To encode, or to encode twice

[DrDeceit]

Out of the 15-20+ media encoders/muxers/authorers I use, I use this particular one for creating DVDs (encodes any video, or set of videos, straight to a DVD, DVD Folder, or ISO file)

This movie is 2h 32m, I'm burning to a DVD folder

If I choose the fit to disc setting for DVD5, The output file size will be 3.94 GB

I'm wondering, should I settle for a 3.94 GB DVD folder

or Should I encode it to a 7.27GB DVD folder, and use DVD shrink (deep analysis) to shrink it down to 4.35GB

[Baldrick]

Encode once with hcenc (together with a gui like avstodvd).

[Cornucopia]

"Do the Least Harm!"

So that means, encode/convert (lossily) only the minimal amount of times necessary to get to your destination (usually this means ONCE).

Scott

[jagabo]

DVD Shrink's requantising in the dct domain is fast but quality decreases quickly once you go beyond a ~10 percent shrink. You'll get better results encoding once at the required bitrate.

[Cornucopia]

I concur.