need help converting MP4 to DVD player compatible format!

[nite_hawk]

I downloaded non copyrighted MP4 videos from Youtube and am hoping to convert and burn them to DVD or similar format so I can play them on our older DVD player to watch on TV ( also older-)
I tried converting them to DVD on DVD flick, it did work and they did burn and play on our DVD player, however the files were absolutely HUGE after converting them from MP4 to DVD.
A MP4 that was decently large ( around 400 mb) went to like 4.3 GIG after being converted to DVD.
I have some files that are even larger than the 400 mb that I want to convert, and I know the computer will aboslutely choke on the file size after conversion from MP4 to DVD format,
and will be difficult to burn on a standard DVD disk due to large size.( I have an older computer to boot, --windows XP)
I have considered dual layered DVD disks to quonquer my problem, but not sure what to do.
I did talk to one lady about the size problem, who said that most DVD players will read not only just DVD format, but also AVI format, which is smaller than DVD format. is this true?
She also told me that I should use DVD-R disks instead of DVD+R disks, that the DVD-R are formated for DVD players, and the DVD+R are formatted for computers.
Does anyone know how to convert MP4 format to a readable format for a DVD player without "drowning" your computer harddrive with HUGE DVD files? and that the file will be small enough to actually get on a DVD disk? Will AVI format actually work on an older DVD player?
I have tried to wade through alot of information online about MP4 and DVD converters and burners, but it sounds like alot of them have malware, adware, etc, and not being a computer "geek" and having an older computer I would really appreciate some advice on the best file format to use, the best converter and burner.
Thanks ahead of time
Nite_hawk

[Baldrick]

DVD(mpeg2 video) is huge compared to most mp4 videos(h264/avc video).

Try convert to avi divx or xvid and see if your dvd player supports it. Use for example xvid4psp 5. Choose the avi hardware preset.

[hech54]

A MP4 that was decently large ( around 400 mb) went to like 4.3 GIG after being converted to DVD.
I have some files that are even larger than the 400 mb that I want to convert, and I know the computer will aboslutely choke on the file size after conversion from MP4 to DVD format,
and will be difficult to burn on a standard DVD disk due to large size.( I have an older computer to boot, --windows XP)

Because you are converting (again) from MP4 (back) to DVD, you can kiss the original file size goodbye. Forget about the 400MB....it's gone.
Your 400MB MP4 file was once a DVD(probably), or it was the size of a DVD (somewhere between 4.7GB and 8.5GB) and it has been squashed down in both file size and quality to 400MB. Knowing that the original file size now GONE, you can also give up thinking that you will put several of these 400MB onto on playable DVD.

[manono]

A MP4 that was decently large ( around 400 mb) went to like 4.3 GIG after being converted to DVD.
I have some files that are even larger than the 400 mb that I want to convert, and I know the computer will aboslutely choke on the file size after conversion from MP4 to DVD format,
and will be difficult to burn on a standard DVD disk due to large size.

I doubt it. It probably tries to fill a DVD5 by default.

[nite_hawk]

Thanks for the replies..
I have heard that "nero" and converter X is supposed to work too, anyone know anything about it?
I have heard there is DVD shrink software out there.. Is this true, or is the shrink software only for storage purposes, like zip files, and has to be "un-shrunk" before burning and playing on a DVD player?
Thanks..
Nite_hawk

[Kerry56]

Don't use Nero for conversion.

ConvertXtoDVD will make DVD-video from your mp4 file, like DVDFlick. It isn't free. You'd be better off using AVStoDVD if you want to convert to DVD-video. You should be able to fit a couple of 400mb mp4 files when converting to DVD-video in AVStoDVD, but it really depends on the running time of the movies. You don't want to try to put more than 2 to 2 1/2 hours of video on the DVD when doing this conversion and going to a single layer blank dvd.

DVDShrink is for compressing DVD-video. It does not change the video to a storage format like a zip file. It only accepts DVD-video as input, and produces a smaller version in DVD-video as output.

If you have a DVD player that can accept xvid avi files, you could use Xvid4PSP as Baldrick already suggested. Or you could use something like VideotoVideo to make the files. There are a lot of converters available.

[nite_hawk]

what converter do you folks recommend, seems like alot of the converters out there don't seem to work right or have maleware...
thanks..

[davexnet]

what converter do you folks recommend, seems like alot of the converters out there don't seem to work right or have maleware...
thanks..

re-read the the post by kerry56, all the info is there.

[pippas]

This thread is nearly two years old. Things have moved on a bit since then, and far fewer folk bother to convert to DVD these days.

I can see some might still do so using free software, but I can't see anyone going for a payware converter for the same sort of price that they could buy a hardware mediaplayer for?

Using one of those, they can play their mp4 files on the TV without converting anything!

[Baldrick]

This thread is nearly two years old. Things have moved on a bit since then, and far fewer folk bother to convert to DVD these days.

I can see some might still do so using free software, but I can't see anyone going for a payware converter for the same sort of price that they could buy a hardware mediaplayer for?

Using one of those, they can play their mp4 files on the TV without converting anything!

It was just another spammer....banned and deleted now.

Yep. Get a cheap media player.