Easy question: export HD from iMovie into SD DVD

[RedTomato]

Here's an easy question for you guys. I've googled and Mroogled for the answer but I can't find a simple answer for 2010.

I recently upgraded to a HD camera (Canon Legria / Vixia HFS100). Beautiful, takes lovely footage. Filmed a play, 90 minutes, in HD, imported into iMovie 09. Took a while but no problem.

Did my editing, exported to iDVD, took a while to squash down to DVD format. Burnt a DVD image file (5gb, used Best Performance cos that fits fine onto a DL DVD.) Looked at the DVD file.

OH NO it looks utter *****. My 5 year old SD DV camera made far better DVD footage. Googling shows me this is a common issue, but some of the issues seem to be fixed in a recent Apple Update. Or not.

Can anyone tell me (or link me to) the standard way of getting the best quality DVDs (playable in a standard DVD player) out of iMovie 09 and iDVD? I can't seem to find what the current recommended workpath is.

Thanks

 

[DoFoT9]

interesting question tom! i think that the problem lies with compressing far far too much.

can you describe the problem? is it interlaced far too much? blocky? can you post a screenshot for us?

do you have access to final cut pro? using DVD Studio Pro would certainly help with compression.

VisualHub is pretty good at converting .dv (and mpeg etc aswell) into DVDs.

i would also try Toast Titanium. very good for its uses.

free versions of software... hmmm.. handbrake is worth a try to compress the original film i guess. other then that im not too sure

 

[MisterMe]

... Burnt a DVD image file (5gb, used Best Performance cos that fits fine onto a DL DVD.) Looked at the DVD file.

...

Huh? Does iDVD support DL DVD? Also, isn't SL DVD the version with 4.7 GB capacity which limits it to 2 hours runtime? It sounds like you have massively compressed your video.

 

[DoFoT9]

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... Burnt a DVD image file (5gb, used Best Performance cos that fits fine onto a DL DVD.) Looked at the DVD file.

...

Huh? Does iDVD support DL DVD? Also, isn't SL DVD the version with 4.7 GB capacity which limits it to 2 hours runtime? It sounds like you have massively compressed your video.

idvd does support dual layer dvds

 

[huntercr]

Here's an easy question for you guys. I've googled and Mroogled for the answer but I can't find a simple answer for 2010.

I recently upgraded to a HD camera (Canon Legria / Vixia HFS100). Beautiful, takes lovely footage. Filmed a play, 90 minutes, in HD, imported into iMovie 09. Took a while but no problem.

Did my editing, exported to iDVD, took a while to squash down to DVD format. Burnt a DVD image file (5gb, used Best Performance cos that fits fine onto a DL DVD.) Looked at the DVD file.

OH NO it looks utter *****. My 5 year old SD DV camera made far better DVD footage. Googling shows me this is a common issue, but some of the issues seem to be fixed in a recent Apple Update. Or not.

Can anyone tell me (or link me to) the standard way of getting the best quality DVDs (playable in a standard DVD player) out of iMovie 09 and iDVD? I can't seem to find what the current recommended workpath is.

Thanks

Did you export using the "Media Browser"? That is key.

 

[RedTomato]

interesting question tom! i think that the problem lies with compressing far far too much.

Isn't it a good idea to get the original footage in as good quality as possible, then do compression only as a last step? With HQ original footage, I would expect DVD compression to give a better final image than with DV footage.

can you describe the problem? is it interlaced far too much? blocky? can you post a screenshot for us?

Jagged, low-def, crappy. I'll try to post some screenies. Text generated in iDVD comes out perfectly fine, but text from iMovie is crappy.

do you have access to final cut pro? using DVD Studio Pro would certainly help with compression.

Yes I have access, but I find it far too complex. I even took a week-long course in FCP, but I only edit a few times a year, and I forget everything by the next editing session .... My editing is only simple putting scenes together, cutting out set changes, and adding credits etc. TBH iMovie suits me quite well for this simple work.

If you give me simple instructions for FCE / P and Studio DVD, I'll give it a go.

Did you export using the "Media Browser"? That is key.

Nope. Media Browser doesn't seem to have a DVD option. I like setting chapter titles and chapter markings in iMovie and exporting to iDVD and having them all appear there. This particular DVD is a writers' showcase with 6 short plays in it plus a Q&A with the writers, so putting chapter markers in iMovie saves me a fair bit of hassle.

 

[DoFoT9]

Isn't it a good idea to get the original footage in as good quality as possible, then do compression only as a last step? With HQ original footage, I would expect DVD compression to give a better final image than with DV footage.
Jagged, low-def, crappy. I'll try to post some screenies. Text generated in iDVD comes out perfectly fine, but text from iMovie is crappy. Yes I have access, but I find it far too complex. I even took a week-long course in FCP, but I only edit a few times a year, and I forget everything by the next editing session .... My editing is only simple putting scenes together, cutting out set changes, and adding credits etc. TBH iMovie suits me quite well for this simple work.

If you give me simple instructions for FCE / P and Studio DVD, I'll give it a go. Nope. Media Browser doesn't seem to have a DVD option. I like setting chapter titles and chapter markings in iMovie and exporting to iDVD and having them all appear there. This particular DVD is a writers' showcase with 6 short plays in it plus a Q&A with the writers, so putting chapter markers in iMovie saves me a fair bit of hassle.

first, before i answer all your questions and point you in the right direction - what quality did you use for the project in iMovie? (it normally says the quality up the top menu bar next to the project name).