Burning 300-minute video onto a standard DVD?

[whatever911]

Let me just get to the point. I have this drama that i really like and want to burn it out. Each file is about 200mb in size and ~25 minutes in length. They're all in .rmvb (some are in .avi)...I want to burn ~13 episodes (which is about ~300mb in size) onto a standard DVD (4.7 GB) with a perfect quality and a simple menu (playable with a Home DVD player). Please give me some tips on doing this. Thanks a lot.

[ricky1756]

april's fools day was a while back

[whatever911]

Well, i'm glad it was over 'cuz i'm pretty sure this can be done if you use Aplus Dvd Creator (it allows you to merge video files up to 4 hours. Yes, 4 hours! april's FOOLS day) ... Nothing's impossible. But since a genius like you saying it's not possible, then i guess i'll just give it up

[ZippyP.]

It can be done but it will be far from perfect......

[daamon]

@ whatever911:

How much you can get on a DVD is a simple function of running time and bitrate. Fix one, you have to make compromises on the other.

Subsequently, bitrate is directly linked to quality - the higher the bitrate, the higher the quality. As you get to higher bitrates, the increase in quality decreases the higher you go - beyond around 8,000kbps and most people can't tell the difference.

When you get to lower bitrates, you can reduce the resolution (assuming you started at Full-D1: 720 x 489 / 576 being NTSC / PAL) so that you don't get what are called macroblocks (large pixelated parts of the picture). Your options are half-D1 (352 x 480 / 576) then the lowest acceptable resolution is 352 x 288 the same as VCD.

The lower the resolution, the softer and less well-defined the picture will be.

A rough guide to bitrate and resolution:

Full-D1: Around 4,500kbps - Max allowed in spec.
Half-D1: Around 2,500 - 4,500 kbps. Any less is too little, any more is overkill.
VCD Res: 1,150 - 2,500 kbps. Any less isn't worth it (poor picture), any more is overkill.

13 x 25 mins = 325 mins. You've chosen to fix the time, so have to accept whatever the bitrate is.

Plugging this time into the VideoHelp Bitrate Calculator gives a bitrate of around 1,300 kbps. You want menus on the DVD etc., so reduce this by an average of 100kbps to leave enough room for them.

So, bitrate is determined at 1,200 kbps - so you're forced to have a VCD resolution. Sadly, this won't give you the perfect quality you stipulated. This also requires that the audio bitrate be 224 kbps - any less and the audio will suffer, any more and you'll have to reduce the video bitrate further still. As you're in the US, your only option is to compress the audio to AC3. ffmpeggui will do that for you.

Of course, if you want perfect quality (dependent on the true technical quality of the source), then you'll need higher bitrates at higher resolutions then you'll have to compromise on time and you won't get 13 episodes on a single disc.

Hence why ricky1756 said it was impossible to have both.

[SingSing]

If you have 25 minutes of vieo in a 200MB file, pretty much implies these are low resolution/bit rate video.

So use The free TMPGenc encode them to NTSC VCD, then use DVD author to put them in a DVD.

The techincal detail is in daamon post and this site.

[jman98]

Danon's post is not entirely correct in saying you have to have a bit rate of 1200. According to my bit rate calculator, you could use a constant bit rate of 1655. This would be what I would do.

Encode to MPEG-2 video with a variable bit rate as follows:
avg. bit rate = 1550
maximum bit rate = 2100
minimum bit rate = 1000
resolution of 352x480
This should enable you to fit the entire 13 episodes on one single layer DVD without re-encoding. There is always some risk of having to re-encode because you have too much video if you use variable bit rate encoding, but in your case it really will help you a lot and the settings I gave you should be good enough to fit it all one one disc.

Encode your audio to AC3 with a bit rate of maybe 256. Use whatever you have to author the DVD.

[whatever911]

Thanks, it's really helpful. But one thing i don't get is this. You see, my brother just bought a Pokemon DVD Movie (contains 12 episodes) and it's just a 4.7 GB DVD. The quality is of course DVD-quality and each of those episodes has a length time of ~27 minutes; and according to what y'all have been telling me, this is not possible to have both quality and menus containing ~13 episodes to be burned onto a standard DVD. Then, how do they do that???

[edDV]

Thanks, it's really helpful. But one thing i don't get is this. You see, my brother just bought a Pokemon DVD Movie (contains 12 episodes) and it's just a 4.7 GB DVD. The quality is of course DVD-quality and each of those episodes has a length time of ~27 minutes; and according to what y'all have been telling me, this is not possible to have both quality and menus containing ~13 episodes to be burned onto a standard DVD. Then, how do they do that???

Probably it is two layer to fit that much on. It could be double sided as well.

[daamon]

Danon's post is not entirely correct in saying you have to have a bit rate of 1200. According to my bit rate calculator, you could use a constant bit rate of 1655.

Yes, an error snuck in somewhere. I've re-checked on the VideoHelp Bitrate Calculator and agree with a figure just over 1,600.

P.S. It's "Daamon" Danon is a French manufacturer of yoghurt.

This would be what I would do.

Encode to MPEG-2 video with a variable bit rate as follows:
avg. bit rate = 1550
maximum bit rate = 2100
minimum bit rate = 1000
resolution of 352x480

Based on the corrected bitrate, this is a better suggestion. Half-D1 at that lower avgerage might be pushing your luck a little, but video is all about trial and error. Encode one episode and see what it looks like.

Encode your audio to AC3 with a bit rate of maybe 256. Use whatever you have to author the DVD.

Again, with the higher video bitrate available, upping the audio bitrate a touch will help the audio quality - especially for AC3 where minimums are typically recommended at around 256.

[theewizard]

who ever created the commercial/RETAIL pokeman dvd, quite possibly used a commerical movie house style encoder, you to can have that encoder if you feel like spending the $1000's required to get it .. then you too can compress at retail quality

[whatever911]

who ever created the commercial/RETAIL pokeman dvd, quite possibly used a commerical movie house style encoder, you to can have that encoder if you feel like spending the $1000's required to get it .. then you too can compress at retail quality

Do you have a link to that website?? i'd like more information on the encoder you're mentioning

[theewizard]

google CCE 'cinema craft encoder' the price is close to $3000 ( i think ) for that money you can buy a lot of discs and just put fewer episodes on each disc


the consumer version is about $79

there is a post here somewhere about industry grade encoders

[GeorgeW]

I find that cartoons look pretty good at low bitrates, maybe that's why that Pokeman dvd looks good? Try importing one of the episodes of that Pokeman DVD, and check what settings they used.

Daamon's post was very good and informative. And the bitrate needed for your video duration on DVD5 looks to be slightly over 1600kbps. You could try mpeg-1 CBR 1,600kbps at VCD resolutions (mpeg-1 on DVD is valid up to 1,856kbps).

Regards,
George

[whatever911]

google CCE 'cinema craft encoder' the price is close to $3000 ( i think ) for that money you can buy a lot of discs and just put fewer episodes on each disc


the consumer version is about $79

there is a post here somewhere about industry grade encoders

Well, i don't know why people would spend their money for those softwarez but i always get them for free. One way or the other. Anyway, i'm testing this program rite now. Thanks a lot for ur help

You are in breach of the forum rules and are being issued with a formal warning.
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[Noahtuck]

Well, i don't know why people would spend their money for those softwarez but i always get them for free. One way or the other.

Because they're not clueless thieves like some other people

[theewizard]

google CCE 'cinema craft encoder' the price is close to $3000 ( i think ) for that money you can buy a lot of discs and just put fewer episodes on each disc


the consumer version is about $79

there is a post here somewhere about industry grade encoders

Well, i don't know why people would spend their money for those softwarez but i always get them for free. One way or the other. Anyway, i'm testing this program rite now. Thanks a lot for ur help

CCE consumer is very nice, but it is NOT in the class with CCE PRO, or the other encoders that studios & professionels use to produce their movies

and that is why they cost big $$$

HENC and others are free and provide good results, just NOT spectacular results

[whatever911]

Well, i don't know why people would spend their money for those softwarez but i always get them for free. One way or the other.

Because they're not clueless thieves like some other people

Thieves? It's a pretty dang fun joke dude. D'ya know what everyone says when someone pays for softwares they wanna buy?? The answer is simple..."This guy is either brainless or a pretender!"... i mean, what's the point of this argument? Can you honestly say that you've never got any softwares for free??

You are in breach of the forum rules and are being issued with a formal warning. By joining VideoHelp.com you agreed to abide by our rules. Please read them. Do not advocate warez.
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