Choosing a Bit Rate for SD Projects
Bit rate directly determines file size, and thus how many minutes of material you can fit
onto a DVD disc. SD-based DVD players support combined bit rates of up to 10.08 megabits
per second (Mbps), but this must include the audio and subtitles as well. The maximum
video bit rate is 9.8 Mbps.
Note: Some DVD players have trouble playing video that uses sustained high bit rates.
On such players, you may see dropped frames during playback.
Typical maximum bit rates used for video are around 8 Mbps. The maximum MPEG-1 bit
rate is 1.856 Mbps, while 1.15 Mbps is most typical.
The actual video content determines how low a bit rate you can use and still get acceptable
quality. Video with little movement works well at lower bit rates, while higher bit rates
are best at handling video with a lot of movement (a quick camera pan, for example).
For more information on choosing a bit rate that ensures all the content in your project
will fit on a DVD, see
Making Sure Your Content Will Fit
.