11+G avi to DVD MSP7

[Dobermann]

After trying many different search criteria and always getting results of 24,000+ entries, I am frustrated. All I want to do is create a couple of dvds from my avi that I transfered from dv tape to avi format. There are 4 files of roughtly 50 minutes each, and each over 11Gig in size. I captured them in MSP7. It's a seminar that I recorded.

How in the world do I get from < 2 hours of video and 22+Gig to one DVD (I figure it will take 2 DVDs for all 4 hours)? How do I control the loss of quality? What settings?

Any links or suggestions? I'm sure others have been down this path before, but I cannot get the search to return a reasonable number of results to review.

Thanks,
Dobermann

[jimmalenko]

You need to re-encode your AVIs to DVD-compliant MPEG-1/2 files - see What is DVD (top left) for details on what the specs are.

Personally I use this guide - the singlemost important thing you need to know is that the bitrate used controls the filesize. So if you want to fit everything on one DVD, you need to use an appropriate bitrate (the bitrate calculator here can help you with that). You also need to take into consideration the frame size you use, and its suitability given the bitrate you are using. These two factors combine to directly affect the quality of the final result, so that's why it is imperative that you get these right.

If you'd prefer not to get your hands dirty, there's plenty of tools in the tools section under All-in-one DVD converters (I think) that will take care of most of the settings for you, but at the cost of not having much flexibility, and IMO the quality can be quite disappointing at times also.

[mats.hogberg]

This narrows it down from 24.000+ to 15...

/Mats

[Dobermann]

Thanks for the info and links. I'll be reading for a bit, and hopefully all questions will be answered after that. One other side question... why is it that people use so many different programs to complete the task? Are there not a least a few complete programs that do all the steps and give you the same ability to control the specs as all these separate ones do with good quality?

Thanks,
Dobermann

[jimmalenko]

why is it that people use so many different programs to complete the task? Are there not a least a few complete programs that do all the steps and give you the same ability to control the specs as all these separate ones do with good quality?

I think you've just answered your own question ... and done a damn fine job of it, if I do say so myself

A lot of the programs that claim to do everything are "jack of all trades, master of none" software. They can do everything, but IMO they don't do every single step as good as it can be done. Hence a number of different programs, which are all dedicated specifically to do one, maybe two tasks, and to do them well, generally results in a much better final product.

[mats.hogberg]

a number of different programs, which are all dedicated specifically to do one, maybe two tasks, and to do them well.

<rant>...in the good ole time honoured Linux tradition, quality before quantity. Unfortunately, creators of Windows apps usually have it the other way around - quantity before quality. I guess it's the marketing people, who can't build a campain around something that only slices (no matter how well it slices) - it has to slice, dice, chip and chop and preferrably make your coffee before they're satisfied. That it's no good for anything of the above doesn't seem to matter...</rant>

/Mats

[thecoalman]

Just to add to what mats.hopsberg said.... MSP is an excellent editor. The question is not "What can I do with it?" but "What can I not do with it?". I see a lot of posts on here of how do I do this simple thing with x tool which I know can be easily accomplished in MSP but requires you to jump through twenty hoops to accomplish it with a all-in-one if at all. I've been using MSP for a little over a year now and I'm still just scratching the surface. Stick with it you'll be gald you did.

[Dobermann]

thecoalman, are you of the belief that MSP does as good or better job demuxing as does TMPGEnc? I've been reading still, so I have not checked out the different option choices and settings that each one offers to be able to compare for myself.

It seems that none of my files are in what MSP calls a standard format. I never get the red and green bar, plus once I cut out segments and select File|Create|Video, it then reencodes the file. I have heard that other pgms do not need to reencode. Since it is an MPEG, it is lossy, and if it is like graphic work, each encoding should loose some quality.

This, then, causes another thought. If you have an avi file and cut out sections, I believe it should be saved as an avi, as avi is lossless. If you have an MPEG file and cut out sections, you would save it as the same file type, right? What if you combine clips of various MPEG type, you need to reencode the file again, right? But as what file type? The best MPEG in that combination? The lesser MPEG in that combination? What if you combined avi and mpeg clips, cut out sections, then wish to save it. What format then?

Enquiring minds want to know
Dobermann
(thank goodness dog training is black and white!)

[thecoalman]

thecoalman, are you of the belief that MSP does as good or better job demuxing as does TMPGEnc? I've been reading still, so I have not checked out the different option choices and settings that each one offers to be able to compare for myself.

I don't use tmpgenc so I can't comment. Besides I never have to that anyway. All My source footage is DV-AVI. I drop it in the editor, do my editing and create DVD compliant mpeg w/ac3. No further changes needed.

It seems that none of my files are in what MSP calls a standard format. I never get the red and green bar, plus once I cut out segments and select File|Create|Video, it then reencodes the file. I have heard that other pgms do not need to reencode. Since it is an MPEG, it is lossy, and if it is like graphic work, each encoding should loose some quality.

If your output file doesn't match the source video or you alter the video it has to reencode. If you add any filters, transitions, anything that changes the video it has to reencode. But providing you output settings are the same as the source file MSP will only renecode the parts of the video that have changed such as where you added transitions. Best thing to do is match the source video or as much as possible with your output settings. I'm using all DV-AVI as my source so I don't run into the different types of video problems. Suggest you use AVI if possible.