I have noticed that quite often people ask about converting avi and other sorts of video files to dvd or to divx. Now, since nowadays most of the home dvd machines can play burned avi and other video files, what advantage can one gain from converting a video file to dvd (the size of which is allways larger then that of the avi or other video file) ? Would the quality of such dvd be better than the quality of the original video file ? As to converting avi and other video files to divx : true, the size of the divx file is smaler, however, isn't the quality of it worse than that of the original video ? Thanks in advance stibi
If the player doesn't support DivX, then the quality lost in conversion to DVD doesn't really signify. The alternative is holding hands with the significant other in front of the PC monitor.
Hi attar Thanks for your prompt answer; hovever I am afraid I didn't make it clear that I ment to ask is : (1)why would one convert an avi or other video file to dvd and then burn the converted file as a DVD (instead of burning such avi or other video file as a video); and (2) whether by converting an avi or other video file to divx and then burning it the quality of the burned divx wouldn't be significantly worse (you are, of course, right : this question doesn't bother one whose player is unable to play divxes). As to divx files I have another question : I am using VirtualDub for order embeding subtitles into avi files. According to what I have read in the internet, before saving such embeding as an avi file, one should compress that file, else he would end up with an avi of an enormous size. So I am choosing divx compression and the result is that the size of the saved avi file is about half of its original. In your experience, should such compression of an avi be substantially visible ? Thans in advance stibi
With VirtualDub, using a filter requires recompressing the video (full processing mode must be selected, else the filter will not be applied). If no compressor is selected the subtitles will still be added to the video, but the saved file will be in raw format (typically a 5 MB clip will expand to 500MB). Under File> File information, the compressor used in the source is listed. The same codec would be selected under the video compression menu (optionally bump up the sample rate to compensate for the supposed loss of quality during recompression) then the new file saved.
Hi attar and many thanks again. In VirtualDub, at the Video menu > compression, I selected DivX 6.8 Codec (2 Logical CPUs)(as that was recommended in the Internet). Now, in the window that appeared when I selected as above I clicked on "Configure" and there I saw that the Bitrate is 780 kbps. I assume, to bump up that rate I should change that number; but, unfortunately, I have no idea what other number would be advisable. Could you, please, suggest ? Thanks in advance stibi
A number like 1200 might be a good start. The higher the number the larger the file. My inclination is to leave it at the default for Home Theatre.
Hi attar and thanks a lot. It's amazing. Is there any question, suitable for discussion in AfterDawn, you wouldn't know to answer ?! Now about compressing with VirtualDub :-I experimented with a movie of 2:11 hours. The original (avi file) was 1385 MB. First, after I compressed it with VirtualDub's xivd default (780 kbps),it's size became 867 MB. Since I thought it is impossible that the video quality of a so reduced file would be about the same as the original,I compressed again (the original avi)with 1200 kbps. This time the file's size is 1266 MB, which seems to be about the everage size ofsuch a movie Thanks again stibi
Modesty forbids;more accurate to quote the learned Austrian. "Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent"
