trying to change tv dvd's sets so i dont loose quality

[slimpickins]

how can i take e.g a 4 disk set of 7 gig a piece and turn it into a 6 disk set at 4.4 gig a piece, thus reducing the amount of quality loss

[CrayonEater]

If specifically going from 4 to 6 is your goal then you will probably have to reauthor those DVDs, and possibly still use some compression and/or trimming. This can be done with Ulead Videostudio and a ton of other utilities.

Alternatively, you can do 1:1 copies onto double layer media, or split each DVD into two and burn it to single-layer, requiring up to 8 DVDs. The former is the best method (exact copy) and the latter is second-best (a little more work, but two single-layer discs is much cheaper than one double-layer disc). The reauthoring to create 6 disc from 4 is kind of the worst of both worlds with extra work on top.

[slimpickins]

isnt there a program that you can just upload all the disks, and it puts the epiosdes in a line and divides them among 6 disks

[lordsmurf]

Use DL media, much easier.

[jimmalenko]

isnt there a program that you can just upload all the disks, and it puts the epiosdes in a line and divides them among 6 disks

Not as far as I'm aware.

What you want to do is relatively simple, but the big thing is the menus - do you a) want to retain original menus, or b) would you be prepared to create your own custom menus, or c) do you not care at all about menus ?

a) This will retain all menus and all chapter points. Rip all discs in their entirety (in "File" Mode) to your hard drive. Use VOBBlanker to blank out episodes that take you over the limit for a SL disc - ie, say "old" Disc 1 (abbreviated to OD1 from now on) contains 6 eps (whole DVD set is 24 eps), blank eps 5 & 6 and then you have a "new" Disc 1 (ND1). Then blank eps 1-4 of OD1 and output to ND2a, and then blank eps 3-6 on OD2 and output to ND2b. Then use DVDRemake Pro's Disc joining functionality to import ND2a and ND2b and join them, to create ND2. This will add a simple menu "above" the existing menus, giving you a selection of ND2a or ND2b. Continue this process until the end and you will turn 4 discs with 24 eps into 6 discs with 24 eps and minimal to no loss in quality.

b) This will retain chapter points, but you will create your own menu. Rip all eps in "IFO" mode (see https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?p=1373527#1373527 for an easy way to batch rip with DVDDecrypter). Import each title (ep) into authoring software that accepts authored DVD content (TMPGEnc DVD Author and possibly DVDAuthorGUI AFAIK). Create menus to taste.

c) This will retain chapter points, but each ep will play in order. Navigation will be by using the "Next Title" function on your remote. Rip all eps in "IFO" mode and then use DVDShrink's reauthor mode to drag each title from the File Browser to the reauthor window until the disc is filled, whilst keeping compression at 100%.