[Ron]

Hi; my first post in this forum. I recently upgraded from MyDVD 6 to MyDVD Premier 8. I also run Ulead Video Studio 10 (I prefer this for the actual editing).

OK, problem. When I create a DVD with MyDVD, it looks awful on TV, but OK on computer. There are serious motion artefacts. I have determined that it is a field order problem, but can't understand why.

I capture via firewire from digital camcorder (by convention, lower field first). Save on computer as avi file (DV format). If I edit, I do so in Video Studio, and create an avi file as the final product.

Import avi file into MyDVD, use it to create a DVD. The files on the DVD are mpeg-2, Upper Field First. Not surprising that there are motion artefacts!! I cannot find any button anywhere in MyDVD to adjust field order. How come it is Lower Field First going in, and Upper Field First coming out?

If I import a DVD-compliant mpeg, that MyDVD does not have to process, the result is OK. This is hardly a satisfactory workaroud though.

I have a question in to Support; so far it seems too hard (no response..) I wonder if anyone here can help (please..?)

[grandpabruce]

Ron, on Jul 7 2006, 08:51 PM, said:

Hi; my first post in this forum. I recently upgraded from MyDVD 6 to MyDVD Premier 8. I also run Ulead Video Studio 10 (I prefer this for the actual editing).

OK, problem. When I create a DVD with MyDVD, it looks awful on TV, but OK on computer. There are serious motion artefacts. I have determined that it is a field order problem, but can't understand why.

I capture via firewire from digital camcorder (by convention, lower field first). Save on computer as avi file (DV format). If I edit, I do so in Video Studio, and create an avi file as the final product.

Import avi file into MyDVD, use it to create a DVD. The files on the DVD are mpeg-2, Upper Field First. Not surprising that there are motion artefacts!! I cannot find any button anywhere in MyDVD to adjust field order. How come it is Lower Field First going in, and Upper Field First coming out?

If I import a DVD-compliant mpeg, that MyDVD does not have to process, the result is OK. This is hardly a satisfactory workaroud though.

I have a question in to Support; so far it seems too hard (no response..) I wonder if anyone here can help (please..?)

The only thing that MyDVD 8 has in common with MyDVD 6, is the name. MyDVD 6 is a Sonic program, whereas MyDVD 8 is a Roxio/Sonic program that was built around Roxio's DVD Builder. You must have notice quite a difference in the way you had to set things up. You aren't going to find any button that will adjust "field" order, so to speak.

It is doubtful that very many folks in here will understand what you are talking about, so you might want to post in laymen's terms. It may ring a bell with most of us.

[Ron]

grandpabruce, on Jul 7 2006, 08:42 PM, said:

It is doubtful that very many folks in here will understand what you are talking about, so you might want to post in laymen's terms. It may ring a bell with most of us.

Err, OK. With the greatest of respect, if I need to explain the question that doesn't give much chance of finding an answer Here goes though..

Video, as taken on a camcorder and shown on TV, is interlaced. For instance, the electron gun will draw all the odd-numbered horizontal lines down the screen, then come back and draw all the even-numbered lines. This data is captured and processed as two separate "fields". Two "scans" or "fields" will make up one "frame". Therefore PAL TV runs at 50 scans/second, which produces 25 frames/second.

When digital video is captured via firewire, the lower field of each frame is captured first. That's just the way it is. It is called Lower Field First if you can access the properties of a video clip.

My complaint is, if I import some video into MyDVD and process it for DVD burning, the field order gets reversed. It comes out as Upper Field First. I didn't ask for that and it should not happen. It gives serious blurring and distortion around any moving object.

I still await Roxio's response (although without holding my breath )

[ggrussell]

You may wait awhile. Although Sonic/Roxio employees do visit this site, they only post when needed.

What tool are you using to determine the field order? Personally, I feel that a consumer product shouldn't give the user that much control over the output although I don't have a problem with an advanced application doing so. Interlaced output should always be lower field first. Progressive should always be upper field first.

This post has been edited by ggrussell: 12 July 2006 - 05:01 AM

[Ron]

ggrussell, on Jul 12 2006, 04:59 AM, said:

You may wait awhile. Although Sonic/Roxio employees do visit this site, they only post when needed.

What tool are you using to determine the field order? Personally, I feel that a consumer product shouldn't give the user that much control over the output although I don't have a problem with an advanced application doing so. Interlaced output should always be lower field first. Progressive should always be upper field first.

I was actually referring to the email I sent directly to Roxio - no response as yet

To determine field order I use my eyes - it looks OK when played on a computer monitor (which deinterlaces video) but awful on a screen - the classic symptom of field order problem. Also I imported a file from the burned DVD into ULead Video Studio. This can show File Properties - they are mpeg-2 files, Upper Field First.

I actually disagree about the field order - progressive output should be Frame Based. MyDVD 8 actually does give you that choice (interlaced or progressive). Interlaced video can be Upper or Lower field first. Curiously, if you capture analogue video via a capture card, you are capturing Upper Field First.

The golden rule for interlaced video is that whatever order you capture in, that is how you should continue. If an application doesn't give you control over field order, then WHAT GOES IN SHOULD COME OUT. Don't change the field order mid-processing (as Roxio is doing to me... )

[ggrussell]

Progressive is frame based, but when converting interlaced to progessive, the process usually starts with upper field first to create the 'frame'.

Some users have posted that selecting progessive output in MyDVD did give them better quality discs. It really doesn't matter since the DVD player will reinterlace the output. And that should work better for those with the DVD player connected via the RGB progessive output connections to the TV.

Quote

played on a computer monitor (which deinterlaces video)

I think you meant that the monitor is progessive. It depends on the software to 'deinterlace'. Windows Media Player DOES NOT. Many users complain about the tearing or jaggy edges in WMP playback. Some DVD playback software like Cyberlink's PowerDVD does deinterlace so movement is much smoother.

This post has been edited by ggrussell: 13 July 2006 - 06:47 AM

[Ron]

ggrussell, on Jul 13 2006, 06:30 AM, said:

Some users have posted that selecting progessive output in MyDVD did give them better quality discs. It really doesn't matter since the DVD player will reinterlace the output. And that should work better for those with the DVD player connected via the RGB progessive output connections to the TV.

Thanks for the suggestion, but no go. I made a DVD using Progressive output, and it looks pretty bad on the TV. Looks as if, for me, this piece of software is a heap of junk, and Roxio doesn't want to know. Ah well..

[ggrussell]

Ron, on Jul 15 2006, 05:47 AM, said:

Looks as if, for me, this piece of software is a heap of junk, and Roxio doesn't want to know. Ah well..

Unfortunate, but looks like you need to find other software that fits your needs.