MPEG2 render looks bad

Randy Brown wrote on 3/19/2004, 6:33 AM

<<is the problem solved ?>>
I think so but won't know for sure until later today when I actually burn a DVD of that particular project. I dumped in the TV station tape I was talking about but, silly me, it was all interviews so the problem wouldn't show up of course. However it looks like John (and support) may have been right. Support suggested that I render to the DVD Architect Video Stream template (a higher bit rate like John suggested). Anyway I had another deadline yesterday (6PM) which I just barely met but I did have a chance to render a few seconds of the problem area and look at it on WMP. It's hard to tell but I believe it's fixed (at least way better). I'll report back later today after burning.
A big thanks to everyone,
Randy

Randy Brown wrote on 3/19/2004, 9:46 AM

Okay I just burned it and the pixelation is gone ....however the audio is about 1 second behind. UPDATE: this was apparently due to the cheap $30 player I tried it on because the audio was fine on another player....sorry.

BTW, the video still doesn't look quite as good as it does on the timeline, if I wanted a little better quality image should I use 'best" or raise the bit rate? If the latter, how much min,avg, and max?
Thanks again!
update: I just realized that someone is goiing to tell me to check the audio on the mpeg prior to burning....too late, me being a knucklehead and all I am rendering it again right now and chose to replace that file instead of renaming ...mumble, mumble....dumb ass. But before doing so I did render a few seconds of the most noticeable area and it played fine in WMP. Maybe it's a DVDA problem.....ARRRRGH!

SonyEPM wrote on 3/19/2004, 5:56 PM

First, tell us what you are shooting on. DV? Capturing as DV?

Something else? if so you are capturing with what card in what format?

Next: If you are going to be making DVDs, use one of the MPEG-2 DVD render templates. Default settings pick up the project properties but they don't necessarily do the optimal thing for any specific destination format (like DVD), hence the templates. As has been suggested, use the templates first, tweak later if needed.

Finally, how are you playing this back? If you are playing back on a computer, I'd advise rendering as windows media using one of our render templates. This is really a much better option for computer playback than MPEG-2 (smaller, cleaner, web optimized). If you are making DVDs for playback in set-top players, then MPEG-2 is the only way to go (for now).

Randy Brown wrote on 3/20/2004, 6:57 AM

<<First, tell us what you are shooting on. DV? Capturing as DV?>>
A Canon XL1s (DV)

<<Something else? if so you are capturing with what card in what format?>>

OHCI 1394

<<Next: If you are going to be making DVDs, use one of the MPEG-2 DVD render templates. Default settings pick up the project properties but they don't necessarily do the optimal thing for any specific destination format (like DVD), hence the templates. As has been suggested, use the templates first, tweak later if needed.>>

That's just it, I did tweak but apparently not the right things. The default mpeg2 has always worked great in the past.

<<Finally, how are you playing this back? If you are playing back on a computer, I'd advise rendering as windows media using one of our render templates. This is really a much better option for computer playback than MPEG-2 (smaller, cleaner, web optimized). If you are making DVDs for playback in set-top players, then MPEG-2 is the only way to go (for now).>>

Selecting the DVDA video stream and checking "include audio" is working pretty well; however the burned DVD still doesn't look quite as good as on the timeline but I have a feeling raising the bit rates will do the trick; my question is how much for the min, avg, and max?
Thanks so much everyone,
Randy

doncarp wrote on 3/20/2004, 7:12 PM

I am following this thread with EXTREME interest. I am having a similar experience. The difference is that EVERYTHING I am rendering is pixelating and I have not made any changes since my last successful project. My problem started this past November. We needed a short clip to project during a Christmas play. I captured about 60 seconds with an AVDC 100 (just like everything else I have done). The preview looks great when playing from the timeline, however when I render the pixelation is horribly visible in the preview window and throughout the rendered MPG.

Vegas is unusable to me in this state. I am sorry you are having problems, but I am grateful to not be alone in my dilemma.