1080p footage to DVD or Blu-ray?

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Level 1

4 points

1080p footage to DVD or Blu-ray?

I am involved in a feature length documentary film (aprox 1 hour 15 minutes), where we shot all of our footage at 1080p. We used a Canon 6D, Panasonic HMC40 AVCHD cam and some shots with a gopro hero 2.

We will be releasing this on DVD, but this is also my first time ever releasing something on disc in a mass quantity.

What are the best steps to get this process complete and keep the great quality I am seeing on the timeline?

I am using final cut pro, and compressor. After that I am basically lost and not sure on where to go with it.

Any help would be appreciated!

-Anthony

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.3)

Posted on Aug 4, 2013 1:47 PM

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Answer 1

Aug 4, 2013 10:13 PM in response to AntLefty

Hi Anthony

Just a word

DVD is as standard (whatever program used) only interlaced SD-Video (640x360 (PAL)) - (else it will not play on standard DVD-players)

And can not be any better !

Blu-Ray can do so much better - BUT need dedicated Players as PlayStation 3 or Blu-Ray-Players.

I use an USB- memory (they are cheap now a days - and load much faster than burning DVD/BD)

Yours Bengt W

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Answer 2

AntLefty Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 4, 2013 10:32 PM in response to Bengt Wärleby

Bengt,

Not sure if you are understanding my question, or I am not understanding your answer. We are finishing up on a feature length film, where it is to be physically released so people can watch the film on their DVD or Blu-ray player.

Are you saying we should release the film to a USB memory stick and physically hand it out that way? Not a bad idea in a sense.

Basically the film is to be released as if it was "out on DVD" where it can be physically purchased in a store, in professional packaging.

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Answer 3

Shane Ross

Level 8

43,110 points

Aug 4, 2013 11:50 PM in response to AntLefty

If you want it to look like every other DVD/BluRay that you might find at Target or at Amazon.com...then you need to hire a company that authors DVDs to make this for you. They will make a menu and chapter markers and everything. You can do it yourself, depending on your skill level with DVD and BluRay encoding...which I can see is nothing as you are asking us. Not disparaging you ...I can't make anything more than a "first play" DVD...no menus.

But Bengt did explain that first off, a DVD is SD only...it won't look as good as your timeline. Your timeline is HD, much higher resolution. But BluRay...that will be closer. To author a BluRay, you need a BluRay burner and BluRay encoding software, like Roxio TOAST, or Adobe Encore.

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Answer 4

RatVega™

Level 4

2,005 points

Aug 5, 2013 2:30 PM in response to AntLefty

To recap, for a "commercial release" DVD you'll want to get a specialist involved for the authoring of your show. A pro author may also have access to Cinema Craft Encoder sp3 that is used by pretty much all the big DVD releasers to "create the ultimate level of picture quality" you see in the big kids' DVDs.

After the show is authored, there are two routes for production:

A "Duplication" house can burn your DVDs, package them, etc. in relatively small quantities (hundreds to thousands) at surprisingly reasonable rates.

A "Replication" house can manufacture your DVDs, package them, etc. in LARGE quantities more economically. Note the words in bold.

The Duplicator burns the DVD in a way very similar to how you would, that is, use a DVD writer to record data onto a blank DVD.

The Replicator creates a "stamp" referred to as a "Glass Master" to make the shiny inner layer of the DVD and them encapsulates it in plastic to complete the DVD. He literally manufactures the DVD. This process is less expensive for very large quantities and is less susceptible to variations than burning.

The rules for Blu-Ray are a bit trickier, but in reality Blu-ray probably isn't going to catch up with NetFlix as the DVD replacement technology. If your people want to go there, start Googling.

HTH

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