where do i start?

[digitallybackwards]

alright..i am seriously technologically deficent...i have a dvd player on my laptop that has a 56k modem..i want to burn some movies or vcds..but where should i start?..what type of movie format should i download online..and then which programs should i use to get me to the point where i can burn a movie?..sorry for all the questions.i know there are faq's but i need straightfoward answers..
i would really really appreicate the input..
thanks ...

[Compound]

download an avi then follow the walkthroughto the left under convert use tempge. if your just watchin them on your laptop dont convert them just burn them as a data file they should play fine as long as the laptop has the right codecs and it should if it has a dvd drive

[digitallybackwards]

"aagghhh"..okay i needed to let that out..i have finished downloading my avi movie and started to set out to convert the thing using tempenge..but whenever i try to preview the file it says i don't have to right codecs..yes my laptop does have a dvd player but where do i find the right codecs?? so i downloaded a program called avi2vcd..well then it says it doesn't support the directshow file and i need correct codecs..??and then i downloaded divx codecs and it still didn't work..to save me from hours of downloading different programs what in the world should i do now?

[dumwaldo]

sorry to give you the answer you dont want to hear but what you need to do is READ. your question is like asking someone how do i fish? i can answer your question in simple terms. if you want to make vcd's then download a vcd and burn it. if you downloaded an avi then convert it to vcd and split it so that no single part is longer than 74 minutes and then burn it. well thats the answer to your question but i doubt it helped you at all. right here on this very site there are great step by step guides to virtually every aspect of vcd creation with pictures and arrows and explinations. these guides could not possibly be any clearer. you need not have any technical knowledge in order to follow the guides.

BTW i dont know where compound got the idea that the divx codecs have anything to do with having a dvd player but they dont. visit http://www.divx.com for the divx 4 codec and get the infinatley more popular divx 3.11 alpha codec here, http://www.afterdawn.com/software/specific.cfm/186