AVI -> DVD encoding / quality?

[..siggi..]

Hi there,

since some days, I try to encode several AVI files to MPEG files for DVD-R. I use TMPGenc mainly, but I tried also several other software encoders. My problem: even up to 6000kb/s the results are poor. For example, fire or smoke (from a barbecue) has easily visible big artefacts. Outlines, of a face or a white line on a blue wall have artefacts all around...
I enabled the bitrate display of my DVD player and took a look on several of my bought DVDs: much more complex scenes have no visible artefacts. And the bitrate is about 4000-5000kb/s only.

Why is the quality of my selfmade MPEG so much more worse? The source material is in quite good condition (DV-Recording with few noise - I tried also to use TMGEenc noise reduction feature with no success).

I think most effect could have these matrices settings, but what does all these numbers mean? (maybe someone can explain this in german language ))

Hope anyone can halp me
Thanks alot in advance

Siggi

[a1sy]

Re: AVI -> DVD encoding / quality?

What's your settings for TMPGenc ? Give more details.
I had a bad quality before,but now I'm trying to play with highest bitrate and results much much better. I have just problem with DVD software , MyDVD doesn't work correctly and audio dissappear after 40 sec .
Here is my settings for TMPGenc ( I did copy-paste) from my reply :
"Currently I'm doing the next :
Camcorder - Firewire1394 - Pinnacle Studio 7 (capture and editing) - save as AVI file - TMPGenc to DVD format. Burn with Sonic myDVD. Setting for TMPGenc is :
720:480,4:3 display,29.97fps,2VBR ( Average=6000,Max=7000,Min=2000 with unable padding) ,
VBV buffer size = 224kb,Interlace, YUV format 4:2:0, DC component precision=10bits, Motionsearch precision -Highest quality(very slow) , Bottom field B, 4:3 525 line NTSC, GOP 1:5:2:1:18 , Quantize matrix : MPEG standart.
I though the problem with my DVD Sony DVP-900, but the same problem with audio on my DVD drive in Computer (Pioneer 116)."

Try this settings it's working good even with no any filter. I'm doing all my experiments with quick moving objects.
Sergey

[corniker]

Try using Ulead's DVD MovieFactory. I've had good results with that especially when it comes to video quality. I believe it uses VBR encoding rather than CBR. I did a comparison with TMpeg and found MovieFactory to have the better quality.

[69FBody]

will movie factory take avi's? it seems that it will only take mpg's. I am also having trouble converting good quality dv recordings to mpg.

[corniker]

Yes, it will convert AVI files.

[..siggi..]

Hi and sorry for my long absence (I'd a fatal HDD crash and first had to rebuild my system from scratch )

In general I use (pardon, I used) the same settings as a1sy, except of the bitrate (Avg 5000, Max 9000) and of course, related settings for PAL. I think my GOP structure differed, but I cannot recall (nor double-check). And I used either highest and normal setting for motion search precision, as I read TMPGEnc would produce better quality if set to normal.

I use Uleads MF for authoring too (nice and simple menu creation at low price but the encoding quality seems to be worse than TMPGEnc

But I'm wondering why the quality of commercial DVDs is so much better with an avg bitrate of 4000? I'd found a comparism of MPEG encoders, where TMPGEnc rated equal with the $$$ CinemaCraft encoder (except of the encoding time for sure).

Is Video noise the general problem? Or anything not visible? And what about these matrices? I still don't know what they are used for (All web hits on a search for told me only "These are for pragrammers only" or "Leave them as they are").

Greetings
Siggi

[setarip]

"But I'm wondering why the quality of commercial DVDs is so much better with an avg bitrate of 4000?"

Because they are not converted and recompressed from previously compressed .AVI files...

[corniker]

By default MovieFactory uses 6000 kbps VBR for it's '720x480 High Quality' setting which for me has always provided good quality MPEG-2 encodes. Getting a clean video source prior to any encode is crucial for video quality.

[zerodfence]

Whilst you on the subject of DVD Factory. I have found the Video compression to be very high. Although at the moment im having problems with the Sound. It plays back without any.

Anyone had this problem ?