Q: DVD length and res.. reducing to fit
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Apr 25, 2014 5:25 AMby oneHvT,The only thing that matters in creating a DVD is time. How long is the piece? From the number of frames and the frame rate, I guess your piece is a little under two hours long. If true, you will need a double-layer DVD, even with the highest-compression choice (I think it is called LP).
Do NOT export using Quicktime compression. iDVD does its own compression. Do a straight export (first choice on the export menu), and, to save space, make it a reference movie, i.e. don't check the 'self-contained' box. Send this to iDVD.
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Apr 25, 2014 6:11 AMby Alchroma,Export as a Quicktime Movie at the original size.
2 hours is the limit for a single sided disc.
You have to account for any menus iDVD creates as well and this reduces the 2 hours.
You may just fit it on one disc if luck runs your way.
iDVD has a meter that will tell you whats going on.
As iDVD defaults to NTSC make sure you select PAL in the iDVD Project Properties with 16:9 for aspect ratio.
Al
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Apr 25, 2014 8:36 AMby Neil Paisnel,Ah ok, I see that is where the 'extra' few minutes comes from
I wanted to do single layer DVD as that is what I was asked for.
So am I getting this correct. If I export from FCE at full res...1920x1080..I end up with something liek an 83gb mov file, the iDVD will auto compress to what ever it needs to fit the DVD standard?
That sounds very much like what you are saying..hope so. but from what i have seen, not sure. I have an exported movie of the number of frames quoted above which works out to just under 120 mins at 25fps, but the Project Info Window in iDVD tells me it is 6.8gb and 121 minutes....So even if taken to under 120 mins by shaving some more frames off, I can't see I will loose 2.1 gb to get it to the 4.7gb SL DVD limit
I have already been fairly brutal with the transitions...in fact no transitions at all...just fading each clip to black in the Timeline, then fading the next back in.
Thanks so far for the help.
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Apr 25, 2014 8:47 AMby MartinR,If there is any doubt in your mind, may I reiterate what Al & oneHvT have already said ... the only thing that matters in this case is how long in time your video is. The exported file size is irrelevant! iDVD will take care of the necessary encoding & compression to fit your video on DVD media.
Export from FCE to QuickTime Movie. Be sure you select Include: Audio and Video and Markers: Chapter Markers when you export. You may also UNcheck the option called "Make Movie Self-Contained" which will speed the export process and significantly reduce the exported file size. You can use this type of file (called a QT reference movie) in iDVD exactly the same as a self-contained QT movie. It just saves you a lot of time and disk space.
DO NOT .... repeat DO NOT export to QuickTime Conversion if you intend to burn a DVD with your exported video. Doing so will only create problems.
Import your file into iDVD and set up your iDVD project as you wish. iDVD can fit up to about 2 hours of video on single-layer DVD media and about 4hours on dual-layer DVD media (less to the extent of your menus & any stills you include on in the iDVD project).
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Apr 25, 2014 8:59 AMby MartinR,If I export from FCE at full res...1920x1080..I end up with something liek an 83gb mov file, the iDVD will auto compress to what ever it needs to fit the DVD standard?
Yes, but make sure you select the correct DVD type in iDVD before you import the file into iDVD (PAL in your case).
Also, you do not need to export a self-contained QT file and waste all that time & disk space. When you export from FCE, UNcheck the option called "Make Movie Self-Contained."
just under 120 mins at 25fps, but the Project Info Window in iDVD tells me it is 6.8gb and 121 minutes
You may need to adjust your quality settings in iDVD. Different versions of iDVD have a slightly different way to do that. In iDVD7 go to Project > Project info > Encoding to adjust the encoding/compression level.
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Apr 25, 2014 9:30 AMby MartinR,All raw footage is Apple Intermediate 1920 x 1080 25fps, 48k, 16 bit audio ...
I created a new sequence at 1280x 720 25ps but this is still over 6.7 GB
Don't do this. If you have 1920x1080 source media, you should be editing in a 1920x1080 sequence. When your clips & sequence properties are mismatched your project becomes prone to all sorts of problems.
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Apr 25, 2014 3:25 PMby Alchroma,I have an exported movie of the number of frames quoted above which works out to just under 120 mins at 25fps, but the Project Info Window in iDVD tells me it is 6.8gb and 121 minutes....So even if taken to under 120 mins by shaving some more frames off, I can't see I will loose 2.1 gb to get it to the 4.7gb SL DVD limit
Alter the compession settings to Pro Quality.
It will give you a two pass VBR that should look the best and compress the best.
As mentioned, your Timeline length is on the limit of iDVD single sided disc space.
Fingers crossed.
Al
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Apr 25, 2014 11:42 PMby Neil Paisnel,This is all great, gentlemen, thanks very much.
that Pro Quality setting in Encoding in iDVD really does reduces size significantly. Now I go back and look at it I do wonder why I did nto try it before..I guess so many other thoughts of how to do it and only trying to change just one setting at a time.
I had originally exported as you say MartinR, only trying other options in order to get the size down. I had previously understood about Export With Chapter Markers, and I did have the option called "Make Movie Self-Contained" unchecked.
Looks Like PRo Quality iDVD encoding does allow slightly longer than 2 hours..my latest edit is showing as good to fit on a SL DVD at 124 mins with space still available.
Armed with this better understanding you guys have given me, I'll try a bit of re editing the final sequence this morning and re exporting and importing back to iDVD to se what I can do.
Many thanks to all
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Apr 26, 2014 3:06 AMby Neil Paisnel,Creating a img file now from the very first FCE export I did at about 2.5 hours All chapter markers and custom thumbnails and background music sorted. .No DL DVD's in the house so while it is creating the img I can nip to town to get some.
Also got FCE re exporting the 1920 full res again, of a shorter edited sequence to less than hopefully 2 hours for Single Layer burning. 178978 frames so 119 mins...so should be good. It has been going for 2 hours ..saying 35 left now,,,and that is with the Self Contained movie box un checked.
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Apr 26, 2014 8:37 AMby Neil Paisnel,MartinR wrote:
It has been going for 2 hours ..saying 35 left now,,,and that is with the Self Contained movie box un checked.
Exporting a reference movie should be a lot faster than that. Did you render everything & mix down your audio before exporting?
Sequence > Render All > Both
Sequence > Render Only > Mixdown
No, but I'll give it a go..Thanks
if that speds thigns up it will be great.
thanks
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Apr 26, 2014 9:30 AMby Neil Paisnel,I am suprised at how blurred the final video is ...it goes in to FCE as nice crisp video from the camera files and comes out ..well realy quite blurred, like really poor quality JPEG images ...what is happening here? I guess this is a result of compressign the footage down?
Anyway of improving on this?
Not played it back on a TV screen yet via a DVD player, just on the TV from the Mac's spare video output.
