Sherman,
Please be more specific.

List the project properties for the video and the exact settings for the Mpeg 2 template video you used.

John

Nothing fancy,----an off-the-rack setting really!
One I think many of us use.

Audio: 224 Kbps, 48,000 Hz, Layer 2
Video: 29.97 fps, 720x480
Use this setting to create an MPEG-2 file with an NTSC DVD-compliant video stream, and an MPEG layer 2 audio stream.

Did you use the DVDA NTSC Mpeg 2 video template and the DVDA NTSC AC3 audio template and render them separately to the same folder with the same name then use DVDA to author the DVD?

That is what most of us use.

John

No, I didn't render audio and video files separately, John.
Will that improve the image quality?

Are there a lot of still images in your project? If not, don't bother with the the "Best" setting.

Rob

Actually there are quite a few stills,----about a quarter of the 4 minute project.
By the by, just tried to play this project in Windows Media Player.
I get a "connecting" message from player.
Other .avi and mpeg projects play there fine.
Is this a clue?
By the way,---tried the separate audio and video render and everything looks the same to me.

If you have stills, definitely use the Best setting.

When you render the MPEG video, ALWAYS use the DVD Architect NTSC template. NEVER ever under any circumstances whatsoever (is this clear?) use the "Default" template. Your results will be fuzzy.

More and more I feel it's time to move up to FCP

More and more I feel it's time to move up to FCP

That is absolutely not necessary. FCP is not going to help. FCP will just give you different issues. Vegas can produce professional results.

Sounds like you've already decided.
There are so many variables and you give an almost "too brief" description of what you've done.
What type of text were you using in this project?
Do you use any custom mpeg2 renderings?
Was your camera in focus?
The DVD NTSC template, should give you a very good render. You can up the quality a little with tweaking, but you should be getting a good mpeg 2 render. So, I'm guessing that you're either using the wrong type of text (and these do render funny sometimes) or you accidently chose some kind of a blur. Lastly, that in DVD-A, you made the mistake of hitting the "Optimize" button, and it rerendered your mpeg to a lousy quality. (Only look at the optimize area, but never continue from there, unless you want to renrender your mpeg again.)

Was my camera in focus?
Just because someone is technically challenged doesn't make him an idiot.
I was making 16 mm films 35 years ago!
I think I know how to operate a camera.
I used the "professional" text app that comes with Vegas.
I also have Cayman Graphics which is highly over rated IMO.
Accidentally chose some kind of blur?
Give me a little credit please!
Amazing. "Optimise" renders to a lousy quality.
That should tell you something about this NLE right there!
Yes, maybe you can achieive professional results in Vegas.
But is it not becoming evident that this NLE is indended as a consumer application?

I apologize for insulting you. I was just trying to cover questions not addressed. I hardly know everybodys history in filmmaking and was only trying to answer your question. There are people here who, like you, have been at it for years, and some who are brand new. On this site, I can only tell the level of a few, but usually forget most peoples credentials. No insults were intended.
The "Optimize" button is a feature that is poorly explained and I believe quite a few people use it and do not realize that if you follow through from there, that everything will be rerendered. It's supposed to be there in case your project is too big, that you can rerender it to the right size for the DVD. But using the word "Optimize" is a bad choice, as I believe it fools most people into thinking they are getting a better product.

So....was that it?

EDIT: I'm both technically and camera challenged. I was just adding my 2 cents.

Sherman, I've been using Vegas since it was an audio only app and have been very pleased with the quality of DVDs that it and DVD Architect can make. I've made 2 hr. DVDs of my kids school play (shot with a JVC-550U camera - 1/2" 3CCD) and it still looks good.
I'll describe my Best Mode settings. Try them and see if it helps.

As has already been suggested, render the audio (as AC3) and video streams separately. As long as they both have the same name (Sherman.ac3 and Sherman.mpg), DVDA will import the audio as soon as you load the video.

Customize your render settings in Vegas as follows:
Select MainConcept MPEG-2 (*.mpg) in the Save as type box;
Click on the Custom tab to the right of the Template box;
In the Project tab, change Video rendering quality to Best;
Now click on the Video tab;
Move the Video quality slider to maximum (31);
Select Variable bit rate;
Select Two-pass;
Make sure Maximum, Average and Minimum are set to 8,000,000, 6,000,000 and 2,000,000 respectively.

Now save this as a preset by entering a new name in the Template box at the top of the Video tab and clicking the flopy disc icon to save it..
I call mine DVD Architect NTSC video stream-best-2pass.

Mike

Ditto what Mike said except you said that it was a 4 minute project so I wouldn't use a Variable Bit Rate. Just use a CBR of 8,000,000. The VBR is most helpful for reducing file size which for you is NOT an issue.


DVDA should NOT be re-compressing your video so skip "Optimize".


John

...I wouldn't use a Variable Bit Rate. Just use a CBR...

Excellent suggestion John. Thanks for catching that.

Mike

Was my camera in focus?

You've lost me. I don't think I can help you. Good luck!

Thanks for those render settings Mike.
They are gold.
But I am wondering now if my problem is not in Vegas itsetl.
I just brought up a project that includes some text.
The test looks very blury, white font on red BG.
This is with preveiw set to "Best Full".
Usually I can clean this up by going to options, preferences, video, display at project size.
That doesn't work now.
The text was generated in Vegas and is fuzzy.
I know Vegas doesn't have the best graphics, but I've never encounter anything quite this inferior looking.

Is there some reason why you think that "Best" will somehow make it look better? Is this an image file that has been scaled up or down? If not then I don't see how "Best" would enter into it. (Best adds Bicubic Interpolation to Vegas's scaling method. No Scaling? No effect.)

What is your media? Generated text over generated red background? Did you render or prerender it? If so, to what?

Watch the preview window when you "clean this up by going to options, preferences, video, display at project size." Notice that when you toggle that pref the window toggles between "Full" and "Auto". That's all your "fix" is doing.

This is not sounding like a Vegas error.

Rob Mack

Glad to hear it worked for you.
Now on to your other concerns.

The test looks very blury, white font on red BG.

Welcome to the wonderful world of video :-(
Red is one of the absolute worst colours for video to deal with. If you look at the colour bar signal, red is only 180-16-16 (RGB values).
Whites should never exceed 235. This helps keep things within proper limits.
Stay away from serif-type fonts.
Great Titles With the DV Codec is a good article on getting decent titles.
DSE had a good suggestion some time back and that was to create the titles at double the normal size (1440 x 960). I t does help.

The Vegas titler isn't too bad but it does leave something to be desired. You saod you have Cayman Graphics and it's great at doing clean (yet boring, I know) graphics for video. Keep in mind that it's a broadcast-grade titler so the font selection is slanted towards making it look good.
If none of this helps, do what I sometimes do and create your text in Photoshop. Just remember, the KISS rule is for text for video too :-)

Mike

Amazing. "Optimise" renders to a lousy quality.

No, "Optimize" used when it shouldn't be used renders to a lousy quality. Sony gives us the tools -- they can't guarantee that everyone use them properly.

That should tell you something about this NLE right there!

Not really, since the Optimize function is part of DVD Architect, which isn't an NLE. :-)

Rob

Oops,---sorry "b".
You're right.

Had a look at that project on stand alone DVD player.
Viewed it with 28 " NTSC set,---with wife watching.
She's never been one to pull punches. Trust me!
Says it looks OK to her.
Think this client has been passing project around on laptops.
They are concerned about showing on big screen with LCD projector,---fearing resolution will be poor.
Now an LCD projector is not on my list of things to get.
But I suppose when we are producing stuff that will be broadcast or viewed on NTSC monitors or shown over the web on LCD or CRT monitors we have a boo to see what the end product will look like.
Guess the only way to ensure that stuff will look good projected is to project it!

...showing on big screen with LCD projector,...

More details that you should have are:
How big of a screen?
Which make/model of projector?
How big is the room?
Will it be room light or reasonably dark?
All these things may have an impact on how you make the final video. By that I mean that you may end up needing to optimize the video levels to suit the end display requirements. And no, I'm not kidding about doing this. As a filmaker, you expected that your product would be viewed in a dark theatre. With the advent of video, all these expectations flew out the window. Now it's anything from a living room in bright daylight to a movie theatre. Bottom line is you do the best you can and then pray the client doesn't mess it up too badly :-)

Mike