Simulator view in DVD Studio Pro looks smooth...

...but when I create a SD DVD and play it back all the pans are very stuttery.

The original clips are Apple Pro 422 downconverted from HD by way of this tutorial....

(http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/hdv_to_sd_dvd.html)


I've used this tutorial before with an Apple Pro Res 422 sequence and the subsequent SD DVD turned out fine.

For the life of me, I can't figure out what is being done differently.


I'm using DVD Studio Pro 4.2.1 on an IMac running OS 10.5.8 on a dual-core IMac.


Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Scott





.

How long is your video and what Preset did you use?

--ken

Ken, the video is 17 minutes long.


Sorry Ken, m not sure what you mean by "Preset".

Do you mean the Preferences in DVD Studio Pro or Easy set-up in FCP?

Not talking Prefs. What bit rate settings did you use.? What Max bit rate, what average bit rate,l dual pass VBR, ????

You used Compressor to MPEG 2 and AC3 your audio, right?

See attached.

--ken

Ken, yes I used Compressor to MPEG-2 and AC-3. I tried again by resetting the Encoding to Two Pass VBR and Motion Estimation to "Best"...still ended up the same..."stuttery" during pans.



Robert, as should be obvious by now, I'm really new to DVD Studio Pro.

I want to try your recommendations.

Question...to try the #2 suggestion...

...2) GOP structure: IBBP
GOP type: closed
GOP size: 15
CBR encode

Where exactly do I do this in the DVD Studio Pro?


Thanks,
Scott

Thanks Robert, I've started reading the manual more specifically.


One last question....I noticed in the Simulator that the video has visible lines.

Is it possible that something was changed in FCP (relative to the first sequence which worked fine in making a DVD) in terms of progressive or interlaced? I don't know...grasping at straws here and a bit desperate. Nothing is working.

Thanks,
Scott

Is the video from a CMOS camera?

Cheers
Alexander

Alexander, yes it is.

The footage was shot on a Canon Vixia HF20.

yetifan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Alexander, yes it is.
>
> The footage was shot on a Canon Vixia HF20.



As well as recording via CMOS sensors which exhibit shutter-roll on fast pans, this camera records in AVCHD footage which can be difficult to edit.
So you set your FCP to ProRes 422, which you would have had to render your media first before editing, then finally out to mpeg2.
That's alot of manupulation of data, which doesn't write fast pans that well to begin with, because of the CMOS problem.
BTW never mess with the GOP size when setting the encoder, also CBR might give you slightly better results here.

Cheers
Alexander

STOP THE PRESSES!!!


I'm 99% sure I've found the source of the problem...hopefully, there's a solution.


I went back and watched all of the burned DVD and noticed over half of the scenes with quick pans looked fine.
When I checked the individual clip properties in FCP there was one definite difference between the stuttery and non-stuttery ones.
The non-stuttery clips have a Frame Size of 1920 X 1080 whereas the stuttery ones are 1440 X 1080. Don't know how that happened (I was the shooter). It's not noticeable at all in FCP or when I look at it as a QT movie on my computer but, obviously, when trying to make a DVD, it's affecting it. Is there a way to fix this? Some kind of uniformity that can be added to the timeline?


Thanks,
Scott

Hi Scott,

1440 x 1080 is HDV, don't know how you wound up with that.

If it were me, I would convert the 1440 x 1080 FCP footage to ProRes (SQ) 1920 x 1080.

--ken

Ken, thanks for being patient with me these last few days. Things have been tough. I really appreciate it.

I'm half-afraid to point out that the footage on the original card is no longer.

Is there a way to convert the 1440 X 1080 FCP footage to ProRes (SQ) 1920 X 1080 without the original card? And, if so,
how?


Thanks again,
Scott

Scott,

How many clips are you talking about?

You can select those clips in the Browser and do a Batch Export. In Batch Export settings, select ProRes 422, 1920 x 1080, at your sequence frame rate, I am assuming that you are running Progressive. Then bring the clips back into the timeline.

You can also take the clips into Compressor and export as above.

--ken

Ken, thanks for that. It solved the problem.

Quick last question with this topic...on this "upconversion" from 1440 to 1920 does the clip lose resolution or is it being "restored"?


Thanks,
Scott

HDV, 1440 x 1080 is anamorphic for 1920 x 1080. The 1920 is squeezed down to 1440, in the camera, to save file size. When you play it back in FCP, FCP knows to stretch it back out to 1920 for display. So it is natural for the clip to be opened up to the full 1920. Transcoding to ProRes just keeps it at full size permanently.

--ken