Beginners help required: dvd file size

paulgul wrote on 12/29/2009, 9:58 AM

Using Vegas Movie studio std V9b on Window 7
I have transfered a 2 hour program from my hard disk video recorder to my computer and converted to mpeg2, the file size is about 3.8G. I loaded into vegas to trim the start and finish by just a few minutes. I created a new project, selected Pal 50Hz and DVD widescreen. I done my editing and then selected 'Make Movie'. Everything work ok but I have now finished up with a video file of over 5G and an audio file of 1.5G and when I load it into DVD Architect I cant burn the disk. Where did I go wrong, I can't seem to find where I can adjust the quality settings to reduce the file size.
I assumed by selecting dvd in the project the file size/quality would have been adjusted to suit
Paul

Comments

musicvid10 wrote on 12/29/2009, 10:26 AM

One of the limitations of VMS (and hence its low price) is a relative lack of customizable MPEG-2 bitrate options.

Rather than having DVD Architect render your mpeg file again, one solution is to render from Vegas to a visually lossless intermediate codec, and introduce that (very large) file to DVDA for rendering to the required mpeg-2 format.

Eugenia has written a tutorial about this. A search will lead you to it.

MSmart wrote on 12/29/2009, 10:28 AM

In DVD Architect Studio, there is a Fit to Disc option after clicking on Optimize during the Make DVD process that will reduce the bitrate to make it fit on disc.

However, since your source mpeg file was only 3.8, I'm not sure why it "grew". I don't deal with mpeg files as I have a DV-AVI cam and render to avi but someone will come 'round and explain what happened and possibly suggest a better setting so VMS will create a file that DVDAS doesn't have to reencode.

paulgul wrote on 12/29/2009, 10:51 AM

Thanks for the replies, the 'fit to disk' option doesn't work basically says 'it doesn't work miracles'. I've search for the above and found this link
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=12&MessageID=683296
which is basically the same problem so I am going to try those suggestions.
Paul

musicvid10 wrote on 12/29/2009, 11:15 AM

Once again, the file grew because VMS does not have custom bitrate rendering options for mpeg-2, thus no smart render. I believe the default internal bitrate for the DVDA template is 6Mbs ABR, 1-pass VBR. That's why rendering to mpeg-2 again is undesireable.

That being said, what were your original source files? You seemed to imply that you had already converted them to mpeg-2 before editing. If that is the case, again it is an inadvisable choice.

You are right, there are no miracles in DVD production.
Bitrate x Length = File size. No exceptions, no magic.
If you have a DVD5 disc, you are limited to approximately 4.35GB of material. Nothing more.

When you find the link to Eugenia's tutorial, which is on her server, you will understand this better. The intermediate codecs suggested are not the only ones available.

In the meantime, you may want to check my tutorial, which explains some of the bare basics for beginners:
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=12&MessageID=660127

paulgul wrote on 12/29/2009, 11:41 AM

The original file off the video recorder was in .ts format, I used a program called HDTV2MPEG2 to convert to mpeg2 format, its this file that was 3.8G, I then used VMS to edit as above. I thought the tutorial was on these forums, I'll look on her web site and see what I can find.

musicvid10 wrote on 12/29/2009, 12:02 PM

Got it. Your .ts file was mpeg-2 to begin with, so it didn't get re-encoded when you remuxed it to .mpg. Nothing lost.

So if what you really want to do is take your set-top recorder files, cut out the commercials, and fast-recode to a .vob that you can use in DVD Architect to author a DVD for your personal use, there is a better way to do this. It is called VideoReDo. It has a generous trial period, at the end of which you can decide if you can live without it (I bought it). Does all of the above automatically without the need to edit in Vegas.

paulgul wrote on 12/29/2009, 1:04 PM

Thanks, I'll try VideoReDo and see how I get on, would seem to be a lot easier than the process I'm using now

HaroldC wrote on 12/31/2009, 4:08 PM

I use dvdshrink when a movie won't fit onto a single layer disc and it is already otherwise complete prepared.

musicvid10 wrote on 12/31/2009, 6:00 PM

Harold, so do I.