iDVD - Toast 11 Pro - HD-DVD

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Level 1

8 points

iDVD - Toast 11 Pro - HD-DVD

Hi

I'm editing using FCPX on an iMac and also using Compressor 4 and Toast 11 Pro, along with the latest version of iDVD, all my software is upgraded to the current versions. My original movie footage is recorded on a Panasonic HDC SD700, I always record in 1920x1080p 50fps, this generates .mts files which I convert to .mov files for editing using ClipWrap, I almost always convert using the Apple Pro Res 422 codec and it is these files that I bring into FCPX for editing. When the editing is complete I export a single file from FCPX as a master .mov file and it is this file that I want to use as the source material for my DVDs in the hope that I'll retain as much of the original quality. These files are therefore 1920x1080 50fps. I want to use these files as my DVD source material as they also act as the source material for the clips I upload, once they have been through Compressor, and it seems the easier option to use the same source files for my DVDs.

I've experimented for a while with Toast and DVD Studio Pro (DVDSP) in the hope that I would be able to produce HD DVDs which I would be able to play on a Blu-ray player but to be honest I've now pretty much given up on that as the whole process seemed to me to be generally to flaky and unreliable and life is too short to keep flogging a dead horse! I don't have a Blu-ray burner so I've decided to concentrate my efforts on trying to ensure that my SD DVDs are as good as I can get them to be.

Importing the master file or files into Toast has yielded half decent results but they really aren't that good and I've had better results using iDVD. My work with DVDSP, which has been what I really want to use on an ongoing basis because of it's flexibility, has hit rather a block. In DVDSP when I come to import my assets (the master files I've described), they import but I'm not getting green "lights" in the assets tab on the video file and the video can't be viewed, though I can hear the audio when it "plays". What I see is shown below:

So, I'm rather stuck really, since I can't get the assets in I can't make any further progress, can anyone suggest how I might move this forward?

Thank you.

Quentin.

iDVD '08, Mac OS X (10.7.5)

Posted on Nov 18, 2012 10:36 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

J Keller

Level 4

2,750 points

Nov 22, 2012 10:12 PM in response to qfieldboden

Anyone over in the DVDSP forum have suggestions? In terms of iDVD, the preferred importing format used to be .dv (DV Stream), and since you have Compressor, it may downsize your 1920x1080 files to .dv better than iDVD can. Here's some additional info: http://support.apple.com/kb/PH5432

John

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Answer 2

qfieldboden Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 26, 2012 3:42 PM in response to qfieldboden

Hi

As an update on this I found that if instead of using the "add file" menu option in DVDSP I simply dragged the files over from the Finder I then get the "green lights". Weird but that's what happens and at least I was then able to make progress with the project.

However, since solving that problem I've now moved away from DVDSP because of it's inability to deal with writing HD materal in Blu-ray format onto DVD-Rs. I'm now going down that route with the result that the material I'm viewing on the DVD-Rs is in HD and played on a Blu-ray player really does look excellent. Doesn't have all the swanky menu options but I'd rather have the ability to play/watch the higher definition material.

Q

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Answer 3

mishmumken

Level 5

4,000 points

Nov 27, 2012 6:40 AM in response to qfieldboden

qfieldboden wrote:

However, since solving that problem I've now moved away from DVDSP because of it's inability to deal with writing HD materal in Blu-ray format onto DVD-Rs.

That is wrong. See this: http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/burn_br_mac_superdrive_stone.html

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Answer 4

qfieldboden Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 27, 2012 8:45 AM in response to mishmumken

Hi mishmumken

I remember looking at that article when I was looking into all this, I thought, and still think, that it was talking about using Final Cut Pro 7 rather that DVD Studio Pro which was what I referred to in my post?

As far as I am aware DVD Studio Pro doesn't support writing DVD-R discs that can be read in Blu-ray players. I did play around using the HD option in DVDSP but found the whole thing more complex than I needed for this particular project and the output would not play on a Blu-ray player anyway.

Maybe I've missed something but I've found the system I'm now using with Compressor very easy to handle and it does get my HD video played in HD on a Blu-ray player quickly and easily in as close to Blu-ray quality as I need to get, it's certainly light years ahead of SD.

Thanks,

Quentin.

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Answer 5

mishmumken

Level 5

4,000 points

Nov 28, 2012 12:11 AM in response to qfieldboden

qfieldboden wrote:

I remember looking at that article when I was looking into all this, I thought, and still think, that it was talking about using Final Cut Pro 7 rather that DVD Studio Pro which was what I referred to in my post?

Technically right, of course. But if you have DVDSP you have FCP and Compressor as well. Sorry if my answer was just too short.

qfieldboden wrote:

I did play around using the HD option in DVDSP but found the whole thing more complex than I needed for this particular project and the output would not play on a Blu-ray player anyway.

DVDSP can create HD-DVDs which is a dead format and can clearly not be played on a Blu-Ray player. The way to go is through Compressor.

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