AVI to DVD help

[siliconglen]

Hi
I'm trying to covert some 1 hour Mini DV tapes to DVD using Windows XP Pro. Some suggestions on how to do this efficiently would be welcome.

Currently I am using Windows Movie Maker to capture the AVI input. This gives me approx 13Gb of file.

Then I use AVI2DVD to convert the AVI input into another AVI input before it will process it (take about 15 mins)

Then I get AVI2DVD to take this AVI file and convert it into a 4.7Gb DVD ISO which I then burn. The conversion takes about 5 hours on an 4GHz Athlon 64 system running windows XP pro, not much else running, 2GB RAM, and a SATA hard drive with over 100Gb free.

I'm wondering if there is a better way to do this? I looked at other tools but the help was somewhat hopeless.

thanks

Craig

[Baldrick]

Yes, use CCE SP($2000) and author with Sonic Scenarist($5000)....

What encoder are you using in AVI2DVD? it's a gui for several encoders.
Are you just looking for free tools? or how much can you spend on software?
Do you want to make dvd menus?
ARe you looking for all-in-one tools only?

I would capture with WinDV, use a good standalone mpeg encoder like HCenc, Canopus Procoder, CCE Basic and then author the converted video to a DVD with TMpgenc DVD Author or Ulead DVD Workshop.

[siliconglen]

I'm just looking for free tools just now. I may go for cheap tools when I feel I understand things a bit more.

Not needing DVD menus

thanks

[Jim44]

Not needing DVD menus

Have a look at DVDAuthorGUI. While it has the ability to do basic menus, 99% of the time I used it without making menus. Quick, easy, and free

Jim

[mhesidence]

Hi
I'm trying to covert some 1 hour Mini DV tapes to DVD using Windows XP Pro. Some suggestions on how to do this efficiently would be welcome.

Currently I am using Windows Movie Maker to capture the AVI input.

I'm doing the exact same thing, then using avi2dvd on the resulting wmv file to create a DVD and iso file. However the DVD's sound cuts out after about 30 seconds.

I recall reading somewhere (can't find it now) the solution is to demux. Is that correct? Is there a guide for that?

Thanks

[KBeee]

You shouldn't be getting a wmv file. The OP was merely using WMM to transfer the DV AVI from his camera to the computer, hence the 13GB for 1 hour file size. It's still DV AVI. You are transfering and converting to wmv, resulting in a loss of quality.

[mhesidence]

You shouldn't be getting a wmv file. The OP was merely using WMM to transfer the DV AVI from his camera to the computer, hence the 13GB for 1 hour file size. It's still DV AVI. You are transfering and converting to wmv, resulting in a loss of quality.

Thanks KBeee, that was exactly it. I got a huge 12G file. Now I'm trying to do as the orginal poster did and convert the DV AVI to normal AVI with avi2dvd. avi2dvd detects the DV AVI file and starts a convertion automaticly, however the output avi file hits a size of about 4GB and stops growing. avi2dvd keeps sucking up CPU, but never finishes.

Is there a file size limit? The orginal poster didn't seem to have this problem.

I found a differnet Cam corder to DVD guide http://www.dvd-guides.com/content/view/33/59/ and it said to use WinDV to capture. However this program had hit a size limit for me.

Anythougts on what I'm doing wrong?

[mhesidence]

Nevermind my external HD was FAT32. Duh!

[Jim44]

And you know you can adjust the size of the segments that WinDV creates, right? In the "Config..." menu: "Max avi size". Also helpful if you're going to feed the segments into an editor (like VDubMod) that that doesn't like >2GB files (IIRC).

(Apologies if you did know; I have seen this question asked here before )

Jim

[fdates]

I've been looking all over the internet for a solution to this problem. Seems MANY are experiencing it, and have suggested many things. I've tried them all! But am frustrated.

(what's he rambling about?) LOL! I'll tell you.

1. I downloaded some AVI files via uTorrent of Battlestar Galactica TV series. These are obviously copied from TV.

2. I want to put 3 episodes on a DVD with a MENU to select which to watch.

3. I've done this using Nero Vision 4 the way I like, but some of the episodes come out with audio out-of-sync. However, they play fine on the PC from Hard drive.

4. I have tried suggestions to save the video without sound and the audio as an uncompressed WAV using VirtualDub (or VirtualDubMod) and them join them back together.

5. When I join them back, they seem just as fine as the original, both able to be played on my PC. But the Vdub'd copy will cause NV4 to crash near the end of the burning process (doesn't even try to burn it actually).

6. I have tried to create DVD files with some converter programs found. However, these create several files and I can't seem to create a DVD with 3 episodes w/menus this way.

7. I thought maybe I should find a program that would only create one DVD file from a converted AVI so I could put 3 of these files w/menu on a DVD using NV4. However, I can't seem to find such a program.

8. Some of these downloaded AVI's start off okay on the DVD, but then soon go out of sync. Some even appear to get worse the longer you watch them.

9. I tried using Avidemux, WinAVI (someone said here not to bother...is this a joke program?), TMGEnv, Vdub and VdubMod, and many other suggestions. Maybe I'm just not using them correctly.

10. From what I can tell, the problem has something to do with the AVI files being VBR (Variable Bit Rate) and Nero Vision 4 needing CBR. True?

PLZ! Does anyone know the solution to this problem? I just want to put a few episodes on each DVD to create season series of favorite TV shows from these downloaded AVI torrent files. I can't imagine that nobody has a solution for this.

My machine should be able to handle whatever is thrown at it, BTW. I have a Intel Duo Core E6700 on ASUS P5W DH Deluxe MB with 2gig ram and 3 320gig drives (two are Raid1). Total storage is 640gig with most available.

I have two DVD LIghtscribe 16x drives (LG and ASUS).

Help!!! :-b

[mhesidence]

And you know you can adjust the size of the segments that WinDV creates, right? In the "Config..." menu: "Max avi size". Also helpful if you're going to feed the segments into an editor (like VDubMod) that that doesn't like >2GB files (IIRC).

(Apologies if you did know; I have seen this question asked here before )

Jim

I just started, pretty much everything is new to me. I'd read WinDV could automaticly split files, but didn't know how it was done. I thought the max size was, you know max size, not that it would start splitting when files hit that size. Thanks.

Got my first DVD, now I need to figure out some editing and chapter'ing.