coverting dvds

[elitespart]

My question is that is there a major difference, other then the amount of time it takes, between using 1 click programs to convert avi videos and such to DVD format as compared to the long way...resizing, creating synthscript etc.

[redwudz]

The difference would depend a lot on the quality of the original file. If it's a Xvid, sized down to fit a 700MB CD, I won't bother with much except the 'one click wonders'.

If it's a larger, higher quality AVI type file like DV, you would be better able to preserve the quality with the individual tools. This would become more important if you were going to display it on a large screen TV.

I admit, I haven't tried a side by side comparison with a program like ConvertXToDVD and using a encoder like TMPGEnc and a authoring program like TMPGEnc DVD Author. The authoring part has nothing to do with quality, but if you want nice menus, you can't do that with a 'one click' program.

But this is all just opinion on my part.

[AlanHK]

Sometimes when I just want to watch something once and probably not keep it, I'll use DivxtoDVD, the last free version of ConvertxtoDVD. It does a good job of working out odd formats and frame rates and so far has always made something watchable. It encodes in about half the time I'd normally use with HCenc; but there is usually one or two bursts of pixellation in a one hour show, probably due to encoding in a single pass.

I burn to a DVDRW and can watch it with only a few seconds of my time.

But for anything I take more seriously I make an AVS script (starting with FitCD, possibly adding a delogo function for a TV rip) and use HCEnc, BeSweet, GuiForDVDAuthor, maybe PhotoShop for the menu background.

[guns1inger]

On my system I get around the same speed for a single pass encode between CCE and ConvertXtoDVD - around 45 - 60 minutes for a 90 - 100 minute movie. However I would never do a single pass encode in CCE - I would do a 3 pass + analysis. So it ultimately takes around 4 times as long to encode, and then there is audio encoding and authoring time.

The question isn't really which is faster, but is the difference in quality worth the time. As Redwudz pointed out, this is usually dependent on the quality of your source.

[mats.hogberg]

My take on this is the degree of flexibility the different approaches gives you. By definition, oneclickwonder apps hides all the nuts and bolts under a glossy layer. If you're satisfied with the output - fine, by all means use it. But if there are things that doesn't work, or you'd like a little different - you're SOL.
By using dedicated applications for each step in the process from format A to format B, not only can you tweak the settings in every step, but you can also check the output from each step before proceding to the next, and don't have to find something went wrong at some unknown point in the process, first when you play your end product.
So many seem to use oneclick apps, but want to tweak the output, or is forced to correct the output somehow, spending more time taking it apart and rebuilding it, than it'd taken them doing it "the right way" to start with.

/Mats