File Size disagreement between Win7 and DVD Arch

RalphM wrote on 10/28/2015, 3:38 PM

I'm really puzzled. I have a video project that is 1 hour and 39 minutes in length. Customer wants it all on one disc. Original files are 29.97 interlaced SD.

I render to MPEG2 using the V10 template for DVD architect NTSC video, constant bit rate of 5,200,000, 30P and produce a file that is about 4.1 GByte per Windows.

I load into DVDA and it claims the file is over 6GBytes. I ignore that and tell DVDA to burn anyway. Gets a disc full screen and an unplayable disc.

I've rendered this at a lower bit rate and still get the over 6GByte message. I've restarted V10, Windows, etc. with no change...

Any thoughts?

Comments

Chienworks wrote on 10/28/2015, 3:57 PM

DVDA is notorious for overstating the file size. The general advice is to ignore it if you know your file is small enough to fit.

Can you play the resulting video in the prepare folder directly from your hard drive? Most media players, including Windows Media Player, let you open the VIDEO_TS folder and play that as if it was reading from a DVD. This will at least tell you if the prepared file is ok and it's only the burn that is failing. If that works, consider using something else to burn with, like Nero or ImgBurn.

I'd also suggest that if your original material is interlaced then you should be rendering 29.97i MPEG2 and burning a 29.97i disc. Changing it to 30p will cause all sorts of headaches such as interlace artifacts, frame blending, and cadence issues. If you're worried about playback on progressive monitors, the player hardware/software generally does a MUCH better job of deinterlacing than Vegas is capable of.

larry-peter wrote on 10/28/2015, 4:02 PM

Are you including an .ac3 audio file, or PCM audio? PCM will throw you way over the limit. Also, check out on-line DVD bit rate calculators. http://dvd-hq.info/bitrate_calculator.php is the one I prefer. Allows for inputting audio type, extra assets included on the DVD, etc. Very thorough.

I render to a DVD arch template and only adjust max, average and minimum bitrate settings in the template to the values given in the bitrate calculator. Have never needed to change the IPB frame settings.

Edit. As stated above, don't render your 29.97 interlaced files to progressive!

rs170a wrote on 10/28/2015, 4:06 PM

Check and see if there's an old temp file somewhere messing you up.
Try loading it into DVDA again but this time give the project a new name. That usually cures it for me.
As Chienworks mentioned, your video should be 60i, not 30p.
Due to the length of it, I'd render it in 2-pass VBR to maximize quality.
8,000,000 / 5,528,000 / 3,320,000

Mike

RalphM wrote on 10/28/2015, 4:28 PM

Thanks to all for the inputs.

I'm re-rendering now to interlaced MPEG 29.97. This was a film transfer and the customer does not want any audio, so it's video only.

rs170a wrote on 10/28/2015, 4:36 PM

Was the film transfer done to 29.97 or 24 (23.976)?

Mike

RalphM wrote on 10/28/2015, 5:05 PM

Transfer was 29.97

astar wrote on 10/28/2015, 5:30 PM

Is DVDA re-rendering your footage when it builds the disc? If it is, then like someone else stated, the audio is making the disc to large. Some video formats need an audio track even if there is no audio for timing reasons. DVDA might be adding a blank audio track for you.

4.7GB = 4GB of video + 700MB of CD audio basically. AC-3 allowed more space for video and less of audio, or more channels of audio in the same space as 2 channels of PCM.

dxdy wrote on 10/28/2015, 5:57 PM

Another thing to look for is whether you have an Extras folder included, perhaps left over from another project.

TheHappyFriar wrote on 10/28/2015, 8:51 PM

DVD video does require audio so make sure you render out a blank track.

But DVDA would do that itself. It might not be playing because to much of the disc is full and the player is having an issue reading it.

Stringer wrote on 10/28/2015, 9:10 PM

You might also consider just doing a " prepare " in DVDA, and using another program to burn the disc..

I often have DVDA telling me the project is too big, when the VIDEO_TS folder will fit on a disc just fine..

musicvid10 wrote on 10/28/2015, 9:51 PM

Prepare the file anyway, and then restart DVDA. That's really all it takes.
The estimates are sometimes off by a lot.

RalphM wrote on 10/29/2015, 4:59 PM

I really can't determine what was the cause of the file size discrepancy, but I re-rendered to 29.97i and the disc size calculated correctly in DVDA. Burned properly as well/.

Many Thanks for the help!