DVD Resolution vs. Bitrate

kkolbo wrote on 12/31/2001, 11:44 PM
Ok, I didn't listen when everyone said don't try this at home. Normally I would take a project to an encode and mastering facility and let them worry about this stuff, but I am now burning DVD's at home for fun and of course playing with all the choices.

Most enocde settings and set ups that I hear folks talk about on the boards are 720x480 for DVD's. Even at high bit rates with a good encoder, I notice the motion artifacts. Bit rates of 7.5 mb etc. The source is parade video in crudy lighting conditions with a lot of trees and other details in the shots. (bit rate hogs)

Since the DVD spec allows a 352x480 resolution I set up to trade the resolution for the more effective bit rate use and to loose the motion artifacts. The picture looks quite good on my TV set.

8mb at 720 still looks good to most folks, don't get me wrong, I just have a critical eye when there is high detail.

I guess the question and topic for discussion is ... how common is the trading of resolution for bit use in high detail high motion clips? Is this how they are getting the smooth picture on the production DVD's I am used to seeing? How will it appear if the DVD is put through a wide screen digital TV? Does anyone know? Most common TV's can't handle more horizontal information than the 352 gives them.

I am sure some of the downfalls that I see in the 720 encodes are because of software (inexpensive) encoding versus some of the very accurate hardware encoding, and the writable DVD versus the production masters. I guess I am looking for some common knowledge about the subject of trade offs in encoding for DVD. After all, the DV source is transfering around 25mb and we are squeezing it to 8-9 mb for DVD, it will probably never be as nice as the DV master :)

Any discussion woudl be appreciated.

Keith

Comments

AtomStream wrote on 1/2/2002, 10:55 AM
Yes! Please more about this stuff:


I am sure some of the downfalls that I see in the 720 encodes are because of software (inexpensive) encoding versus some of the very accurate hardware encoding, and the writable DVD versus the production masters. I guess I am looking for some common knowledge about the subject of trade offs in encoding for DVD. After all, the DV source is transfering around 25mb and we are squeezing it to 8-9 mb for DVD, it will probably never be as nice as the DV master :) >>