squeeze even more onto a single disk, to the price of quality loss.-

But .....

You have to add ALL bits&pieces to those numbers, esp. the menu, if offering nice animations etc, has to be added to the minutes.

Real-life suggestion: stay in the 50-55min area ...

Last word:

DVDs are standard def only, not HDef, as your projects or as on BluRays ...

Alchroma wrote:

 

Try using an FCP X Master File export using ProRes LT.

1 hour should be "No Worries".

Up to 2 hours is possible using iDVD.

 

Al

HI Al

I had similar concerns as the OP this time last year, and learnt the same as been suggested here.  that iDVD just crushes it down to fit, no matter what the original GB size.

I have a question about this, that may help the OP too.,

Does iDVD take DVD size in to account with relation to sequence length and adjust the video quality to a level to fill the complete DL DVD. 

So would final DVD quality be better using a DL DVD for a one hour project than it would if it was squeezed on to a Single layer DVD?

Also you say use ProRes LT. as opposed to the 'default ProRes422.

My footage is direct import from a Canon 5D3 .mov files and converted to what ever FCP X saw fi at the time of import, I did not change any settings from default.

What, if any, difference will the different Video Codec settings make, when rendering (sorry, "Sharing" )  as Master File ,  for use in a DVD.

I always left it as default ProRes422.  why is LT better?  if it is? for master File cration for iDVD?

Neil Paisnel wrote:

I have a question about this, that may help the OP too.,

 

Does iDVD take DVD size in to account with relation to sequence length and adjust the video quality to a level to fill the complete DL DVD.

iDVD will encode the source file to the correct codec for use on a DVD. It gets longer movies to fit on the disc by adjusting the bitrate of the DVD, so if the movie is longer, it will adjust the bitrate down to allow it to fit (make the file even smaller in size compared to the original) . A lower bitrate generally gives lower quality.

Having said that, the maximum normal bitrate for video on a DVD is around 9.8 Mbits - from:

https://documentation.apple.com/en/dvdstudiopro/usermanual/index.html#chapter=4% 26section=6%26tasks=true

"Bit rate directly determines file size, and thus how many minutes of material you can fit onto a DVD disc. SD-based DVD players support combined bit rates of up to 10.08 megabits per second (Mbps), but this must include the audio and subtitles as well. The maximum video bit rate is 9.8 Mbps."

The average bit rate, as opposed the the maximum bit rate, is about 4 Mbps. This is because some scenes are much simpler to compress, such as a static shot of a talking head, versus a very complex scene, such as an explosion. You won't need to be at the maximum bit rate all the time, which saves space on the disc.

Neil Paisnel wrote:

So would final DVD quality be better using a DL DVD for a one hour project than it would if it was squeezed on to a Single layer DVD?

No, it will never exceed the maximum video bit rate of 9.8 Mbps. To do so would create a non-standard disc and disc player problems - how would you know if any given DVD player would be able to support (keep up with) playing a higher than standard data rate?

If the encoded file does not fill the disc, then iDVD (or any DVD burning software) will write over the remaining space on the disc with essentially a "nothing to see here" file, so the player knows not to look for more content.

Note that the above is about a standard DVD and standard DVD player. It does not apply to a BluRay player which does read the file from the disc at a much higher bitrate.

MtD

OK, got it thansk

Regards ProRes LT:

It uses less disc space and exports/shares a bit faster.

For a DVD (SD quality) LT is more than adequate.

Dual layer DVD will only be useful if the duration of the export exceeds two hours.

BTW: iDVD has only three options for quality that are set it's Project Properties.

The pro option uses two pass encoding that is my first choice in most cases.

Al