Blu-Ray Authoring of AVI Files

[MCC63]

Creator 2010

Intel i7 920

HD Radeon 5770

6 GB Ram

Windows 7

 

I am in the process capturing my movies on tape and burning them to disc. The AVI files that are captured are quite large: 20 - 25 GB depending on length of AVI file. In order not to lose quality, does it make sense to create blu-ray projects instead of DVD projects? Will the created blu-rays look much better than DVD.

 

I noticed that even if I change the blu-ray projects settings to highest quality, the file output size is almost 10 GB less than the original. Is there a lot of compression occuring even in a blu-ray project? What type of file format is created in a blu-ray project?

 

The settings I used are Video Format: AVC, and Audio Format: LPCM. Preset is on High Quality. I am also using two pass encoding. I assume this is the best I can get, even though the output is still almost 10 GB less than the original file?

 

Is there anyway to create a project on disc without any compression and keep the original video quality in tact? The old video's aren't the best quality to begin with (recorded on an old SONY Digital 8 Camcorder).

[ggrussell]

Is there anyway to create a project on disc without any compression and keep the original video quality in tact? The old video's aren't the best quality to begin with (recorded on an old SONY Digital 8 Camcorder).

Simply No. Even the DV AVI from the Digital 8mm has 'some' compression, but not like other formats. Standard definition video is 720x480 (NTSC). Hidef is either 1280x720, 1440x1080 or 1920x1080. To create a Bluray, the video would have to be 'stretched' to the larger size. This can result in poorer quality as Jim pointed out.

 

I have tested this out using my older D8 TRV-740 files and my newer Canon HV20 in DV mode. I created a Bluray in 720p MPEG which has less compression than AVC. I found the results to be acceptable, but I was playing the folder back on my computer. I don't have a Bluray player so quality may vary if played back on a different device. In any case, I wouldn't try up-converting to 1080.

[ggrussell]

I think you're making it more difficult that it really is. LOL AVCHD on DVD is nothing more than the Bluray format burned to a regular DVD. The same folder structure as BD. The same compression and the same file system. That's why these disc can not be played on a regular DVD player.

 

Go to Wikipedia and read up on Bluray and it's history. High definition MPEG 2 and High definition AVC files are both legitimate file formats for a BLueray disc. In fact, standard definition MPEG 2 is too for backward compatibility.

there has to be some degradation of a video that goes from 20+ GB down to 4 GB to fit on a DVD

True, but keep one thing in mind. At the BEST QUALITY, you can only get ONE HOUR of standard definition video on a regular DVD. Doesn't matter what software you use. DV AVI is about 13GB per hour so in your example, it was most likely over one hour which does require more compression. The most I have ever put on one 4.7GB disc is about 1.5hr and still have 'acceptable' quality. What you consider 'acceptable' may be different.

 

Since you have a Bluray burner and player, you need to be burning AVCHD on DVD or burn to Bluray discs for optimum quality.

 

For your older video tapes that you have captured to DV AVI, you could experiment with burning to 720p AVCHD or 720p Bluray. I wouldn't try stretching them to the higher resolutions. Also if those old tapes are 4:3, just let the app burn it witht he bars on the sides. Trying to crop to 16:9 would just make things worse.

[MCC63]

Simply No. Even the DV AVI from the Digital 8mm has 'some' compression, but not like other formats. Standard definition video is 720x480 (NTSC). Hidef is either 1280x720, 1440x1080 or 1920x1080. To create a Bluray, the video would have to be 'stretched' to the larger size. This can result in poorer quality as Jim pointed out.

 

I have tested this out using my older D8 TRV-740 files and my newer Canon HV20 in DV mode. I created a Bluray in 720p MPEG which has less compression than AVC. I found the results to be acceptable, but I was playing the folder back on my computer. I don't have a Bluray player so quality may vary if played back on a different device. In any case, I wouldn't try up-converting to 1080.

 

 

In a reply to both of you.

 

Jim, I respect what you say about the size of the file being meaningless, but there has to be some degradation of a video that goes from 20+ GB down to 4 GB to fit on a DVD. The only way to reduce the file to that size is through compression and compression does degrade the picture - of course some compression algorithms being better than others.

 

I did burn one AVI video on to a DVD and I found the quaity to be not so good. It is a shame that you can not keep the original quality video without compressing it further, especially since we now have media that holds much more data.

 

I do have a BD burner and a BD player that plays AVCHD.

 

I will try the different options you recommended above and see how it looks. I guess it is trial and error.

 

I do get confused between AVCHD and BD. I do have AVCHD files from my Canon HFS 100 that I need to put on Blu-Ray disks. How does Roxio handle that. Does it encode using AVCHD for Blu-Ray projects, or does it encode in a different format for Blu-Ray projects.

 

Thanks.

 

 

[Jim_Hardin]

No it is meaningless. Just because you don't understand it, does not detract from the truth of that statement

 

You can't up- or down-render video without poor results! We hope for the best but that is the way pixels and ratios work…

 

Here is a closeup of 1440 X 1080:

 

If you are going from 1440 down to 720 that means only 1/2 of the horizontal pixels get to be used…

 

Look at that pixel patch and decide what color each horizontal pair will be when combined. They can only be one color… You can see how quality is going to suffer!

 

Now for the Vertical! Going from 1080 to 720 you must somehow make one color pixel from 2 1/4 of the vertical pixels…

 

See the problem?

 

For practical purposes, AVCHD & BD are the same but the Format of the discs are different.

 

Since AVCHD lost the battle, Roxio will only make an AVCHD on DVD. BD is BD.

 

[Jim_Hardin]

Phew!

 

Do you have a BD Burner and some RE discs???

 

First you cannot render up in video and expect any decent results. Actually they will often come out much worse!

 

Second, file size has absolutely nothing to do with anything in Video! Completely meaningless! Did I mention it is useless?

 

Make a brief DVD and burn it to an RW set to HQ.

 

Go back into MyDVD and change the Project Type to AVCHD. (assumes you have a BD Player that can play AVCHD) Burn another RW at HQ.

 

The AVCHD will equal BD quality so you can do a side by side comparison. If you have BD Burner, you can also switch the project to BD and burn an RE disc.

 

Now repeat all of that with the output setting of "Same As Original".

 

Let us know what you think.