divx to DVD-R for PC + settop use

9th Sep 2003 20:55 #1

Member

Virgin post and hoping it's not lame.

I've just bought a DVD-+RW drive [Pioneer 106D oem], I'm well versed in DVD > divx > CD-R for PC playback and can manage DVD > VCD for PC/DVD playback but even after reading guides here and several forum posts I cannot get my head around how to format/burn multiple divx movies to a single DVD-R disc so I playback on a PC using WMP or BSplayer and on a set-top box such as the Kiss or Liteon units.

I do not have a Kiss or Liteon but I hope to buy such a unit later this year and I'd like to get my DVD-R burning techniques right. I have burned a DVD-R disc in ISO/UDF-1.02 format with multiple divx AVIs on it. My year old laptop can read this disc fine but older [circa 2000] DVD drives installed on XP-Pro systems report 'no disc found' - this alone is causing me concern if I have problems with PC playback lord knows what set-top units will make of my DVD-Rs.

Obviously I can test DVD-R playback [or even file copy] on PCs but I need help ensure the discs I burn will work on set-top units. I'm not even sure if I should use a single directory or one directroy per movie. With CD-R I can use a single top level directory and place the AVI SUB WAV [commentary] html jpg files in it. It would be nice to have 'splash screen' indicating press 1-4 to play a certain divx movie on a settop box - I do something similar for VCDs.

One minor discover: my settop Apex 1100WB which can deal with any ol' CD-R I throw at it can make no sense of an ISO/UDF1.02 DVD-R. I had hoped it would a least display the single jpg file I stored on the DVD-R alone with the multiple AVI files. The Apex flashs "DVD" on the TV and then reports invalid disc.

Thanks for suggestions or pointers.

Typical divx4.12 output
608x336 or 672x304 film/pal mp128/48kHz 12MB/min approx 1GB/movie
Software
XPpro Nero 5.5.10.50 GordianKnot divx VCDeasy TMPGEnc
Hardware
Pioneer 106D [previously a LiteOn CD-RW]
Location
Ireland - R2/PAL zone with lots of R1 movies.