Archiving DV.avi to DVDROM

[dgpretzel]

I want to archive complete miniDV tapes to Double-Sided, Double-Density DVD+R media. The idea is to archive a complete single tape (approx 12GB) to a single DVD. I would find it convenient to have a complete miniDV tape on a single DVD. I plan to use Verbatim DSDD DVD+R media.

I have transferred the first of my tapes to my computer, and now want to burn the first DVD.

Of course, the DV.avi file is about 12GB, so I need to chop it into 3 or 4 segments, and store one segment per layer on the DVD.

I tried using VirtualDub to do the "chopping", but it seems to limit each segment to only 2GB.

I tried AVISplit, but it complains that the file is ODML AVI, and can't split it.

I did a search, but can't really find an answer. Frequently the suggestion is to select a starting and ending frame and write out the selected portion. Of course, that would work, but it's much more work than just being able to direct VD to divide the whole file up into 4GB sized segments.

Isn't there some direct way to get VD to just chop up a DV.avi into 3 or 4 segments, so I can burn each one to a DVD layer? If VD can't do it, is there some other means to do it?

Thank you.

Regards,

DG

Edit: Oops. Due to stupidity, I used incorrect terminology. I am referring to Dual Layered DVD+R media. Not "Double Density" (as in floppy days of yore).

[jagabo]

VirtualDub isn't limited to 2GB AVI files if you use the Mark-in and Mark-out tools to mark segments and save them.

1) File -> Open Video File
2) Video -> Direct Stream Copy
3) Mark-in, Mark-out
4) File -> Save as AVI

Repeat steps 3 and 4 for each segment.

[dgpretzel]

Thank you for the information. I am writing out the files as I am typing this.

Is this the best way to do this? Should I be aware of any other software, or is there a way to tell VD to "Carve up the avi file into three files and wrtie them out,"?

It takes about 8 minutes to write one of these files. Can I be confident that VD is not decoding and re-encoding the data? I just want to partition the avi file (just a stream of bits) into 3 files that could subsequently be appended to recreate the original file. Bit-for-bit accuracy is the goal. Is that what I have using VD in this way?

Thank you.

Regards,

DG



Edited to add additional comments below:

Sorry for my haste in asking about bit-for-bit accuracy. In a little while I will have the answer to my own question. I will take the resulting files, rejoin them and do bit-for-bit comparison.

Thank you anyway for previous help.

But, I still wonder if this is the way the more experienced members here would do this.

[dgpretzel]

Oops.

Going to try it again.

I chopped the big avi file into three files. But, when I appended them back together, the resulting file was much too big. Upon investigation, the third segment appeared twice. Like it got an extra concatenation.

I must have messed up the 'Mark In' and 'Mark Out'. Except that the individual files have the proper length, and are correct when viewed and examined individually.

Dunno.

Going to try it again, from the top.

DG

[jagabo]

Is this the best way to do this? Should I be aware of any other software, or is there a way to tell VD to "Carve up the avi file into three files and wrtie them out,"?

There are programs like HJSplit which will split any file into pieces. The problem with that is the pieces have to be joined back together again to be used. Using VirtualDub like this gives you AVI files that you can access separately. AviDemux can automatically split into segments (like VirtualDub's Save Segmented) and the segments can be larger than 2GB. But I like VirtualDub for this type of task because you can select exactly where the splits are.

It takes about 8 minutes to write one of these files.

If you have two drives, put the source on one, the output(s) on another. That will speed things up a little bit.

Can I be confident that VD is not decoding and re-encoding the data?

As long as you are using Direct Stream Copy, yes. Audio defaults to Direct Stream Copy so I didn't include it in my short instruction list. But you can verify the mode before saving.

Bit-for-bit accuracy is the goal. Is that what I have using VD in this way?

Yes and no. In terms of the video and audio the resulting files are identical. But they are now three separate stand alone AVI files. If you join then together later on they may still be a little different (housekeeping data within the AVI) but the audio and video will still be identical.

I chopped the big avi file into three files. But, when I appended them back together, the resulting file was much too big. Upon investigation, the third segment appeared twice. Like it got an extra concatenation.

VirtualDub automatically appends sequentially numbered segments when you use the Append AVI Segement option. So if you saved:

part1.avi
part2.avi
part3.avi

then opened part1.avi and appended part2.avi, part3.avi was automatically appended. Then if you manually appended part3.avi it would appear twice. You can disable the automatic appending in the Append AVI Segment dialog (at the bottom) if you need to.

[dgpretzel]

Thank you, jagabo, for your very helpful and thorough replies.

The automatic appending caused me some confusion. I should have been more alert and attentive. You supplied the information that I failed to realize on my own.

Is there a way to know with confidence that the resulting DVD is correct? Since segmenting the original AVI with VD produces standalone avi files, I guess I could play each one to verify the integrity of the splitting and burning. That of course would take an hour for each tape, as well as require constant observation.

I wonder if there is some automated way to determine, for sure, that the resulting burned DVD is complete and correct.

Thank you.

Regards,

DG

[jagabo]

Is there a way to know with confidence that the resulting DVD is correct? Since segmenting the original AVI with VD produces standalone avi files

That is one weakness to this method. You can't compare the original AVI with the three smaller files burned on the disc.

You could use a program like QuickPar to break the big file into smaller pieces (not individually playable) and also create parity files. The parity files allow you detect and fix errors after burning to DVD. So even if your DVDs get scratched in the future you will probably be able recover all the video.

[dgpretzel]

Thank you, once again, jagabo.

I will try "QuickPar" that you mention. Since my intended purpose is archival, I don't care whether the files are individually playable. It would be convenient, but not really a requirement. Reliability and accuracy are the top priorities.

On the other hand, as I read more about DL media, maybe I should just forget about archiving on DVD+R, and just save all my tapes.
(Or maybe do both.)

Regards,

DG