Burning Standard Def On A Blu-Ray

[singlelife]

Hello, first time posting here, thanks for your time!

 

I just recently built a new computer, core i5 3570 Ivy Bridge and 8gb memory. Graphics are Intel Graphics 4000 on the CPU chip. I also installed a LG blu-ray disc burner. Windows 7 Pro 64.

 

I copied a bunch of documentaries that I had recorded from an old stand alone DVD recorder hooked to the TV to my hard drive. The files are about 44 minutes of mpeg-2 video each and were in the 750 MB size range. The frame size is 352x480 at 4 mbps. This is mainly VHS quality but good enough. I bought the blu-ray burner with the intention of putting these programs onto a blu-ray to play back in standard def only, no high definition video is intended. I assumed with the expanded space of blu-ray, I could put many more documentaries on one of these 25gb discs, reducing the number of discs in my collection. I already have a Philips blu-ray player hooked to the TV.

 

I started up MY DVD and chose a 25gb disc. I put one file in the play list and it showed it taking 3.1 gb! I went to project settings and there is very little to change, the video format was AVC. I assume it wants to convert the video to a large frame size. I changed it to mpeg-2 and the file size actually enlarged a little, I had also chose "same as original".

 

I've burned plenty of DVD's in my time, but it seems with blu-ray, it's a whole other ball game. So I guess my questions are this:

 

Are 352x480 videos in mpeg-2 even valid for a blu-ray?

Does the video have to be converted to a different file type?

My stand alone blu-ray player cannot play AVCHD videos recorded on a blu-ray disc (it can play them if it's on an SD card).

 

I also have Power Director 10 from Cyberlink. It also wants to turn these files into 3.3 gb sizes using 720x480/60i quality. I know it's probably trying to use a really high bit rate that's making it bigger. I suppose 4 mbps is invalid for a blu-ray?

 

I read that you can put up to 23 hours of standard def on a blu-ray disc. At this rate, I can only put about 7 documentaries on one 25g blu-ray when I could get 5 on the original DVD!

 

Attached is a screen shot, any help is greatly appreciated. Thank-you!

[Jim_Hardin]

Hang on Alice, we are going down the Video Rabbit Hole

 

Video is measured in Time, never file size...

 

Of course disc capacity limits the time so one could say that file size influences time

 

But all Movies have to be Rendered into a very specific format and the disc Authored in a specific format in order for a Player to play them... They are not simply files slapped on a disc!

 

Here is a list of what will fit on various media when rendered to specific levels of Quality:

 

 

DVD Time

 

4.7Gb:

HQ = 1:06

SP = 1:37

LP = 2:22

ELP = 3:04

 

8.5 Gb:

HQ = 2:00

SP = 2:57

LP = 4:19

ELP = 5:35

 

AVCHD on a 4.7 DVD

(thanks to ggrussell)

• HQ – 00:40:24 @ 1920 X 1080P = 40 min
  
• SP – 00:50:16 @ 1920 X 1080I
  
• LP – 1:00:00 @ 1440 X 1080I
  
• EP – 1:24:31 1280 X 720P
  

AVCHD on 8.5 DVD

• HQ – 1:13
  
• SP – 1:24
  
• LP – 1:39
  
• EP – 2:15
  

Blu-ray 25 GB Capacity:

• HQ— 3:29
  
• SP— 4:00
  
• LP— 4:43
  
• EP— 6:24
  

Blu-ray 50 GB Capacity:

• HQ— 6:59
  
• SP— 8:02
  
• LP— 9:27
  
• EP— 12:50
  

 

However you can see that AVCHD & BD open up a whole new world to us in both Time & Quality

 

You mentioned your Player doesn't do AVCHD on DVD's??? May I ask how you know that? (it is possible but rare and I really like the savings of using DVD's with HD Movies)

 

But a 25 GB BD-R & EP will still yield 6:24 hours or about 8 3/4 of your shows... Is that enough?

 

One thing you will probably want to test out is is use a Background and add the movie file as an Overlay at reduced size.

 

Blowing up a VHS Quality movie onto a large TV can reduce the perceived quality...

 

This is a similar one that I used with Super 8mm cine film onto an AVCHD: (full size was horrible!)

 

 

If you need to stick to the BD for your output, I suggest you get a 25 GB, BD-RE disc to play with before burning any BD-R's

 

That is a lot to take in so don't hesitate to ask more questions

[singlelife]

Hi Jim!

 

I guess I should have clarified in my post. My Blu-ray player does play AVCHD files from a DVD disc, but not from a blu-ray disc. Anyway, you were reading my mind, I am going to get an RE disc to practice with. Maybe look into a couple Blu-ray double layer discs as well (pricey!). Your information makes sense to me and I understand the process. So I'm going to do some experimenting and see what I get. Thanks for the help!

[Jim_Hardin]

won't play AVCHD on BD... are you sure?

 

The disc structure is different. I often create BD Folder sets, using another software, then use Roxio's Burn Data Disc but only add the Folders that an AVCHD Disc uses

 

The Differences:

 

 

Blu-Ray

 

AVCHD

 

(my samples also contain extra folders for "Pic or Data")