Burned DVD issues

[George Wing]

Type of audio meaning Dolby Digital (AC3), LPCM, mpeg audio...

If you are using lpcm audio (1,536kbps), then that combined with your VBR max bitrate of 8,000kbps pushes the upper boundaries for burned material (about 9,536kbps -- and a bitrate spike above the stated MAX might go over the dvd limit).

Since your project is only ~33 minutes, you don't have to worry too much about disc usage (unless you are trying to include a personal folder on the disc). So for 33minutes, I would recommend CBR video bitrate of 7mbps, and Dolby Digital audio at around 256kbs.

Regards,
George

[Josh Bass]

Ok, I'm using the mainconcept MPEG-2 encoder, and including an audio stream. I don't see options for PCM, AC3, etc in there. I can change the rate to 256, however.

Wait. . .I guess I can render the whole soundtrack to a stereo AC3 file, and then when I make my MPEG-2 from the timeline, use that as the only audio track (mute all others)? Will that work? I'll still render using the DVD NTSC template, but instead of wav audio, it'll be the AC3?

[Josh Bass]

Sorry, it wouldn't let me do more editing.

Okay. . .is there another audio option? It wants me to spend $200 on the AC-3 encoder to use any kind of AC rendering option.

[George Wing]

What version of Vegas are you using (Full or MovieStudio version)?

And what DVD Authoring software are you using?

If your version of Vegas did not come with DVD Architect, then I would recommend downloading the latest Trial versions of either DVD Architect Studio 4.5, or the Full DVD Architect. I believe they will let you use AC3 audio, and then you can check if that will fix your stuttering issue during playback...

There are other DVD Authoring programs that offer AC3 audio -- Ulead's DVD MovieFactory comes to mind, and I'm sure there are others...

Regards,
George

[Josh Bass]

It's the full version of Vegas 6.

Unfortunately, I use Roxio Easy Media Creator/DVD Builder. .. it's what came with my burner.

I have Nero, but it won't author DVDs. Gives me an error message as soon as it starts. It'll do data DVDs fine, but won't author them.

That's a good idea about the trial of DVD architect. Do you have to render the files before you bring 'em into architect? Like, would I make an MPEG-2 video, and a WAV audio, and then let DVDA make the AC3 audio?

I found a free aC3 encoder, but apparently without the ac3 plugin, Vegas won't even acknowledge ac3 files' existence (doesn't see it if I try to import).

Wait, am I a moron? Do I just need to enter Vegas' serial number to get access to the AC3 encoder?

[Josh Bass]

Okay, so apparently, Roxio does use LPCM audio. I found this out by looking at the advanced tab on the "burn" dialogue box. And there's no other audio option on this "basic" version of the software. I burned two test DVDs, one with Roxio, one with DVDA, so we'll see if either plays smoothly.


UPDATE:

Both my test DVDs played fine on the other DVD player. One was burned in Roxio, with 7mpbs CBR video and LPCM audio. The other came from DVDA studio 4.5, same video and AC3 audio. I don't know if there's a chance that they played fine 'cause the clip was super short (I just burned the first 22 seconds of the movie, not the whole thing, since problems occurred at the very beginning.

So, I DID notice that the DVDA burn, with the AC3 audio, seemed to distort a little on peaks (the audio, I mean). The Roxio DVD didn't. So. . .if I bring the audio into DVDA to be recompressed to AC3, what should it START as. . .what should I render my timeline audio to to bring into DVDA? an uncompressed WAV? What?

[Reg Gothard]

Just stumbled on this thread - have browsed (but not absorbed) the various discussions, so your problems may have changed character (or are all fixed). However, I felt the need to share this...

The advice that got me from 2 or 3% return rate to zero was to burn DVDs slowly.
I use Taiyo 8x inkjet printables, and burn them using Nero, DVD Workshop or DVD Architect in my Pioneer burners at 4x. I don't risk doing anything else significant on the computer, and if I have to burn on my network-connected computer, I shut down my network connection and anti-virus program.

I firmly believe that the burn speed is the major factor in fault-free DVDs because
a) each brand of burner has its fans and its detractors - they can't all be right (or wrong)
b) each brand of discs has its fans and detractors - they can't all be right (or wrong)
c) each brand of burning software has its fans and detractors - they can't all be right (or wrong)
d) I used to shut down my network and anti-virus app when I was getting 2-3% errors - so this probably isn't the cause on my particular computer(s)
e) People are very reluctant to burn at a slower speed than the technology allows
(my car's speedometer says it will go to 240km/hr but I'm not sure the manufacturers recommend that I drive at that speed ALL the time! [litotes...])

I've burned 1500 - 2000 DVDs over the last two years at 4x with above precautions - and as I said at the beginning - zero errors/returns.

HTH

[Josh Bass]

What kind of errors do you mean? I was getting DVDs that all played, they just skipped stuttered in certain spots.

Whoever suggested the CBR set to 7mbps. . .I think that did it. After burning a DVD with an MPEG-2 made with that setting, it played fine on a player where it had previously been problematic.

[Reg Gothard]

The errors were many and varied:
> skips
> just won't play at all
> stutter (pause and continue)
> plays to a certain point then refuses to continue

These errors/faults occurred over a period of a year and something, on several projects, that went out to 120+ customers. I'm sorry, but I can't remember which was the most-frequently occurring error/fault.
Since I've been burning at 4x, I've had no returns, although I have had two, maybe three customers (out of 500+?) call to say they couldn't play their DVD on one player but could on another - I offered them replacements and they declined.
Cheers

[Josh Bass]

Ah. Well, mine were totally consistent. If I burned 5 DVDs of the same movie, they would all have the exact same error in the exact same spot on a given player. I'm sure it'd be the same if I burned 1000. Right now I use Roxio to burn, and it doesn't let you set a burn speed (I have the "basic" version that came with my burner).

If I upgrade to DVDA, I will try your suggestions.

[Josh Bass]

I'd like to revisit this thread.

Having recently gotten an Imac, I was wondering, how can I encode the audio this way with compressor?


I have an uncompressed (in DV terms) AVI file of a movie, and I bring it into compressor, set the video for the CBR of 7Mbps, but I don't see an AC3 option for audio. . .only LPCM, IMA something or other, and Qualcomm purevoice.

Nevermind.

I can do it in Soundtrack Pro. Okay, in ST Pro, however, under the AC3 export options, what do I enter for the "dialog normalization" setting? It defaults to -27. My levels are generally between -18 and -6, though there's barely a spoken word in the movie I'm worried about.

[Emre Safak]

I learned by trial and error that the peaks of the sound track do not correspond to its RMS value, which is what matters. You need to measure it.

[Josh Bass]

Sorry, you've lost me. . .

[Emre Safak]

You say your levels are "generally between -18dB and -6dB", but this does not tell you what the average value is per the RMS scale. If you are not using a calibrated system (set to the right volume), the only way you can know if you are mastering right is to use your sound editing application to calculate the RMS value, as explained here: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=332259

The method is to master it so that the actual RMS volume roughly matches what you entered (-27dBFS?). If you do not do this it will still work, but might sound wrong. Best ask in the audio forum so the experts can explain better than me.

[Josh Bass]

Thanks. I posted at another forum, where they said if I "don't know what I'm doing" (to which I readily concede) to set that value at -31, which turns the attenuation by DVD players off.