I'd like to produce DVD's with the best quality possible and I need some advice. Here's what I have been doing:
1. Capture to DV AVI file.
2. Assemble video with filters applied + music.... into chapters and produce each chapter as MPG or AVI using Ulead / Elements .....
3. Insert chapters into a Sonic MyDVD project and burn.
I like this methodology as it allows me to break a DVD down into manageable segments (chapters) and produce those independent of the other chapters.
Somewhere along the line I'm losing image quality. Perhaps MyDVD is reconverting the MPG files? I DO realize that every process that converts between formats (DV->MPG2...) or manipulates pixels degrades image quality.
I decided to run a test to compare the output to the original tape. I've got a new 60" HD LCD tv that lets me run both sources side by side. For this test, I use unfiltered DV-AVI's as chapters and use the highest quality setting for DVD output. I've discovered that the output from MyDVD is clearly inferior. The Ulead DVD is almost indistinguishable from the original tape. Given this, I wonder how other video editors would do in a similar test?
I'm thinking of getting a new editing package. I don't know if the newest Ulead software gives me the flexibility I'd like such as assembling files into chapters as MPG and then burning a DVD without using each AVI file as a chapter. I've been using VS6 as it is the only editing package that will capture from my JVC DV camcorder. Pinnacle, ArtSoft, Adobe.... will not. If I upgrade to Ulead VS8, I'd like to know that the DV driver will work.
I'm wondering if Pinnacle or Adobe Elements supports producing to MPG2 and then building DVD chapters from the MPG's without reprocessing (transcoding) the video and reducing quality? The Ulead software seems to be much faster than Sonic in this process. Sonic wants to transcode even if your source is already MPG2. I'm also inclined towards Pinnacle and Adobe as they support image de-shake (Adobe plug-in).
Any comments you'd care to share on project methodology and DVD quality ( especially MPG2 -> DVD for Adobe Elements) would be greatly appreciated.
Mark
1. Capture to DV AVI file.
2. Assemble video with filters applied + music.... into chapters and produce each chapter as MPG or AVI using Ulead / Elements .....
3. Insert chapters into a Sonic MyDVD project and burn.
I like this methodology as it allows me to break a DVD down into manageable segments (chapters) and produce those independent of the other chapters.
Somewhere along the line I'm losing image quality. Perhaps MyDVD is reconverting the MPG files? I DO realize that every process that converts between formats (DV->MPG2...) or manipulates pixels degrades image quality.
I decided to run a test to compare the output to the original tape. I've got a new 60" HD LCD tv that lets me run both sources side by side. For this test, I use unfiltered DV-AVI's as chapters and use the highest quality setting for DVD output. I've discovered that the output from MyDVD is clearly inferior. The Ulead DVD is almost indistinguishable from the original tape. Given this, I wonder how other video editors would do in a similar test?
I'm thinking of getting a new editing package. I don't know if the newest Ulead software gives me the flexibility I'd like such as assembling files into chapters as MPG and then burning a DVD without using each AVI file as a chapter. I've been using VS6 as it is the only editing package that will capture from my JVC DV camcorder. Pinnacle, ArtSoft, Adobe.... will not. If I upgrade to Ulead VS8, I'd like to know that the DV driver will work.
I'm wondering if Pinnacle or Adobe Elements supports producing to MPG2 and then building DVD chapters from the MPG's without reprocessing (transcoding) the video and reducing quality? The Ulead software seems to be much faster than Sonic in this process. Sonic wants to transcode even if your source is already MPG2. I'm also inclined towards Pinnacle and Adobe as they support image de-shake (Adobe plug-in).
Any comments you'd care to share on project methodology and DVD quality ( especially MPG2 -> DVD for Adobe Elements) would be greatly appreciated.
Mark