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  1. Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    CALIFORNIA
    Search Comp PM
    Hi,

    I am new here and am using AVS TO VIDEO CONVERTER 7.1 & also my son lets me use his WONDERSHARE software on another computer in the house.

    I am trying to convert some movies I have had for a long time but they are taking up too much space. I really want to put the movie on 1 DVD as oppose to 2 DVD's but it looks like I need to shrink them or keep buying more 8.5 GB dual layer disks.

    I have so many 4.7 GB DVD blank disks that I really want to just put each 1 movie on the 1 disk.

    Is there an EASY way to shrink these avi files down so they will fit on 1 dvd disk? I did try to use dvd shrink but it was really involved. Is there another way??
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  2. Member hech54's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2001
    Location
    Yank in Europe
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    The size of a "avi file" has ZERO to do with the end-result DVD. The avi file needs to be re-encoded back up to DVD specs....and you will loose even more quality in the process(yes....the quality has already been degraded by putting it to "avi" - now you are going to re-encode another time). The avi file you have most likely started off as a dual-layer DVD anyway.
    DVDShrink is VERY easy.....but can only be used on "DVD".....IE after you've created the DVD from your avi file....and after a trip through DVDShrink you will be losing quality now for the third time.
    Buying the DVD used on Ebay is sounding better by the minute isn't it?
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  3. Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    West Texas
    Search PM
    The first question is do you want to convert to dvd-video, or do you want to keep them as avi or mpeg files? You can reduce the size of the videos and keep them in their original format by using a DVD-5 target size as the primary constraint in your encoding parameters. You will lose some picture quality while doing any re-encoding, regardless of which format you choice to go to.

    It may be just as simple to convert to dvd-video. The following are some basic instructions on how to do that.

    You will be converting to mpeg2 for dvd-video. I suggest using AVStoDVD for this process and select the HC encoder using a 2 pass encode. AVStoDVD is free to use and comes with both the Quenc and HCenc mpeg encoders.

    Set the output size to DVD-5, which is a single layer dvd, and since you are in California, you'll want to go into Preferences-->Video and set the program to make NTSC compliant dvd video. Save your Preferences settings.

    To import an avi file for conversion click on the green + icon on the right side of the main window. To check which encoder is being used, click on the Video/Edit Title Settings icon just under the green + icon. Look in the Video tab. If the program is set to use Quenc, take the check mark out of the box for Auto Video Setup and change from Quenc 1 pass to HCenc 2 pass. Click OK.

    Select your output folder location on your hard drive, and hit Start to begin the conversion. This will give you a simple dvd video. AVStoDVD will also let you make a menu if you like.

    Burn to a disc using ImgBurn.
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  4. Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    CALIFORNIA
    Search Comp PM
    I'm so sorry if I confused things. Omg. lol.

    Here is my issue.. I am wanting a few movies I have on my laptop, on my tv. The files are mpeg and avi.

    The problem is when I try to convert them they are using 2 disks. I want to use 1 4.7 disk. Is there a way to do this???

    (I know it can be done becaus a friend gave me a dvd with 3 movies on them that I watched on my TV from my dvd player. The loss of whatever was loss during the process was minimal because they played beautifully!!!!!! Really was no visibility or sound problems. This was years ago so I'm not sure who did it or I'd ask them. lol.)


    If your answer to this question is the same just say so its fine. But I just want to make sure I'm being clear in case I wasn't. Forgive me.
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  5. Member
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    Nov 2003
    Location
    West Texas
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    You want to watch as many as three movies from one dvd disc? You're looking at a running time of what, 300 minutes or so?

    AVStoDVD can take several different files as input and give you a dvd with a menu to select each movie. The problem is the amount of compression necessary to fit that much video onto a single disc. Mpeg2 found in dvd video is not the most efficient codec available. It takes a fair amount of bitrate to give you acceptable results.

    Personally, I wouldn't want to cram that much video onto a single layer disc. My cutoff for dvd-video is 2 1/2 to 3 hrs per single layer disc. Compressing 5 hours onto one would be unwatchable for me. But that is my personal taste.

    If your dvd player has xvid avi playback capability or mp4 or mkv playback, this wouldn't be an issue at all. Many newer dvd players can handle xvid avi, and some can use the other two formats, but you would need to know the specifications that the player needs for those type of files. Xvid or H264 will give you good to excellent picture quality for three movies within the 4.3gb you can put on a single layer disc.
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  6. Banned
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
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    ®Inside My Avatar™© U.S.
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    You would be better off getting a standalone player that plays AVI's (Xvid/Divx) and burning them to dvdr as data and watching them that way.
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  7. Member
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    Mar 2011
    Location
    Nova Scotia, Canada
    Search Comp PM
    noahtuck's probably right.

    avstodvd is better than other dvd encoders I tried at cramming more video running time onto a dvd but it won't go that far. Even if it could it'd be, as mentioned, absolutely terrible to watch.

    Actually, at some point the cost of all those dvds (plus storage), and the aggravation, starts to add up. You could set up a tv or a larger external monitor for about the same price in the long run.

    I haven't burned video to dvd in a while now, and I don't know one single person who does it anymore either.
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  8. Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Bangalore, India
    Search Comp PM
    Hi there,

    I am also looking to do something similar with my AVI files. I have like over 100 video files stored as AVI files. Each of them is about 3 to 5 mins long. When I check the size of these files in a folder they all add upto about 3.7 GB but when I move them into a DVD authoring software such as Sony dvd architect, the file size increases to about more than 3 to 4 times.

    Like for example a 30MB video file on my folder shows as 150 MB file. I am not sure why it does that.

    Can anyone please suggest a way I can reduce the size of these video files? I will greatly appreciate your help.

    Regards,
    cy
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