Trouble Converting Footage

[Falcon501]

I am creating a simple football highlight DVD. I have created over a hundred highlight DVDs in the past but this is the first time I have come across this issue.

 

I have 6 unlocked DVDs of footage, 2 “real” DVDs (they have creative title screens with different buttons) and 4 DVDs with just a play button that activates the footage.

 

I did not experience any problem converting the two “real” DVDs.

 

I am having problems converting the 4 basic DVDs. I am trying to convert the four unlocked DVDs (NTSC DV) to QuickTime files so I can use the footage in Final Cut Pro and them export the footage to a DVD.

 

No matter which option I choose, Convert > DVD Disc, VIDEO_TS, Video Files, all of my conversions are coming out with running times shorter than the original footage.

 

Before converting, Toast recognizes the true duration of each master and lists it in the Summary.

 

Here is an example of what I am experiencing:

 

Summary:

Video: DV/DVCPRO – NTSC, 640 x 480

Audio: AAC, Stereo, 44100 Hz

1 Track, Duration: 43:57, Estimated size 40.2 MB (125 KB/sec)

My final converted size ranges from 6 to 10 GB

 

Using 10.0.9, my first attempt resulted in a 22 minute conversion of a 44 minute master. My second attempt resulted in a 34 minute conversion of the same 44 master.

 

I tried again from another computer running 10.0.5 and it wouldn't even convert. I updated to 10.0.9 and converted again, got the 22 minute conversion result.

 

I reinstalled Toast 10, didn't update, and converted again. This time, my conversion came up about a minute short.

 

The major issue with the converted footage coming up short is that my times are off. For example, the play found on the master at 2:15 is not the same play found at 2:15 on the converted footage.

 

Using Intel Macs.

 

All input welcomed and thank you in advance.

[tsantee]

It may be that the source DVDs have timecode breaks that are causing problems for Toast. If so, the workaround is to use MPEG Streamclip (free but requires the $20 QuickTime MPEG2 Playback Component that you may already have from FCP). Upon opening the VTS title set in Streamclip you may be asked to repair timecode breaks. If not there is an option to do so under the Edit menu. I believe Streamclip can do the QuickTime conversion but if not you Save as MPEG and add that to the Toast Convert window with Video Files set as the format.

 

Another potential (but less likely) option is to see if using the Toast Media Browser to access the video title will work. Choose Video Files as the format in the Convert window and then select DVD in the Media Browser. If the DVD is a VIDEO_TS folder on the hard drive then put the VIDEO_TS folder on the desktop or the top of the Movies folder for it to appear in the Media Browser. Double click on what appears in the browser to see the individual titles and drag what you want to Toast.

[Falcon501]

Thanks you.

 

A break could be it. When the conversion is going through, I do hear the computer cycle down a couple times.

 

I'll give it a shot and post back.

[Falcon501]

Just finished using MPEG Streamclip, says 81 breaks were found.

 

Exported Quicktime > Apple DV/DVCPRO > 4:3 Interlaced @ 720x480

 

Couple issues:

 

Master running time is 43:54, export came out @ 43:57 Should I have used progressive??

The video is slightly distorted. When the players are in motion, the lines are not as crisp compared to the master. I am seeing slight horizontal distortion.

 

Only because this conversion took almost an hour, before do it again using the progressive option, I have a couple questions:

 

(1) Can you suggest the best Quicktime conversion option that will make the footage come out as close, if not exactly, like the original?

 

I apologize for my ignorance. I am a newbie making DVDs this way. I work for a community college and all of the highlight DVDs I have created have be recorded and dropped to DVD "in house". So we would just drop the DVD into Toast and let Toast make the conversion. I am doing highlight as a favor for a colleague. Everything I am working with was created externally.

 

So I guess what I am asking is what is the best conversion format to create a high-quality standard DVD. Hard-drive space is not an issue, I have (30) 1 TB hard-drives. The less compression the better.

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Maybe this should be a completely different topic but I'll try it here.

 

(2) I am sort of glad this happened to me because it has made me look deeper into the way I was creating DVDs. When I drop a DVD into Toast and convert it to QuickTime, I have been using the default setting the entire time > Quicktime > MPEG-4 compression. I then use it in Final Cut Pro using the clip's settings and export the project using the MPEG-4 setting. I then create a DVD from that file. I have never received any negative feedback so I figured I was doing everything the right way. Now that I have been researching, I am coming across info that states MPEG-4 is not for DVD. Is this true? if so I wonder why I have never received any negative feedback.

 

If I understand this correctly, H.264 4and MPEG-4 are used more for streaming and not for standard DVDs.

 

I also heard something a while ago regarding Sorenson.

 

If this is a topic you don't wish to engage in, can you please point me to a link / site that will help me better understand the different compressions.

 

I have been googling / youtubing this topic for two days so any feedback is greatly appreciated.

 

Again, thanks in advance.

[tsantee]

Just finished using MPEG Streamclip, says 81 breaks were found.

 

Exported Quicktime > Apple DV/DVCPRO > 4:3 Interlaced @ 720x480

 

(1) Can you suggest the best Quicktime conversion option that will make the footage come out as close, if not exactly, like the original?

 

Your best bet is to choose Progressive even though the source is interlaced. It's possible for Toast to get the interlacing fields in the wrong order which makes things look real bad in fast motion scenes and I've also found that progressive eliminates the shimmer around high contrast areas (such as chain link fences and chrome on a car). If hard drive space isn't an issue you can use DVCPro50 which is 2:1 compression rather than DVCPro with is 4:1 compression. May not make much difference. The best application for converting video DVDs to other formats is Miraizon's Cinematize but it isn't real cheap. However, as I recall their site has some good info for options when making this conversion.

 

--------------------------------------------------

Maybe this should be a completely different topic but I'll try it here.

 

(2) I am sort of glad this happened to me because it has made me look deeper into the way I was creating DVDs. When I drop a DVD into Toast and convert it to QuickTime, I have been using the default setting the entire time > Quicktime > MPEG-4 compression. I then use it in Final Cut Pro using the clip's settings and export the project using the MPEG-4 setting. I then create a DVD from that file. I have never received any negative feedback so I figured I was doing everything the right way. Now that I have been researching, I am coming across info that states MPEG-4 is not for DVD. Is this true? if so I wonder why I have never received any negative feedback.

 

If I understand this correctly, H.264 4and MPEG-4 are used more for streaming and not for standard DVDs.

 

I also heard something a while ago regarding Sorenson.

H.264 is a form of MPEG 4. H.264 is considered the best quality at a reasonable file size so it is becoming standard for computer-playable video files. The standard MPEG 4 is not as high quality, (I'm told but haven't actually looked at to compare). If hard drive space is an issue or if you'll also want your Final Cut movie to be playable as a computer or streaming video, then I suggest choosing h.264. Traditionally the norm was to export from Final Cut as a Full Quality QuickTime Movie when the purpose is to add to Toast to make a video DVD. It probably is worth your while to do a test with a short segment to see how they compare. There also is a wonderful site at www.kenstone.net that is filled with useful information.

 

The problems with timecode breaks usually happen when the source MPEG 2 file is created with an MPEG 2 camcorder or a standalone DVD recorder. If you have one of those and use the VR-mode on rewritable discs then there aren't timecode breaks. But if recorded in Video mode there are these breaks very often. The video-mode discs can be finalized for playing on a standalone DVD player, whereas the VR-mode discs cannot. However, Toast can extract the MPEG 2 video from an unfinalized VR-mode disc using the DVD section of the media browser. None of this may matter to you but I thought it could be useful info if you have either an mpeg2 camcorder or standalone DVD recorder.

 

Hope this helps.

[Falcon501]

This does help. The MPEG Streamclip suggestion was huge!!!

 

I'm familiar with the Ken Stone website, I was on it last night. I guess I need to go back. I must have overlooked an article/link.

 

I am doing tests now and am using the progressive mode for each.

 

Space is not an issue. What you said makes sense. I did not create the DVDs I am working from. The 4 DVDs that I am having issues with do look like they were created by a consumer standalone DVD recorder.

 

I converted the DVDs using the Apple DV/DVCPRO NTSC option and just finished with the straight DV conversion option. I will try DVCPro50 and see how it looks.

 

At first I was using my laptop, but the conversions were taking way too long. I moved over to my desktop and the conversion time cut down by more than half.

 

For these 4 DVDs, I think this method will work fine. I imported some of the DV/DVCPRO NTSC to FInal Cut and it looked good.

 

It never fails, of all the highlights I have ever done, of course the project I am doing for free would be the one that that gives me the most amount of trouble.

 

Also, I don't think I was thinking straight when I asked about the DVD format. I was thinking there was a MPEG-2 option I needed to export to. I was getting so aggravated regarding these DVDs not working correctly that I forgot it is the DVD software that puts the footage to MPEG-2.

 

Thanks again for your help. I hope I am in the clear and could get this thing done so I could finally watch Hugo.