Hi Guys,
I'm new here to DVI and perhaps this thread is misplaced,but i had to mention the fact that i recently purchesed a blue ray burner (LG GGW-H20L) €300 for my pc
(dell xps720 vista & dell 2407WFP 1920X1080 FLAT PANEL)
The installation was hassel free & the software included (Cyberlink bundle package) was very satisfactory considering price.there is even a small software program to test whether your setup will be able to handle blue ray for playback & burning. Anyhow i found that by burning a BLUE RAY DATA DISC (ie draging & droping files etc)i was able to put about 22Gbs of an asortment of video files(some of which i downloaded from this site)onto a single layer disc.the files played back flawlesley from the disc,as if they were playing from your hdd.
This may be for some of you worth looking into as a form for archiving & giving to your client,as i am only a hobby videographer,and there are problems if your client does not have br player etc.Any thoughts would be welcome.
Thanks for the use of this site as i 've found it great for gathering useful information on the PMW-EX!,which i hope to purchase soon--soon--soon--maby
P.S. some of these files playback on a ps3 ,just add a folder named 'video'

Hi Mike,

this is good news. Actually what file types have you managed to play back with your PS3?
I have PS3 and so far only managed to play back .m2t files (burnt on DVD though)

Hey Zsolt,
So far i'm able to playback .m2t,wmv,avchd & some h264 video files.
As far as a data disc goes,i don't think it makes any difference if you are using dvd or bd or a memery stick as the ps3 reads the files off in the same manner.
It would be nice if sony added mxf playback to their next firmware update

I purchased the LG GGW-H20L last week and have been burning blu-ray disks with full chapter menues via Encore CS3.

Its easy once you know how to do it. But it took several days of researching and getting error messages on the PS3 before it all ran smoothly.

The burner is great and very good value.

The problem I had was in the transcoding. What started out a s a beautiful image from the EX1 was being ruined by the transcoding inside Encore CS3.

I didn't want the footage transcoded, so I had to sort a workaround. Still not 100% there yet but almost, and the results are mostly brilliant.

Problem is I am mac based for editing and there is no blu-ray solution, so I do all my work in FCP, then export out as a M2T, then copy over to the PC, import into Vegas or PP ( which works better because you can export directly into Encore) then make a blu-ray disk image, ( it sems to fail when buring directly to blu-ray) then open up Nero ( with blu-ray plugin) click the uDF tab, change from automatic to manual, change the file system version from 1.02 to UDF 2.5, and burn the image.

PS3 will then play it like a normal DVD, with full chapter menues. But its HD!

Still have to iron out which bit rates work the best, and haven't tried H.264 to compare to mpeg 2. I know file sizes will be smaller but with 25 Gb I haven't yet run into a problem with disk space.

Also I would highly recommend practising on re-writable Blu-ray, or you could end up with a lot of expensive coasters.

Hi steve,
Sounds like a lot of work to get where you want.
I'm a PC user & video is Hobby so bare with me
So i use Adobe pp2 for editing footage from my sony hdr-hc3 (great little cam) there is no way to burn a bd from this software directly so i'm importing my output .m2t files into the Cyberlink bundle package 7 burning a blue ray disc from there
But watching the playback from the bd disc (not a data disc)on playback there is some amount of small vibration or shimmering type of effect on the picture(interlacing maby?),whereas when i watch the playback of a file .m2t/mxf on wm player or vlc player the twither is gone.
I've only got burner last week so will take some time to try different approaches to end up with something approaching good quality footage
i'll also need a better software solution (with my limited budget)

Yea, i'm of course using re-writable Blu-ray dics as you say prices are still high
Also the picture quality playback is better on my PC than on my PS3
Cheers,

Being mac based I really don't know my way around either Vegas or PP very well, but they are all of similar ilke so not to difficult.

My wife owns the HC3 and its a great little camera. In fact my job today is to burn a blu-ray dvd with our HC3 footage. At the moment it is being rendered into a quicktime movie in FCP before being brought across to the PC for output. A real pain that the Mac can't do blu-ray. They are really behind the game with DVD studio 4 and its inability to do anything HD.

Which Vegas are you all using ? Pro 8 can burn Blu-ray straight from the timeline.No menus though.

Yes have Vegas 8b but to me a dvd should have menues to give to the client. A straight put in and play dvd is not acceptable.

As discussed on the SCS Vegas forum, untill DVDA offers full BD authoring - the viable and not expensive method of delivering BDs with menues is have them burned to image with Vegas Pro 8.0b (including chapter marks), and then author/burn the m2ts file in the STREAM directory of said image to disk (either regular DVD or BD) with Ulead MovieFactory 6plus with HD pack (there are other apps doing the same, but I have been using MF with great results; what's important you can use eithher the MPG2 and AVCHD formats in Vegas, and just create chapters/menues without recompressing the main video file).

Blu-ray version of DVDA is coming. Heard it from the horses mouth, (well a Sony rep) who said you never heard this but...........NAB.

And you can burn from the Vegas timelinie, but not 1280 x 720p. Doesn't offer that option.

Problem is I am mac based for editing and there is no blu-ray solution,


Well, actually there is a Blu-ray _data_ disk solution for the Mac. I'm using the OWC Mercury Pro 2x Blu-ray Panasonic SW-5582 External burner with my MacBook Pro along with Roxio's Toast 8 Titanium software to archive both source video from the EX1 and subsequent FCP edits.

Carroll Lam

Blu-ray version of DVDA is coming. Heard it from the horses mouth, (well a Sony rep) who said you never heard this but...........NAB.

And you can burn from the Vegas timelinie, but not 1280 x 720p. Doesn't offer that option.

It's coming for sure. As to 720p BD, you can define your own template!

True but what I meant was a solution to build proper blu-ray dvd with chapter menues for clients. Apple seem very slow off the mark and others have stolen a march. Which is a real pain considering they are happy to let you do all your work in HD, and then let us down at the final hurdle for delivery.

As discussed on the SCS Vegas forum, untill DVDA offers full BD authoring -

Hi Piotr,

What / where is the SCS vegas forum?

I had a search on google but couldnt find anything.

thanks.

It's coming for sure. As to 720p BD, you can define your own template!

How? I am not too savvy with Vegas but can't see how I can do it. I have the timeline done, go to tools, burn disk, blu-ray disk, but there are no options to really alter other than what is on offer. No "custom setting".

How? I am not too savvy with Vegas but can't see how I can do it. I have the timeline done, go to tools, burn disk, blu-ray disk, but there are no options to really alter other than what is on offer. No "custom setting".

Yes - no customs setting there. But go to Render as..., choose any BD template, modify it to your liking, and save as a new template with its name starting with "Blu-Ray...". It will show up in the drop-down list next time you'll be running Tools-burn BD...

Hi Piotr,

What / where is the SCS vegas forum?

I had a search on google but couldnt find anything.

thanks.

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowTopics.asp?ForumID=4

You can register, as well...

Yes - not customs setting there. But go to Render as..., choose any BD template, modify it to your liking, and save as a new template with its name starting with "Blu-Ray...". It will show up in the drop-down list next time you'll be running Tools-burn BD...

Thanks .Works a treat.

True but what I meant was a solution to build proper blu-ray dvd with chapter menues for clients

Well, I was addressing the subject of this thread. If you were instead interested in Blu-ray DVD authoring for the Mac then there is always Adobe Encore: http://www.adobe.com/products/premiere/encore/

Carroll Lam

OK sorry to get slightly off topic. However you cannot build a blu-ray disk on a mac with Encore. The mac does not support blu-ray for making dvds with chapters.

OK sorry to get slightly off topic. However you cannot build a blu-ray disk on a mac with Encore. The mac does not support blu-ray for making dvds with chapters.

I'm not sure why you say that the "Mac does not support blu-ray...." With the external Blu-ray burner I mentioned in my first post of this thread and the Encore software such DVDs can be created.

Carroll Lam

Have you actually made a blu-ray dvd in encore CS3 for the mac, with full chapters and menues, that will play on a PS3?

The reason I ask is because I was at Videofrum in London last week and the Adobe guys said that although Encore was ready, Apple were not and it was not yet supported.

I have been using encore but after authoring I am having to network the ISO file over to a PC to finish off to process.

Toast only supports data blu-ray disks.

Yes - not customs setting there. But go to Render as..., choose any BD template, modify it to your liking, and save as a new template with its name starting with "Blu-Ray...". It will show up in the drop-down list next time you'll be running Tools-burn BD...

Well, I've burned 1440x1080 from Vegas 8.0b timeline and they play back fine using the Sony PS3. I've tried making a 1920x1080 custom template with many different combinations of framerate with no luck. They error in the pS3 with unsupported format. I now have close to a dozen coasters. ;)

Have you actually made a blu-ray dvd in encore CS3 for the mac, with full chapters and menues, that will play on a PS3?

I haven't personally done it but a customer of mine is using Encore and Toast 8 to successfully create PS3-playable DVDs.

I have been using encore but after authoring I am having to network the ISO file over to a PC to finish off to process.

Toast only supports data blu-ray disks

It will also copy iso files to a Blu-ray disk. That's how my customer gets his PS3-playable DVDs from the Encore-produced iso file.

Carroll Lam

The mac does not support blu-ray for making dvds with chapters.

What about DVD Studio Pro 4?

Has anyone installed a Blue-Ray Sata drive in a mac pro yet? I've got one coming on Thursday so I'm going to have a crack at it myself and wondered what the mac OS would make of the drive.

Thanks

Paul.

Mike, DVDS4 does not support blu-ray.

Paul. If its the LG, its not supported on a mac.

I have made a lovely blu-ray dvd today of some footage I shot in the garden this morning. Amazing just how many very beutiful flowers are out there when you look. Snowdrops, daffodils, blue iris, and some tiny little things like jewels who's name I haven't a clue!

Anyway I came in, captured the footage, edited it in FCP, brought the footage into Adobe Encore CS3, made some chapters and menues, and burnt an image. Because the blu-ray player ( an excellent LG 6 speed) is PC only, I networked the image over to my PC and burnt it with Nero blu-ray.

Superb image on my plasma. So I can do everythig on a mac except burn the disk. And if you have a mac compatiable blu-ray dvd burner, you are there.

Steve could you let me know in what way it's not compatible? Is it a driver issue? I was hoping the mac OS would be able to see it as it's a SATA device, but if there's driver issues I'll try accessing it using Parallels (running on the mac).

regards

Paul.

If we are talking about the LG GGW-H20L Blu-Ray Writer, the handbook says its only windows supported. If it works on a mac, fantastic. The software that comes with it is PC only (cyberlink)

Yes thats the one and it looks like your right, I should have researched it better before ordering. The 2 x additional SATA ports on the Mac Pro that can be used for optical drives are not available to windows, either on boot camp or parallels. I really don't want to dig my PC out again just to burn BD-R's.

Looks like I'll have to send it back and look for an external option.

regards

Paul.

I splurged before the Holidays on a PC Quad core, Sony BluRay burner 200S and the Sony BluRay player S500. I had taped with my new Canon A1 (I have been a devout Sony user for the last ten years, so I am not a complete apostate) the World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in September in Patras, Greece. It is a very beautiful sport and the girls wear very colourful bodysuits adorned with a lot of sequins and crystals that sparkle. I will get to the significance of this in a moment. I edited one 2 hour plus segment of the Group competition, rendered it Mpeg2 Program stream, and used Ulead Movie Factory 5 BD module, to burn. I expected problems, but everything went seemlessly but for one small item. The 25 gig BD disk will only hold 22 gigs of data equal to 2 hours of video. So, I had to reduced the bit rate slightly to accomodate the limitation. I tried to use the Cyberlink software that came with the Sony burner, but it would freeze Windows Explorer for some unknown reason. I got the fix for it from tech support but I noticed that it required that I reduce the screen resolution of my new 1940x1200 monitor to 764 by something. Tech support said that the software did not support any higher resolution!!!!!!!!!!??????????? No kidding. So, I deleted Cyberlink, and used Ulead, but I do not have software for playing a BD disk on my PC now, which is not a big problem, because I just use the Sony BD player with my TV. I not sure why, but Ulead does not allow playback on their latest BD burning software. And other software manufacturers, I suspect. The time taken to burn 22gigs of HD was about as fast burning 4.7gigs of SD because they are SATA drives.
So, my HD video looks great on my old Sony 36inch XBR 1080i that weighs 230lbs. But sparkles from the body suits were hardly visible. Just to test my video with the latest TVs I hustle down to the Sony store here in Vancouver and try it on the 52inch XBR4/5 LCD Full 1080p with Motion Flow. Motion Flow doubles the frame rate to 120 Hz when the action speeds up. Above this TV was a cheaper model without Motion Flow. It knocked my socks off and my wife's--absolutely no judders compared to the cheaper TV, the sparkling of the sequins and crystals were brilliant, and of course the colour gamut was superb. One final note: There is an earlier Blu Ray format called BD AV which does not allow for chapters etc to be built in, and the newer one called BD MV which allows for the chapters that we are used to creating and burning on SD DVDs. Hollywood creates BD ROMs. The latest Ulead HD Power Pack Plus supports BD MV. Some standalone players do not, for example the Sony S300. I would not hesitate to suggest that anyone moving into the Blu Ray domain should pay the extra and get BD MV. And one final minor problem: there are as yet no printable BD blank media!!!!
Now I have to get my clients to upgrade to Blu Ray players and HD TVs.
Ciao,
ja

And one final minor problem: there are as yet no printable BD blank media!!!!
Now I have to get my clients to upgrade to Blu Ray players and HD TVs.
Ciao,
ja

You are incorrect about that one - I have made over 70 discs with the TDK printable media - the product ID is BD-R25PWX25CB - google it and you will find where to buy - expensive though - comes in 25 pack spindles and averages around $ 16.50 to 17.50/disc (U.S.)

I canceled the LG drive but further investigation does show that there are drives made by Logitec, MCE & Fastmac which all work from within the Mac Pro. I've made the decision to hold out for a little while longer though, I'm hoping all the rumors about a new Macbook Pro being released soon are going to be true, wouldn't it be lovely if it had a BR burner too!

Paul.

The latest Ulead HD Power Pack Plus supports BD MV. Some standalone players do not, for example the Sony S300. I would not hesitate to suggest that anyone moving into the Blu Ray domain should pay the extra and get BD MV. And one final minor problem: there are as yet no printable BD blank media!!!!
Now I have to get my clients to upgrade to Blu Ray players and HD TVs.
Ciao,
ja

I tried my Ulead authored BDMV disk in the Sony S500, would not play. Tried it in the Panasonic DMP-BD30, would not play, tried it in the Sony S300, it did play, and of course it plays in the PS3.

My opinion is that authoring to Blu-ray is an expensive, messed up hodge podge of incompatibilities.

I've made the decision to hold out for a little while longer though, I'm hoping all the rumors about a new Macbook Pro being released soon are going to be true, wouldn't it be lovely if it had a BR burner too!

Considering the new Mac Pros released a few weeks ago did not, i wouldn't count on it.

I tried my Ulead authored BDMV disk in the Sony S500, would not play. Tried it in the Panasonic DMP-BD30, would not play, tried it in the Sony S300, it did play, and of course it plays in the PS3.

My opinion is that authoring to Blu-ray is an expensive, messed up hodge podge of incompatibilities.


No its easy. Get Premier Pro and Encpore CS3. Its does it all. Blu-ray all the way to burned disk. Buy a LG burner. Superb.

You don't have to use PP but it makes the job more streamlined as you do all you work and then render out to encore. Once there, treat it as a normal dvd and make menues etc, then it builds and burns the disk. Very, very easy.

Paul, I heard the new Macs are not supporting blu-ray, and there is currently no update in the offing with DVDSP to offer it in the next few months. being Apple, yo can never ve sure, but I definately heard from a rep that Vegas will be completely updated with its DVD Architect to provide the same solution currently offerd by Adobe.

It seems very strange that Apple is not leading the way with its FCS package. It seems they could easily lose a bit of ground on the oppostion if they don't get their game together in the HD ring.

No its easy. Get Premier Pro and Encpore CS3. Its does it all. Blu-ray all the way to burned disk. Buy a LG burner. Superb.

You don't have to use PP but it makes the job more streamlined as you do all you work and then render out to encore. Once there, treat it as a normal dvd and make menues etc, then it builds and burns the disk. Very, very easy.

You may be missing the point. Your BD-R/RE disks will not play in every Blu-ray player no matter what programs and hardware you use to author and burn them.

The blu-ray cosortium did an upgrade to their firmware around Christmas time and said some of the older blu-ray players would not play all disks. The new players now in shops are more likely to play every blu-ray disk now being made.

Sony said the recent firmware update helps sort the problem you mention. Or so I gather. Like all new technologies, and this happened in dvd, it took a while before there was 99.9% campatability.

I've placed an order for the Pioneer BDR-202 which was the same cost as the LG and is reported to work with Macs. It's also capable of 6x burning, although most of the media is still limited to 2x anyway. I ordered a bunch of rewritable disks BD-RE as they were the same price as the BD-R's and will allow me to to experiment a bit more.

The main limitation of the BDR-202 is that it is not BD-R(DL) compatible, so will only write to single layer disks. I'm not overly concerned about that at the moment though as 25Gb on a disk will be fine for my needs and I'm sure that in 12 months time there will be much faster and cheaper drives around anyway, hey my next Mac Pro will probably even come with one, if apple ever start concentrating on pro gear again instead of ipods!

I'm not overly concerned about being able to author at the moment, I just need to offload EX1 footage from my drives as data.

I've also got the required parts for fitting in the mac coming too (90 degree SATA cable and SATA - MOLEX converter). It should get here on Monday so I'll report back as to whether the surgery succeeds!

Paul.

I've just ordered the FastMac drive (http://store.fastmac.com/product_info.php?cPath=10_2_52&products_id=337) and Encore--need to have a looping HD kiosk video. Will report how it goes.