Real Newbie question for converting AVI files to burn DVD's for home player

[glone2dvd]

Hi - first question here (go easy on me!) I have been transferring MiniDV tapes to my PC successfully with a Canon GL1 and firewire. I am using Windows Movie Maker and it is creating very large (11 to 13 GB) AVI files from 60 min cassettes on my PC. They seem to be good files and play back well on my PC. I know I need to convert and finalize (authoring??) these files to burn to DVD-R disks, can anyone suggest a good application, free or pay to accomplish this? I am trying to make playable DVD's of baby video's shot from 2000 to approx. 2005 for my wife for Christmas. She would appreciate just popping them into our DVD/BluRay player or a portable player and would not go for any streaming or other means of viewing. Will the conversion process yield smaller file sizes? Window 10 machine with a NVIDIA 730 card. Thanks in Advance. Joe.

[Kerry56]

If you want to make DVD-video from the AVI files, I would suggest using a free program called AVStoDVD. You would get best quality in this conversion going to DVD-9 size, which would require buying double layer DVD's. Verbatim brand +R DL is the only type of double layer DVD we recommend.

AVStoDVD can also convert to the smaller size, single layer DVD-5, which would contain about 4.3gb worth of data.

AVStoDVD can make a video with a menu or without one, your choice. Once it has finished the conversion and authoring steps, burn to a disc using ImgBurn.

You could also convert to Blu-ray format and burn to blank Blu-ray discs if you prefer, but this would require a different program. I believe BD-Rebuilder can do this, though it has only very crude menu making capabilities. Overall video quality might be better.

[DB83]

Just two programs.

Avstodvd to do the authoring.
Imgburn to do the burning.

And, yes, the authoring will yield smaller files. At present you have DV which as you have stated is 12-13 gb per hour. Mpeg2 for the dvd, at the highest bitrate, will be 4 gb per hour. Typically, avstodvd will be even smaller than that but still give very good quality.

[lingyi]

Fortunately, your original source was DV, so your .AVIs are identical to what was on the tape and the best quality possible.

Once you complete your conversion, use the 3-2-1 Backup Strategy (at least three copies of the orignal, on at least two different types of storage device / media (hard drive, optical disc, Cloud) and one offsite (possibly the Cloud).

[glone2dvd]

Thanks for your suggestions, I took them and it is working. I'm burning dual layer DVD's to get 2 hours onto a disk. I have 30 tapes so approximately 15 DVD's, which will be manageable. Just need to figure out adding a menu and I'll be off and running. Thanks again.