Trying to burn a large mkv to a DL DVD

[mew1033]

Hi everyone!

I have an mkv file that is a full length, full HD (1080p) movie with subtitiles, and (I think) chapter markers. I want to burn it on a playable DVD. I know that is a pretty daunting task, but I'm up for a challenge, and I want to learn along the way.
I already tried one way. I used the program DVD Flick to squish the movie down enough so that it would fit on a DVD+R DL. Everything looked like it was working, but when I played the DVD on my computer, the subtitles were gone. As well as the chapter markers. So I commenced trying to rip the subtitles out of the original mkv and put them in the newly converted DVD video. I followed this guide as well as I could, but I hit a snag. For some reason, SubtitleCreator doesn't like the .srt file that I generated with MKVExtractGUI.
I also hit a few other minor problems along the way.

So, long story short, I'd like someone to hold my hand through all the demuxing, reencoding, and authoring that I may or may not have to do. I know that I need to get the vide file (.m2v?), audio file (.ac3?) (the orginal file has 5.1 surround sound in it), subtitles file (I don't know... .srt or .sub?), and the chapter marker file (Celltimes.txt?) and mux them all together in a VIDEO_TS folder.

Can someone help me?[/url]

[Baldrick]

You can add the srt directly in dvd flick. But I don't think you can import any chapters, just create custom chapters.

[steptoe]

Just a quick way would be to give ConvertXtoDVD a look

It will easily accept your MKV with subtitles, and also convert (downsample or upsample) your audio from DTS or 5.1 to stereo or 5.1

It will also allow you to squeeze it to fit on a single DVD or DVD-DL with nothing much from you except to tell it where the file is


For subtitles, just make sure your subtitle file is the exact same name as your video file and it will import them automatically. Its then your choice if you want to delete the subtitle file, or just leave it and turn on/off subtitles from your standalone DVD player

As you have a 1080p source the final quality will still be very high, but converting an MKV of that size and resolution will take some time. On my Q6600 running at 3.2ghz, it still takes about an hour to convert it as it has a lot of work to do


Or for something 110% free, have a look at AVI2ISO. It uses 100% free software and also uses the very good HCEnc to convert your video, but this will be much longer to convert, but the results are very good, and it allows you to fiddle with the video as it uses avisynth to do the conversion

It installs as a package but is a little bit more fiddle to set-up, but offers much more control over what you want to do with the source conversion whereas ConvertxtoDVD is nearly click and go as it does most of the hard work for you

Just remember to set the quality settings to high in convertxtoDVD, the 'normal' settings are poo quality, and bump teh audio up to 65% otherwise you will have very quiet audio

[mew1033]

Just a quick way would be to give ConvertXtoDVD a look

It will easily accept your MKV with subtitles, and also convert (downsample or upsample) your audio from DTS or 5.1 to stereo or 5.1

It will also allow you to squeeze it to fit on a single DVD or DVD-DL with nothing much from you except to tell it where the file is


For subtitles, just make sure your subtitle file is the exact same name as your video file and it will import them automatically. Its then your choice if you want to delete the subtitle file, or just leave it and turn on/off subtitles from your standalone DVD player

As you have a 1080p source the final quality will still be very high, but converting an MKV of that size and resolution will take some time. On my Q6600 running at 3.2ghz, it still takes about an hour to convert it as it has a lot of work to do


Or for something 110% free, have a look at AVI2ISO. It uses 100% free software and also uses the very good HCEnc to convert your video, but this will be much longer to convert, but the results are very good, and it allows you to fiddle with the video as it uses avisynth to do the conversion

It installs as a package but is a little bit more fiddle to set-up, but offers much more control over what you want to do with the source conversion whereas ConvertxtoDVD is nearly click and go as it does most of the hard work for you

Just remember to set the quality settings to high in convertxtoDVD, the 'normal' settings are poo quality, and bump teh audio up to 65% otherwise you will have very quiet audio

Will ConvertXtoDVD leave the chapter markers in place as well?
Also, I'll want 5.1 surround sound audio. Will that downsample on a TV that just has stero speakers?
Thanks!

Chandler

[jman98]

Also, I'll want 5.1 surround sound audio. Will that downsample on a TV that just has stero speakers?
Thanks!

That depends on how your DVD player is set up to output the audio and has nothing to do with ConvertXtoDVD.

[mew1033]

Also, I'll want 5.1 surround sound audio. Will that downsample on a TV that just has stero speakers?
Thanks!

That depends on how your DVD player is set up to output the audio and has nothing to do with ConvertXtoDVD.

Gotcha! Thanks!

I guess I'll start the encoding all over again tonight.
Does anyone know if ConvertXtoDVD will keep my chapter markers?

Thanks for all the help I'm getting so far!


Edit: I just used MKVE Wizard (I think...) to get the chapters out of the original .mkv file. So now I have subtitles in .srt format, and chapters in boths Chapters.txt and Chapters.xml

[mew1033]

You can add the srt directly in dvd flick. But I don't think you can import any chapters, just create custom chapters.

Well if I elect not to create custom chapters, when I'm all done is there a way I can import them back in?

[MysticE]

Also, I'll want 5.1 surround sound audio. Will that downsample on a TV that just has stero speakers?
Thanks!

That depends on how your DVD player is set up to output the audio and has nothing to do with ConvertXtoDVD.

Gotcha! Thanks!

I guess I'll start the encoding all over again tonight.
Does anyone know if ConvertXtoDVD will keep my chapter markers?

Thanks for all the help I'm getting so far!


Edit: I just used MKVE Wizard (I think...) to get the chapters out of the original .mkv file. So now I have subtitles in .srt format, and chapters in boths Chapters.txt and Chapters.xml

Well you can give AVStoDVD a shot (use the last alpha, the current version has some problems with NTSC). It has a place to put in your own chapter points.