Confused about how much can fit on a DVD

[Craig876]

So I have a system setup to capture home video and burn to DVD. I figured I could fit about 3-4 hours per disc based on movies on DVDs... I'm finding I'm wrong, and that normal DVDs only hold an hour of good quality DVD. Are movies on dual layer DVDs? I'd be happy with movie quality video... just not sure the best way to get it.

Thanks for the help,
Craig

[harley2ride]

If you are using the correct process and software, you can easily get 2+ hours of high quality on a dvd.

[Craig876]

Is that on a regular single layer disc (DVD-5 I think) ?

[ZippyP.]

Are movies on dual layer DVDs?

Yes they normally are. The amount you get on a DVD depends on your bitrate setting, a bitrate calculator can help figure it out: https://www.videohelp.com/calc.htm

You should be able to get 2 hours of good quality video on a single layer disk/

[redwudz]

You might want to look to the left at 'What is' DVD. <<<<<<
Commercial (Pressed) DVDs are dual layer and hold quite a bit more information than a DVD-5, typical of burned DVDs. There are also dual layer DVDs you can burn, but they are expensive at present.

How much you can fit on a DVD depends on the bitrate used. Lower bitrate=More video, longer time and lower quality. Higher bitrate=Higher quality, less time. There's more involved, but that's the simple explanation.

You can fit 7 hours or more on a DVD, but at very low quality. You can use a bitrate calculator (In 'Tools' to the left. <<<) to set your encoder for the bitrate for 3-4 hours of video. You might want to look into the 1/2 D1 setting for that amount of video for best quality. Best advice: Do some reading. It's all there in the Guides. <<<<<

[davideck]

I'd be happy with movie quality video... just not sure the best way to get it.

You should not expect to achieve the same video quality (for a given bitrate) as commercial movie DVDs. Their encoding processes are superior to those methods used at the consumer level.

[Craig876]

Ok... thanks for the help so far. From this thread & looking around and reading the various guides, I need a better encoder. My drive came with Roxio DVD Builder and it can convert the AVI to MPEG, but I end up with an hour of MPEG at about 4.5 GB.

So my question is this: Can I get the TMPGEnc encoder (not author) and use it to conver the AVI to MPEG and then expect to get about 2 hours on one DVD?

And can I then use the Roxio DVD builder to author the DVD using the MPEG I created with TMPGEnc ?

Please bear with me, this is all new...

Thanks,
Craig

[redwudz]

Welcome to the world of DVD creation. You've done some reading here, that's good.

There are a lot of encoding options available. I favor TMPGEnc encoder as it's easy to use for beginners. It has a Wizard mode that makes fitting a video into a DVD fairly easy. As mentioned, it is mainly the bitrate you choose that determines the size of a MPEG-2.

4.37Gb is the room on a DVD and that includes the video and the audio. If you convert the audio to AC3 with a program like ffmpegGUI, you will save room for more video bitrate. I use VirtualDub and extract the audio as a WAV, then convert to AC3. I add the AC3 back in again during the authoring stage. I generally use TMPGEnc DVD Author for the authoring and burning.

All this can be done with other programs, there are a lot. What I use is fairly easy, but you need to purchase the TMPGEnc programs, though trial versions are available.

[davideck]

I need a better encoder. My drive came with Roxio DVD Builder...

I agree. The Roxio encoded DVDs that I have seen have been dissappointing.

[junkmalle]

Also note that noisy, shaky, handheld camcorder video will not compress as well as professionally shot film.

[Wile_E]

2hr's for a single-layer DVD-R, is pushing it. I can never get more than about 1:30min while retaining very good quality. If you want to cram 2hr on a single-layer dvd, than you will have to reduce the bitrate and/or reduce resolution to 352x240. It really depends on the quality of your source. Homemade movies from VHS or a camcorder need more bitrate.

Tmpgenc does have an XDVD format, which supposedly allows you to have several hours on a DVD. But I've never tried it, as it isn't official DVD spec. I've never heard anyone on this forum claim to have used it.

[davideck]

With my Hauppauge PVR-250, I can get 2 hours on a single layer DVD at 4500 avg / 8000 max bitrate; 720x480. For VHS sources, the results are excellent.

[jimmalenko]

If you want to cram 2hr on a single-layer dvd, than you will have to reduce the bitrate and/or reduce resolution to 352x240.

I disagree for the most part. You could do two hours at Full D1 using 2-Pass VBR with an average of 4800 and a max of 9000 with 224kbps audio which should give reasonable results provided your footage isn't fast action all the time, extremely shaky or extremely noisy. Even for the latter two options there's filters to help reduce this. Alternatively you could do Half D1 with an average of 3100 and a max of 6000 with 224kbps audio which should also give reasonable results.



As for the OP, a bitrate calculator is your friend here. That and an encoder that does only what you tell it to do and not what it wants you to do.