making a huge DVD, need help badly!

[djackson75]

Hi, I'm new to all of this stuff, so I truly need advice. What I'm trying to do, is make a DVD that has several movies on it. I have the movies in MPEG-2 format on my PC, each one is a bit over 2 hours. I know that I can't put all 3 on one DVD, because they totaled a little over 9Gig... But I am sure that if I could Author 9 meg files, I could stick them in DVDShrink, and compress them a few times over, thereby getting them all on one DVD.

Is there a freeware, that allows you to author a DVD that goes over the 4.7Gig limit? I tried Virtualdub, and thought it was going to work, but it didn't. If I worded what I'm asking wrong, please let me know. Thanks in advance.

[presto]

Well if you get the free trial of Tmpgenc DVD Author you'll have 30 days to do your project.

Just author the DVD the way you want and ignore the warning that tells you it is too big. Then use DVD shrink as you suggested.

By the way, Virtual Dub is not an authoring tool so I'm not sure what you were trying to do with it.

[djackson75]

Shoot, I put Virtualdub, but I actually meant TMPEGAuthor. When it gets to the DVD's limit, it won't encode my dvd anymore, saying "the file you are making exceeds the size of DVD-R media, please decrease your file size" or something to that effect.

[northcat_8]

DVD Workshop will allow you to create an oversized DVD.

Then you can take it into DVDshrink.

[dafreak]

when you get that error message from Tmpgenc DVD Author , just choose to ignore it.

[presto]

Yes, I make oversized DVD with Tmpgenc DVD Author all the time and then shrink them. Just click throught that message.

[onetrueday]

if you use nero 6, you can set the video settings to a lower setting. It'll re-encode the video for you and it does a good job considering.

I took a sVcd yesterday and did the same thing you're trying to do.

[bmwracer]

Yes, I make oversized DVD with Tmpgenc DVD Author all the time and then shrink them. Just click throught that message.

Does that actually work? I've been trying that and eventually the program gives me an error saying the file size exceeds the disc size and stops.

[thecoalman]

You could just encode them first to whatever size they need to be. Use the bitrate calculator here: https://www.videohelp.com/calc.htm Convert them in your editor then author.

[GeorgeW]

Another option might be to author each individually. Then Shrink each of them, and combine all 3 using a utility that will let you combine complete dvd's into one (like DVD RemakePro 3.x -- will let you combine up to 4 dvd's -- space permitting).

You might be hitting an upper limit for Dual-Layer (maybe that's why it's stopping you from burning the dvd folders)???

[jtoolman2000]

is there any particular reason you would choose to degrade three full movies by shrinking them to only one disk? I could see maybe to a DVD9 DL disk but not to a single layer disk. The suggestions already given will work. Just athor it over size and shrink the living daylights till it fits. It's bound to look pretty bad unless you just plan to view in a portable DVD player.

[bmwracer]

You might be hitting an upper limit for Dual-Layer (maybe that's why it's stopping you from burning the dvd folders)???

Well, according to Presto, that (supposedly) can be circumvented.

But I haven't been able to do it.

[presto]

Does that actually work? I've been trying that and eventually the program gives me an error saying the file size exceeds the disc size and stops

I'm talking about writing the files to your hard drive. It sounds like you are trying to burn them to disk. Or you are buring to your hard drive but your hard drive is full.

I create oversized DVD's on my hard drive all the time and so do a lot of others. I then shrink with DVD Shrink.

In other words, don't use Tmpgenc DVD writing tool. You do know where the files are on your hard drive after Tmpgenc DVD has finished right?

[bmwracer]

Does that actually work? I've been trying that and eventually the program gives me an error saying the file size exceeds the disc size and stops

I'm talking about writing the files to your hard drive. It sounds like you are trying to burn them to disk. Or you are buring to your hard drive but your hard drive is full.

Nope, I'm writing the files (9+GB) direct to disk as always and I've got 50GB free.

But no luck.

[presto]

Nope, I'm writing the files (9+GB) direct to disk as always and I've got 50GB free.

I'm still not 100% sure were talking about the same thing. I don't "write the files directly to disk". I simply author with Tmpgenc DVD author. It creates the files to the output folder specified in the output step. When the burning tool pops up I close it. ( realize it's a subtle point, I just noticed you used terms that don't come up in the process. Unless we are doing very different things)

You're saying that Tmpgenc DVD Author gives you the warning about your DVD size exceeding the size of a DVD R and then you ignore that warning and Tmpgenc DVD goes to work and then a while later gives you an error message about size exceeding DVD R? If so I've never seen that error message.

Then again I don't know that I have tried 9GB. Maybe 6GB or so. Usually my disks only exceed 4.7 by a little bit.

[bmwracer]

Nope, I'm writing the files (9+GB) direct to disk as always and I've got 50GB free.

I'm still not 100% sure were talking about the same thing. I don't "write the files directly to disk". I simply author with Tmpgenc DVD author. It creates the files to the output folder specified in the output step.

Exactly. That's where it conks out: it starts creating the files for the DVD folder, then realizes the total file size exceeds the DVD size and the error message pops up.

I never get to the point where it's done creating the files and the writing tool popup shows up...

Then again I don't know that I have tried 9GB. Maybe 6GB or so. Usually my disks only exceed 4.7 by a little bit.

That might be key: maybe if you're over by a small amount it's okay.

[presto]

Ok, I started a test project that is over 10GB. I'll let you know later in the day what happens. Meanwhile, what version of Tmpgenc DVD Author do you have?

Result: I got the error message too. It says it can't burn the DVD because the volume would be too big. This is absolutely the first time I have ever seen or heard of this. Clearly there is an upper limit which is above 4.7 but below 9GB or so. That is shame. I hate when programs impose limits because they THINK they know what we want to do. This isn't any kind of real limit, the programer had to put it there.

[bmwracer]

Ok, I started a test project that is over 10GB. I'll let you know later in the day what happens. Meanwhile, what version of Tmpgenc DVD Author do you have?

Version 1.6.34.89

Result: I got the error message too. It says it can't burn the DVD because the volume would be too big. This is absolutely the first time I have ever seen or heard of this. Clearly there is an upper limit which is above 4.7 but below 9GB or so. That is shame. I hate when programs impose limits because they THINK they know what we want to do. This isn't any kind of real limit, the programer had to put it there.

My thoughts exactly.

Whew, I'm glad we're on the same page finally... I thought I was bungling things big time.

Thanks for your help and patience.

I guess I'll have to find another authoring program that isn't so testy about really large files...

[bmwracer]

After some more searching around the forum, I've noticed that several people have said that TMPGenc DVD Author's maximum allowed filesize is 9GB... Seems like that's true, but nowhere on the Tsunami site do they mention this... Intentionally, I think.

Grrr.

[Richard_G]

No such limit with Ulead DVD Workshop, probably no limit with Ulead DVD MovieFactory either. 30 day free trials of both available from www.ulead.com.

[bmwracer]

Yow, $400. That's pricey. *checks under desk for coins*

[Richard_G]

DVD Moviefactory has slightly fewer options but is much cheaper. I doubt the average user would ever need the options that Workshop gives, you certainly wouldn't for this project. Try it and see.

[lordsmurf]

But I am sure that if I could Author 9 meg files, I could stick them in DVDShrink, and compress them a few times over, thereby getting them all on one DVD..

This will undoubtedly look like crap.
Do not user transcoders on homemade material. Especially not for a 60% compression. Blocks and noise all over. Barf.

Use more discs, good discs cost no more than 30-50 cents each. And discs don't take up that much space.

[presto]

There is a way to do what you originally were trying to do. Rather than authoring one 9GB DVD and then using DVD Shrink, just Author three 3GB Disks and shrink each of them. Then use the "ADD DVD VIDEO" button in Tmpgenc DVD Author to author a DVD with all three movies on it.

You might also want to rip each movie as one .vob file with DVD Decrypter before using the "ADD DVD VIDEO" button to create the final DVD.