Output for DVD and Widescreen LCD TV?

[landrvr1]

I've read the numerous posts on this subject, but there are aspects that remain a big mystery for me...

 

My confusion stems from the 3 basic creation steps, and what settings to use for each. The 3 steps, as I see them, are:

1. Output of image from Max

2. Premiere project setup settings

3. Premiere movie export settings

 

Yikes!

 

I'm using: Max 7, Premiere 2.0, Encore 2.0

 

I've done a number of experiments, but can't seem to solve a basic issue. How is it possible to kick up the overall resolution for DVD playback on a widescreen LCD TV?

 

Here's the settings and such that I've been working with. Through trial and error I've found these the most flexible:

 

jpg image from Max: 864x480 pixel aspect 1.0

I like this image output (rather than 720x480 pixel aspect 1.2) because I can create movies for both desktop PC viewing, and DVD widescreen TV viewing in one output step.

 

Premiere Project Setup

864x480 pixel aspect 1.0

 

Premiere Output Test1

864x480 pixel aspect 1.0 (.avi file)

Results are great. image fills entire window area of DVD player

 

Premiere Output Test2

720x480 pixel aspect 1.0 (.avi file)

Results are also good, but of course there's black bars at the left and right of the image.

 

I've done output test #2 because my DVD authoring program - Adobe Encore - won't take any larger output size.

 

The problem with all of my results is that the resolution is average to poor on my 32" Sony LCD. I've tried larger resolution jpg files (1440x960), but the quality doesn't seem to improve. Even playing the movie on my Dell 24" widescreen monitor shows suspect quality in full screen mode.

 

I'm stumped. What has everyone done here in terms of good DVD output? The available info on getting excellent resolution movies for DVD output on widescreen TV viewing seems to be minimal.

[Brian Smith]

90% of my animations are done at 720x480, but once in a while, if the project's budget allows for it, if I really need it, or if there's time for it, I will render at twice the resolution 1280x960 and have it scaled down during editing. This is similar to supersampling and when you play a standard dvd (640x480) that's been rendered at a higher resolution and scaled down, the differences are amazing. You don't have flickering, pixel dancing, line swimming etc, and everything is super sharp. The other benefit is that once HD-DVD recorders come out, which is supposed real soon, I will have a portfolio already prepared.

 

I can't speak first hand about how they do it in movie production, but I've heard that when studios render out animations such as 'The Incredibles', they render it out at a ridiculously high resolution...well above high def. so that they get the same supersampling effect. Probably also so that if there ever is a next gen format above high def, the animation is already prepared.

[Chad Warner]

Brian-

 

Do you have any involvement with the editing process? We are trying this method of rendering currently, rendering at 720p resolution and then scaling down to standard widescreen. I was just wondering if you had any tips or tricks on methodology.

 

Thanks,

 

Chad

[Brian Smith]

we dont do our own video editing in house, but when i want to do a preview on my own i just use video post and convert it down that way...works great. you could also just run an action in photoshop

[BrianKitts]

I'm about to send off my current project to render, my render times are only at 8 mins a frame so I'm considering oversampling as brian mentioned.....

 

But I'm curious.... he suggested rendering at 1280x906 which isn't the same aspect ratio as 720x960.... and if HD-TV's are only 1080p....why render up to 1280? meaning that I could render at 1080 x 720 (same ratio as 720x480), then I'd be able to oversample a bit, and still have enough res to go to HD-DVD when the burners come to a reasonable price?

 

any thoughts?

[Brian Smith]

I'm about to send off my current project to render, my render times are only at 8 mins a frame so I'm considering oversampling as brian mentioned.....

 

But I'm curious.... he suggested rendering at 1280x906 which isn't the same aspect ratio as 720x960.... and if HD-TV's are only 1080p....why render up to 1280? meaning that I could render at 1080 x 720 (same ratio as 720x480), then I'd be able to oversample a bit, and still have enough res to go to HD-DVD when the burners come to a reasonable price?

 

any thoughts?

 

actually i suggested 1280x960 (not 906). that's twice the standard dvd resolution of 640x480. hdtv has two resolutions, 1920x1080 (also known as 1080p) and 1280x720 (also known as 720p). by rendering at 1280x960, we know that we are going to get twice the standard resolution, and if we decide to convert to the normal 720p resolution, it just means we need to cut the sides off a little during video editing, and if desired, squeeze the video. we could render at the higher end of high definition (1080p) but that incurs at about twice the rendering time and sometimes a lot more ram than we have available.

 

if we need to keep the same aspect ratio of ntsc (720x480...actually 720x486), then we just cut a little off the top of squeeze top to bottom. we just like to keep our maximum screen width to 1280pixels.

[BrianKitts]

906..... whoops that was a typo, I did mean 960

 

anyways...... thanks for the clarification!