File Prep for DVD Architect

DavidPJ wrote on 5/15/2003, 8:29 AM

I'm using V4+DVD but I do not have a DVD burner yet. I'm postponing adding a DVD burner to my existing PC because I intend to upgrade to a new and faster PC.

What's the best procedure for later taking my completed Vegas projects on DV and transferring them to a DVD using DVD Architect? I don't have enough disk space to keep more than about 2 project clips at one time.

Thanks.

Comments

BillyBoy wrote on 5/15/2003, 10:40 AM

Depends. If you are sure your project is indeed finished and you're sure you'll never need to edit it again, you don't need to keep project (veg) files, or the original source files anymore. Everything you need to make a DVD in DVD-A is contained in the rendered MPEG-2 file Vegas can make. Or to save space and also give you a fudge factor, I simply wouldn't render until you're ready to burn, this allows you to change your mind a make last minute changes. If you go that route simply keep your VEG file and ALL your original source files. DO NOT render yet. MPEG-2 files are BIG.

A few considerations. DVD-A will take the MPEG-2 file as-is and then recompress the audio portion. You could/can make seperate renders of the video and audio in Vegas. There are seperate templates NTST video that's going to use DVD-A, and then you'd need to also render the audio as a AC-3 for the audio. If you don't... and you don't have to... DVD-A will convert the audio to the required format itself using the familiar MPEG-2 NTSC template. I've made a bunch this way.

The other big issue is chapter points. If you've already set them in Vegas, then DVD-A will "see" them. If you didn't or want to change them, no problem, you can easily do that from within DVD-A, there is no need to go back to Vegas.

So the real issue is are you sure you're done with the project and do you want to go to AC-3 audio which is a different compression method and gives you more room to put more stuff on the DVD.

DavidPJ wrote on 5/15/2003, 6:33 PM

Thanks BillyBoy. It sounds like the way to go is to keep all source and project files and render when I have the DVD burner. The problem with this is disk space. I hate to use up lots of disk space for the clips while I'm still creating other editing projects.

What about recapturing the edited tape? Could I go easily go from the captured tape to rendering a MP3 to burning a DVD? Or, would I have to go through the timeline and recreate the project? Would it help if I had the original project file?

What may be the best solution is to buy a new PC and DVD burner before I create too many videos. Thanks.

BillyBoy wrote on 5/16/2003, 9:03 AM

Something else you may consider... what I do that solves the space problem. I use removable hard drives. Not the kind sold as such, they're way over priced. Just a regular IDE drive in a removable case (case is around $30) slips in a slot in the front of your PC, if you're going to build your own, not a bad idea since you can have unlimited storage this way, plus easily move files from one PC to another. Works with any IDE drive. I've got about 500GB off-line storage like this already. The one down side if it really is, is you need to reboot to switch drives in and out of your PC. :-)

If you save the edited project back to mini DV tape that's another option. While it is compressed, if you use the NTSC DV (or PAL) templates that come with Vegas the quality is still excellent so unless you're a real fussbutton needing prestine quality you can only get from uncomressed AVI, another way to go. This method assumes you would "finish" your projects, (meaning render them now) so you'd be finished except for the burning part. This method is more risky in that if you change you mind and wanted to edit any of your "finished" projects more at a later time, you'd be stuck with what you had already as a starting point.

Putting your "original" but edited source files on DV tape would require rendering to get them on DV tape so rather pointless to do that I would think considering all the time involved to render. If you're still unsure when or what kind of DV burner you're going to get I would save all the original source files and any VEG files you made on hard drives till you're ready to actually burn, in effect putting the burning and final rendering off. I would save all the files for each project to each own folder to make it easier. So this way you could edit as many projects as you want now and as long as you save the original source files and the created VEG files, assuming you don't run out of disk space... you can go on forever until you're ready to burn.

Remember the VEG (project file) is a set of instructions Vegas needs to remember what you did editing wise. So until you're 100% sure you're done with any project you need to keep it and all the original source files used.

TorS wrote on 5/17/2003, 1:20 PM

You can get your DVD burner now and install it in the old machine. The burner does not need a fast machine. You can shift it to the new machine when you get it.
Tor

Paul_Holmes wrote on 5/17/2003, 8:16 PM

Exactly. I have a 2nd 633 celeron I use solely to burn DVDs. Using Prassi or Record Now or probably Nero, you shouldn't have any problems. Will burn at 2X, 4X or whatever speed your burner is. (I always have my authoring program create an Audio_TS and Video_TS folder, transfer them to the celeron, then burn away, copy after copy while I work on other things in the real computer!