Help please: increased file size when adding chapters to DVD

2 Aug 2006 2:25 PM

Sailor

Hello:

I recently posted a question about adding chapters when authoring a DVD as
I had (to that point) only did straight burns.

Well, I added chapters to a wedding reception and here is the explanation
of the problem. Incidentally, I am using ULead DVD Workshop. I have other
authoring programs that I may try but the results may be the same...
anyway, here goes:

The wedding reception that I added the chapters to starts as a 3.8 mpg. The
run time is 1hr, 58 min. When I go to burn the disk it is showing that the
required disk space is 6.8 GB (much higher than the 4.4 GB available on my
blank dvd's). When I just go to burn the mpg without chapters, it says the
required space is 3.8 GB (which seems correct). Is it normal for chapters
to add so much to the overall output file size?

The menu system is extremely simplistic with a still image captured from
part of the video (as the background), and 5 chapters accessed via text
links.

Any info is helpful..
Thanks again,
sailor

3 Aug 2006 5:37 PM

Scubajam

In Ulead, reset your mpg file settings. Try a lower bitrate. There
should be an icon like gears, probably lower left (I use Ulead Movie
Factory, and Media Studio Pro 8, not Workshop). Change setting to
something around 4000. You probably have 7000 to 8000 now. Use the
highest possible, but leave a bit of a buffer, like 4.3 gigs instead of
full 4.4. Probably won't notice a difference in quality down to 4000
unless there's fast motion.

Chapters do add overhead, but not that much. Do you have motion menu
checked? It might not be noticed if you use a still image, but the
still might be treated as a motion menu, just won't have motion. It
sounds like when you added the chapters it reverted to default
settings, meaning it will re-render the full mpg file. Check/change
your settings.

Jim McGauhey
Washington State

Sailor wrote:
Show quoteHide quote

> Hello:
>
> I recently posted a question about adding chapters when authoring a DVD as
> I had (to that point) only did straight burns.
>
> Well, I added chapters to a wedding reception and here is the explanation
> of the problem. Incidentally, I am using ULead DVD Workshop. I have other
> authoring programs that I may try but the results may be the same...
> anyway, here goes:
>
> The wedding reception that I added the chapters to starts as a 3.8 mpg. The
> run time is 1hr, 58 min. When I go to burn the disk it is showing that the
> required disk space is 6.8 GB (much higher than the 4.4 GB available on my
> blank dvd's). When I just go to burn the mpg without chapters, it says the
> required space is 3.8 GB (which seems correct). Is it normal for chapters
> to add so much to the overall output file size?
>
> The menu system is extremely simplistic with a still image captured from
> part of the video (as the background), and 5 chapters accessed via text
> links.
>
> Any info is helpful..
> Thanks again,
> sailor

3 Aug 2006 11:26 PM

Jukka Aho

Sailor wrote:

> The wedding reception that I added the chapters to starts as a 3.8
> mpg. The run time is 1hr, 58 min. When I go to burn the disk it is
> showing that the required disk space is 6.8 GB (much higher than the
> 4.4 GB available on my blank dvd's). When I just go to burn the mpg
> without chapters, it says the required space is 3.8 GB (which seems
> correct). Is it normal for chapters to add so much to the overall
> output file size?

No. I wonder how you're adding the chapters. Ulead DVD Workshop 2 has a
preview window for the video clips and menus. Directly below it, but
above the play/stop/etc. buttons, there a timeline:

<http://www.ixbt.com/divideo/authoring/snap17big.jpg>

You add chapter points by moving the timeline cursor to the desired
position and pressing the "add chapter" button (the first button to the
right of the timeline - the one with the plus sign on it). The chapters
you add get listed on the filmstrip which is located to the right of the
preview window.

Adding chapter points should not make any noticeable difference to the
size of the clip or the project. As another poster noted, adding
chapters _may_ add _some_ overhead if you're using animated, looping
chapter menus, but only a very little - nowhere near twice the size of
the original clip!

--
znark

4 Aug 2006 2:41 PM

RS

Jukka Aho wrote:
Show quoteHide quote

> Sailor wrote:
>
>> The wedding reception that I added the chapters to starts as a 3.8
>> mpg. The run time is 1hr, 58 min. When I go to burn the disk it is
>> showing that the required disk space is 6.8 GB (much higher than the
>> 4.4 GB available on my blank dvd's). When I just go to burn the mpg
>> without chapters, it says the required space is 3.8 GB (which seems
>> correct). Is it normal for chapters to add so much to the overall
>> output file size?
>
> No. I wonder how you're adding the chapters. Ulead DVD Workshop 2 has a
> preview window for the video clips and menus. Directly below it, but
> above the play/stop/etc. buttons, there a timeline:
>
> <http://www.ixbt.com/divideo/authoring/snap17big.jpg>
>
> You add chapter points by moving the timeline cursor to the desired
> position and pressing the "add chapter" button (the first button to the
> right of the timeline - the one with the plus sign on it). The chapters
> you add get listed on the filmstrip which is located to the right of the
> preview window.
>
> Adding chapter points should not make any noticeable difference to the
> size of the clip or the project. As another poster noted, adding
> chapters _may_ add _some_ overhead if you're using animated, looping
> chapter menus, but only a very little - nowhere near twice the size of
> the original clip!
>

Perhaps unrelated but once in Dvd-lab, I managed to create chapter menu
that has actually duplicated my video. IE: One version without chapters
and one with, so of course when I tried to create the DVD, it gave me
the Oh-Oh, too huge warning.

17 Aug 2006 9:26 PM

SM

RS wrote:

> Jukka Aho wrote:
> > Sailor wrote:
> >
> >> The wedding reception that I added the chapters to starts as a 3.8
> >> mpg. The run time is 1hr, 58 min. When I go to burn the disk it is
> >> showing that the required disk space is 6.8 GB (much higher than the
> >> 4.4 GB available on my blank dvd's). When I just go to burn the mpg
> >> without chapters, it says the required space is 3.8 GB (which seems
> >> correct). Is it normal for chapters to add so much to the overall
> >> output file size?
> >

First of all you need to check the orginal settings for your wedding
video.
Is it Pal or NTSC?
If you choose the wrong one it will re-process the mpeg creating larger
files.
If you right-click on the inserted mpg clip and check the properties it
will display all the information of the clip. The tv size, bit-rate &
Country format.
If you know all is correct, add the chapters. Do not tick the box that
says "convert to disc template" The default template setting is "high
quality" with a bit rate of 8000kbps, the highest available with LPCM
sound. You have a 3.8GB mpeg so you do not need to convert.
You may want to change to audio to dolby digital as the size of dolby
is roughly 1/10 the size of LPCM or wave format.
Hope this helps.