Aspect ratio and wasting dvd space

[Gone Crabby]

I'm still using Nero burning software to compile my DVDs since I'm not confident enough to use TMPGenc yet. When I play them on the TV, I noticed that the video doesn't fit on the screen--the outside edge of the video is cut off--kind of like in movies they have the "this movie has been formatted to fit your tv screen" thing.

Also, I can only fit like 4 source files onto the DVD. Encoding with Nero, I'm using like 3.64GB on the DVD media which equates to like 100 mins in 4+ hours. Can I fit more without losing quality and sound of the videos?

here's the info on the source file in AVIcodec:

File : 174 MB (173 MB), duration: 0:24:09, type: AVI, 1 audio stream(s), quality: 49 %
Video : 151 MB, 879 Kbps, 23.976 fps, 640*480 (4:3), DIVX = OpenDivx v4, Supported
Audio : 22 MB, 128 Kbps, 48000 Hz, 2 channels, 0x55 = MPEG Layer-3, Supported

[guns1inger]

The filesize doesn't mean anything, it's the mpeg-2 bitrate and duration that will control your quality.

Losing the outside edge happens on all DVDs, TV shows etc. It is called oversacn, it happens on all tube screens, and some LCD and plasma screens as well. TV shows shoot for it, so it doesn't affect your viewing.

You should be able to fit approx 1 hour of video at the highest bitrates, and up to 2 hours of good quality video. If all your source files are the same, then you have filled a disk comfortably.

You could sqeeze more on by reducing the resolution to half-D1, in which case you might get 8 episodes on a disk. Depending on the quality of the originals, you may not notice much difference.

[reboot]

I disagree. Changing to half-D1 is not going to reduce filesize. Only bitrate will reduce it enough to fit 8 episodes on one dvdr.

[MpegEncoder]

I disagree. Changing to half-D1 is not going to reduce filesize. Only bitrate will reduce it enough to fit 8 episodes on one dvdr.

Same bitrate at half D1 = half the size.

[adam]

No, if two files have the same bitrate and the same runtime then they will always be the same filesize regardless of their resolutions.

I think when guns1inger suggested halving the resolution he was implying that you should halve the bitrate too. Since the bits per pixel remains the same you get the same relative "quality" though obviously there are some trade-offs.

[bugster]

I disagree. Changing to half-D1 is not going to reduce filesize. Only bitrate will reduce it enough to fit 8 episodes on one dvdr.

Same bitrate at half D1 = half the size.

Wrong. Same bitrate == same size. Resolution does not come into it.

Halve the resolution and you can probably halve the bitrate and get close to the same quality. Some detail is lost due to the lower res but it canm still look pretty good at half D1. But the only things that determine filesize are bitrate and playing time. Resolution simply does not come into it.

If you don't believe me. Encode a short clip (10 mins or so) using CBR at full D1 and half D1 (without changing any other settings) and see for your self.

[reboot]

Same bitrate at half D1 = half the size.

WRONG!

[MpegEncoder]

Same bitrate at half D1 = half the size.

WRONG!

I stand corrected. What I was trying to say is that the half D1 only requires half the number of bits. So that the file size could be half (using half the bit rate) to get roughly the same results.