AVI to DVD

[FooL]

I've been making home movies off of my Sony Digital Camcorder for a while now. I've been encoding them in RealPlayer or Windows Media Player formats. I'd like to make the switch to DVD format.

This is where my trouble starts. I don't know anything about this format. Is DVD just another way of saying MPEG4....or is it MPEG2? What software or codecs do I need in order to accomplish this?

My main concern is file size. Am I even going to be saving file size if I move to this codec? Or are they pretty much the same? If they are the same, I'd like to try coding in DVD. (So it'll play on DVD players and not just computers.)

As you can see, I have many questions and few answers. Perhaps it would be easier if I just knew a good website or two I could read up on all of this. Does anyone have any help for me? Thanks in advance for any information!

[AlienDyne]

The easiest thing to do, is to make some Video CDs. Common DVD players, play this format. You don't wanna mess with DVD encoding. After all, a DVD recorder is needed too.

Here's a small check list of what is needed to make VCDs.

1. A capture card, or any card that has a video-in option.
2. The source could be a VCR, a Cam Corder etc.
3. The software needed to capture. For example, Adobe Premiere or any similar one. Most of the Capture cards have their own software which works fine.
4. An MPeg4 codec. This is used to compress the captured video to save space on the final project. It's needed but it's not necessary! You can use any other codec since you're satisfied with the video quality. Unfortunately, you will have to try all of them to decide which is the best. Those codecs are either already present on your system, or they are installed with the capture software.

Keep in mind that video processing, is one of the hardest and most stressful jobs computers do and it always takes a lot of time, I mean A LOT of time to finish.

Ask anything additional here, OK?
Good luck!

[FooL]

When you say "video CD's", what file extension am I shooting for? *.avi? *.mpg? Right now I'm using the digital video software that ships with Windows XP. I can also use Pinnacle Studion DV (that came with my FireWire card). I can create movies in either of these file extensions. (I can also do RealPlayer and a few others.)

However, this is not a change from what I was doing before, so I have a handle on this. The new and interesting piece of information you supplied is that DVD players will support additional formats. Could you please give more information on that? What formats are we talking about? Is there an easy web site that talks about this in detail?

I don't have a DVD player right now, but my friends and family do, I'm looking at moving away from keeping my movies to 1mb limit (for web delivery) and beefing them up to 650mb for CD delivery. The fact that a DVD player can play other things rather than just "DVD" movies is interesting. Thank you for the quick response.

[NeuromancerIV]

Additional formats? You'd need to check the specs on your stand alone DVD player..typically most can read CD-Audio, VCD and possibly MP3 files, of course YMMV. (and a PC dvd player is like a CD-Rom drive except for the DVD part)

Typically coverting your avi files falls under several headings. I shall try to make this as clear as i can so forgive me if my mind wanders here

Divx is an mpeg4 codex for AVI (compressor decompressor) it is a very efficent way to view movies on a PC if you do not have a DVD player. If offers near DVD video quality for a fraction of the space a mpeg2 video file would take up. typical DVD movie=2.5gigs+, converted to DIVX 650-700mb with about 75%-90% of the same video quality. Check <a href="http://divx.com" target="_blank">All things Divx</a> for any questions on how DIVX works. Keep in mind a stand alone DVD player will NOT read a divx movie. A DVD player (or CD-Rom drive) on a PC WILL play divx AVIs as long as the DIVX codex is installed. Just to cause further confusion most computers with a Cd-rom drive CANNOT play VCD movies with out a VCD codex installed. Confused yet?, I am.

Ok. Now most all DVD support VCD *mpeg (Video CD)* but what it sounds like you want to do is take home movie from a VCR and or Camcorder and put them in as efficient format as possible.

1. Ok you can use a video capture card to record your movie on your hard drive as typically an AVI or Mpeg file.
2. Now an uncompressed avi and mpeg file is fairly large, depending on what quality you capture the video on your PC at. So odds are you either want to shrink the file and or convert to to a format playable on DVD players and or PC's
3. Typically the easiest (and free) tools to do this is TMPGEnc 12a, Flask, or VirtuaDub. <a href="http://tomshardware.com" target="_blank">Toms Hardware</a>has done several nice pieces on converting your video files. <a href="http://www.digital-digest.com/nickyguides/AVItoVCD.htm" target="_blank">Nickys video page</a> also offer s nice guide for avi to VCD format.

My advice is simple
1. Convert the video files to DIVX for family members with PC's with or without DVD Players. If in doubt also record the DIVX installer on each CD with a note to install it before viewing the movies.
2. Convert the Video to VCD for those with stand alone DVD players *again i hate to muddy the waters but not all DVD players can read CD-R's, *check the manufacturers webpage* so keep that in mind* Nero 5+ is very good about burning VCDs.

Sorry if this is unclear, but I'm outta coffee and heading home. Feel free to pm me with any questions, or maybe the other memebr can expound upon this.

[FooL]

Actually, that was very helpful. Thank you. You didn't lose me, I'm a computer geek...just don't know a lot about graphics/video stuff. Thanks for the time, that post obviously took a while to compile.

[Scuba]

The process of making a DVD is :
1. Capture the video and edit it - I guess you are over this one. If not there is a tutorial at my site on the concederations of a Video Editing computer.
2. Encoding the created video into Mpg2 MP@ML IBP
This is the DVD standard.
You can do it using a free program calld TmpgEnc from <a href="http://www.tmpgenc.com." target="_blank">www.tmpgenc.com.</a> There are several links and tutorials for it at my site.
3. Authoring your DVD.
Several programs on the market can do it. There is a list at the software index at my site.
4. Burning the DVD or going to press.
In your case probably burning alone.
Recomended Burner models are the Pioneer A03 and Panasonic LF-E311.
Some of the Authoring programs can burn directly. Other need a third party burning program.
*In any case it is recomended to use a third party program. Also with the programs with Build in Burning modules.
There are several tutorials at my site on Burning a DVD.

Any thing more ?

[WebHead]

I have a question to add to this topic if I may. I've been wondering if CD recordable media is the same as DVD recordable media. For instance, is it possible for me to create a DVD on a CD recordable, and have it playback through my home DVD player? Or am I only limited to VCD or SVCD format on CDR media?

[AlienDyne]

[quote]Originally posted by FooL:
<strong>When you say "video CD's", what file extension am I shooting for? *.avi? *.mpg?
</strong><hr></blockquote>

Video CDs are made using mpg files. The type of the final video file is .dat

[quote]Originally posted by FooL:
<strong>
The new and interesting piece of information you supplied is that DVD players will support additional formats. Could you please give more information on that? What formats are we talking about? Is there an easy web site that talks about this in detail? </strong><hr></blockquote>

Video CD players can play common video CDs (VCD). I mean, you can actually play a video CD you made on your DVD Player.
Also, most of them can play audio CDs and some of them can even play MP3, as long as there no directories on each MP3 disk. I agree with NeuromancerIV. You have to check the specs on the DVD player to make sure.

There are lots of utilities, video converters, codecs etc. on the web. Just open a search engine and search for them. You won't have a problem finding some.

Webhead, this is not possible. I'm afraid you are limited to VCD or SVCD.

[Scuba]

SVCD is actually DVD on a CD.
you can put about 30 min of material on a CD and in quality less then DVD.
Also lot's of DVDs will play out a VCD (Mpg1) but SVCD much less.

[Gameguru]

Go <a href="http://www.vcdhelp.com/" target="_blank">here</a> and check out some of the info. They have links and tutorials to anything and everything you need to know.