DVDA Studio 5 interesting things

Marton wrote on 6/26/2011, 10:06 AM

Hi
I just buyed DVDA Studio 5.0 and have a few issues:

- the "Show me how" window starts everytime, even when i uncheck the "show at startup" option..

-in Options/preferences i set the prepare folders to something, and this settings is not saved, i have to set at every program start.

- I made a very simple dvd, without menu, and with 4.3GB dvd compliant mpeg2 file (rendered from Moviestudio). DVDA warnings me, that this will not fit on a 4.7GB disc, but anyway i can render the disc, and the total size is less than 4.5GB. So why this warning?

- dvd format can be mpeg2 with pcm or ac3 audio, but the Blu-ray disc format is only PCM stereo? Why? I cannot make 5.1 blurays?

thanks

Comments

Steve Grisetti wrote on 6/26/2011, 4:05 PM

I've never experienced any of the problems you've listed, Marton, so I can't respond to them. Are you by any chance using Windows 7 64-bit? Sometimes things don't behave as they should on it.

As for the audio on BluRays, yes, the program only has the option for stereo audio on BluRay discs.

Marton wrote on 6/27/2011, 1:23 AM

I use XP SP3.
So bluray only with stereo :( This is a limitation?
But the dvd can have ac3 5.1. Interesting for sure..

Steve Mann wrote on 6/27/2011, 5:15 AM

Warning - I'm feeling ornery today....

If you fill out your system specs we may be able to advise you a little quicker:

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?MessageID=386566&Replies=0

As has been covered in these forums almost daily, (didn't search, did you?), the DVDA estimate of disk usage is wildly conservative, and if your files in Windows Explorer are less than 4.3 Gb, it will fit, regardless what DVDA warns. If you're close, just ignore the warning.

You are using the entry-level version of Vegas and DVDA. You have to leave some features for the pro version.

Marton wrote on 6/27/2011, 6:40 AM

Thanks, my system specs is filled... Isn't?
I searched the forum, but you are right, only for the "saving preferences and settings" keywords, not for warning.

And yes, i know i use the entry level version of DVDA, just
it was interesting to me, that a DVD can have ac3 (so i have the encoder), but bluray cannot.

Steve Mann wrote on 6/27/2011, 8:43 AM

I'm not nearly as ornery now...

Your system specs are still blank:

I suspect that the difference may also be a licensing issue. Some CODECS aren't available in the demo versions for exactly that reason, and the per unit licensing of some technology in the Pro version may simply be too expensive for the Studio versions.

Marton wrote on 6/27/2011, 10:15 AM

OK, this was not checked, sorry: "Display system information on my forum..."

I use the full version of VMS and DVDA, not the demo.

Another interesting thing for me: i render a dvd compliant mpeg2 file from VMS in variable bitrate format, set everything correct: min, max and average bitrate, so i do a quick math: this will be no more than 4.6 GB. The resulting file was more than 5GB! But here comes the trick: when import to DVDA, set chapters, and render to video_ts, the whole folder will be about 4.6GB again :-) without recompress of course.
And this wasn't because of audio bitrate (mpeg layer2 and ac3 bitrate was about the same)
I never had such issue with CBR encoding, seems Vegas render in VBR format with a little space room? But for what? :-)

Steve Mann wrote on 6/27/2011, 8:28 PM

When you're looking at it on Windows Explorer, remember that the file size is a multiple of the cluster size, typically 4Kb in NTFS. Ignore the DVDA estimate. If you know that your files are in the 4.3-4.5 Gb size range, just burn it.

BTW - it is impossible to calculate the filesize of a VBR encode without actually encoding it. VBR is just that - variable. A scene with a steady background of a simple wall will compress to a much smaller file than the same scene in front of a highway with moving traffic.

Marton wrote on 6/27/2011, 10:45 PM

"Ignore the DVDA estimate"

That's exactly what i do :-)

"it is impossible to calculate the filesize of a VBR encode without actually encoding it. "

Maybe you misunderstood me, but i don't want to calculate the size before encoding... I know how VBR works.
So i have the encoded file already! The mpeg file is more than 5GB, and from this without re-encding DVDA produce a 4.6GB folder. That's interesting for me, and never happened with CBR encoded sources..
thanks