Convert .avi movie files to vcd or dvd without loosing picture quality

[akakiami]

Hi,
You know lots of old/new movies are easily found in some sites as .avi format. But they need some extra codec (like ffshow, etc) to play in
Computer & not playable in vcd/dvd players. But their picture quality is good.
But, when I convert any movie .avi files to vcd(mpeg) or dvd(vob) the quality becomes very low, also very big in size. I wrote this long days ago, but not cleared.
Suppose if any .avi file-700 MB, becomes over 2 GB in .vob format or 1.2 GB in mpeg format. Also the picture quality very bad. So,
Is it possible to convert these .avi files to same or little bigger in size to mpeg (vcd) or .vob (dvd) format without loosing picture quality?

[Baldrick]

Just rip from original dvds. Great quality.

[akakiami]

Hi Baldrick,
Thanks for quick reply. But, thats not my point.my main point is:

convert .avi files to same or little bigger in size to mpeg (vcd) or .vob (dvd) format without loosing picture quality.

I am not ripping from any original DVD/VCD disk. I want to make VDC/DVD disk from those .avi files. But the picture quality must me same or almost near.

[jagabo]

Is it possible to convert these .avi files to same or little bigger in size to mpeg (vcd) or .vob (dvd) format without loosing picture quality?

No.

VCD uses MPEG1 and DVD uses MPEG2. Both of those are lossy codecs so any conversion to them will result in a loss of quality. Both also require a lot more bitrate than your source (which is probably Divx/Xvid AVI) to maintain some semblance of quality. In addition, VCD and DVD have very specific requirements for frame rates and frame sizes. Changing the frame rate and resizing the frame will result in additional losses of quality.

To maintain as much quality as possible, convert to MPEG2 with DVD compatible settings and size each movie to fill a DVD. If the movie is really long (like 4 hours) use 2 DVDs. If the videos are short TV shows size them so that you can put about 90 minutes on a DVD (ie two 45 minute shows or four 22.5 minute shows).

[guns1inger]

Can't be done.

700mb AVI most likely uses Xvid or Divx for compression. This compresses better than mpeg-2 (which DVD uses) and therefore give smaller file sizes. These files are also lower resolution than DVD, and often have compression artifacts and other faults.

Conversion to DVD requires resizing to DVD resolution, which softens the image and enhances the artifacts. Then they have to be re-encoded. Generally a 90 minute movie should expand to at least 3GB in size, and closer to 4GB, to reduce the risk of introducing more artifacts. Converting them to 2 GB files is just begging for low quality.

Converting to VCD is even worse. VCD is very low resolution, so you are making your image even smaller than it already is, then you are re-encoding at very low bitrates that are guaranteed to create artifacts. I have never seen a professionally encoded VCD that was filled with artifacts and compression issues.

Put one movie per DVD blank, use all the space available to you, and use a good quality encoder (I like AVStoDVD) and you give yourself the best chance or producing something watchable. Try to put too much on a disc or make the files too small (basically the same thing) and you will get crap.

[hech54]

Hi Baldrick,
I am not ripping from any original DVD/VCD disk.

Yea. We know that. You are illegally downloading new movies from the internet.

[Abas-Avara]

Burn an Data DVD with those 700MB AVI's and get an DivX DVD player.

4,7/0,7= 6 movies on 1 DVD!

DivX DVD players are cheap ($30) and in the longtime it saves you money

[chetansha]

Burn an Data DVD with those 700MB AVI's and get an DivX DVD player.

4,7/0,7= 6 movies on 1 DVD!

DivX DVD players are cheap ($30) and in the longtime it saves you money

well i did that, one or 2 movies played well on the DVD player. 3 or 4 stopped after few seconds. Any clues ?

[jagabo]

Any clues ?

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/295067-Common-DivX-DVD-Players-AVI-Playback-problems!