Converting and burning MPGs onto DVD disc

[Shaba1]

I recently got access to a computer with a DVD+_RW burner. For the last 5 years all I had access to was a 8X CD-RW. So I normally did not get files greater then 700MB. Or if I did I used TMPEC to break them down to a that size using the VCD template. I now have several mpg1 files that are larger then 700mb that I would like to burn onto DVD. I have the free(time limited version of TMPENC version2.5 which long ago timed out as far as MPG-2 encoding. I also recently downloaded Virutal Dub, DVDDecrypter,Folder2ISO,IMGtools, and AVI2DVD.

AVI2DVD and DVDDecrypter work fine for AVI files. But I need to know how I go about processing MPG1 files to .iso so I can burn them onto DVD. I have several that are likd 800mb-1.5gb I really do not need titles or sub-titels or chapters or anything like that. I just would like to be able to fit as many as I can onto a 4.5GB dvd

Thanks in advance and sorry if this is not that clear.

[guns1inger]

There are hundreds of guides here, but you have to do some searching and reading.

I suggest you start with What is DVD - top left corner of this site. It will tell you what format your video and audio have to be in to be DVD compliant. Simply being mpeg isn't always enough - resolution and bitrate are also strictly defined.

ConvertXtoDVD is a pretty good one-click video converter. It will take avi, wmv, mpeg etc files and create DVD compliant output. There is a free version called DivxtoDVD, which will do a good job, but doesn't have the basic authoring tools of ConvertXtoDVD, and doesn't have some of the conversion niceties such as 2:3 pulldown.

As to how much you can fit on a disc - that comes down to one thing - bitrate. The lower the bitrate, the more you can fit. Of course, the lower the bitrate, the lower the quality. You have to find a compromise that meets you need for these things.

There are other programs to consider as well, such as Diko, and free encoders such as HCEnc.

You have a lot of reading to do before this becomes second nature. The tools that you should use will depend heavily on how much effort you are willing to put in. Small effort = simple tools.

[Shaba1]

There are hundreds of guides here, but you have to do some searching and reading.

I suggest you start with What is DVD - top left corner of this site. It will tell you what format your video and audio have to be in to be DVD compliant. Simply being mpeg isn't always enough - resolution and bitrate are also strictly defined.

ConvertXtoDVD is a pretty good one-click video converter. It will take avi, wmv, mpeg etc files and create DVD compliant output. There is a free version called DivxtoDVD, which will do a good job, but doesn't have the basic authoring tools of ConvertXtoDVD, and doesn't have some of the conversion niceties such as 2:3 pulldown.

As to how much you can fit on a disc - that comes down to one thing - bitrate. The lower the bitrate, the more you can fit. Of course, the lower the bitrate, the lower the quality. You have to find a compromise that meets you need for these things.

There are other programs to consider as well, such as Diko, and free encoders such as HCEnc.

You have a lot of reading to do before this becomes second nature. The tools that you should use will depend heavily on how much effort you are willing to put in. Small effort = simple tools.

Thanks guns1inger. I cannot seem to find DivxtoDVD anywhere on the net. I did find ConvertXtoDVD but I was looking for free tools and from what I read ConvertXtoDVD puts a watermark on the video when it converts. Anyone know of any free tools to do what I want. Mainly I have a LOT of old VCD format mpeg1s that I would like to put on DVD with or without menus. Everything I read shows me how to convert avis in either xvid or divx encoding to and iso to burn onto a DVD but nothing concerning mpeg1. I suppose I could convert the mpegs to avi and then use avi2dvd and dvddecryptor but I am trying to avoid that extra step.

[teegee420]

If they're VCD compliant mpegs, just drop them into the DVD authoring program of your choice. No re-encoding necessary. Check the tools section for DVD authors. You should find some that are freeware.

[guns1inger]

If you go to the ConvertXtoDVD page in the Tools section you will also find a link to the freeware version.

If you have an authoring tool that can recognise VCD source as compliant and upsample the audio to 48 khz, use that.

[Shaba1]

If they're VCD compliant mpegs, just drop them into the DVD authoring program of your choice. No re-encoding necessary. Check the tools section for DVD authors. You should find some that are freeware.

Such as what?? Can you give me some names. I tired DVDAuthorGui. But that requires "elementary streams" So I used TMPEC 2.5 do multiplex the mpg. then put it in DVDAuthorGui. I got and error.

[Jim44]

TMPGEnc 2.5 will encode to elementary streams directly, or you can De-Mux the single stream from the "MPEG Tools..." menu.

I do it all the time to feed into DVDAuthorGui. What was the error you received?

Jim

[Shaba1]

this was the error:

DVDAuthorGUI 1.008b - 1/14/2006
Send problems with DVDAuthorGUI to liquid_217@hotmail.com 
 ***please wait while the titles are multiplexed. 
 *multiplexing title: 1..... 
    INFO: [???] mplex version 2.0.0 (2.2.3 $Date: 2004/01/13 20:45:26 $) 
 **ERROR: [???] Unable to open file C:\Documents and Settings\xxxxx\Desktop\Clips\BAWZ\B-WZ_BT69.m1v for reading. 
 *multiplexing title: 2..... 
    INFO: [???] mplex version 2.0.0 (2.2.3 $Date: 2004/01/13 20:45:26 $) 
 **ERROR: [???] Unable to open file C:\Documents and Settings\xxxxx\Desktop\Clips\BAWZ\B-WZ_JWA2.m1v for reading. 
 *authoring title(s)..... 
 
Process aborted due to above error
There was an unknown error.  Please review the log for more information.