Timing Isn't Everything, Is It?

W5BLT1 wrote on 3/5/2009, 6:17 AM
OK, so I've worked for 3 days editing 20 clips into what I consider a fairly good video. I had purchased a bunch of DVD-R's which boast to be able to record 120 mins (4.7 GB) of data. Just to be on the safe side, I make sure that my VMS project is no longer than 1 hr 45 mins. I figure it should fit just fine.

NOT! When all is said and done, my project is 6 GB in content! It won't fit! My hair is not beginning to fall out again.

So, apparently, watching the VMS length is worthless. Without beginning the rendering process, how do you know what the finished GB size it will end up being? The rendering process took a total of about 115 minutes. To me, a fairly long time to wait to see if my video will fit on the disk.

Bob

Comments

jetdv wrote on 3/5/2009, 6:59 AM
DVDs can store 4.37 Gig of information. Not a specific "length of time". Now you CAN easily get 2 hours on a DVD by using the proper bitrate. The lower the bitrate, the smaller the file, the longer the video you can put on the DVD. Since you're using the "Movie Studio" version, you can't get into "Custom" to change the bitrate used (that's only in the Pro version). So... you might consider rendering out the project to DV-AVI, giving that file to DVD Architect, and then let DVD Architect convert it to MPE2/AC3 using a proper bitrate to fit the disc.
W5BLT1 wrote on 3/5/2009, 7:20 AM
So, I assume that there is no way to know the amount of information in my video unless I do a render. Is this correct?
jetdv wrote on 3/5/2009, 7:30 AM
You would typically pick the proper bitrate for the length of your video. If you don't mind some reading, take a look at my newsletters (just click on "newsletter archive"). Specifically, look at Vol 1 #7 and Vol 4 #1. It might not hurt to look at the other issues as well but those two specifically deal with creating DVDs. However, they're also assuming the Pro version which has access to the custom settings.
richard-amirault wrote on 3/5/2009, 1:38 PM
If you render out your project to avi, DVDA will compress it enough to fit on a DVD.

If your end product is a DVD then it *must* be mpg2. That is, in the above example, DVDA will convert your avi to mpg2 and in the process make it small enough to fit.
MSmart wrote on 3/5/2009, 3:39 PM
ditto on "render to avi" in VMS, and ditto on "fit to disc" in Architect Studio. It's the way I do it.

This way you don't have to tear your hair out or worry about your length.

When you do use the Fit to Disc option in DVDAS, any bitrate over 6000 is good. Even if it's under, it should still look good. I just finished a project that had over 2 hours of video and the bitrate was something like 4500.