Best way to fit lots of AVI files onto DVD?

[Narpstar]

Hey guys,

I'm wanting to put a lot of AVI files onto DVD. I don't care that they're bad quality, but at the moment, just using conventional methods to burn AVI files to DVD is only allowing me to put just as many on DVD as I can fit on VCD. Isn't there some way you can get the same size files as VCD onto DVD? Hence being able to fit many more files onto DVD?

... hope that makes sense...

Cheers,
Ben

[guns1inger]

Yes, there is - encode them as VCD, but with 48kHz audio. This is DVD compliant, and you can fit around 7 hours of low quality video to a disc. More if you drop the bitrate of the audio to 192 kbps. I would suggest encoding with mpeg-1 at this resolution and bitrate - it is more forgiving than mpeg-2 when you get this low.

Even better is to get a Divx/Xvid capable player, and to burn as data. 10 - 11 hours of reasonable quality video can be put on a disc - much higher quality than VCD.

[daamon]

Hi Narpstar,

Create a data DVD instead of a Video based DVD.

Also, more info would be useful:

* What are you doing at present?
* What software are you using?
* What particular options and settings in that software?
* What format are the AVI files? Post a screenshot from GSpot.
* Are you looking to make a video DVD from the AVI files or just store them?
* Are the AVI files Divx or Xvid and do you want to play them on a suitable DVD player that supports those formats?

[KBeee]

<edit>
Already answered

[Narpstar]

Yes, there is - encode them as VCD, but with 48kHz audio. This is DVD compliant, and you can fit around 7 hours of low quality video to a disc. More if you drop the bitrate of the audio to 192 kbps. I would suggest encoding with mpeg-1 at this resolution and bitrate - it is more forgiving than mpeg-2 when you get this low.

That sounds like exactly what I want to be doing. And I hate to suck, but - what's the best (possibly free?) program/s for doing this?

Cheers,
Ben

[daamon]

Free Encode to MPEG1 for VCD = TMPGEnc. I believe it'll also re-do the audio to 48MHz too.

If you've got VBR MP3, extract to WAV using VirtualDub, also free, and use that WAV as your audio source.

[Narpstar]

Thanks heaps

[daamon]

No problem.

I should clarify - use the WAV as the source into TMPGEnc and it'll give you valid and compliant MP2 audio. Use the 192kbps as guns1inger said.

Then author and burn.

Good luck.