6 Replies Latest reply: Dec 16, 2012 6:56 PM by D3S user RSS

    HD (letterbox) will not appear on DVD when Quality is set to 16:9 or 4:3

    D3S user Community Member

      Been around the block on this so far, not real solutions and it was suggested to post here.

       

      The footage is all ingested as  CineForm codec, exported out as separate songs to MPEG2,  then built in Encore, buttons etc. Minimal tweaks.

       

      MPEG2 because Dynamic Link craps out and chooses one camera over actual multicamera edits, drops titles, effects etc. depending on which song it wants to burp up on.

       

      The DVD defaults are grayed out, and a tag on the bottom of the box indicates that the specs can be changed at any time using Projects settings, which gets the same grayed out choices as defaults, useless it would seem.

       

      Switching to Quality setting, there are options for DVD including 4:3 or 16:9 and so far neither, and or none of the DVD Quality settings, custom or otherwise will allow the DVD to burn anything that has the "black" lines above and below with the letterbox look on the SD DVD when played in a standard machine.

       

      On the computer, everything looks fine with WMP or VLC but take the DVD to an older Toshiba TV with a player built in and the safe areas from Premiere are all that appear.

       

      Challenge is why, how can this be affected pre build and, should one simply ingest and edit with something other than HD 1080, so Encore doesn't step on the final image?

       

      Too late, the product hits on Monday but round two is in January.

       

      So far, one suggestion in this forum is to export the HD MPEGs to Nero etc. and burn in that software.

       

      Is Encore shy of this concept, or is CS5.2 too old to negotiate the terrain, or is it pilot error?

       

      All comments are appreciated.

       

      Thanks,

       

      Rob

        • 1. Re: HD (letterbox) will not appear on DVD when Quality is set to 16:9 or 4:3
          Stan Jones CommunityMVP

          What are your specific Premiere/AME export settings? Are you using the preset for MPEG2-DVD or MPEG2?

           

          The DVD defaults are grayed out, and a tag on the bottom of the box indicates that the specs can be changed at any time using Projects settings, which gets the same grayed out choices as defaults, useless it would seem.

          I think it only says that  you can change from DVD to BD. DVD NTSC is 720x480, so whether you are creating a new project or trying to change another one, all those options are greyed out once you pick NTSC or PAL.

           

          Challenge is why, how can this be affected pre build and, should one simply ingest and edit with something other than HD 1080, so Encore doesn't step on the final image?

          Edit in your original resolution; export to DVD spec. MPEG2-DVD 16:9. But the 16:9 is not a quality setting, just the par for it to be widescreen.

           

          In CS6 there is a "scale to fill" option that takes the pain out of getting rid of the small black bars.  See this thead for that and pre-CS6 methods:

          http://forums.adobe.com/message/4367808#4367808

           

          But you are describing larger black lines. When you say Premiere title safe, you arepossibly doing something very wrong with scaling. Or more likely, I don't understand what you are describing correctly.

          • 2. Re: HD (letterbox) will not appear on DVD when Quality is set to 16:9 or 4:3
            Ann Bens CommunityMVP

            I dont fully understand the question either.

            You want black bars top and bottom (letterbox) on a dvd?

            If your original is HD and you are downscaling to widescreen dvd there are no black bars top and bottom. Only if you play the dvd on a 4:3 tv.

            • 3. Re: HD (letterbox) will not appear on DVD when Quality is set to 16:9 or 4:3
              D3S user Community Member

              Hi Stan and Ann,

               

              Usually when something is amiss, in my case it's pilot error.

               

              What Stan offered (which settings in AME?) looks to be the culprit.

               

              I had a friend, a DP over before this project was exported and he said to transcode using MPEG2.

               

              Another posted response via an Adobe thread or Creative Cow (not sure) also implied exporting as MPEG2 when I was getting poor results from Dynamic Link as explained above.

               

              This morning as I checked the kind responses from you both, I opened Premiere, took the suspect file which fails in DL, opened export and checked the settings.

               

              I was so rigid in following the advice as "MPEG2” that I never looked at the rest of the menu choices.

               

              As follows when MPEG2 is hovered: "Recommended for High Quality HD playback locally on a computer for HDTV 24 1080p source file or sequence"

               

              This explains why the concert plays fine in VLC etc.

               

              When MPEG2-DVD is hovered: "High Quality Output with TV Standard, Frame Rate, Field Order, PAR set automatically based on source."

               

              The timelines are all exported as MPEG2, not as MPEG2-DVD which may explain why the 16:9 image is truncated on a DVD player.

               

              I will head to Frys and buy more DVDs for a test burn, but, this seems to be what may be the issue at this point.

               

              In explaining perhaps I've confused you both but what happens when the MPG2 is played on a DVD machine, the image defaults to (generally) what are considered the safe areas grid in Premiere which I edit with turned on to be sure titles stayed in the DVD viewable area.

               

              I think then perhaps the mystery is solved.

               

              Two more questions then, if you feel inclined.

               

              1) Since we are on the subject, the drop down menu offers several choices when using MPEG2-DVD: Match source attributes, in High, Draft and Highest quality, NTSC 23.97 Widescreen High Quality, NTSC Progressive High, NTSC Progressive High Widescreen and Progressive Widescreen High.

               

              2) For a duplication house (as software authoring is not as good as hardware) what format is best for delivery to them with the choices being DVD drop down:  Disk, Folder, Image, Master or DDP image?

               

              Given my missteps so far, are there settings either of you suggest that work best here for the footage based upon your collective experience?

               

              Many thanks to you both for helping me gnaw off my paw from the trap I stepped into.

               

              I'll let the label know once I burn a new DVD.

               

              Rob

              • 4. Re: HD (letterbox) will not appear on DVD when Quality is set to 16:9 or 4:3
                D3S user Community Member

                Hi Ann,

                 

                 

                 

                I replied to you both @stan.

                 

                 

                 

                THANKS!

                 

                 

                 

                Rob

                • 5. Re: HD (letterbox) will not appear on DVD when Quality is set to 16:9 or 4:3
                  Stan Jones CommunityMVP

                  Yes, pilot error is a well-known, if not fond, companion for all of us!

                   

                  Try some DVD+RW for testing.

                   

                  1) Since we are on the subject, the drop down menu offers several choices when using MPEG2-DVD: Match source attributes, in High, Draft and Highest quality, NTSC 23.97 Widescreen High Quality, NTSC Progressive High, NTSC Progressive High Widescreen and Progressive Widescreen High.

                  What specifically is your source and your Premiere sequence settings?

                   

                  When you are exporting mpeg2-dvd, you want the precise datarate that you will need for your project once in Encore. If it is short, no matter. But usually it is long enough that you can't just max the datarates.

                   

                  If you are sending  for replication, the replication house needs to tell you how they want it.

                  • 6. Re: HD (letterbox) will not appear on DVD when Quality is set to 16:9 or 4:3
                    D3S user Community Member

                    Premiere is 23.97 FPS HD into CineForm, from Nikon and Canon HD enabled DSLRs. Synched with Plural Eyes and the audio (40 tracks in ProTools live) CD mastered mix, has been remastered at 48k.

                     

                    An anthology of the label also set with slides and mild motion graphics at that 16:9 aspect.

                     

                    There is (are) around 78 minutes of content total.

                     

                    Is this where perhaps, the Quality settings come into play then, to get as much onto the 4.7GB disc as possible after choosing the basic format from the AME drop down for MPEG2-DVD?

                     

                    The replicator said DVD with MPEG2 (they all mean MPEG2-DVD I am sure).

                     

                    In Encore, data allocation is done by the program correct to "fit onto" the disc?

                     

                    Again, many thnaks for the replies.

                     

                    Iit's short form trial by fire, and worth it for me to glean advice from others even after the fact.

                     

                    Rob