iDVD "Professional" quality is really bad. Please help.

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iDVD "Professional" quality is really bad. Please help.

I shoot 1080i on a sony hd cam (minidv), then import and edit in FC Express using apple intermediate codec 1080i60 and export to QT as a NON-independent file using same settings. The final movie file is 1920x1080 which is dragged into iDVD '08 and burned at "professional quality".
When I burn to dvd and play on my flatscreen in an sd dvd player at home, it looks like crap, even down to large pixelations around the text. I know not to expect HD but the SD should look better than this.
Now, when I play this same dvd in my macbook's dvd player, it looks better than the tv. But this is played at actual size which is only about 1/4 of my screen whose resolution is 1920x1200. I will select the "actual size" mode on the dvd controls. When in full screen mode, it does lose resolution but surely not to the degree as playing on my home flatscreen. So why is iDVD making a 1080 movie to a ~400 movie? or how best to make this look good on a flatscreen. I don't expect HD but it has to be better than what I am getting.
Any suggestions are appreciated and if anyone knows if DVD Studio Pro will solve this, please advise.

Aloha:
-Charlie-

Macbook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.5), 4 ext hard drives in a firewire 400 daisy chain (750gb, 300gb, 1tb, 1tb)

Posted on Jul 25, 2009 2:16 PM

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Answer 1

Jul 27, 2009 5:48 AM in response to fasano2112

Hi

No version of iDVD handles HD-Quality AT ALL !

If You need this take a look at

Roxio Toast™ 10 Pro

and a Blue-Ray burner + BR-disks

Yours Bengt W

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Answer 2

makey

Level 1

51 points

Aug 18, 2009 7:18 AM in response to Bengt Wärleby

Hi Bengt W,

As you say, no version of iDVD can produce HD quality - does this mean that, without Roxio Toast 10 Pro AND a Blue-ray burner + BR disks! there is no other way to produce my 1080p HD movies onto a DVD? It looks like I'm wasting my time with 1080 HD because my 1080 movies take up around 60GB of space per 1 hour! Would I be better off just setting the camcorder or iMovie (HD6) or both to 16:9 widescreen & forget all about 1080 high definition settings that are taking up so much space but no use to me?

Yours Makey.

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Answer 3

Aug 18, 2009 8:51 AM in response to fasano2112

HD to SD conversion by iDVD looks good on a not so big TV screen!
On a big screen the same amount of pixels will have to fill the screen, so they get really big.
If you would shoot in SD, the same problem will occur.
So Toast 10 with the optional blu ray plug in is a good choise: it will burn your HD video in blu ray specs on a conventional DVD using your superdrive or on a blu ray disk using an external blu ray burner and these can be watched on blu ray set top players or a PS 3, but not on your Mac. These movies look good on big screens!

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Answer 4

Aug 18, 2009 10:13 AM in response to makey

Hi

Me again and thinking out aloud.

I would go to FinalCut Pro forum.

The FC Studio bundle cont a program Compressor and this I think can together with
another bundled application DVD-Studio pro MAY BE Make a result closer to Your need.

BUT THIS IS SHEER Speculations. Yes I got'em Yes I tried to figure them out and as
I GUESS - This should be possibly.

NO I have not tried - NO 1080i or p material to use for testing.

Most cost effective would be - Roxio Toast™ + Burner + Disks. (Don't have the last two)

Yours Bengt W

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Answer 5

makey

Level 1

51 points

Aug 19, 2009 6:34 AM in response to Bengt Wärleby

Hi,

Thanks for the info. Bengt, I understand what you mean about pixel size (like grain size showing up in big enlargements in conventional film photography). I'm eventually going to get a new widescreen TV, but I don't need a particularly big one in our rather small room. I would prefer to stay with standard resolution wide screen, and my available iMac hardware/software, as I don't (yet anyway) want to get into Blue ray equipment. Also I make DVDs for other people who don't have Blue Ray. Therefore, what would you consider the screen size I could go up to without the pixels showing too much (I'm in the U.K. - PAL 25fps). I'm thinking a 32" maximum 16:9 screen, would be the biggest I'd want. What do you think?

Yours, Makey.

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