I have a project that is 3.51 GB that I need to shrink a bit to fit on a DVD with a few other videos. Currently, I'm rendering a 2 hour video in mpeg-2. Are there other settings I can use in Vegas to render and get a smaller file that that will not noticably degrade the quality?
Without resorting to too much explanation here and wishing the best for you to get further along FASTER, you could try this thread I started, on near enough the same issue:-
The thread should identify some further ways to do this AND give you more of the background to what you are asking.
You have asked the eternal question - at our level -
Size<>Quality<>Content
Meaning the GBs will depend on the quality you want, but that again will depend on the the DV "noise" of the content too. Not a straightforward subject, but you may just get an easy answer backed-up with a wealth - NOT MINE - of wisdom and hard won experience too.
First recommendation: Two DVDs
If that is not an option:
Second recommendation: Two Mpeg 2 files at a CBR of 8,000,000 and a DC Coefficient of 10 followed by DVD Shrink to create one Mpeg 2 at the file size you require.
Third recommendation---cur-cut-cut. The people that view your project do not know what you cut out because they did not see what was cut out and do not question what was cut out. Gee, I should be a great philosopher with that statement.
Third recommendation---cur-cut-cut. The people that view your project do not know what you cut out because they did not see what was cut out and do not question what was cut out. Gee, I should be a great philosopher with that statement.