Poor Quality

[mojoflowstudio]

HI,

I created a 30 s movie in final Cut, which I exported as a .avi file. With Taost, I went to On DVD-Video, I select "Custom" under options, I select "More", and I select average bit rate of 9 Mbps.

 

Then at the bottom of my screen it says 45 MB. That means a average big rate of 1.5 Mbs. So it is not giving me a bit rate anywhere close to 9 Mbps.

 

I previewed it by Saving a Disk Image, and looking at the result. The degradation is terrible. I would have expected for the price I paid for Toast that I could burn a video with higher quality that I get from iDVD, which came free with my Mac.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Thanks

[mojoflowstudio]

Hi tsantee, thanks for the help.

 

1) Why did you export from Final Cut as AVI instead of Full Quality Quicktime Movie? Most people export at full quality.

 

I tried both. The .avi export doesn't reduce quality though. I've watched both in Quicktime. There isn't a difference.

 

3) I wouldn't choose more than 8 mbps as the maximum bit rate because some DVD players have trouble with very high bit-rate video.

 

The point of my question is that at the bottom of the Toast screen, it says "# Byes on 1 disk". But no matter what settings I chosoe, this # doesn't rise above about "45 Mb on 1 disk". So for a 30sec video, this means I'm only getting about 1-2 Mbps. Maybe there is a problem with how Toast calculates the size of the file it is going to burn?

 

I know that the amount of data in my file exceeds 8 Mbps. So my video file isn't limiting the quality. Toast should be able put 8 Mbps of good data down on the DVD. But if it is going to only put down 1-2 Mbps, then I know without even looking at the product that it won't have adequate quality.

 

Thanks for any answers you can provide, Chris

 

[tsantee]

I think you're mixing megabits with megabytes. Dividing 30 seconds into 45 megabytes doesn't result in 1.5 megabits per second. but rather 1.5 megabytes per second.

 

I just tested with a 32-second 640x480 movie with 8 bit mono sound shot with my digital still camera. I set the bit rate at a maximum of 8.5 mbps and average 8 mbps. The resulting disc image size is 33.3 mb and its enclosed VIDEO_TS folder is 32.7 mb. MPEG Streamclip reports the total average bit rate as 8.34 mbps. and that the video has a maximum 8.5 mbps and the audio is at 192 kbps.

 

I compared the source video in QuickTime with the mounted disc image in DVD Player by freezing a frame and viewing both at actual size. I notice that the black level is slightly less in the Toast-encoded version which makes the image look a little softer from less contrast. Otherwise they nearly are identical.

 

 

 

[mojoflowstudio]

Dear tsantee,

You've been a big help.

 

>I think you're mixing megabits with megabytes. Dividing 30 seconds into 45 megabytes doesn't result in 1.5 megabits per >second. but rather 1.5 megabytes per second.

 

So that means well over 8 megabits per second? (actually the video was a little longer than 30 s)

So when we see mbs written with lower case, that means bits?

 

>I just tested with a 32-second 640x480 movie with 8 bit mono sound shot with my digital still camera. I set the bit rate >at a maximum of 8.5 mbps and average 8 mbps. The resulting disc image size is 33.3 mb....MPEG Streamclip reports >the

>total average bit rate as 8.34 mbps....

 

Do you mean to type 33.3 MB (Megabytes) with uppercase.

 

Since you have been so helpful, can you advise me on something else. The image went off the screen of my TV. I don't want to lose the image at the edge, because it wasn't filmed for this use. So I guess I must resize it in Final Cut. Would you say that is my only option?

 

Thanks, Chris

 

>MPEG Streamclip reports the total average bit rate as 8.34 mbps. and that the video has a maximum 8.5 mbps and the >audio is at 192 kbps.

 

Can you tell me how you measured the mbps?

[tsantee]

Dear tsantee,

You've been a big help.

 

>I think you're mixing megabits with megabytes. Dividing 30 seconds into 45 megabytes doesn't result in 1.5 megabits per >second. but rather 1.5 megabytes per second.

 

So that means well over 8 megabits per second? (actually the video was a little longer than 30 s)

So when we see mbs written with lower case, that means bits?

 

>I just tested with a 32-second 640x480 movie with 8 bit mono sound shot with my digital still camera. I set the bit rate >at a maximum of 8.5 mbps and average 8 mbps. The resulting disc image size is 33.3 mb....MPEG Streamclip reports >the

>total average bit rate as 8.34 mbps....

 

Do you mean to type 33.3 MB (Megabytes) with uppercase.

Right you are!

 

Since you have been so helpful, can you advise me on something else. The image went off the screen of my TV. I don't want to lose the image at the edge, because it wasn't filmed for this use. So I guess I must resize it in Final Cut. Would you say that is my only option?

I don't have Final Cut but hopefully it has a way to let you add pixels (such as a black border) to force the content that matters to appear in the TV safe area You're probably aware that this overscanning by TVs is normal. Toast doesn't have any options to compensate for this.

 

>MPEG Streamclip reports the total average bit rate as 8.34 mbps. and that the video has a maximum 8.5 mbps and the >audio is at 192 kbps.

 

Can you tell me how you measured the mbps?

I chose Stream Info from the File menu of MPEG Streamclip. This is a wonderful application that works with many video formats and includes a scaler, so you might be able to use it to change what appears in the TV safe area. Streamclip is free but requires Apple's Quicktime MPEG2 Playback Component which is a $20 download at the Apple Store.

[tsantee]

1) Why did you export from Final Cut as AVI instead of Full Quality Quicktime Movie? Most people export at full quality.

2) Did you view the mounted disc image at Normal size on your screen and not at full screen? Full screen greatly reduces the picture quality by zooming the picture much larger than actual pixel size.

3) Turning on Half-Pel in the custom encoder settings window can improve picture quality. I wouldn't choose more than 8 mbps as the maximum bit rate because some DVD players have trouble with very high bit-rate video.