3D-Album Home

[Charles J. Hentz]

(newbie here): Like others, I am dissatisfied with the images when captured for SVCD and DVD. I'm wondering if getting a better graphics card or capture card would help. Currently I'm using an ATI Radeon 32 MB accelerator. I realize that the final product won't be high definition but I'd like it to be better than BAD VHS and would be satisified if it were like 'decent' VHS. (Computer viewing is fine). Any suggestions?

Charlie

[Frogprintz]

Charles,

I produce excellent quality video using the ATI All-in-Wonder 9800. This card is BOTH a high quality Video Graphics Card AND a Video Capture Card, in one (All-in-Wonder is a metaphor for All-in-One). You can plug a videocam, VHS Tape player, etc., into the ports on this card and capture video directly to CD/DVD if you wish. I have used the full line of All-in-Wonder models for years now. They have gotten progressively better as the technology improved. This card is app. $400.

You can spend more than $1000 for several high end products, or, even get a complete video workstation. But, unless you want to do commercial production, this isn't necessary. I would avoid the many $99 capture card products such as Dazzle. There are too many compromises, set-up issues and lack luster quality.

However, keep in mind that in addition to a capture card, you will need a video editor like Ulead VideoStudio7, and a DVD authoring package, such as MYDVD. DVD uses MPEG 2, therefore the quality is better, and truly is the way to go if you want a better result.

If you don't wish to do DVD, and prefer to create CD/SVCD productions, quality will never be great. This type of production uses MPEG 1. Not only is MPEG 1 muddy, but text is terrible, almost unreadable and very amaturish looking. It is OK for PC viewing, but beyond that, I would stay away.

AVI is a good format, but the file size is huge. You also need to convert it to MPEG format with an editing program to burn to DVD or SVCD.

In any case, when you use 3D-Album to create and mix a video, you will get a far better result if you save the file as an executable production for PC playback only, than if you render it with VAC to a video file for SVCD or DVD burning. During the conversion, too much quality is lost through compression. To compare the difference, first create an executable file of your video. Then, using VAC, convert it to a video file using a different name. Playback both, and compare the quality. You will see the difference immediately. The video file will be OK when made into a DVD and played back on TV. This is because TV's, unlike a PC monitor, use a low resolution screen line technology. Unless you are using HDTV, The standard TV playback may even hide a few photographic flaws. For PC viewing only, save the executable file you made and burn it to a CD, using CD writing software like Easy CD Writer or Nero. You should have gotten some kind of CD writing software with your system, if it has a CD writer Drive installed.

Bottom line! . Make PC executable files, or DVD's only. For TV viewing, avoid CD/SVCD creation altogether.

For improved quality you will have to spend more to get the necessary hardware/software, but the result will be much better.

Hope this information helps you.

[Charles J. Hentz]

I had already made some apps to run the presentations on-line and they were fine (though a little slower due to my computer graphics card I assume.) The SVCD when played on my TV didn't suit me. I do not have DVD burning capability but I played the DVD that I made using the VAC on my computer (it has a cheapo DVD player) and while better than the SVCD it still left me wanting better quality, though almost good enough for home viewing. If I took the DVD version data and burned it on a DVD burner so I could play it on a regular TV, do you think the quality of the presentation would look better than on the compuer? I'm thinking it might do to the it being a TV screen instead of the monitor (19" middle to low quality monitor)? If so, that might be good enough for now. I'm doing this as a 'gift' for my son's graduating 8th grade class.

TIA, Charlie

[Charles J. Hentz]

Correction: I meant to say on my computer, NOT on-line. Sorry.

Charlie

[Frogprintz]

Charles,

If you can find someone to burn to DVD for you, then yes, your presentation will look better on TV than it will on your PC monitor. Again, this is because your TV has a lower resolution than your PC monitor has. But, like I said before, do to the conversion to DVD, your orignal presentation will lose some quality during compression. This loss will be less noticable on a TV than on your PC monitor.

Your VAC converted DVD data cannot be burned directly to a DVD. Creating a DVD is a two-step process. First, you need to convert to MPEG2, which is what the VAC engine does. Then, you will need to render this data with a DVD authoring program to create a menu file set that your DVD player can read.

After completing both these steps, your presentation will play on a TV, through your DVD player, and will look OK do to the lower resolution. However, you should not expect YOUR DVD to look as good during playback, as a commercially produced movie like you might rent from Blockbuster. This is because movie studios use very high quality film, file formats, and editing software. The best way to think of your DVD video productions is just as a convenient way for your audience to see your video, with good - not great quality (and certainly better than SVCD), if they don't have a PC.

[dhoward]

I have a question on this subject. I am presently using the program MyDVD from Sonic to create menus and burn the DVD. This program, although easy to use, is very basic and came with my burner. I would like to make more professional menus but when I check out the reviews of the higher end software none of them seem to do well, not to mention their cost. What program(s) are users of 3D Album using to create professional looking menus? I would be interested in your opinions.

[coolpop22]

dhoward

I use Ulead VideoStudio 7 if I want to edit the presentation or add a sound track. I use Ulead DVD Movie Factory 2 to create menus and chapters for a DVD. I just recently got version 3 Disc Creator that's supposed to be better but I haven't used it yet. I tried several and these are easy to use and no problems so far.

[Charles J. Hentz]

Thank you for the information. But let me see if I'm thinking through this properly:

The application run on my computer will always be the best version (assuming the graphic card can render it properly), but the basic DVD VAC produced version should look ok on a TV after burning. Forget about the rest. The application must be run through the 3-D Album's VAC in order to burn to a DVD or to do any editing through authoring software. The quality of the file produced by the VAC is related to the graphics card used (I'm a little fuzzy on that... does 3D have it's own 'engine' and is there an option to bypass the 3D Album's VAC or is it actually using the graphic card's 'ability?? That is, could rendering through a different VAC make for a better sharper cleaner file?) The mpeg2 file produced by the VAC is then run through an authoring program in order to burn to a DVD.
The digital studio authoring software I have will do mpeg2 and while it has no 'bells and whistles' all I really need it to do at this point is get me decent output when burned. So is the final output a function of both the graphics card AND the authoring software, or does the authoring software just give me better control at putting the video together? I realize the authoring software needs to be able to use the mpeg2 rather than mpeg1, but other than that is the final burn affected?

Sorry this is so long. Eventually, I'd like to build another computer. I've had this one for a few years now and I've not kept up with the components very well at all. If I can keep 'upgrading' this one for a while, I'd be happy, but I'm afraid this video stuff is going to necessitate a new system from the ground up! I feel like a grownup who hasn't donned a pair of skates for awhile and is afraid of an inevitable crash !

Again, thanks for the help.


Charlie

[Frogprintz]

Charlie,

You've got it almost right.

Let me summarize:

3D-Album is the only producer of VAC. It is their product. It is used to render their 3D effects into an NTSC or PAL video format. If you want to produce a video that will playback on DVD, CD/SVCD, you will need to use it.

Once rendered to MPEG 2, if you need to do any editing, such as add other video clips, trim, make smooth transititons between clips, add narration, or music sound tracks, add titles, etc., you will need a Video Editing program such as ULEAD VideoStudio 7.

After finishing your edit of the NTSC or PAL, MPeg 2 file (sometimes also referred to as NTSC DVD format), you will need to use a DVD authoring program to enable your DVD Player to recognize the disk. A DVD Player cannot play RAW Mpeg files. If you use VAC to render your video, and then choose "save as NTSC DVD," it still will not play in your DVD Player as RAW footage and has to be burned to a DVD using the software that came with your DVD writer, or another similar application. This process of burning, converts your RAW Mpeg 2 data into a series of directories and files that can be read by your player. You still might consider getting an editing to program to polish your final presentation and make it look professional.

A DVD authoring program performs two functions. Products like MYDVD or, Easy CD/DVD, or Ulead's MovieFactory 2 or 3, prepares RAW MPeg 2, or NTSC DVD files for DVD Playback. It also creates a MENU that the viewer of your DVD can use to select various video or video chapters in your production. VAC will not do this. If you've ever rented a DVD movie, you will recall that when you put the DVD into your player, the first thing you saw was a menu. This menu includes not only the movie, but also trailers, previews of coming attactions, etc., and also allows you to SKIP ahead or rewind back to previous CHAPTERS in the main production. You always start your movie from the menu.

From the context of your project, you might look at it this way:
If you have 500 + pictures, you might want to assemble them into 10 topics (or chapters - like in a book). When you build your menu with the authoring program, your viewer can then skip ahead from one chapter to another, without having to fast -forward through the entire production to find the specific pictures related to the topic he wishes to view. This makes viewing (and even coming back later), much easier and more enjoyable. Again, VAC cannot do this for you.

Hope this clarifies things a bit for you.

[Charles J. Hentz]

Wow. By George I think I've got it ! But wait! I took the VAC DVD file and burned it as a data file onto a CD-R, took it to a friend's house (the file did play on his computer), I burned the raw file to DVD using his DVD burner . I tried to play it on my DVD player at home (a cheapy) and it wouldn't play. I was thinking it was because I didn't run it through an editor (authoring it), but from what you just said, it should have played assuming it can read DVD+R, right? I made an SVCD on my CD-R here and it worked fine (though the quality was crap as you told me it would be.) So maybe my player can't read DVD-R but can SVCD? Does that make any sense??? I thought a DVD player could always play the DVD format.

Bottom line is, I just bought a DVD burner so I'll try burning it again using my DVD-burning software. Sooner or later I'll get there.

But I was correct that a better graphics card will give me better quality when running the presentation through the VAC, right?

cjh Charlie

[Frogprintz]

Charlie,

First, a better video card will help in rendering speed and playback. But, something else to remember. If you have low resolution images to begin with, you won't end up with better image quality on your DVD by getting a better video card. Start with high quality images. You will lose some of this quality during rendering, because the rendering process uses compression to reduce the file size. MPeg 1 AND 2 files are COMPRESSED. Low resolution images will become even lower. But if you start with high, even though you will lose some quality, it won't be that bad. To see the difference, playback your 3D Album presentation as an .exe file. Then, using VAC, save this same file as an MPeg 1 and 2. Then playback these files using your PC's MS Media Player. Don't use a DVD viewed on TV for comparison. PC playback will give you an "Apples to Apple" comparison. You will notice that the .exe file is much sharper with more vivid colors and text than the MPeg files, because it is NOT compressed (or compressed very much less). MPeg 2 will be much sharper than MPeg 1, because it isn't compressed as much. A better video card will NOT make an MPeg 1 or 2 file sharper, it will just make PC playback more enjoyable and accurate (because it has it's own Graphics RAM and isn't competing for PC system RAM), and VAC rendering will proceed without (or fewer), hiccups.

Now, as for DVD playback. If you have a newer player (less than 2 years old), your video has a better chance of playback. Some players will only read the DVD -R format. DVD -R came first. These first players also had the ability to read CD/SVCD, though never reliably. Newer players, will read the DVD + R AND -R format. Some players, older or newer, will or will not, play CD/SVCD at all. It is my experience that the + R format is more reliable and can playback on a wider variety of brands. Read the manual that came with your DVD player for details. Phillips and Panasonic seem to be more capable of a wider playback than Sony or JVC. I use Phillips. It is a DVD +, which will read +, -, and CD/SVCD. It is also a burner, so I can record direct from VHS, or TV, directly to DVD + discs. My PC Burner, is the Sony DVD +R/-R with CD R/W as well. My second CD is a CD/DVD Rom Player only. This is state of the art for now, and you are seeing this combination on more and more PC's. Dell has a system for under $1500 that has all these features, + the ATI 9800 Radeon video card, 512 MB RAM, 120 GIG HD and all related software. You might want to consider something like this, rather than continue to piece together various components. However, even doing this just enters you into a "future feature war," as new, faster, better hardware/software technology marches on and competes for our dollars.

There is still a war going on about which DVD format will emerge as the dominant leader. Until then, confusion will exist. This is why some of the new DVD burners are designed to use BOTH DVD-R and DVD +R. A NEW format is also on the horizon! It will allow burning and reading of DVD's of 200 GIG or larger. This may be a year or more away however.

There are some other considerations too. DVD -R blank discs are cheaper than DVD +R. But .... DVD +R, while more expensive, is more reliable and will playback on a larger variety of machines. Also ... the quality of your blank discs can make a difference too. Whether DVD -R or DVD +R, cheap discs don't always playback properly. The more flimsy the disc, the more chances your player will not recognize the disk. I have used a variety of disks and the Memorex Brand has never failed.

[dhoward]

Coolpop, where did you get version 3 Disc Creator? I have been looking and it does not seem to be available yet?

[coolpop22]

dhoward,

Check your PM