authoring question

[jlim0930]

Hello,

I just got my new dvd burner which i am happy about but i am confused as to authoring a dvd.

I have some old videos that is saved as avi files and would like to copy and burn as a dvd and i have read many guides on this site but none include how to create such a dvd with subtitles.

for each avi file i have a corresponding smi file which contains the subtitles for the avi and i would like to include that in my authoring.. is that possible ?

Also how do you change the quality? of the video that i am authoring i wantto fit more than 120min of video on the dvd and to do that i would have to make the quality less correct?

Please help

[Drakng]

For a start.. read the guide in this forum . Yes you can do all that. First get yourself some knowledge on basics and then post your problems

[Gees]

Yep, good advice. Start in What Is DVD. Move to Convert, then Author, then look for subtitle info.

There's a great Glossary here too. And the search function is the first place to go to look and see if your question's been asked and answered already.

Prepare to do a lot of reading before you even turn that new burner on.


typo

[ImaWeTodd]

Prepare to do a lot of reading before you even turn that new burner on.

Prepare to waste that nice new $20 5 Pack of Maxell DVDr. It can be a costly hobby!

[Gees]

If I got the facts wrong, please correct me.

Nope! You got that right! :cD

[Lord of the Discs]

Prepare to waste that nice new $20 5 Pack of Maxell DVDr. It can be a costly hobby!

Meanwhile, the mankind invented rewritable DVDRs.

[ImaWeTodd]

Meanwhile, the mankind invented rewritable DVDRs.

Nice theory, but what's the practice ?

• DVD-RW actually don't work on my Sony but DVD-R do. I'm too cheap to buy a dual burner right now.
• A fresh/old DVD-RW seems to make a difference on my Samsung (although my shinco plays most anything <generally a bad test machine>)
• Don't underestimate my confidence. Sometimes I really think I know what I am doing usually to be proven wrong

[SMHarman]

Meanwhile, the mankind invented rewritable DVDRs.

Nice theory, but what's the practice ?

• <snip>
• A fresh/old DVD-RW seems to make a difference on my Samsung (although my shinco plays most anything <generally a bad test machine>)
  <snip>

My Panasonic too. It will play recycled -RWs but they read less well and you get pixelation etc.
Goes away when you burn the same onto a -R

for the OP

Video is 1/2 the resolution of DVD, thus converting to Mpeg at 4000 data rate and smaller frame size is appropriate, but you might see a difference, test with two separate encodings, one at max and one at reduced. Will get more on a disc at the lower rates.

[overloaded_ide]

Prepare to waste that nice new $20 5 Pack of Maxell DVDr. It can be a costly hobby

Hmmm, Ok if you have a problem with -RW I can see that. But whats the excuse for using $4 disks???

Buy a 25 pack or larger of GOOD disks like Ritek, $1.50 each, maybe less!
Much less if you buy 100 packs!

jlim0930,
Do lots of reading and practice.
In general quality depends on the source, you can go down, but not up with quality.

Basically VHS is 352x480 ( reffered to as D1 half, I think). Bit rates determine size. Less bits equals lower quality but more time. Higher rates equal better quality less time.

How much time you can fit on a disk is kinda determined by how low of video quality you will except. I have actually put the 2 tape set of Titanic on one disk, not perfect but good quality. 3 HR Lord Of The Rings DVD I backed up to 1 DVD -R with near perfect quality far as I can tell.
Did both of them. Both are great.
However a 3 hr VHS capture is never as good as a 3 hr DVD rip for me!