Authoring Divx to DVD-R - Possible?

[i-kon]

Thats basically it, just trying to get a bunch of Divx files (under 4.7gb), menus, and stuff on to DVD without conversion. Software Ive tried with, DVDit and Ulead DVD WS....but they all want to convert these files

I realise that these files will not play on standalones (that's why the software wont do it) but was wondering if there was any way around this.

[bugster]

You can burn them as data files to you DVD-r which can then be played on a PC, but you cannot (at least, to my knowledge) add DVD style menus and chapters when you do this.

DVDit etc are DVD-Video authoring packages and so insist on the video and audio being DVD compliant mpeg-2, not divx.

[garryheather]

That is correct - you can put the DivX movie files on a data DVD and play them on a PC without any more work - although mentioning menus, I guess that's not really what you had in mind.

Since you're going to have to convert the DivX into a compatible MPEG2 stream if you ever wanted to create a true DVD-Video (complete with menus), I suggest re-encoding with TMPGEnc. I have used this before with good results since you can load tthe DivX into it as an AVI and in the settings specify that the resulting video maintains the original source's aspect ratio (I assume your DivX video is widescreen and you've cropped it down so that the playback window doesn't have black bars top and bottom) within a full field. Leaving the re-encoding time aside, it's a quick and easy way of getting DivX onto a DVD.

If you encode widescreen DivX to a 4:3 frame, you might be able to recreate the anamorphic effect by using your widescreen TV's controls for example, but that's a bit hit or miss - plus your DivX has already compressed the source video to buggery without "zooming" in on your telly !

Don't forget you are not allowed to have a mixture of aspect ratios in a single VOB file if you follow the specs - so if say you've got a full screen trailer or video clip you must encode it as a widescreen MPEG2 video but put the 4:3 clip in the widescreen frame in the TMPEnc settings if the main movie is widescreen. Some apps may let you bend that rule, but I have yet to see one (for example, Ulead's DVD Movie Factory says the stream is non complaint but doesn't say why. Helpful, eh ? )

Hope that helps.

Garry.

[i-kon]

Cheers guys, im gonna try converting to mpeg2 with that software.

Shame its not possible tho