Convert multiple avi's to one DVD with a menu

[Joolz34]

Hi,
I have a couple of questions that I'd be grateful if someone is able to answer for me.
I have some TV episodes in .avi format that I'd like to put onto a DVD that can be played back in a normal DVD player. Id like to create a menu on the DVD that will allow me to play each show individually or play all of them one after another.

The "tools" I have available for doing this are : Powerbook 1.67 with 1GB RAM, FFMpegX, iLife apps, Quicktime 7 Pro and DVD Studio Pro 4. Ive also installed the divx codecs just in case.

What I'd like to know is what is the best method / format to convert the avi files too, so that they a) maintain as much as possible their current quality and b) wont be re-encoded by DVD studio.

Ive tried using the DVD mpeg in ffmpegx but the quality was bad afterwards but this was most likely due to something I did.

Would one of you be able to tell me what format/settings would give the best results please?

Secondly how would I then combine all four shows onto the final DVD?

While I have some basic familiarity with encoding etc, I am still quite new to this so I would appreciate it if you could give me an idiots guide approach

Many thanks in advance for your help.

Joolz

[vinyl_warrior]

i'm going to bump this because I would also find it incredibly useful to know how to burn a DVD disc from multiple avis converted separately to DVD format using the dvd ffmpeg dropdown.

I don't have DVD studio pro, but I do have Toast 7

[rumplestiltskin]

Try Mpeg Streamclip to convert each AVI to MPEG2. Then drop the four converted files into Toast and configure how you'd like the menus to appear. Burn. Done.

Don't have Toast? Drop the four converted movies into iDVD.

[alph]

You can fit about 2.5 hours of video on a 4.7Gig DVD at full quality and this is independent of the number of videos. It's the total time that matters. If you go for Half DVD quality, which I use all the time, you can fit a little over 5 hours of video on 1 DVD. If you go for quarter quality, ie 352x240, you can fit over 10 hours of video.

That said, for easy, fast and good quality, select the DVD ffmpeg preset in ffmpegx. Change your video size to which ever quality you chose, and hit the best button. Use a framerate of 23,97 with pulldown to save some extra space if you like, but not if your source is already at 29,97. I find audio quality more than ok with a bitrate of 192kbs, and it saves some extra space. Change your whatever else you like, and hit encode.

Once you've encoded all your videos. I use Toast 7 to author a DVD with a menu using it's video tab. Toast 7, in the more options, now lets you select a, never re-encode opttion. Toast then only re-multiplexes and authors a nice DVD with menus... plus, during this process, it corrects any datarate variations that ffmpeg may have introduced.

Alph

[Patheights]

I had a follow up question regarding the burning of the disc. I only have Toast 6 and as such there are no options that I found that prevent Toast from re-encoding the video. I already have the files converted and just want to burn them with a menu. Any help would be great, thanks.

[alph]

If Toast 6 is insisting on re-encoding, try running your videos through Mpeg Streamclip before droping them in Toast.

Always keep your original. That said, try using the "convert to mpeg" function first. If Toast keeps on trying to re-encode, go back to your original and use the "demux to headed m2v and ac3" and drop the m2v file in the Toast video window. Toast will associate the audio file on it's own provided you kept the m2v and ac3 files in the same folder. (I've had problems with the convert to headed mpeg which is why I suggest the headed demux instead.)

Good luck,
Alph

P.S. These processes are fast

[re201]

I have been converting .avi files to DVD 16:9 using ffmpegX and when I play the dvd on my widescreen TV they are TOO BIG. Some of the movie gets cut off.

Which Autosizing ratio should I select if I want to convert to widescreen letterbox: horizontal black bars above and below?

Here's an example of an original AVI file size; msmpeg4, yuv420p, 640x272

Thanks

[saketini99]

rumplestilskin wrote:

"Try Mpeg Streamclip to convert each AVI to MPEG2. Then drop the four converted files into Toast and configure how you'd like the menus to appear. Burn. Done.

Don't have Toast? Drop the four converted movies into iDVD."

using this method, what format would you convert to for use in iDVD? still MPEG2. sorry if this is a very basic question, but I'm quite the newbie to this.

[rumplestiltskin]

iDVD expects to see its "source" material in DV, MOV or MPEG4. MPEG Streamclip will do the export from the VOBs in any of those formats. However, try some short test exports first to verify that the pixel ratio is what you expect. You may need to alter the ratio so that it displays properly.

Let us know how it goes.

[saketini99]

well, I d/l'ed MPEG Streamclip and tried converting a few AVI files to DV format, but no luck. I couldn't even get out of the gate... when I opened the AVI files (trying ones of various sizes and lenghts) no image showed up in the playback window. MPEG Streamclip "saw" the file, it's length and other info but no preview was forthcoming, no playback, nada...

getting frustrated.

[rumplestiltskin]

well, I d/l'ed MPEG Streamclip and tried converting a few AVI files to DV format, but no luck. I couldn't even get out of the gate... when I opened the AVI files (trying ones of various sizes and lenghts) no image showed up in the playback window. MPEG Streamclip "saw" the file, it's length and other info but no preview was forthcoming, no playback, nada...

getting frustrated.

The AVI may not be Quicktime friendly (or your QT installation needs to be updated). In this case, you might it better to use ffmpegX. I had this issue this morning with an MPEG2 file that QT Player wouldn't display (but did play the audio). MPEG Streamclip had the same issue as you describe it. I used ffmpegX to convert the file into what I needed.

[res1492]

Ok i know this is a lot of encoding but this is how i get my Tv episodes (AVI) onto DVD

First start by opening toast 7...under the "Video" tab choose "Video CD"
Drop in the episodes..for some reason i find that if i try to encode more than 6 at a time they Fook up...so no mre than 6...it doesnt matter if the little coloured bar at the bottom goes into the red at this moment in time
Now goto "File" And "Save as Disk Image"..Save it somewhere..After it has encoded, right click and "Mount it"
Now open the Disk image and goto the "MPEGAV" Folder ...You should see your episodes there...they will be called "AVSEQ01.DAT" files
So depending how many episodes you dropped in you'll have as many .DAT files

OK now copy the .DAT files out onto your desktop and rename them to your TV show.
So....
If you dropped in 3 lost eps
AVSEQ01.DAT=Lost Eps 01.DAT
AVSEQ02.DAT=Lost Eps 02.DAT
AVSEQ03.DAT=Lost Eps 03.DAT
And so on......

Now open up toast again and under "Video" tab choose "DVD-Video" and drop in the .DAT files...keep your eye on the little colouerd bar so you know when your DVD is full.
Choose the menu style you want and Goto "File" and "Save As Disk Image"
Once this has encoded you will be able to burn the image to a DVD and watch on your Player

Guys i know that there must be easier ways of getting .avi files onto DVD but this has always worked for me and with my new GigaDesigns 2GHz processor upgrade for my G4 it doesnt take long at all
About 20 mins to encode an episode to VCD then about 1 and a half hours to encode a full DVD

And please dont ask me any hard questions as i dont pretend to be a Encoding whizz...in fact i stumbled upon this by accident
I hope this helps you out