You don't render MPEG, you encode it.

Thanks for the replies. I'm new to this, so while I have done a great share of research using these forums, the terminology is new to me.

Anyway, I was following the directions to take AVCHD footage from a video camera, and make an AVCHD DVD disk with menus using VMS10 and DVDA5. Those directions say to render the video in VMS10 using Mainconcept mpeg3 type and blu ray 1920x1080 60i 25mbps template. And then to go to DVDA and do the following under "make Blu ray disk - optimized - project properties": select target media size = 4.7 gb, select AVC under video format, and adjust bitrate down to 15mbps, then burn dvd.

The problem is that DVDA does NOT seem to be recompressing the bitrate down to 15 mbps when it does the burn, and as a result, I am unable to watch the DVD burn on my blu ray player - footage is choppy, and sound drops out.

Now I realize I could render to sony AVC in VMS to get .m2ts files, but then I need tsMuxwer / imgburn to create the AVCHD disk, and I loose the menus. So that is why I'm trying to do this in DVDA as per the forums here.

Hopefully, this is a little more specific. Any thoughts?

What "directions"?
Some of what you quoted makes no sense, or you are completely misinterpreting what you read, because in your own words, you are unfamiliar with the terminology.
--There is no such thing as "mpeg3 type" video. Never heard of it. Doesn't exist.
--I'm sure whatever you read was referring to "Mainconcept" MP4/AVC, and not "Mainconcept" MPEG-2!
I do not think DVD Architect will do that kind of transcode for you, nor would it be desirable under any rational circumstance.

Baby steps, please!!! . . .

A 20 min. AVCHD "dvd" is tempting to beginners, esp. if you do not have a bluray burner. But I can promise that at your stage on the learning curve, it probably isn't worth it. Your emotional well-being may be at stake.

-- If you have a BluRay player, get the right burning equipment, and prepare for some mistakes.
-- Otherwise, render, prepare, and burn a compliant DVD video, which is quite easy, and play it on an uprez player, which are quite inexpensive now. You will be quite pleased with the results.

Good luck to you.

I meant mpeg-2, Regarding the information in this forum, my "directions" were taken from a post by Flyer Curt on 10/7/2010. Here is what he said:

"2. Use SVMS10P to edit your video(s)
a. Total video length no more than 38 min (DVD5) or 68 min (DVD9 dual layer).
b. Click "Make Movie", select "Burn it to a DVD or Blu-ray Disk", "Next", select "Blu-ray Disk", "Next", confirm output file location, Next
c. Video will render to four files (.m2v, .m2v.sfl, .m2v.sfvx, .w64)

3. Use DVDAS5 to prepare your DVD Menus and create an .iso file.
a. Drag the .m2v files to the desired menu screen
b. Adjust button sizes, location, appearance, linking and end-action
c. Create appropriate title and caption text
d. Add menu background music
e. Click on "Make Blu-ray Disk", "Prepare", verify output file location, "Next"
f. Review build messages, click "Optimize"
g. Click "Project Properties", click "Target media size (GB)", open choices and select "4.7" (or "8.5" for dual layer)
h. Click "Video Format", open choices and select "AVC"
i. Click "Bit rate (Mbps)", click box and input "15", Enter
j. Click on "OK", "OK", "Finish" to create an .iso file"


Note that Flyer Curt says in step "i" to adjust the bit rate down to 15. Well I have found that when I do this, DVDA does not seem to want to keep that setting and burns at the higher bit rate.

While I appreciate the answers to my questions, this is the issue I am having and hopefully somone has a solution.

First of all I would point out that this method will produce a disc that will play on only a proportion of Blu-ray players. There are threads that give information on methods for producing more compatible AVCHD discs.

Secondly, I would render using the Sony AVC CODEC (Project>Render AS). You can use the Custom dialog to set the desired bitrate (16,000,000) is the default.

This will produce an m2ts file containing video that does not need re-encoding and AC3 audio that will need re-encoding in DVDA.

First, even if I had VMS, I would never use "Make Movie" for anything. File->Render As instead.

Second, those directions are totally suspect. Why anyone would encode to MPEG-2 in Vegas and then encode a second time to AVC in DVD Architect flies in the face of common logic and practice, in more than one sense. It is simply not necessary and seriously degrades the video, even if it could be done in DVD Architect, which offers no rendering control. The author of those directions apparently has a lot of time on his hands . . .

There are other, more rational suggestions on these forums for putting a short BDAV or AVCHD on a dvd media, and plenty of discussion to go with them. TOG's advice above provides the shell for a reasonable approach to the task. A search of the forums will lead you to more detailed suggestions. However, as a starting point, I would stay away from advice that wants two encodes or anything other than a straight prepare (remux) in DVD Architect. I would also hold suspect any detailed advice from someone who has only 31 total posts on the forums, as a general rule.

"This will produce an m2ts file containing video that does not need re-encoding and AC3 audio that will [not] need re-encoding in DVDA."

This very basic principle is where you need to begin. I know this sounds old-fashioned, but since this is your very first thread, I suggest you will want to learn how to make a really good DVD first, then apply what you have learned to future experimentation with HD output. If you will do this, you will quickly see how misinformed the approach you are currently taking really is.

Unfortunately, not everything you read on the internet will necessarily work for everyone, nor even make sense in an NLE context. It takes the real experience that only time can bring to be able to separate the good advice from the rest. That's only one of the reasons I suggested baby steps . . .

But if you are determined to go down this path, regrettably I have nothing further to offer.

Hey NJDiver:

Don't forget to have a look at the free training materials on the Sony site: http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/support/trainingvids.asp?prod=moviestudio

That may give you some ideas on how to proceed with the HD render.

There are also some good training materials from VASST: http://store.vasst.com/store/sony-vegas-products.aspx

I have learned a lot from their materials.

Another thing you might try as an intermediate step is an HD render using the advice provided by Vimeo.com:

http://vimeo.com/help/faq/hd#hd_encoding_settings

Their suggested settings are for creating HD video suitable for viewing on the Vimeo site, which I believe can also be downloaded to your HDTV. This isn't the same as your goal to produce an AVCHD or BD disk, but it does take you through a few of the hoops and get you comfortable with the software if you are a new user. For Vimeo you would do all the work in VMS and not use DVD-A. The plus side here is that it's FREE and you won't burn BD coasters if you don't have a clear path on how best to proceed.

Whatever you do, don't get discouraged with the software! There is a learning curve but after you have the basics, you will find it is very feature rich and, in my opinion, very stable.

Regards,

Kimberly

A rather exhaustive topic will be found here:
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?MessageID=721883&Replies=80%20this

Please note that only Blu-ray players which advertise the AVCHD logo will play these high-definition on DVD disks.

-=Ken=-