How do you convert AVI files to dvd video to play on stand alone dvd players or can you just burn avi video to dvd+r or dvd-r disk and have it play on standalone players? How do you add multiple video files and create menus per video file all on one dvd+-r disk?
Hello there. FYI, you will not be able to simply burn AVI files to a DVDR and have them play in your standalone. Unless of course your standalone plays DivX or Xvid movies.. Two steps are required to start with an AVI files and end up with a working DVD-Video. First, you will need to convert your AVI files to MPEG-2 format required for standard DVD video playback. You can use simple programs like Cocusoft AVI2DVD to do this. There are other free alternatives though. I just like that particular program. After this step, you end up with a MPEG-2 video file and an audio file. You still can't burn those files to DVD and expect them to work though. The second step is authoring. This will create a DVD file structure (VOB, IFO, etc) from those two converted files. If you wanted to create menus, etc., this would have to be done during the authoring process. I use DVDLab Pro to do this. I think there are other free alternatives, but I am unfortunately not all that familiar with them. When you are done authoring, you can then burn the DVD-Video files to a DVDR disc and they should play in your standalone player. Other factors, such a booktyping, come into play when it comes to discussing compatibility but basically, the above process should work. edit: typos
So cucusoft can't author video files? Is this DVDlab pro a freeware? Any other freeware authoring software programs that you would suggest?
No, Cocusoft is only the video converter. I converts MPEG-4 to MPEG-2. You need a seperate program to author. If you don't care for menus, there is a very easy (and free) program out there called IfoEdit that will author. However, getting chapters and other features to work with IfoEdit is a little more complicated. Unfortunately, DVDlab Pro isn't free, but there is a 30 days free trial. Might as well give it a shot. I don't know of any good free programs that equal DVDlab. You can download it here if you want to try it. http://www.mediachance.com/dvdlab/dvdlabpro.html
Well I went ahead and purchased cucusoft pro converter 7.07 last night because of what you said and some of the research I have been doing for the past week or two. After I merge two files of a particular AVI video that I have and converted it to dvd video. First it stated that "dvd video authoring" is complete. It then asked me what burner did I want to use and then it highlighted my NEC 3550a as a choice. When I clicked cancel it asked me if I wanted to save completed work to a folder which I chose know. Doesn't the pro version have authoring tools? It claims to be an all in one converter to dvd video and even does the audio on AVI and has its own built in burning software as well. So Cucusoft converter pro 7.07 isn't an all in one conversion software? I know you can't rip with cucusoft or convert dvd video to avi or other formats but everything that I mention earlier I thought was true.
The version I have is Cocusoft AVI to VCD DVD SVCD Converter v4.02. That's pretty much the only one I'm familiar with and it does not author. I guess the pro version does then and I was wrong. Good for you. After its authored, you should end up with a couple files (.VOB's, IFO and BUP. If that's what you have, you can just go ahead and burn that with any burning software you like. All those files have to be in the VIDEO_TS folder at the root of the disc.
Those files are the output of your authoring software. When you convert/author with AVI2DVD, you select a folder to save the converted/authored files to. This is where you should look. If you're not sure which folder you chose, try and see if the program created a default folder at the root of your C: drive called "DVD-Video" or "VIDEO_TS". You can always do a search on you HDD for those files. Just search the whole drive for *.VOB.
Ok I have purchased Cucusoft Converter Pro 7.07 which converts AVI to DVD-Video and authors files. But the problem is when that I still have to transcode files which adds unnecessary times. Plus I heard something about that you need to update NEC firmware to 1.06 to booktype to DVD+R. What is this booktyping? I thought that NEC already booktypes.
Whenever I convert a DivX movie to DVD, Avi2DVD takes at least 3 hours to process a movie, depending on the frames and the size. I've had a movie take up to 8 hours. Your NEC drive may be able to booktype after upgrading the firmware, would need to know exacly which drive you have. Either way, upgrading your firmware is a good idea. Booktyping is basically changing the disc profile of a DVD+R disc to DVD-ROM standard. This helps make the disc more compatible with standalone players and consoles.
Heres a link to a thread on booktyping http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/1/277889#1577028#1577028 I never convert my AVI files, I just use NeroVision, heres a basic guide, I have used Nero7 as an illustration but it's exactly the same process with Nero6 http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/356114
To Gwendolin: So you don't convert AVI so when you use Nero Rom does this still play on dvd players that don't play divx files. I have other problems. I have Legacy 8x DVD-R disks(I know is not great), and Ri-Tek RiDATA 16x DVD+R disks which are ok. I burned the Legacy 8x DVD-R disk at 4x speed. I burned the 16x DVD+R at 8x speed. I used Nero 6.6.0.18 and I updated my firmware for NEC from CDfreeks site that allows my drive to booktype DVD+R disk. My problem is that I have burned 4 disks and all stutters. Both the DVD-R and the DVD+R disk stutters on my Progessive Scan DVD player. Could this be the reason why it stutters because of the Progessive Scan or is something I am just doing wrong?
