Pixelated Dvd In Toast Titanium

[DanaGardner]

I am a very basic user. What I am trying to accomplish is I import my iPhone videos of my children (the resulting files are saved on my Mac as .mov files). I want to use a DVD-R to burn these videos using Toast Titanium so the memories are burned to a DVD I can save and it's permanent, something I can give my kids down the road.

 

The type of disc I am choosing before burning is 'DVD Video' since I only own standard dvd players.

 

When I burn my videos, some of them are very pixelated, a lot of the time when the colors are bright. What settings can I use, and please walk me through exactly what to do and use laymans terms - in order to stop this pixelation on my final product when I play it in a DVD player? Thank you!!!

 

Edit - Someone on another page I had read mentioned they went into preferences and turned off "Overscan on video export" and this solved their problem - I am giving that a try now and seeing if the disc I am going to burn turns out ok - Update - it did not work and i wasted a disc trying. Help!

Edited July 17, 2017 by DanaGardner

[theoldarchiver]

What I am trying to accomplish is I import my iPhone videos of my children (the resulting files are saved on my Mac as .mov files). I want to use a DVD-R to burn these videos using Toast Titanium so the memories are burned to a DVD I can save and it's permanent, something I can give my kids down the road.

 

I’m not convinced writable optical discs are a solution for ‘permanent’ storage or a future-proof medium. Also, your phone probably created HD movies, while DVD is not HD. But that’s a different discussion, and no-one has a general solution yet for long term multimedia storage and playback.

The type of disc I am choosing before burning is 'DVD Video' since I only own standard dvd players. When I burn my videos, some of them are very pixelated, a lot of the time when the colors are bright. What settings can I use, and please walk me through exactly what to do and use caymans terms - in order to stop this pixelation on my final product when I play it in a DVD player?

 

I assume you have watched the phone movies and didn’t detect pixelation in the source?

Faulty discs/faulty encodings can cause pixelation. Try saving as Disc Image and playing in software. Does is still show pixelation at the same times/frames as the disc? If not, then the disc itself may be the problem. Not all discs are created the same.

Not enough bitrate can cause pixelation. Try video quality “best”, if you hadn’t already. Or try custom settings.

It may be your content. Shaky camera movement or irregular surface movement (e.g. water) are prone to cause pixelation, as that craves extra bitrate.

Someone on another page I had read mentioned they went into preferences and turned off "Overscan on video export" and this solved their problem - I am giving that a try now and seeing if the disc I am going to burn turns out ok - Update - it did not work and i wasted a disc trying. Help!

 

1/ Instead of burning a disc, try Saving as Disc Image. This can be played (tested) without wasting a disc, and can be burned without encoding time at a later moment.

2/ The overscan setting is for Export settings, i.e. conversion from disc to video file with a different codec. I wouldn’t expect it to make a difference in your case (file > disc).

[DanaGardner]

I’m not convinced writable optical discs are a solution for ‘permanent’ storage or a future-proof medium. Also, your phone probably created HD movies, while DVD is not HD. But that’s a different discussion, and no-one has a general solution yet for long term multimedia storage and playback.

 

 

 

 

I assume you have watched the phone movies and didn’t detect pixelation in the source?

Faulty discs/faulty encodings can cause pixelation. Try saving as Disc Image and playing in software. Does is still show pixelation at the same times/frames as the disc? If not, then the disc itself may be the problem. Not all discs are created the same.

Not enough bitrate can cause pixelation. Try video quality “best”, if you hadn’t already. Or try custom settings.

It may be your content. Shaky camera movement or irregular surface movement (e.g. water) are prone to cause pixelation, as that craves extra bitrate.

 

 

 

 

1/ Instead of burning a disc, try Saving as Disc Image. This can be played (tested) without wasting a disc, and can be burned without encoding time at a later moment.

2/ The overscan setting is for Export settings, i.e. conversion from disc to video file with a different codec. I wouldn’t expect it to make a difference in your case (file > disc).

I tried increasing avg bitrate to 8 per a friend. No improvement. There is zero pixelation in the original transferred files when opened on my Mac. Can you please give some other setting changes to try and also walk me through exactly how to burn to disc image and then preview it so I can stop wasting discs? I can't figure it out. Thank you, I'm so frustrated.

[theoldarchiver]

1. Duration. What is the total duration of all the clips that you want to burn to one disc?

2. Capacity. Is your DVD disc single layer (4.7 GB) or dual layer (8.5 GB)?

These two relate to bitrate, as it is somewhat flexible how much a disc will hold, but it can sometimes be pushed too far, resulting in artefacts such as pixelation.

 

3. Types of pixelation. Some types of pixelation give visual clues to the cause. A disc reading error or signal/cable error may look different from a not-enough-bitrate error. Can you describe the pixelation that you see with your disc?

 

4. Saving as Disc Image (instead of burning to disc). [see also page 52 of the Toast user guide.] The resulting disc image file can be ‘mounted’ as a virtual DVD, and played by a software DVD player. Doing so will enable you to distinguish between encoding faults (the data) and disc faults (the physical carrier of said data). This is important as solving one does nothing for the other option. The disc image strategy this will also save a possibly wasted disc.

Set up your DVD as you normally would, but don’t click Burn yet. Instead, from the File menu, select Save as Disc Image. Select where the file will be saved. Toast will start encoding and then saving all of the DVD into a single file, <My_Movie>.toast . That file is the disc image, similar to .dmg files. Right-click (or Control-click) the disc image file, then select Open with > DiskImageMounter. Then it will appear on the desktop as a virtual disc. To play the virtual disc, simply open Apple DVD Player: it will look for mounted DVD-Video discs and play it. That player is quite strict, which is good for testing: if it gives issues, then there’s probably something wrong with the disc. If you don’t see artefacts (pixelation or otherwise), then the video file itself is likely fine, and it is time to suspect the media (the physical disc).

 

5. If the issue is with the encoding, and your settings are already optimal for quality, then it is difficult to diagnose without access to a problem-giving clip.

[DanaGardner]

1. Duration. What is the total duration of all the clips that you want to burn to one disc?

2. Capacity. Is your DVD disc single layer (4.7 GB) or dual layer (8.5 GB)?

These two relate to bitrate, as it is somewhat flexible how much a disc will hold, but it can sometimes be pushed too far, resulting in artefacts such as pixelation.

 

3. Types of pixelation. Some types of pixelation give visual clues to the cause. A disc reading error or signal/cable error may look different from a not-enough-bitrate error. Can you describe the pixelation that you see with your disc?

 

4. Saving as Disc Image (instead of burning to disc). [see also page 52 of the Toast user guide.] The resulting disc image file can be ‘mounted’ as a virtual DVD, and played by a software DVD player. Doing so will enable you to distinguish between encoding faults (the data) and disc faults (the physical carrier of said data). This is important as solving one does nothing for the other option. The disc image strategy this will also save a possibly wasted disc.

Set up your DVD as you normally would, but don’t click Burn yet. Instead, from the File menu, select Save as Disc Image. Select where the file will be saved. Toast will start encoding and then saving all of the DVD into a single file, <My_Movie>.toast . That file is the disc image, similar to .dmg files. Right-click (or Control-click) the disc image file, then select Open with > DiskImageMounter. Then it will appear on the desktop as a virtual disc. To play the virtual disc, simply open Apple DVD Player: it will look for mounted DVD-Video discs and play it. That player is quite strict, which is good for testing: if it gives issues, then there’s probably something wrong with the disc. If you don’t see artefacts (pixelation or otherwise), then the video file itself is likely fine, and it is time to suspect the media (the physical disc).

 

5. If the issue is with the encoding, and your settings are already optimal for quality, then it is difficult to diagnose without access to a problem-giving clip.

Just wanted to say thank you and this busy mom will take a look at this info this week and reply back. I really want to get this working right.

[DanaGardner]

Possible dumb question. Is it maybe that standard DVD just isn't the best technology and I should consider buying a bluray writer and a bluray player just for this purpose of videos of my kids and maybe I wouldn't have this problem? No idea what it costs but just wondering. This program can record on bluray right? What I'm mainly looking for with this ongoing task is easy to do, and clear video.

[theoldarchiver]

Possible dumb question. Is it maybe that standard DVD just isn't the best technology and I should consider buying a bluray writer and a bluray player just for this purpose of videos of my kids and maybe I wouldn't have this problem? No idea what it costs but just wondering. This program can record on bluray right? What I'm mainly looking for with this ongoing task is easy to do, and clear video.

 

Putting HD movies on DVD means downscaling the resolution, in effect loss of detail, similar to the comparison below.

 

 

If you are doing it for prosperity, then one could reason to preserve any detail available, and downscaling would not be wanted. But memory isn’t a resolution, and general facial expressions and sounds are perhaps more important. And detail works different on motion video than on a static photo.

 

Various people I know won’t bother with blu-ray, so you can’t expect to play a blu-ray disc in just any household.

DVD discs are a bit cheaper than Blu-ray discs. DVD writers are a bit cheaper than blu-ray writers. Set-top DVD players are a bit cheaper than set top Blu-ray players.

Toast without high definition encoding is a bit cheaper, so perhaps it you would need to purchase the additional ‘plug-in’ to unlock HD. I think you would know if you have the ‘Toast High-Def/Blu-ray Disc Plug-in’ or Toast Pro (which includes it).

 

I’m not sure what the issue is with your movies. But I don’t film much myself, so perhaps I would never encounter the problem you are having. Without digger deeper, you won’t know if the same problem would occur with Blu-ray too.

[DanaGardner]

Putting HD movies on DVD means downscaling the resolution, in effect loss of detail, similar to the comparison below.

 

 

If you are doing it for prosperity, then one could reason to preserve any detail available, and downscaling would not be wanted. But memory isn’t a resolution, and general facial expressions and sounds are perhaps more important. And detail works different on motion video than on a static photo.

 

Various people I know won’t bother with blu-ray, so you can’t expect to play a blu-ray disc in just any household.

DVD discs are a bit cheaper than Blu-ray discs. DVD writers are a bit cheaper than blu-ray writers. Set-top DVD players are a bit cheaper than set top Blu-ray players.

Toast without high definition encoding is a bit cheaper, so perhaps it you would need to purchase the additional ‘plug-in’ to unlock HD. I think you would know if you have the ‘Toast High-Def/Blu-ray Disc Plug-in’ or Toast Pro (which includes it).

 

I’m not sure what the issue is with your movies. But I don’t film much myself, so perhaps I would never encounter the problem you are having. Without digger deeper, you won’t know if the same problem would occur with Blu-ray too.

Thank you! Ok it was probably a dumb question. So right now just desperate for help to start getting my movies to burn right on a DVD!

[DanaGardner]

These are the settings I see and an example of the types of files I have. They came off my iPhone.

Edited July 17, 2017 by DanaGardner

[DanaGardner]

1. Duration. What is the total duration of all the clips that you want to burn to one disc?

2. Capacity. Is your DVD disc single layer (4.7 GB) or dual layer (8.5 GB)?

These two relate to bitrate, as it is somewhat flexible how much a disc will hold, but it can sometimes be pushed too far, resulting in artefacts such as pixelation.

 

3. Types of pixelation. Some types of pixelation give visual clues to the cause. A disc reading error or signal/cable error may look different from a not-enough-bitrate error. Can you describe the pixelation that you see with your disc?

 

4. Saving as Disc Image (instead of burning to disc). [see also page 52 of the Toast user guide.] The resulting disc image file can be ‘mounted’ as a virtual DVD, and played by a software DVD player. Doing so will enable you to distinguish between encoding faults (the data) and disc faults (the physical carrier of said data). This is important as solving one does nothing for the other option. The disc image strategy this will also save a possibly wasted disc.

Set up your DVD as you normally would, but don’t click Burn yet. Instead, from the File menu, select Save as Disc Image. Select where the file will be saved. Toast will start encoding and then saving all of the DVD into a single file, <My_Movie>.toast . That file is the disc image, similar to .dmg files. Right-click (or Control-click) the disc image file, then select Open with > DiskImageMounter. Then it will appear on the desktop as a virtual disc. To play the virtual disc, simply open Apple DVD Player: it will look for mounted DVD-Video discs and play it. That player is quite strict, which is good for testing: if it gives issues, then there’s probably something wrong with the disc. If you don’t see artefacts (pixelation or otherwise), then the video file itself is likely fine, and it is time to suspect the media (the physical disc).

 

5. If the issue is with the encoding, and your settings are already optimal for quality, then it is difficult to diagnose without access to a problem-giving clip.

Duration 1 hr 21 min

Discs are 4.7gb DVD-R

Pixelation is best described as, in videos with bright colors mostly, the image looks more boxy. It almost makes me dizzy to look at because my kids faces almost look like tiny squares making up the image.

[theoldarchiver]

These are the settings I see and an example of the types of files I have. They came off my iPhone.

 

Using just one of the clips would speed up the encoding time/creation of a disc image/dvd testing. Pick one that you know had pixelated earlier.

Try a higher average bit rate (6 Mbps) and invoke half-pel motion estimation. [image]

 

Duration 1 hr 21 min

Discs are 4.7gb DVD-R

 

81 minutes should be okay for single layer.

 

Pixelation is best described as, in videos with bright colors mostly, the image looks more boxy. It almost makes me dizzy to look at because my kids faces almost look like tiny squares making up the image.

 

Sorry, not something I recognise from experience.

[DanaGardner]

I'll give the bitrate and half pel options you mentioned a try asap. Thank you!!

[DanaGardner]

When I burn as a disk image to the desktop, and then go to open with disk image mounter, I have two folders there and I don't know what to do to test the video. Sorry that this is upside down, do not know why.

Edited July 18, 2017 by DanaGardner

[hermie54]

Sorry for the short reply, but it's half past three in the night here and I just saw your post.

 

Anyway, with this image mounted just start DVD Player and hit Apple O, or File - Open Media, then manouvre to the name of the image (2_14_2017 - 7_12_2017) either on your desktop but probably in the sidebar of the open dialog window and it should start.

 

The Video_TS holds all the files, while the Audio_TS is empty, although I don't know why the DVD specs turned out this way.

 

Hope it works and have fun, Hermie

[DanaGardner]

That's really cool. Thanks for teaching me. I burned to image and will try to find time to test tonight and report back. I increased avg bitrate and added half pel

[hermie54]

You're welcome. But I'm not sure about what you're tryiing to accomplish. Does it really have to be a Video DVD? I mean, a Video DVD like an Audio CD has to comply with a list of specifications in order to play on any set top DVD player or Audio CD player. Therefore, if the original file is high resolution it will be sampled down to Video DVD resolution, meaning loss of quality.

 

However, if the idea is to save the files for (much) later you could also burn the lot to a Data DVD, which will hold about 4.3 GB of data. Then, when you want to give the movies to someone they only have to import the original files back into their iPhone, tablet or whatever and watch them straight away.

 

For watching on a big screen telly you could use Airplay from your Mac, but quality isn't very good. Using an Apple TV and Beamer on your Mac however works excellent. Just some thoughts, you can of course do both, play around with the settings till you have a decent Video DVD and backup the files to a Data DVD.

 

Have fun, Hermie

[theoldarchiver]

That's really cool. Thanks for teaching me. I burned to image and will try to find time to test tonight and report back. I increased avg bitrate and added half pel

 

So it did play without pixelation in the software DVD player then?

[DanaGardner]

Didn't have time to test it yet.

 

To the other poster, thank you. I'm looking to watch the DVD on any big screen tv now and in the future so DVD video seems like the best way for a person who isn't tech savvy. What do you think? I hope I can get it working.

[hermie54]

Hi Dana,

 

Yes, I can see your point. But since blank DVDs don't cost much (Verbatim for me if possible, please) I would also backup the original files on a Data DVD. Because when the kids grow up they probably will become a bit techie and then you'd have more choices.

 

Just thought about another possibility. My Samsung telly is from 2013, but I'm sure I read in its manual that it can also play video from an USB-stick. I must confess I have never tried this and am not sure about the file formats, MP4 probably. The telly does have three USB ports though.

 

Have fun, Hermie

[DanaGardner]

Great idea about the data DVD backup.

 

I will also look into the USB stick

 

The half pel option and avg bitrate adjustment didn't help. I took a photo of my screen and how the image is boxy. It's hard to tell but it looks very disappointing on screen. I purchased Toast specifically for this purpose. I'm praying someone can help me get a clear picture. Please help! Thank you.

[cdanteek]

These are the settings I see and an example of the types of files I have. They came off my iPhone.

 

 

Hit the reset defaults and post a screen image of what they reset to?

 

If you add up the play time of every clip on the squished and out of focus Disc image how long in time is it?

 

Are you making a 4.3 or 16.9 video?

[DanaGardner]

This is what I get when I reset to default. I tried 4.3 and 16.9 and neither seemed to change my output at all, video looks exactly the same

Edited July 21, 2017 by DanaGardner

[DanaGardner]

More of the settings.

 

Also I did I test of 3 of the videos that came out pixelated and burned that selection of a few videos to disc image. Same pixelated result. It must be a setting issue.

[cdanteek]

Post 21 & 22 show the same custom setting, Video Format mpeg-2.

 

Post 23 shows, Flash Video format?

[theoldarchiver]

Experiment: I tried filming with an iPhone SE (H.264 MOV, High@L4.0) and putting those clips on DVD-Video with Toast. While I didn’t detect the extreme pixelation that DanaGardner reports, I wasn’t satisfied with the downscaling either. For comparison, I selected three short clips to convert with a different program using a bicubic scaler, and noticed that those results were much better. In the scaled down video as done by Toast, the high contrast at semi-random places, e.g. small leaves, grass, and stone texture, those looked quite weird, especially in motion, like the noise of analog television, tuned to a dead channel. (Perhaps the result of some sort of unneeded sharpening.)

I’ve put them together in one disc image (160.8 MiB). Three clips, all downscaled from 1920×1080, the “a” clips converted by Toast, the “c” clips converted outside of Toast, so six clips on disc. I think the “c” clips are better image quality, and as bonus also less bytes. Nothing fancy, just seeing if I could replicate the pixelation. The replication of this issue at hand didn’t succeed, though.

[DanaGardner]

I have the same phone. I don't understand all of the technical details but can you possibly recommend a better program for me that would yield a clearer result? Has to be dumbed down easy to use for someone like me.

I know I owe others above some info on my settings that they pointed out and will be in touch as soon as I have time to address. Thank you all.