Making a DVD with both .vob and .avi source files?

[dastott]

Dear all,

I'm sorry if this question has been asked before. I couldn't any satifactory info. I want to make a DVD to play in any standalone player but my source files are a 3gb DVD with full menu plus a 700mb avi file. I want to combine these onto 1 DVD disc and I'm happy to keep the original menu for the vob files. The software I presently have is DVD Shrink, VSO DivxtoDVD, TMPGEnc DVD Author, TMPGEnc encoder and Avi2DVD. Can I do such a thing with any of this software? If so, how? In what order? Is there a simple way? Thanks for any help...

[redwudz]

Just put the additional stuff outside of the TS folders and DVD players shouldn't see it or cause problems. You can do it with Nero using DVD-Video mode. Just add the other file or folder before you burn. Other burning programs may be able to do it also.

[dastott]

Thanks. But then I won't be able to watch the avi file on any standalone player? I was thinking I would have to convert the avi file to mpeg 2, then author it, then use DVD Shrink to play all the files on a standalone DVD player. This sounds quite long and I'm not sure it's the best way to do it...

If a mix vob files and avi file on 1 disc like you say can I watch the avi file on a standalone player that plays divx? Sorry for all the questions...

[redwudz]

If a mix vob files and avi file on 1 disc like you say can I watch the avi file on a standalone player that plays divx?

That I can't swear to. I would assume it would work. Divx files are just data files. You could try it with a RW.

[guns1inger]

Most players are either/or. If you create a DVD video disk, the player will ignore all else. My player quite happily plays jpgs, mp3, wma etc. But if I put them on a DVD Video disk, it can't see them. You might be able to navigate around this - some players have a basic explorer type option - but I suspect you won't be able to play the AVI version.

Why would you want to ?

[redwudz]

I wondered how a settop Divx player would handle it. Sounds like the Divx player may default to the TS folder and not see the Divx.

I don't have a settop Divx player. I figured a computer would have no problem playing the Divx if you selected it.

It could be handy for putting extras on a DVD to save space while still keeping a high quality ~4Gb MPEG format for the main movie. A ~300Mb Divx file could hold a lot of video. I was thinking more like a copy of VLC player or similar for computer users to play the DVD.

Might be a interesting experiment. But with a RW.

[guns1inger]

A PC would have no problems at all because you can browse to any file and open it at will. That said, you get around 45 - 60 minutes of good quality (but definately sub-DVD) Divx in 300 - 350mb. To duplicate a full movie would require 700 - 800 mb, again at sub-DVD quality. Perhaps if you used DivxtoDVD to do the original encoding you would have space to do this.

Also, I would use MPC, as you could park a single executable on the DVD and run it from there as a self contained player. No install necessary to playback either the DVD or the Divx. You could even add an autorun script to launch the Divx version when the disk was inserted.

[lordsmurf]

convert the avi file to mpeg 2, then author it, then use DVD Shrink to play all the files on a standalone DVD player. This sounds quite long and I'm not sure it's the best way to do it...

This will result in a degraded quality DVD. Not good. Make your files the correct size the first time around. Don't go too large then use a transcoder. It looks bad.

If everything does not fit on 1 DVD, then use two. Don't try to compress the snot out of it.

[dastott]

Thanks for all the responses. My main goal is to have the two files on my 1 "standard" DVD. As they are both TV caps from the early 1980s I don't really need to have 1 DVD for each. Besides, DVDShrink has given pretty good results when used before. Of course, I don't want to compress it to death...

One last question. Anyone know of the settings I should use to get a smallish file size after using TMPGEnc to convert to NTSC mpeg2?

[dastott]

Thanks guys. Well, I burned the DVD. The avi file was converted with TMPGEnc using NTSC Low Resolution and a few filters to clean it up. It came out at 1.2mbs, a little smaller than the 1.4mb avi (not 700mb that was a typo). With the use of cropping and filters there wasn't much difference in quality. Gold Wave was used to clean up the audio.

Then, I used TMPGEnc DVD Author to make the menus for the converted avi and made this converted avi 'track 2' on the DVD. The original 3gb vob files were 'track 1' I was hoping there was a shorter way to do this buut there wasn't. The results are very satisfying...