Hello, Trying to compile more then just 2 or 3 home videos onto one dvd media. Avg length of each video is 30 to 40 min. Transfer from mini DV camera via WinTv PVR 250 using WinTv 2K. Edit video file in VideoRe Do. ( up to here all works great!!) And now I am trying to burn them using Ulead 3.0, but it seems like I am able to get just 2 or 3 home movies onto one DVD. What would be the process to shrink those video file?, is it the same as a regulard DVD movies? Thanks Chris
It's easiest if you change the settings in WinTV2000 to record at a lower bitrate. Then you don't have to shrink. But, you are correct in assuming that you would use DVDShrink on the Authored (but not burned) DVD, then burn.
Thanks Jim, I have transfered 4 vidoe files and just did edditing on them (no authoring).With my newbie status, should I try to apply DVD shrink to these files or go back and start all over and record in a lower bitrate. Speaking of bitrates, if I do that I think I would then give up some quality, yes? Before I go to far again. How do I determine that happy middle? Do I record a test clip? or is there some other way/formula? And , after all that how much more video can I fit onto a standart DVD? Chris
Shrink won't work on mpg's, you'll have to author them to dvd format, then shrink. You could recapture at a lower bitrate, but that depends on what bitrate you're using now, and how the quality is. Only you can tell. Do multiple test captures. Take notes of the bitrate used for each. Author and burn multiple clips to a DVDRW and test for quality on the TV you'll be using. In some cases, capturing at high bitrate, authoring, then shrinking, will give better results than capturing at a lower bitrate. This also depends on the source quality, and the TV it's being played back on. You can fit between 1/2 hour of extremely high bitrate/quality and about 16 hours of extremely low bitrate/VHS quality video per DVDR. It all depends on the source quality, how you capture, how you encode (or re-encode), how you author, and how you burn it all. 1/2 hour of extremely high bitrate video may not play at all, depending on the player. Some just don't like bitrate peaks over 8000kbps. To get more than about 4 hours on one disk, you'll have to re-encode, using special settings in your encoder. Only a select few are capable of this. I regularily use tmpgenc (extremely slow!), Mainconcept or Canopus Procoder, for about 8 hours of full D1, VHS quality TV/VHS captures.
I hate when I get busy working. Thanks for your reply. I think at this point I will try to experiment recording with lower bitrates. Maybe not! I did notice that my winTV2K is set at a min of 4800, I will try to re-author my files and shrink. Author them to dvd format, that would mean to re-incode mpeg files using somethiong like Ulead or Nero, will take some time to finish! yes? Getting deeper and deeper and deeper. Chris
Authoring is authoring, not encoding. Don't confuse the two! You have mpegs. You have edited the mpegs. You have saved new mpegs. Author them. Shrink if needed, burn. authoring is the process of taking an mpg, adding menus (or not) and putting the whole thing into the proper DVD structure (.vobs and such, inside the VIDEO_TS folder).
Thanks Jim. I will try it. Maybe wrong place, but, would you know of a good DVD slide show app. I did purchase ProShow Gold and it has lots of great options, but it hangs up 3 or 4 times before I can burn 1 good dvd. Like to try something new. Chris
Again, DVDLab Pro. You can make just a slide show, or add a slide show to a movie dvd, or whatever. Not quite as many options as proshow, but it does a nice job.
