DVD Authoring with HD Media
When it comes to DVD authoring we are in a very unique time. It is relatively inexpensive to purchase a High Definition camera and many editors are facing the dilemma of what is the best work flow for getting their HD media converted to SD but also possibly output a Blue Ray disc.
The first thing that needs to be done is an export from your editing application. Once you have edited your high-def sequence, it is important that you export it in the appropriate codec for the best quality and for use in all of the different formats. If you are working on an Apple then I have found the best codec is Quicktime using the Apple Prores 422 HQ. This gives excellent results in either SD or a HD Blue-Ray disc. If you are on a windows machine I still recommend using Quicktime but just use the Photo Jpeg settings. I know it is tempting to use the Animation codec but this codec is must to large for compression software and it is unnecessary to achieve the desired results. If you want more info on Codecs check out Codec resource, it lists all of the codecs and what they do. Just check across the top for the type of sampling you require.
Now that you have your exported sequence, it is time to run it through
some form of compression software. I highly recommend using either Apple Compressor or Sorenson Squeeze.
It might seem advantageous to allow your DVD authoring program to do
the conversion for you but this method has a tendency to create
problems and is not nearly as efficient. Both Sorenson and Compressor
have presets for compression, just make sure you use the highest
Quality for the size of disc you are using. Example: if you have 30
minutes of footage then use the DVD 90 minute preset but if you have
90-120 minutes of footage you will need to use the 120 minute preset. I
do not recommend using the 150 minute settings as this will degrade
quality, so either spread your material across two discs or use a
dual-layer disc.
The final step is very critical when producing a SD DVD from HD footage. When you open your authoring program you will either be prompted for these settings or you will need to enter the preferences menu and change them to the proper settings. You need to make sure that the project settings are 16:9 letterbox.
This will allow the DVD player to either letterbox on a 4:3 television or if your program is to be viewed on a HD televison it will play full screen or with just a slight letterbox (depending if the television in either 720p ot 1080). The best part of this work flow is not only does it retain the highest qualtiy but it allows you make a Blue Ray disc from the very same compressed media you used for your SD program.
The final step is very critical when producing a SD DVD from HD footage. When you open your authoring program you will either be prompted for these settings or you will need to enter the preferences menu and change them to the proper settings. You need to make sure that the project settings are 16:9 letterbox.
This will allow the DVD player to either letterbox on a 4:3 television or if your program is to be viewed on a HD televison it will play full screen or with just a slight letterbox (depending if the television in either 720p ot 1080). The best part of this work flow is not only does it retain the highest qualtiy but it allows you make a Blue Ray disc from the very same compressed media you used for your SD program.
Listed below are 0 links to blogs that reference this entry: DVD Authoring with HD Media.
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.geniusdv.com/weblog/mt-tb.cgi/1326
