HD quality rendered for a DVD

[CrashTECH]

How can I get the absolute best quality from my SONY HDR-SR12 on a standard DVD? I realize that the player will need to fully support upscaling to really take advantage of this. I have maybe 30-40 minutes of video, that I have rendered out to about 1.5 GB. I would like to be able to maximize the quality to fill a normal 4.5GB dvd.

I am using Sony Vegas 8 and DVD Architect 5.

I am primarily wanting to make things look normal for standard definition dvd players / tvs, but allow those with the better players and tvs take advantage of the better video that I started with.

Thanks.

[Mark W]

Upscaling is irrelevant - you cant add information you have lost.

You will need to make ' hd' blu ray discs so hd victims can enjoy the ( ahem) difference, hence you will need a blu ray burner and a few of those 5 quid blanks ! ! !

But dont expect the earth from a mid price consumer camera.

It costs mucho moola to get a camera that truly expoits the potential of the HDV format.

[CrashTECH]

I am not expecting to move the earth by any means. I am well aware that the video camera is not "professional". However, I can see the difference between playing the video directly from the camera and the output after using the Settings in Vegas to create a normal DVD.

Upscaling is not irrelevant. I am not talking about taking Standard definition and thinking it will magically play better because it is on a HDTV. My question is, how can I render the video in such a way that the DVD contains a higher resolution picture than standard dvd video so that when it is viewed on a higher definition TV, the quality is a little better.

I am wanting to not lose the information in the first place. Standard Def will only look so good, right? However if the video was rendered in a higher quality while it won't look much different in standard definition it will look better on a higher definition TV.

I wish I could remember where, but I swear that I had read it was possible to do this.

[Mark W]

There is no way to gat a sd dvd player to perform better.

Make sure you cut the dvd at the highest bit rate, 9.8 ish mbit/sec.

Maximum Bitrate - VideoHelp.com

This should help as most dvds I buy are significantly lower - nearer 6.

All upscaling will do is hide a few artifacts, you cant magic up lost data.

[CrashTECH]

There is no way to gat a sd dvd player to perform better.

Yes. I understand that. I am not talking about making a SD DVD player show a better picture. This is what I am talking about. After reading some more, I am now more worried about rendering at a higher quality that a SD dvd player would have trouble with. (Say the DVD is created at 720p how does that affect a SD 480i/p TV?)

So Upscaling will take SD and make it "look" better on HD TVs?

Make sure you cut the dvd at the highest bit rate, 9.8 ish mbit/sec.

Maximum Bitrate - VideoHelp.com

This should help as most dvds I buy are significantly lower - nearer 6.

Noted, I will check it out.

[TimStannard]

How are you going to create a DVD at 720p? It doesn't exist!

Open up your DVD Architect. Now look at your project properties (file | Properties) and look at the options available for writing a DVD - a selection of PAL & NTSC options. Nothing that isn't 480 or 576.
If you render a file at 720p and import that into DVD Architect, DVD Architect will create a file in whatever your project settings are set to (ie one of the standard PAL or NTSC settings).

[Mark W]

From the upscaling article 2 posts up...

".... resulting in better detail.... " - FAIL.

" However, upscaling, as it is currently implemented, cannot convert standard DVD images into true high-definition images " - no shit sherlock, and the fact that the author even thinks this is possible undermines his cred totally.

" In addition, if your DVD player is progressive scan capable, always use that option when connected to a progressive scan capable television. " - FAIL. Progressive scan at 25 fps looks very poor on most televisions - hellish jerky on pans and action. Suck it and see. 50p however - that is the future for sure.

It depresses me that there is sooo much crap written about video.