Best method for encoding Blu-ray and SD DVD ?

[leethomas]

I have searched but it seems to bring up a lot of older information (pre-Edius 5.11) regarding encoding for Blu-ray and SD DVD's. Just wondering if there's a consensus as what is the best method of encoding for BD, as well as downconverting a HDV timeline to produce great-looking SD dvd's using 5.11. (I tried using the "burn to dvd" feature in 5.11 but the dvd seemed rather soft to me. It was from a HDV timeline). I have a new system consisting of Edius 5.11 with HDStorm and will be using Encore CS4 for authoring. I noticed in some of the older posts, people were suggesting downloading and using other programs. Is it possible to get great results using just the Edius/Encore combination?

I am new to editing HD as I was previously downconverting in-cam prior to the edit. I was using Edius 3.6 with PCE and had no problem encoding great-looking SD dvd's. I now will be editing HDV on the timeline with 5.11 and there are a ton more options for encoding, etc. FYI, most of my projects are under 1 hour in length. Any questions, let me know. Thanks!

[STORMDAVE]

This is how I do it now.

Edit in HD > Output to Blu-ray > Export to HD Canopus HQ > Convert to SD Canopus HQ via Virtual Dub workaround > Reload SD clip in a new SD project (Using DVD preset) and export out to MPEG2 via ProCoder3

I delete the HD Canopus HQ clip (takes a lot of space) and SD clips and archive to LTO4 tape for a while.

[leethomas]

So basically what you're saying is that you can't get a great SD dvd within Edius 5.11 - you have to use other programs (Virtual Dub, PC3)?

Also - what is the Virtual Dub workaround? I know it was mentioned in one of your posts.

[Khoi Pham]

It depends, if your clients have LCD, Plasma or any newer TV and good progressive DVD/Blu-ray player like PS3, I would just switch your HD timeline to SD (make sure all titles are fix) then use Edius to output MPEG2 for Encore.
If your clients still using tube interlaced type of TV, then I will use the Virtual Dub workaround so it will remove the flickering and jaggy edges, they are more noticeble with interlaced tv.
For Blu-ray I would just use Edius to output either MPEG2 HD or AVC for Encore, if your project is 3hrs or more then AVC is better at lower bitrate than MPEG2 HD.
With 5.1 I don't have to use ProCoder anymore, all encoding are from Edius and it use all of my 8 cores. (-:

[antonsvideo]

(make sure all titles are fix) (-:

tip of the day: if you don't use the T track and place titles on V track, they will automatically be corrected when switching from HD to SD

[STORMDAVE]

So basically what you're saying is that you can't get a great SD dvd within Edius 5.11 - you have to use other programs (Virtual Dub, PC3)?

Also - what is the Virtual Dub workaround? I know it was mentioned in one of your posts.

Yes, you can't get good SD from HD in EDIUS. Doesn't make sense, right?

I printed to DV tape a 1080i project (by switching to DV before output) and it looked horrible on an SD monitor and HDTV.

There are plenty of posts regarding the Virtual Dub workaround. Find Anton's workaround, it's the easiest.

[antonsvideo]

http://www.videoproductions.com.au/html/virtualdub-hd-sd.html

[Khoi Pham]

tip of the day: if you don't use the T track and place titles on V track, they will automatically be corrected when switching from HD to SD

Yeah but I like the soft blur in and out fade, title track is the only one that do that RT with a default transition time so I don't have to mess with draging out transitions, before going to lunch or whatever I just render the section with titles to a new hq avi so really not fixing it.
Switching project to SD from HD looks bad on interlaced TV, but look much better on progressive display than using virtual dub, I think now most everybody have progressive display and player so I'm going back to this method, faster, less work and look better.

[antonsvideo]

Yeah but I like the soft blur in and out fade, title track is the only one that do that RT with a default transition time so I don't have to mess with draging out transitions, before going to lunch or whatever I just render the section with titles to a new hq avi so really not fixing it.
Switching project to SD from HD looks bad on interlaced TV, but look much better on progressive display than using virtual dub, I think now most everybody have progressive display and player so I'm going back to this method, faster, less work and look better.

stay tuned

[leethomas]

It depends, if your clients have LCD, Plasma or any newer TV and good progressive DVD/Blu-ray player like PS3, then...
If your clients still using tube interlaced type of TV, then...

Say, I deliver 5 dvds to a client... those 5 dvds may be played on a variety of different displays. They may have a LCD while their parent's may have a tube set. I follow what you're saying, just don't think that is the best way to go about it - at least, for me.

Thanks for the input, guys. Seems like a lot of jumping though hoops to get the job done if you need both HD and SD (which I'm sure most of us do). I was hoping that there would have been an easier option with the new software release. If you think of anything else, please chime in. Thanks again!

As far as Anton's workaround... I see it mentions PAL, do I need to make any adjustments for NTSC?

[GrassValley_BH]

tip of the day: if you don't use the T track and place titles on V track, they will automatically be corrected when switching from HD to SD

Good tip, though T tracks still work differently internally from V tracks, so your RT mileage may vary.

[leethomas]

tip of the day: if you don't use the T track and place titles on V track, they will automatically be corrected when switching from HD to SD

Yes, but don't you still have to correct any picture-in-picture filters? Any others?

[GrassValley_BH]

Anything that uses coordinates and not percentages... Region filter motion path is the first to come to mind.

[antonsvideo]

Say, I deliver 5 dvds to a client... those 5 dvds may be played on a variety of different displays. They may have a LCD while their parent's may have a tube set. I follow what you're saying, just don't think that is the best way to go about it - at least, for me.

Thanks for the input, guys. Seems like a lot of jumping though hoops to get the job done if you need both HD and SD (which I'm sure most of us do). I was hoping that there would have been an easier option with the new software release. If you think of anything else, please chime in. Thanks again!

As far as Anton's workaround... I see it mentions PAL, do I need to make any adjustments for NTSC?

instead of 720x576, use 720x480 in VD, the rest is the same

[leethomas]

instead of 720x576, use 720x480 in VD, the rest is the same

Thanks Anton...