How can I get DV-AVI format onto one DVD?

[bxkid71]

Hello,
I am using the basic Windows Movie Maker that came with my computer. Captured several different quality settings with my digital camcorder and found that the DV-AVI format to be far better than rest. It seems that I would only get about 50 minutes or so worth onto one DVD disc. My tape holds 1Hr. 30 minutes of video. How would I be able to transfer to DVD using just one disc, instead of two? I would like to burn the best quality as possible. Do I need different software, maybe an upgraded version of Moviemaker. Thanks in advance!

[Tommyknocker]

Try a trial version of Video Studio 7 (Ulead). Load the video, select
Share-->Create Disk, follow the prompts and have it burn the DVD for you.

[GeoPappas]

It seems that I would only get about 50 minutes or so worth onto one DVD disc.

Where are you getting this from? Are you saying that only about 50 mins. of the raw DV-AVI file itself will fit? Or are you talking about converting it to MPEG2 first and then putting it on DVD?

DV-AVI is basically a copy of what is on your miniDV camcorder. Thus it is always going to be the best quality. It also takes a huge amount of disk space. From what I have read, an hour of DV-AVI takes about 12-13 GB of space. That would take up about 3 DVDs (without compression).

The most DV-AVI that you can convert to MPEG2 and put on a DVD at the highest quality is about 60-70 minutes. You can calculate how much video you can fit without losing quality @ https://www.videohelp.com/calc.htm. Beyond that you will have to compress more (using a lower bitrate), and thus you will lose quality.

If possible, you should try to get rid of some scenes that you don't really need, or shorten some scenes. Either that or split it onto two DVDs.

[bxkid71]

Is there an advantage to first capturing to DV-AVI, and then converting to MPEG-2, or it does not matter if you convert directly to MPEG-2 the first time? Would there be any quality differences? Thanks in advance.

[Sugar]

https://www.videohelp.com/capture

[GeoPappas]

Is there an advantage to first capturing to DV-AVI, and then converting to MPEG-2...

Yes. DV-AVI is not really a capture, but a copy. There is no conversion done.

MPEG2 does compression. The amount of compression is inversely proportional to the quality.

Would there be any quality differences?

Yes again. DV-AVI is the original. MPEG2 is compressed.