help with avi files

[wendle]

I'm new to this so bear with me. I've just gotten broadband and am downloading some TV shows that are in avi format. I need a media player that will play them, WMP won't and also how do I go about burning them to DVD? Do I need to convert them so they will play on my DVD player?
Any help is extremely apprecated.

[jimmalenko]

Seems you were new to VCD about this time last year, hmmmmmm ?

These sections are your FRIENDS:
https://www.videohelp.com/guides
https://www.videohelp.com/tools


WMP will play them if you get the right codec(s):
https://www.videohelp.com/play#identify

If your settop player can play divx or xvid then you may be fortunate enough to not have to convert anything.

Otherwise, converting to DVD-compliant MPEG-2:
https://www.videohelp.com/dvd
http://members.dodo.net.au/~jimmalenko/AVI2DVD.htm
divxtodvd

[wendle]

Thanks heaps, sometimes I think I know what I am doing, but I like to check before I do anything.
How do I know which codecs I need though? there seem to be so many!

[jimmalenko]

How do I know which codecs I need though? there seem to be so many!

That's what this is for:

WMP will play them if you get the right codec(s):
https://www.videohelp.com/play#identify

Identify the codec(s) you need for any given file, then install them on a needs basis.


... or try ffdshow, which can decode almost everything these days ...

[spectroelectro]

Roughly half of all the cries for help on this forum are from folks who download TV shows in avi format and want to burn them onto DVD.

Short version: don't.

Download ffmpeg and watch your avis on your computer. Divx is incompatible in every possible way with the DVD format. Different audio sampling rate, different audio codec, different frame size, different frame rate, different everything. It takes so much time and effort to convert avis to DVD format and the results look so crappy that it's not worth it.

If you download a TV show, burn it to CD-R and watch it on your computer. Anything else is a waste of your time.

[jimmalenko]

Divx is incompatible in every possible way with the DVD format.

Rubbish.

Different audio sampling rate

Can be 48KHz

different audio codec

Can be AC3

different frame size

Can be 720 x 480 or 720 x 576

different frame rate

Still either 23.976, 25 or 29.976 (all of which are dvd-compliant)

different everything

There's 4 things above which can be the same. Need I go on ?

It takes so much time and effort to convert avis to DVD format and the results look so crappy that it's not worth it.

DivxToDVD does a reputable job in a reasonably quick time. Encoders can do a typically decent job also. A lot depends on the source though.