Comments on: Downconverting High Definition to DVD http://www.hd4pc.com/techblog/2008/12/24/downconverting-high-definition-to-dvd/ Evolving Media Post Production Workflows in Light of Advancing Computer Technology Tue, 27 Apr 2010 23:10:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: McCarthyTech http://www.hd4pc.com/techblog/2008/12/24/downconverting-high-definition-to-dvd/comment-page-1/#comment-26 McCarthyTech Wed, 24 Dec 2008 19:26:46 +0000 http://www.hd4pc.com/techblog/2008/12/24/downconverting-high-definition-to-dvd/#comment-26 I developed my current DVD workflow at Bandito in Feb of 07, on CS2. After using it daily for years, it sounds like it is time to re-evaluate how I downconvert my HD24 footage. If CS4 allows me to burn Progressive 24p DVDs, that will be great. I will have to do some tests when I return to work, to ensure that it works properly. I developed my current DVD workflow at Bandito in Feb of 07, on CS2. After using it daily for years, it sounds like it is time to re-evaluate how I downconvert my HD24 footage. If CS4 allows me to burn Progressive 24p DVDs, that will be great. I will have to do some tests when I return to work, to ensure that it works properly.

]]> By: David Newman http://www.hd4pc.com/techblog/2008/12/24/downconverting-high-definition-to-dvd/comment-page-1/#comment-25 David Newman Wed, 24 Dec 2008 16:47:18 +0000 http://www.hd4pc.com/techblog/2008/12/24/downconverting-high-definition-to-dvd/#comment-25 24p DVD mastering. The advantage of doing a true 24p DVD encode, the pulldown data is inserted into the MPEG2 stream with repeat flags, this can help with quality (only fields used to construct the 24p signal are compressed) but it also helps progressive scan DVD players reconstruct the correct 24p signal more reliably. Your way works for most situations as many DVD players can use the data-rate pattern to guess the pulldown, but it is not always extracted correctly. Of course there is no issue for non-progrssive outputs where the display is reasonable for pulldown detection (if needed.) I agree doing an MPEG encode within Encore 24p is flakey at best and should be avoided (although I haven't yet tested CS4 for this.) The way I produced severally DVDs in the last week, is export out of Premiere as a 1920x1080 24p (23.976) master AVI (CineForm 4:2:2 AVI), then using VirtualDub and scale using Lanzcos 3 filter to 720x480 and export out to CineForm 444 SD (422 also works just check the flags to encode to 601, not necessary with 444.) Load the SD clip back into Premiere SD 24p preset, interpret footage back to 16x9. Export with Adobe Media Encoder to MPEG2-DVD 24p. Encore will take this file without further transcoding, so it will produce a native 24p DVD. David Newman CTO, CineForm. P.S. I should also do a blog post on this. 24p DVD mastering.

The advantage of doing a true 24p DVD encode, the pulldown data is inserted into the MPEG2 stream with repeat flags, this can help with quality (only fields used to construct the 24p signal are compressed) but it also helps progressive scan DVD players reconstruct the correct 24p signal more reliably. Your way works for most situations as many DVD players can use the data-rate pattern to guess the pulldown, but it is not always extracted correctly. Of course there is no issue for non-progrssive outputs where the display is reasonable for pulldown detection (if needed.)

I agree doing an MPEG encode within Encore 24p is flakey at best and should be avoided (although I haven’t yet tested CS4 for this.) The way I produced severally DVDs in the last week, is export out of Premiere as a 1920×1080 24p (23.976) master AVI (CineForm 4:2:2 AVI), then using VirtualDub and scale using Lanzcos 3 filter to 720×480 and export out to CineForm 444 SD (422 also works just check the flags to encode to 601, not necessary with 444.) Load the SD clip back into Premiere SD 24p preset, interpret footage back to 16×9. Export with Adobe Media Encoder to MPEG2-DVD 24p. Encore will take this file without further transcoding, so it will produce a native 24p DVD.

David Newman
CTO, CineForm.

P.S. I should also do a blog post on this.

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