Ok, I'm new to burning DVD's or video files at all really... Did a little VCD stuff but nothing advanced so I'm a newb at this. I'm trying to burn off a 50 episode season of a show but don't want to use 10 DVD's if theres a way to use only 3. It would take 10-11 DVD's to burn off using the 120 min DVD format but by using Data I could do it on 3, or possibly 2. My DVD player doesn't play DivX movies, I'm getting one soon to spare me a lot of encoding trouble. But my real issue is, is there a way to burn a standard DVD to a 4.7GB DVD player is the movie is over 120 mins by using the 4.7GB instead of 120 min and have it play on a standard DVD player? Or is my only option for using the 4.7GB side to get all DivX capable DVD players? I tried searching but couldn't find what I was looking for... too much encoding and advanced stuff... Sorry if this has been requested before. Thanks to anyone and everyone who offers advice or answers to my query. Much appreciated. -Fuel
As you're just starting, you have two options. Start with the easy software or try something a little more complex and achieve better results from the start. As you're planning on getting as many episodes as you can on a disk, then I would advise that whilst you're learning anyway, then start with the more complex software. The first answer though to your question is that you can fit more than 2 hours of film onto a single layer disk, but you need to reduce the file sizes. For ease then you could use either DVD Shrink which should be available to download here or from other sites (freeware), or CloneDVD2 from elaborate bites, this has a trial period, an can be bought quite cheaply afterwards if wanted. Both of which will reduce the size of the files by transcoding the files, but they results although acceptable are far from brilliant. If you want to reduce the file sizes and maintain as much image quality as possible then you need to look at DVD Rebuilder. This is available to download here, and is available free in the basic format, or is available in a pro version for a small donation to the software developer. there is also a lot of help files to help users set it up and use it, although it is very straight forward and anyone who is computer literate should find operating it quite easy. The only issue with DVD Rebuilder is that it will require a seperate encoding tool to compress the image files, as it does not have one built into it. As stated it uses an encoder instead of transcoder and this gives the software the vastly improved results obtained. Encocders designed to work with it are Cinema Craft Encoder, trial version here: http://www.cinemacraft.com/eng/trial.html#sp2 Canopus Procoder is another tool (which I use) trial can be obtained from here: http://www.canopus.com/products/demos/index.php A basic version can then be purchased at a very discounted price to the full version. Or for free you can use HC Encoder from here: http://www.cdr-zone.com/software/encoder_decoder_tools/hc_encoder.html Or Quenc from here: http://www.free-codecs.com/download/QuEnc.htm http://www.cdr-zone.com/software/encoder_decoder_tools/hc_encoder.html
You could use nero vision express to encode the DivX to DVD format. If these are 1 hour shows you could get around 4 to 6 episodes on a single layer disc (4.7GB) Of course the setting would be super long play and the quality might not be of your liking. The only way to find out is to convert them to DVD and see. If you have Nero Vision Express all you have to do is start it and choose DVD-Video then inport the DivX files into it untill you can't fit anymore on it. Nero vision has 3 options (standard play, Long play and super long play) As you inport each Xvid in and you go past a size limit for one of those options nero will ask if you want to go to the next level for more space. Once you get to Super Long play that will be as low as you can go with inporting Xvids in. With Nero Vision you can make a DVD menu for the DivX files. It is actully very simple to use.
The basic gist is that, if you want to try to squeeze everything on as few discs as possible, something's gotta give, and it will be quality. There is no way you are going to get great quality if you want to compress your stuff that much. I take it from your numbers that these are 22-minute ("half-hour" with commercials) episodes. You'll find that you can probably only put four episodes on a single-layer (120 min) DVD while maintaining DVD quality. You can cram 8 onto a double-layer disc but DLs are still rather expensive and if you are encoding from scratch (e.g. from VHS or DVD recorder copies) then you will need to reauthor the disc with decent software that knows how to handle DL layer breaks (in other words, any fancy work with Double Layers is not for a newb!) You can figure that Divx/xvid will allow you to hold twice as much data on a disc (assuming a 2100kbps video bitrate) while maintaining about the same quality. Of course, you will lose DVD compatibility, chapters, menus, and probably subtitles (though there is a way to add subtitles, but it doesn't work with many players). If you want to go with Divx/xvid, read http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/1/373412#2241590 on how to use Simpledivx, or check out one of the other fine tutorials here. You will need to decide for yourself if the sacrifice in quality or ease-of-use is worth it to reduce the number of discs. If so, your options are basically to shrink DVD video and maintain DVD functionality or to go with Divx/xvid.
I actually don't plan on changing the quality a bit. I like it the way it is, in its truest form. From all this I've gathered that a lot of work would have to be done to make it work in DVD format for standard DVD players. But I can keep them in Xvid and DivX format and just buy a DivX compatible DVD player for about 50-60 bucks or ebay it for a used one... I'd rather spend money and keep it simple and high quality, then sacrifice quality and go through all the work to save a little money. Again, thanks for all the help. I very much appreciate all this. I'll just go pick up a new DivX compatible DVD player, and put 17-19 eps on a single disc in perfect DVD quality.
Well the first mistake is thinking your going to get DVD quiality on an Xvid file. Or even have DVD quality importing multipul files into nero vision. Either way Xvid as it is or importing it and converting it to DVD is not going to be DVD quaility.You are not going to gain any quality of the Xvid file converting it to DVD. The quaility will only be as good as the Xvid file itself.(which is not DVD quality) If these are 30 minute DivX files then 8 on each disc should fit without much lose of quality from the Xvid file. I can import 4 1 hour Xvids onto a DVD and have hardly any quaility lose from the Xvids. I uasly put 6 1 hour Xvids on a disc and cant tell much of a diffrence between the Xvid files themselves and the converted DVD video of all 6 Xvid files. But as I said before forget even thinking you are going to get DVD quaility from an Xvid file.
They are actually in DivX format... not sure of the differences between Xvid and divX as they are essentially the same... These files are high in quality as they are DVD rips encoded to AVI(DivX)They are 640 x 480, slightly lower than DVD res at 128 and 167 kb/s bitrate... not sure how this compares to actual DVD quality. It's also at 23 frames per second... also quite good. So the video files are in quite good quality. I have yet to see how they look on a TV. They look very impressive on my computer.
Well, you can't do better than your source files, so the issue is moot. If you are satisfied with them, that's all that matters. Excellent- looking divx/xvid (at 2100 kbps) are quite common; likewise, I've seen many horrendous original DVDs.
I'd rather find a source for original DVD rips in DVD format... rather than riped and ecoded versions... I hate how you lose so much quality after something has been encoder back and forth so much... and the sources I do have(torrents), you can't tell how many times they've been encoded either... oh well.
