DVD+R DL, file size & bitrate questions

dth122 wrote on 3/7/2011, 10:55 AM

I have a 1:56:00 video that I'm trying to burn to a DVD. It renders with the default Vegas settings to 5.2GB (video only). This has led me to look into DL discs and other options. I have a few questions.

Regarding DL discs... How come all seem to be DVD+R? In my SL experience DVD-R have better player compatibility, so a DVD-R DL would be preferable, if such a thing exists. If not, why not?

With the understanding that video quality is less important than player compatibility (but I'd like to keep the quality as high as possible), am I better off reducing the bitrate to get a smaller render? If so, what's the recommended method? I've seen that DVDA's fit-to-disc option is less than optimal, so what's the best alternative?

I'm hoping someone with experience on this stuff can save me a bunch of trial and error.

Thanks.
- Dave

Comments

Former user wrote on 3/7/2011, 12:55 PM

I would recommend that you avoid DL burned disks. There are a lot of players that will not play them correctly. I think you would be better off burning at a VBR and making it fit on a single layer disk.

If you don't want to render again, I have had good success using DVD Shrink to make a large DVD fit on a single sided with minimal, if any, quality loss.

Dave T2

dth122 wrote on 3/7/2011, 2:09 PM

Thanks.

I don't mind rendering again, but it would be extremely helpful to know what range of bitrates are likely to work for what I'm trying to do. I don't have a good feel for the bitrate vs. video quality trade-off.
- Dave

Steve Grisetti wrote on 3/7/2011, 4:50 PM

These days there is absolutely no difference in player compatibility or quality in DVD-Rs and DVD+Rs. So either should work as well as the other.

As for a dual layer disc, you should have no problems getting 2 hours of video on those discs with no reduction in bitrate or quality -- assuming you've got your project properties set up for an 8.5 gb disc.

birdcat wrote on 3/7/2011, 5:46 PM

I just had a similar problem - Needed to get 5GB worth of video on a DVD and DVDA (5.0) kept insisting it couldn't re-encode using "Fit To Disc".

I wound up getting a small stack of 25 Memorex DVD+R/DL's for $24 at BJ's and burned a couple of 8GB plus discs (at least three hours total each) and they played fine on my Sony BDV-E770W which is very finicky (about BD-R's at least).

FYI - I burned @ 4X, not 8X - Just to play it safe.
FYI2 - DVDA will ask you to insert a chapter marker (it will tell you where) making you have do run another prepare (it does reuse lots however) - I just wish it would tell me this up front.

Arthur.S wrote on 3/8/2011, 9:37 AM

From memory, DVD+R was brought out by Philips to be more compatible with set top players - as opposed to DVD-R being originally for PC's.

I use Verbatim DVD+R DL and have never had a single disc returned in about 2 years now. I did have problems with cheaper DL's.

The layer change is usually around 1hr 19mins to 1hr 23mins - for me at least. So I make sure I've got a fade to black there with a chapter marker there - then nobody notices the layer change at all.

The suggestion to render at a good quality CBR then run the file through DVD Shrink (Free) is a good one. If my file is only a gig or so over the max for a single layer disc, I do that. DVD Shrink is pretty fast too!

Jack S wrote on 3/8/2011, 12:52 PM

I have just rendered a 1hr 56m project in VMS10. I used a CBR bitrate calculated using a simple method described in this post

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?MessageID=753189&Replies=9

My project was made up of AVI and MPEG2 clips and the result was very good. I can't believe I got such good results from the AVI part with a bitrate of 4.972Mbs.
Try it. I think you'll be impressed. You have to do it in VMS10 though, DVDAS doesn't allow you to render at CBR.

dth122 wrote on 3/9/2011, 8:24 PM

Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions. I ended up re-rendering 2-pass VBR at a lower bitrate and everything came out great. I'm surprised at how little it effected the quality of the end product.
- Dave