"Double" DVD Shrink

[joelson]

Hi ALL!

I had a DVD project with about 7,5 GB.

First, I did a shrink with DVD Shrink. Before doing so, it didn't complain that it exceeded a single-layer limit (4.35 GB).

However, after the shrink operation, it generated a 4.38 GB image file, which avoided me to burn it.

Therefore, I did a test: I did the shrink once more, with that new image, and it worked fine, within the limit.

Can anyone explain why it didn't show that it exceeded first? Why didn't it shrink to the right limit? Why did I have to run a second shrink to make it work?

Thank you!

[lordsmurf]

I usually find this method to give dismal results. If DVD Shrink won't do it, time to use DL media, split the disc, or use DVD Rebuilder and re-encode, possibly even down-convert to Half D1 too.

[ROF]

Shrink settings below 70-75% aren't worth it. In my opinion, this project @57 percent would be better off burnt to dual layer media.

[TheUnknownComic]

I'm certainly no expert but nobody else is actually answering the question so here's my thought. Shrink probably can't predict perfectly how big the file is going to be. It can only guess at how good the compression is going to come out. I'd say it missed it's guesstimate the first time. Some scenes probably didn't compress quiet as much as expected, based on the initial (or deep) analysis.

Percentage-wise, it came close to fitting. You might be able to go back to the original and set a manual percentage of compression now that you know the amount that didn't quite work. That way you're not compressing twice.

As for 50 or 60 percent being too much, that depends on the length of the original. Was it a 3 or 4 hour movie? If yes, then it might be too much. Was it a one hour flick? If so, then 4 Gb should be plenty.

[Sifaga]

hey joelson

in shrink goto Edit/Preferences change the Target DVD Size to custom, then change the size from 4464 to something lower. i made mine 4300

then re-shrink the original disc

[ROF]

Video length in time doesn't matter, it's bit rate which effects file size. In this case it's a 7.5GB file which must be compressed by close to 50% thus removing half the quality of the original. Files 6.0GB or larger are perfect candidates for dual layer burning if original quality is important.

[Sifaga]

did you do a deep analysis, shrink is more accurate if you do a deep analysis

[joelson]

Thank you all for the help.

In fact, it's a little more than a 2-hour footage.

Despite the probable loss of quality, it didn't seem to have lost quality though.

Good hint the deep analysis, I'll try it.

Thank you!

[bdf24]

I don't even bother with DVDShrink anymore. I've been using DVDRebuilder and CCE to do all my movies that won't fit onto a single DVDR now. I've done some comparisons with LOTR with rebuilder/cce and shrink and the results are much better using Rebuilder/cee for the job. Which is what everyone would expect I guess.

[SCDVD]

I have found that when this happens, I can delete some of the unneeded extras or additional sound tracks and it then is able to shrink and fit just fine. I suspect that Shrink doesn't always accurately account for the space requirement of these extras and the result is that it doesn't quite fit.