Recompression Frustration

dvboy wrote on 10/24/2007, 1:30 PM
Why o why does DVDA 4.5a "recompress" a video object if it was rendered using the "DVD Architect PAL Widescreen video stream" when preparing the DVD????? Also, its only a 2 gig mpeg2 file???

And I am rendering from HDV

Surely the whole idea is that it requires no recompression if rendered from Vegas in the correct format.

Comments, suggestions MOST welcome

Comments

bStro wrote on 10/24/2007, 1:45 PM
Have you set your DVDA project properties to PAL widescreen? If not, DVDA is intending to re-encode your file to NTSC, as per its default project settings.

Rob
dvboy wrote on 10/24/2007, 2:11 PM
Thought of that too and it was the first thing I checked - sadly it is set correctly to PAL Widescreen

VERY frustrating indeed!
MPM wrote on 10/24/2007, 4:24 PM
Does the optimization dialog give you a reason for recompression?

It should be OK obviously from Vegas, but...
Also, have you checked the bit rate -- DVDA will insist on re-encoding mpeg2 vid if the rate is too high or mis-reported (common). If that's the case, you might get away with changing the first header only using DVD Patcher.

dvboy wrote on 10/25/2007, 6:14 AM
Ok - here's my take on it.

DVDA 4.5 seems to be the problem. Did EXACTLY the same project in DVDA 4 using the same mpeg files and no recompression - go figure!!

Still don't know why though and thats what bugs me
RedAdder wrote on 10/25/2007, 7:43 AM
Hi, I'm new to this software so this might not be your answer but....
When I render from Vegas (File, Render As) I pick the appropriate Template i.e. a "DVD Architect.....". This just renders the video (Mpeg2) then I render the MP3 audio track seperately. When I add these to DVD4.5 it doesn't re-compress at burn time.
jbolley wrote on 10/25/2007, 10:59 AM
just a crazy idea - how long is your video? I don't think the DVDA template in vegas takes in to account duration and DVD storage space - you have to do this.

Jesse
bStro wrote on 10/25/2007, 11:42 AM
then I render the MP3 audio track seperately. When I add these to DVD4.5 it doesn't re-compress at burn time.

It may not have re-compressed the video, but I guarantee you DVDA re-compressed the audio if you gave it an MP3. DVDA only outputs AC3 or PCM audio.

Rob
dvboy wrote on 10/25/2007, 12:50 PM
I can understand if files other than PCM or AC3 needs to be recompressed - but not rendered mpeg2 files!!!

As a further test, I scratched started another project in DVDA 4.5 with different mpeg2 files - and lo and behold - it wanted to (and did) recompress.

The same files used in DVDA 4 did not offer to recompress?????

Project settings and default bitrate is exactly the same on both 4 and 4.5 but still 4.5 recompresses.

Is this a bug??
MPM wrote on 10/26/2007, 7:17 PM
FWIW could contact tech support in case it is a bug...

Otherwise never said if the optimization dialog gave you a reason for re-encoding -- 4.5a might have problems reading the file, might think it's the wrong format, might think the bit rate's too high etc...

If you wanted to try figuring out a bit more about what the problem is, you might try altering a short test mpg2 video's headers and see what caused it to pass or fail muster in DVDA 4.5... Could do something like encode a short, lower bit rate test as NTSC 4:3, then see if it would import. Then take the same file and changing the header to 16:9, see what happened, then to PAL and so on.

That in turn might indicate if DVDA 4.5a has problems with all your Vegas 8a mpg2 video, just W/S, just PAL etc...