menu problems.

niki_niki wrote on 6/30/2005, 7:53 AM

hi,
i have two problems whit DVDarchitect menus.

1. I put one video as background of the menu and same video as media (video) i rekompres both menu and video and quality of both is very diferent. Menu is very low quality ( like on one field of frame is displayed ) and video ( media ) is whit good quality. Whay is that difference ?

On Prwview menu look great, but after make DVD look horrible...

2. and second problem is whit import PSD as menu ( buttons ) all is perfect without highlight layer, it is displayed strached at center of button.
http://www.geocities.com/niky_niky/butt_SH_1.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/niky_niky/but1.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/niky_niky/butt_1.zip
first is screenshot of PSD
second is screenshot of dvdarchitect
third is archiv whit PSD

I use DVDarchitect 3a build 117

Comments

ScottW wrote on 7/1/2005, 8:47 AM

My suggestion for the best quality menu video would be to use a DV AVI file in your DVDA project; don't use Vegas to render the menu video to MPEG-2 and then use the MPEG-2 in your DVDA project - the reason is that DVDA will almost always create a new MPEG-2 stream for the menu video, if you start with MPEG-2 as the source, then this must first be decompressed and then recompressed, which will cause a sometimes severe loss in quality.

--Scott

StormMarc wrote on 7/2/2005, 10:38 PM

Ok, I'm having the same problem. I bring in a high quality MPEG-2 file into Vegas (using the exact NTSC Architect specs from Vegas) to use as a motion menu and DVD Architect turns it into mush. This seems like a bug to me. I hope it's going to be fixed. I've tried the workaround and according DVD Arcitect it rendered the menu at 8000 but still looked terrible. Reel DVD never had this problem and it's a pretty old program.

Any ideas?

Marc

Cunhambebe wrote on 7/2/2005, 11:54 PM

When you prepare your files with DVDA, there's an option to optimize your files. DVDA will always render again the videos for motion menus, since it's got to render the butons along with the video. So when the screen "optimize" pops-up, you can choose the bitrate and Frame rate. If your original MPEG2 files are in NTSC film, check it out if DVDA is going to render the video for the menu with this SAME frame rate. Same thing for NTSC 29.97 and for PAL 25 fps. You can also check the bitrate, and this is quite important. DVDA generally renders to its default bitrate which is 8,000. Raise this figure to 8,500. Anyway, I don't think that AVI files will make more perfect motion menus if you don't check the bitrate and the frame rate. I can assure you DVDA can do a great job. I've recently authored a DVD with DVDA and my friends and I were really stunned with the final result.
There's one more thing: where are you previewing you files rendered in Vegas? Is it on the PC monitor? If the answer is yes, hope you understand that the PC monitor has too much more definition than a poor regular NTSC or PAL TV.

StormMarc wrote on 7/3/2005, 1:11 AM

Thanks for the response. Yes on everything including using a broadcast calibrated monitor. I just did a test that proves my complaint. I should note that when using a motion menu of just video it will not be as noticable as when using a menu that has text elements built in to it. I'm seeing the worst of the problem show up a jagged text that should be clear and smooth.

Here was my test:

I took the same AVI file and used it twice in the same project (compression was set at 8000 in the optimize menu). I used the same file once as the motion menu and second as a video link from the motion menu. The motion menu looks bad the video link looks great. Same video file both compressed by DVD architect. Definate problem with DVD architect. Hopefully Sony will fix this soon or I'll have to switch program again. What a shame... I really like DVD Architect.

Marc

Cunhambebe wrote on 7/3/2005, 2:17 AM

Please check out if the button reduce interlace flicker is enabled on DVDA right screen for each one of your files.

StormMarc wrote on 7/3/2005, 1:07 PM

Reduce interlace is set to off. Are you saying it should be on? I like to leave it off since it tends to blur the video. Again if the exact same video file looks fine as a video link but not as a motion menu I don't see how this could be the issue.

Thanks,

Marc

StormMarc wrote on 7/3/2005, 1:33 PM

I believe I've found the cause of the problem:

1. With the curser on the timeline in DVD Architect I can see the jagged problem on both my computer monitor (DVD Architect window) and my external preview to my Sony broadcast monitor.

2. However if I go into preview mode (F9) and set the quality to BEST the jagged problem dissapears and the video playing on both computer monitor and my Sony broadcast monitor looks good. If I switch the quality setting to HIGH or lower I get the jagged problem.

So what DVD Architect appears to be doing is that when it masters a DVD project it masters the video files at BEST quality and the motion menus only at HIGH qaulity.

Hopefully Sony can change this and the problem should be solved. SONY?

Marc