soccer moms. good one.
Yes, I had looked over the "render as". and yes, many combinations possible. I count only one mp4, the Sony AVC, and it does not play on WMP. Could you suggest a suitable 1920X1980 mp4 combination?

Regards,
Carl

Vegas has two AVC encoders, Sony and Mainconcept.

Compatibility with WMP is a different issue, depending on player version and video profile. Many of my acquaintances don't bother and consider it a hassle.
AVC/MP4 support in Windows Media applications was an latecomer, having begun its life as Apple/Quicktime.

Ffmpeg- and Flash- based web players all handle AVC/MP4 straightaway, and it is by far the predominant delivery format in use worldwide.

I'll ask this again, but this is the last time. How will your video be used/played/delivered/streamed?? So much depends on your answer to that simple question.

Musicvid,
I am a volunteer and do life review videos for hospice patients and provide a 720 DVD and a 1920X1080 set of mpeg4 files for relatives who wish to view the product on their computer or on Hi def TV via an HDMI connection. I addition, just for my enjoyment and that of my friends, I do 5-15 minute movies on the work of various artists. The viewing venue is a friend's home projection room, and the production finds its way to the screen via a flash drive or by accessing Vimeo. It takes a reasonably powerful processor to pull this off. The audience usually appreciates the detail in artist's work the Canon 5D MII can deliver.
So, that's what I'm about there. I put up with hassles with audio-video sync issues in editing until I decided to get a more powerful system, thinking this would help. It didn't. Now I'm using Neoscene to convert to .avi and enjoying the benefit of good sync of A-V (I use a Tascam recorder for sound track) in editing, but have the problem of finding a suitable output format on Sony V9. I used to use Pinnacle 14, but it does not recognize the Neoscene .avi codec.
So, I just need, I think, a "Render as" choice for "Save as Type" and then "Template" to produce a 1920x1080 file that ordinary computer users can click on and play in their video player of choice.. Any help with this, having, I hope, provided you the additional info you requested, would be much appreciated. As you may have discerned, I am functioning at video production somewhere between Rank Moron and Sorcerer's Apprentice. I have done some viewable projects over the last few years, but have little notion of the editing buttons I push to get there.
Thanks,
carl

I assume you are already making good DVDs?

Playable HD MP4s depend so much on the systems they're being played back on, which you have no control over. Anything older than a fast dual core will likely have trouble with 1920x1080. Optimizing your video for playback on non-ideal systems is going to be a big part of your quest.

--Yes, keep a 1080p version for those who can play it.
-- Also offer a 720p version for everyone else.
-- Optimize your bitrate for average (not ideal) systems; 4Mbps ABR @ 720p is a reasonable starting point.
-- For HD MP4 playback on computers, unfortunately WMP and Quicktime can be problematic.. Education should be a part of your service. VLC is a pretty good all-around player.

You will find a usable workflow at the beginning of our tutorial, even though you didn't mention internet streaming or Youtube. The "Good" method (at 4 Mbps) should work fine for you; you can dig into more advanced techniques as you gain confidence.

Thanks! Great comprehensible advice. I have overnight discovered a Vegas render scheme which I can play on my Win Media Player and a render which works with PowerDirector 10. Each satisfies the Hi Def version requirement - though I will have to turn down the bit rate, if possible.
SONY V9: General-Blue Ray (BDAV format profile) Video- AVC format, max bit rate 18/sec OR-
POWERDIRECTOR 10 General -Sony PSP (MSNV format profile) , 13.6 max bitrate with Video - AVC . Both outputs are mpeg4 and 1920X1080.
I take it that it is critical to keep the bitrate low so as not to overwhelm the average processor.
I like the trial version PD10, b/c it is soooo fast. But I already own the Vegas (which I never used) and finding a solution with that is my priority.
And, good point about providing instructions on the CD/DVD cases. I'll do that.
Most folks just want to pop the DVD in their video player and watch.
I will definitely check out the video you supplied. Thanks.
Carl