Vegas render looks good but not the DVDA video

JMP wrote on 1/1/2009, 3:16 PM
I just recently started using Vegas 9 Platinum and using Vegas put together video of football highlights shot in HD on a Canon HV30. I imported the video into Vegas in HD. I then created a 15 min video which includes some still images with audio and the video with the original audio. I want to burn it to an SD DVD.

Looked through the Vegas help and this and other forums to determine the best way to render and followed the guidance. I first rendered the video with MainConcept MPEG2 (Template: "DVD Architect NTSC Video Stream") and then the audio in Dolby Digital AC-3 AC3 Studio (*.ac3) - "Template: Stereo DVD". Both with same file names so the audio imported automatically into DVDA. When I then go into the Renders folder and play the newly rendered MPEG video file (using Windows media), the quality is very good with very few artifacts.

I then add the newly created video render into the DVDA project window (both video and audio import with no problem) and I set up the simple menu structure with just a five chapters. When I use I use the DVDA Preview function the photos with voice-over play just fine, but the video is not very good, lots of artifacts and any horizontal lines/images in the video (for example bleachers, lines on ground, tops of buildings) show really major flickering; there is pixellation of the grass on the field as the camera pans, and the uniforms of moving players show some pixellation as well - image generally looks very grainy/out of focus. Audio works fine throughout. I then burn the DVD which has these poor results.

Frustratingly, when I first made the trial DVD some weeks ago, the video quality was a bit better, though it was my first attempt and I unfortunately did not write down the settings I used ( do not think I rendered the video and audio separately at that time; but it played in DVD players and on PCs).

I think the steps I described above are the correct ones to follow and normally the result should be a DVD of better quality than if I had shot the video on SD to begin with...but this is not the case!

Any help much appreciated!

Comments

musicvid10 wrote on 1/1/2009, 4:04 PM
1) The rendered video quality depends on the rendered MPEG-2 bitrate. The higher the bitrate, the better the quality, and the larger the file size. It must not be so high, however, so as to not fit on the dvd disc, which would cause DVDA to re-render the video, thus lowering its quality.
2) The Preview Screen in DVDA is just that, and is not to be taken as any indication of the video quality as rendered or burned to disc.
Hope this helps.
JMP wrote on 1/1/2009, 6:13 PM
Thanks for your thoughts.

I think I could up the bitrate without DVD capacity issues given the video is just 15 mins long (estimated size 673MB according to Vegas rendering window), but as I am selecting MainConcept MPEG2 (Template: "DVD Architect NTSC Video Stream") I do not appear to have the option in Vegas to adjust the bit rate ("Custom" button is grayed out and I think this is where it would be changed).

Thanks also for your point about the preview screen not representing the final version; the trouble is that my final version burned to DVD does have all the poor video issues mentioned.

Anything know anything I might have missed?

Appreciate
srode wrote on 1/1/2009, 6:51 PM
Can't help with Vegas 9 but Vegas Pro 8 has the ability to change bitrates in that template. May not be available in Vegas 9?
JMP wrote on 1/1/2009, 7:08 PM
Doesn't look like I have the ability to change bit rates in Vegas 9...the custom button only seems to activate with certain templates...for example if I pick MPEG1 then I can set custom values such as bit rates, etc...

In the creativecow.net forum one person did suggest my issues could have something to to do with differences between field order (the original HD clips are "upper field first" whereas the project is set to "lower field first")...out of my depth here...not sure if Vegas 9 converts the HD from "upper" to "lower" when it makes SD DVD from HD video or do I have to do something?

Also in Project Properties, full-resolution rendering quality is set to "Good"; perhaps "Best" would give a better result... rendering might take longer, but it's only a 15 minute video and if it improves things I'm fine to wait...

Finally on Project Properties, "Deinterlace" is set to "Blend"

[Vegas says this setting "uses contents from both fields and works well for high-detail, low-motion video" whereas "Interpolate" - "Uses a single field at a time and works well for high-motion, low-detail video"...not sure which is best for football game action??]

Thanks!
JMP wrote on 1/1/2009, 9:01 PM
Hmm...just found this and wonder if this isn't the problem...

Subject: Warning to HDV / AVCHD owners wanting DVD output.
Posted by: IdahoJoe
Date: 12/4/2008 2:10:07 PM

After an extensive support session with Sony, please be aware that Vegas MSP9 does not allow DVD compatible MPEG-2 content to be rendered as upper field first.

If you have an HDV / AVCHD camera, it records interlaced video as upper field first.

When Vegas renders out your MPEG-2 files for DVD, it will be lower field first, regardless of your project settings. You will experience horrible shuddering and combing on fast moving sequences when played back on interlaced devices due to frame reversal. Note that the problem will not exhibit on progressive playback devices such as a PC monitor, but once viewed on an interlaced television, it will be painfully obvious.

There is no work around to enable upper field first rather than purchase Vegas full. Other industry players such as Apple have issued fixes for these types of problems, but Sony does not see it as a problem.

If you are thinking of editing interlaced HDV / AVCHD footage for DVD output, you'll need to find a different tool to achieve quality results.

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?MessageID=627629&Replies=19