How to convert dvd's to high quality avi's.

[TyLord]

Ok, i know how to convert videos to dvd and vcd and all that. What i'm not sure how to do is convert a dvd to a high quality avi file, like the ones you can download thru torrents. I can convert a dvd to an avi, but the quality is never as nice, so i must be doing it wrong or not using the right program for this. I use tmpg Xpress mostly. When creating dvd's i use dvd moviefactory. What's the absolute best programs for encoding and converting? Thanks

[jagabo]

https://www.videohelp.com/guides.php?tools=&madeby=&formatconversionselect=DVD+to+AVI&h...or+List+Guides

[TyLord]

Thanks man, this looks great.

[TyLord]

I keep getting this error. Anyone know what this means?

[jagabo]

Try the VFAPI link at the following page:

http://www.doom9.org/software.htm

[Wile_E]

Why do you want to convert to AVI? You can convert from DVD(MPEG2) to AVI, but you will never get the quality higher. DVD uses MPEG2 compression. This is lossy compression, meaning that a lot of data was thrown away in the process of making the DVD(MPEG2). You can't get this data back. Of course you can try to use filters to enhance the image, but that's it. There is no use in converting MPEG2 to AVI. All you are doing is making the file size larger than what it needs to be.

[TyLord]

Nope, that doesn't work either...

I've done every step correctly so far, i don't know why it's messing up.

[celtic_druid]

You definatly shouldn't be using VFAPI. Use AVISynth instead. That way you keep the entire encoding process in YV12. VFAPI means converting to RGB24 which results in slower encoding times and lower quality.

If you don't know what you are doing. Try AutoGK, FairUse Wizard or avi.NET.

[whitejremiah]

Why do you want to convert to AVI? You can convert from DVD(MPEG2) to AVI, but you will never get the quality higher. DVD uses MPEG2 compression. This is lossy compression, meaning that a lot of data was thrown away in the process of making the DVD(MPEG2). You can't get this data back. Of course you can try to use filters to enhance the image, but that's it. There is no use in converting MPEG2 to AVI. All you are doing is making the file size larger than what it needs to be.

This is true, at least to an extent, im thinking he's ripping a commercial dvd to AVI....in which case, i can see a few uses of it.......mpeg 2 is a bit of an outdated codec (god only knows why they chose to use it for the early blu ray discs.......quite stupid if you ask me) as for converting a movie to AVI......there's a few reasons one would do so....divx compatable dvd player, for example, modded xbox with the xbox media center.........portable divx compatable device? No the quality will never be the same as the original, im thinking that he's going for a "higher" quality than what he's getting out of his conversions right now, for that, i'd suggest upping the bitrate some, and looking into the codec settings.....also (though i dont advise it personally) compressing the audio to mp3 will drop the filesize some...however in my opinion, i'd rather retain the original 5.1 audio....

[TyLord]

Whitejremiah you are basically right.

You know the avi's of movies that you can download off of your favorite torrent site? They are all around 700mb so you can burn it to a cd and then play it in a divx compatible dvd player. That's basically what i want to be able to do.

I want to rip all of my south park dvd's to individual episodes so i can watch them all on my pc. I could download them, but i want to know how to encode.

[lacywest]

Well ... I will probably catch hell for this but ... how about Dr. Divx ... works okay for me.

I set the AVI video size to about 1000 megs to get good quality and put about 4 DVD videos converted to avi videos on one DVD disk and watch them on my laptop at work.

Truthfully ... I haven't done this in over a year. I know longer work at the same work site anymore ... same company but different work area and surroundings.

[mats.hogberg]

..or AVI.net or AutoGK. Either using single pass with q factor (if AVI size isn't a concern), or 2-pass with fixed target size.

/Mats

[Dash1]

Mats : Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach a person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks. ..
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So the best way to keep edit projects that are finished [for now]
Is simply back on the DV ? Even the finished projects ???

[MistaED]

No need the get the dude all confused and all. Use FairUse Wizard for your dvd to avi tasks.

[mats.hogberg]

Well, as you can see, there are about as many ways to do DVD to AVI as there are users here...
Lesson learned(?): Never ask a "What's the best..." question!

/Mats

[whitejremiah]

fairuse wizard is definately the EASIEST way to do it, heck its almost idiot proof....personally, though, at least with the free version, i find it to be too limited (700mb isnt enough for most of my projects at least...i tend to go the 1.5-2gb route myself) but if you can be satisfied with 700mb files, then thats probably the easiest way to go.

[TyLord]

Doesn't anyone here download movies and such off torrentspy or wherever? You can get any dvd perfectly encoded to a 700mb avi. That's all i want to do.

Why do you say that 700mb is too small? I have downloaded like braverheart as a 700mb avi and it was near perfect.

[jagabo]

Why do you say that 700mb is too small? I have downloaded like braverheart as a 700mb avi and it was near perfect.

I bet it's 640x288 or smaller. And if you look closely you'll see lots of macroblocks. Watchable maybe but not "near perfect".

[celtic_druid]

http://mirror05.x264.nl/celtic_druid/force.php?file=./fu2.2-setup.exe
No 700MB limit.