can I use Toast 6 to burn .avi files to VCD/DVD

[tokyotony]

Although I'm okay with watching video on my computer from time to time, I would also like to burn my .avi files to a VCD or DVD using Toast 6. I tried this, but get some kind of error saying that there was a problem with the Mac OS X.

Is this just my system, or is it actually possible to do this? I tried converting some of the .avi files with ffmegx, but get an error at the end. However, the files play fine with VLC.

Any simple ways to do this?

Thanks,

Tony

[mlongenb]

Simple is such a relative term nowadays. How much time do you want to invest is the question?

If you want to burn the avi's on to a DVD that you can watch on a stand alone player or using the Mac's DVD player, here's what I did.

1. The avi files probably need to be cleaned up and the audio converted . I used Divx Doctor II and converted the avi to a standalone .mov file with uncompressed audio. Most avi's (divx movies) use wma audio compression. You will need to download " Divx Doctor II" and the WMA codec extension. Like I said the result will be a standalone .mov file with uncompressed audio same format as the original , probably 272 x 640,if I had to guest. This is actually the fastest part of the process.

2. I then would drop the .mov file into a dvd authoring package, I use Capty DVD. I selected MPEG audio and at the compile step I selected letterboxing. I had Capty DVD generate a DVD image file which I could burn with Toast 6. This is the long part of the process because Capty DVD will re-encode the movie to an MPEG2 DVD standard file and generate the DVD video file structure and create the image file without your interaction.

3. Drop the DVD image file onto Toast 6 and burn your DVD. Note if the the DVD generated contains less that ~ 3.9 Gb some standalone DVD players may not see it as a valid DVD (philips dvd711, as a example).

Note Capty DVD will also generate VCD image files if you've got smaller movies to work with.

Hope this points you in the right direction.

Marty

[galactica]

use MPEG2WORKS
its has a direct avi to mpeg2 which you can then author as dvd with Sizzle.

its a really easy straightforward process.

[maleek]

will MPEG@WORKS also author .avi>VCD?

[galactica]

I have sort of gotten out of VCD world since its not as good quality, but, mpeg2works says'

"these scripts can help you to convert non-standard mpeg1 files to standard VCD MPEGs and also to make VCD MPEGs from input movie files"

so i would assume a .avi is a "input movie file"