Which HD to DVD converter is best?

Using Pr Pro CS3 and Windows Vista 64 bit, I have completely edited my six individual HD projects with titles, transitions, and some color correction effects. I did a lot of cuts and ripple deletes. The total of the six HD edited projects is about 110 minutes.

The reason for all this info is I now want to import as many of the six HD projects as possible into a New Project. I would like to make the final project with as few DVD's as possible. I have read you can get about 20 minutes on a single layer and 40 minutes on a dual layer DVD. I am not as concerned about the overall quality as I am in getting the training information out.

I also want to convert these projects from HD to DVD. I then need to insert manageable Menus and Chapter points. I will be duplicating the final DVD/DVD's and selling them on the Internet.

I have read about a lot of software from Ulead, Coral, VSC and others. They all have good and bad features and points. Judging by what I have told you - what software would you recommend for my purpose? Do I need to different software, one for converting and one for Menus and Chapter markers?

I have read where large busy projects can make a difference. Some work well with Vista, some don't. Some freeze your computer if you try to get to fancy. Some support dual layer DVD's, and others not so well. They all say they are easy to use, but I have read of complaints where the end product will not always play on some outboard DVD players.

Thanks for any advice

Jim

Which HD to DVD converter is best? I have read you can get about 20 minutes on a single layer and 40 minutes on a dual layer DVD.Which HD to DVD converter is best?

Yes you can put HD in full quality on a DVD but only as a BluRay image. You also need a BR player to play this DVD. BR-burner not required.

Most common practice is to (down)convert the HD to Mpeg-dvd and burn this to dvd.

CS3 can do the job for you, but if you follow Dan Isaacs' HD2SD it will give you even better results.

http://invertedhorn.axspace.com/hdv2dvd_basic.html

What's all this software (ULead, Movie Factory etc.) I mentioned that says you can convert HD to DVD and play it on your DVD players? I know I am new to all this but this is what I have been reading.?I know you say it can't be done but all these software companies promote the idea that you can.

What am I missing?

Have you seen this TUTORIAL?

Good luck,

Hunt

That is a great help and very interesting to watch

I Bookmarked it for future study.

Too bad I don't have CS4.

I quess that is what I was hoping to find in the other software.

Jim

Jim,

OK, take a look at this ARTICLE. It does not require CS4.

Good luck,

Hunt

I'm learning

''I don't get frustrated because I can't fix something, I get frustrated when I run out of ideas.''

THANKS AGAIN

Hope this helps others in my position.

Jim

the_wine_snob wrote:

Have you seen this TUTORIAL?

Good luck,

Hunt

You are most welcome. I just wish I had seen the OP's clearly stated ''CS3,'' but then I would not have added the link to Jeff's tutorial - maybe a lucky mistake on my part????

Hunt

I enjoyed it.

I'm glad you guys like the tutorial.?Thanks for posting back.

-Jeff

Jeff thanks again for the Tutorial, I just found something out the hard way though.?I had made a preset to make my 720/60p timeline into the intermediate file.?So last night I converted the two timelines that I needed to, and this morning I was going to start the MPEG 2 DVD files.?Well upon double checking I found out that saving the preset does not save the Max Render Quality selection.?Oh well, you live and you learn...?I will just let it run all day today and then do the DVD file tomorrow...

I do have a question for you though.?When it comes to the MPEG 2 DVD file there is no particular reason that I should not do VBR 2 pass is there??The reason that I ask is that the second DVD timeline is pretty long so I thought it would be better to do it at 2 pass.?I cannot see any drawback besides time, and I am not going to be in my office at all this weekend so I will just run these remotly from my home, so I really do not care how long it takes...

Oh and one more thing...?Is there any way to tell through AME if the file had been encoded with the Max Render Quality??I looked in the log and did not notice anything.?I did not know if that was because I did not use it, or if that is because it does not show if it was used or not.

Thanks again for the hard work and great explanations.?I loved the little comment about making the 720/60p footage into an interlaced DVD.?That cracks me up each time I listened to it...

Phil

When it comes to the MPEG 2 DVD file there is no particular reason that I should not do VBR 2 pass is there?

Thanks Jeff...

Greatly Appreciated....

Phil

I hope in the next version of AME they display the MRQ in a different way.

I often forget to check it on.

Also the MRQ setting does not get remembered in a custom made preset.

Ann Bens wrote:

I hope in the next version of AME they display the MRQ in a different way.

I often forget to check it on.

Also the MRQ setting does not get remembered in a custom made preset.

Ah, good idea.