It sounds like you are rendering an HD master and the using that master to render a DVD version. A better way can be to render your DVD resolution version right from you original timeline. That way your text is generated directly at the SD resolution instead of being generated at one resolution then resized to another.

I render right to DVD compatible mpeg2 file using the DVD Architect template except that I modify the horizontal dimensions to 704 across instead of 720. In NTSC land, 720 x 480 will give you tiny little pillarboxes on the right and left sides of your final render unless you check the "stretch to fit" box. I prefer to leave this box unchecked and use 704 x 480 because the aspect ratios between the HD and SD versions are the same at this resolution. I imagine it is the same with PAL. If you used the PAL widescreen DVD Architect template and modified it to 704 x 576 I think you'd be all set.

Edit: Just reading over Bob's post and, yeah you do need to check your whites (and blacks). Vegas text defaults at a white of 255,255,255 (R,G & B colors respectively). If you go into the text properties you can change this to 235,235,235. You should do this for all your renders (both HD and SD). Otherwise the whites in the text will overdrive your TV and not look as crisp, especially on a CRT.

I put a generated layer of 16,16,16 black on the bottom track of all my projects as well so that the black doesn't go below this level. On most TVs this doesn't make a noticable difference, but every so often you run into a TV or switching box that has sync problems when gets a black with zero levels.

I concur with Laurence.

If you start with an SD Project in Vegas, all your generated text and media will be created at that size, and the rendered quality will be the best it can get, as opposed to downsizing during render.

Also, bitrate makes a huge difference with this stuff. I can readily see the difference between 5Mbs and 6Mbs with text/media in my projects. But don't get so large that DVDA recompresses the video. Your work will really take a quality hit if that happens.

One more thing, there are quite a number of fonts that have fine detail that just doesn't work at SD resolutions. There is no way around this outside of just not using these fonts. This is the case regardless of your editor.

There is also a plugin included in New Blue Video Essentials 3 called the "edge smoother" that is designed to smooth some of the rough edges of text or graphics.

http://www.newbluefx.com/video-essentials-iii.html

One more thing, there are quite a number of fonts that have fine detail that just doesn't work at SD resolutions. There is no way around this outside of just not using these fonts. This is the case regardless of your editor.

It's really a good idea to stay away from serif fonts altogether with SD; you may get away with it if your titles are very large.
REGARDING THE BITRATE ISSUE:
If you have VideoReDo Plus, you can render your titles as separate MPEG-2 files in Vegas, 8Mbs CBR, then stitch them to your video using the Joiner in VRD+. A very effective way to get the maximum sharpness possible using text and generated media.

That's a terrific idea of rendering the titles at higher bitrate and stitching them together with Video Redo! I never thought of that. Thanks.

I use Womble's Mpeg Wizard 5 instead of Video Redo though. I prefer it, though both programs will do this task very well.

If you do this, watch out for music that runs during the transition between the titles and what precedes or follows. The mpeg editors tend to have small audio glitches at the join points.

Technically there should be no reason why bitrate would have any effect on static text. You hit the bitrate limit because of the difference between frames and I've rendered static text at very low bitrates and it looks no different. You may get a few frames of macroblocking if there's a cut but this can be avoided by forcing an I frame at the cut. Vegas provides a mechanism to do this. Put a marker at the cut and make certain you tick the "Force I frames at markers" or whatever its called, box in the encoder.


Bob.

If it was just hard cuts on the titles, I could agree with you, although I haven't actually compared.

I should have mentioned that I have never created a title or credits for DVD without fades. For this, 8Mbs CBR and stitching as above looks much better than rendering the titles and credits (rolling or not) along with the video (typically at 4 - 5 Mbs VBR).

Something else is also going to affect your text - you have a limited bit rate - if there is a lot of other stuff moving in the image, that will suck up the bit rate. One thing I saw mentioned a while back in some article was the comment about how shooting someone with a tree for a backdrop when there is a breeze moving the leaves really eats up the bitrate. You tend to look at the person or text and think it is stationary while your brain is ignoring all those leaves etc moving around in the background.

mikey

Click on the title event and make sure they have the same resolution as you video track. I have noticed myself that while the video tracks are full hd, the title events are in much lower res. Don't know why. But you can change them manually.

Thanks to all, for these replies.
I'll some of these solution even if it seems that this issue cannot be settled totally.
Videojohn

The problem is DVDA. It's encoder is the worst. If there was a way to use another encoder in DVDA the problem would be easily solved.

Fisheyes,
It is not necessary to use DVDA to encode the video. In fact, most of us prefer not to do so. But DVDA and Vegas Pro use the same encoder. It's that the custom controls are not exposed in DVDA. So the trick is to render correctly in Vegas, prepare and burn in DVDA without re-encoding.

I disagree. When the buttons are placed in DVDA for the menus it re-renders the footage no matter what killing it with the lame DVDA encoder. There is no way to escape it since the buttons are the last things to be put in place.

There is no way to stop the re-encoding because the dvda buttons or the link force the title screen to always be re-encoded by DVDA.

I would love to be wrong because I always felt DVDA is the lamest software in my work flow.

Uhh, this thread about titles, not menus. Look at the subject line.

Titles, which are part of the video content, are not rendered again in DVDA unless you have done something less than intelligent with the render in Vegas.

BTW, DVDA menus are rendered at a full 9.5Mbs with the MainConcept encoder, the same one that Vegas uses. So if you are dissatisfied with your menus, you are entirely welcome to start another topic on that subject.

As for me, I am quite happy with the quality of my menus, which contain buttons, backgrounds, stills, text, and embedded video.

uhh, my titles are my menus.

and yeah, I'm being sarcastic.

The MainConcept encoder still stinks no matter what it is used for regardless of bit rate.

I guess my standard for quality for video is much higher than yours because I wouldn't use MainConcept encoder for anything, but I have to for my menu titles.

That's the point. The MainConcept encoder can't render titles well because it stinks. Other encoders can.

I'm forced to use MainConcept encoder for my menus with titles so I know how lacking this encoder is.

Bottom line it is MainConcept encoder that causes titles to look bad and nothing else. It doesn't matter if it is a menu or anything else. Sorry you missed this obvious point.

Good luck with the inferior encoder.