Converting mpeg files to dvd files (VOB?) - file sizes?

[booyar75]

Hi everyone - ok standard start: be gentle with me if i'm asking a dumb question, new to all this, have read the guides but can't find the answer to my question...

I have lots and lots of mpegs etc on my home pc which i'd like to burn onto dvd for both storage and to watch on a dvd player. I've heard that DVDs can store over 4GB of data so i thought 'great, i'll stick em all on that and watch them on dvd!' But then i thought about my CD writer and what happens to files which i burn from there onto CD as audio instead of data files ie 70M of data fills a whole 700M disk.

So heres my question:

I have an mpeg file (probably MPEG-1 for what its worth - see, i have been reading ) which is 80MB. Say my DVD writer comes with standard software that does all the authoring etc that i believe is required to burn this file onto DVD. How big will this file be on DVD? Will it still be 80M once it has been converted to DVD (VOB?) files, thereby allowing me to fit loads on it, or will it suddenly be eg 300M? The quality/integrity of the file as it stands on my PC is fine so that wouldn't need to change...

Any advise would be greatly appreciated before i fork out for a burner
Dan

[Baldrick]

if the mpeg1 is within the dvd standard you don't have reconvert it all,
www.videohelp.com/dvd#tech

if it isn't you must but you can reencode to same bitrate = same size.

[yoda313]

Hello,
There are guides to put vcd on dvd. Also, programs like tmpgenc dvd author will do it for your (ie put the audio to 48khz). It won't be exactly the same size but pretty close.

If you convert to dvd it Will be bigger. How big depends on what you do to it. You can use the bitrate calculator on this website to determine final file size.
Kevin
P.S. I'm glad you started reading before posting. Makes our job easier
Also, if you do buy a dvd burner you can make high quality backups of your dvds (with 5.1 sound)

----dvd 4.7gb-----

[DVD_Ripper]

Some authoring software will want to convert the files your provide even though they are compliant. That's one reason I dumped Roxio 3 days after I bought it. As Baldrick denoted if the MPEG is compliant it will just convert to VOB (MPEG in disguise) and then burn to DVD (along with menu's etc)

Ulead DVD MovieFactory has been pretty good to me. Seems to work well and quite compatible for my needs.

[booyar75]

Thanks everyone, great advice
I hope you don't mind if i ask another quick question while i have your collective ears:

Playing burnt dvds on PS2's:
Having read everyones posts on this i get the impression that all things considered there shouldn't be a problem playing burnt dvds on a PS2 (probably 2nd release, no mod chip) - is this the case?

One word answers are fine