Please help - >6gig mpg file 2 hr video - need to burn to DVD

[patplh]

I'm desperately trying to burn a DVD of my husband's black belt test. This has been a project for many months that I keep starting and stopping when I'm not successful, so I'm hoping someone out there can help me out. In January, I used Ulead Video Studio 10 to create a movie from some HD clips from a Sony Camcorder. It ended up at 2 hrs 11 minutes and I created an mpg file from the video (unfortunately, I can't remember what option I selected) - but the video ended up at 6.43gb. In February, I used some software (also can't remember which) to shrink it down to 4gb to burn to DVD - but when i watched it, there was no sound. I think I need to shrink it down to the right file size and the right format - but I'm not sure what or how to do that? any advice would be much much appreciated!! I'm hoping to do this with free software if possible.
Thanks in advance..

[Dark Alpha]

why not re-encode the video at slightly lower bit-rate?

IF you're burning standard DVD, try 5000Kbps variable bit rate

[patplh]

thanks for the quick response.. can u tell me what i need to do to reencode - do i need to use ulead? i was using a demo version of ulead and the trial period has run out.

[Dark Alpha]

have you fully edited the video? In other words, the MPEG file you got right now, is it the final version?

Also, is the video smooth (like sports, news, soaps etc...) or is it film like? The I ask this is because some video editors don't have built-in interlaced field processing.

[GilbyGood]

I have had a film that was in the six gig size after encoding. What I did was author a DVD. After the film as ready I used DVDshrink to make it fit a DVD5 disc.

[patplh]

Dark Alpha - I have fully edited the video - so it is exactly what i'd like to burn to DVD (just too big). It is a DVD of my husband's black belt test - so i guess it is smooth. Sorry, I don't know how to answer that question.

GilbyGood - Thanks for the info, so it sounds like I should first author the DVD. What software should I use to author the DVD? Is there any free software I can use?

Thanks again for the help!!

[patplh]

this evening, i was able to create an ISO using DVDStyler. I am now trying to shrink it with DVDShrink, but I get the following error: "DVD Shrink encountered an error and cannot continue. Out of Memory. The parameter is incorrect".

I googled and found articles about it being an issue with ripped movies - but this is my home video. I also read an article on videohelp where they discuss this issue - but i found it confusing and i don't think it lists a solution.

Does anyone out there know what I should do? is there another free shrinking software that I can use?

Thanks again for the help!

[gsing]

Since I know nothing about DVDStyler I can't give you any advice about what actually went wrong. I guess you either burnt the ISO to disk or mounted it because DVDShrink would have refused to take the ISO at all. Maybe that was the problem.
There are other ways of dealing with your mpeg: Either you shrink it with Rejig to your preferred size (a very good guide for doing that you find here: https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=272427) and author the resulting video and audio file with GUI for dvdauthor. Or you use GfD for authoring and afterwards shrink with DVDShrink. All software you'll find here in the tools section and they are all free.
Regards

[t0nee1]

You should be able to take your 6.43G MPG and use DVDFlick to convert then burn....
Or use ConvertxtoDVD..

[ronnylov]

Burn it to a dual layer DVD.

[t0nee1]

I agree with ronny, 2hr + video to keep best quality, use IMGBurn and build iso to DL disk ,if you have DL, burner of course.....

[Cornucopia]

No, no, no.

2hr11min should be fine on a SL disc, assuming you got the bitrate right in the 1st place. My hunch is that you selected (or your &^%$##@ program did it for you) LPCM audio instead of AC3 or MP2 audio. That would just about account for the overage in size. If you've got the orginal material, you DEFINITELY SHOULD NOT re-encode with Shrink, etc. Just encode once at the right bitrate.
My calc gives you: 2hr 11min. = 7860sec.
4.37GB / 7860sec. = 4.56Mbps, minus 224kbps for AC3/MP2 audio leaves ~4.25Mbps.
You could do this as VBR AVERAGE, using peaks at 8.5-9Mbps PEAK. Should work very well for you.

Scott

[TooLFooL]

No, no, no.

2hr11min should be fine on a SL disc, assuming you got the bitrate right in the 1st place. My hunch is that you selected (or your &^%$##@ program did it for you) LPCM audio instead of AC3 or MP2 audio. That would just about account for the overage in size. If you've got the orginal material, you DEFINITELY SHOULD NOT re-encode with Shrink, etc. Just encode once at the right bitrate.
My calc gives you: 2hr 11min. = 7860sec.
4.37GB / 7860sec. = 4.56Mbps, minus 224kbps for AC3/MP2 audio leaves ~4.25Mbps.
You could do this as VBR AVERAGE, using peaks at 8.5-9Mbps PEAK. Should work very well for you.

Scott

i agree... and if you don't have the original material, you can demux it and reencode the audio to AC3

[t0nee1]

Yes,yes, yes.
Whatever works!!!!

[LadyLiete]

I'm desperately trying to burn a DVD of my husband's black belt test. This has been a project for many months that I keep starting and stopping when I'm not successful, so I'm hoping someone out there can help me out. In January, I used Ulead Video Studio 10 to create a movie from some HD clips from a Sony Camcorder. It ended up at 2 hrs 11 minutes and I created an mpg file from the video (unfortunately, I can't remember what option I selected) - but the video ended up at 6.43gb. In February, I used some software (also can't remember which) to shrink it down to 4gb to burn to DVD - but when i watched it, there was no sound. I think I need to shrink it down to the right file size and the right format - but I'm not sure what or how to do that? any advice would be much much appreciated!! I'm hoping to do this with free software if possible.
Thanks in advance..

open the file in dvdsanta, it will auto recompress it for burning

[TooLFooL]

the point is NOT to re-encode the video, further degrading it..

[ronnylov]

I got the impression it was a video from a camcorder (husband's black belt test) and if hand held and interlaced it probably needs more than 4.25 mbit/s video average bitrate at full DVD resolution. I suggest at least 6 mbit/s VBR average bitrate. Then it will not fit one single layer DVD. Otherwise halfD1 may be an option but then why use a HD camcorder to create low resolution DVD?

Oh it is a camcorder: "a movie from some HD clips from a Sony Camcorder"!

So this is the reason I suggest dual layer. And with the file size 6.43 GB the bitrate may be enough for acceptable quality but if the original video is still available you should use higher bitrate and encode the original to fill a dual layer disc or two single layer discs. If the original is lost then the best option is to not reencode the copy.

[Cornucopia]

Camcorder: if HD, could be Interlaced or Progressive.
Nobody has said anything yet about handheld or not.

If this was on a tripod locked down (no jarring whatsoever) and with good lighting, whether Interlaced or Progressive shouldn't matter and it --could-- be OK at 4.25Mbps. But that's a lot of IFs.

Otherwise, I'll concur with ronnylov. And especially, DON'T RE-ENCODE UNLESS THAT'S YOUR ONLY OPTION LEFT.

Scott