Burning multiple AVIs onto a DVD that works in most players

[paleintruder]

What is the easiest way to make multiple AVIs playable as chapters on a DVD that will work in most players? Quality is important but probably not vital. Ease of use is probably more important. I'd like to put 7-8 hours on a single DVD. I have Toast and QT, but am willing to buy other software if need be... I've done some conversion, but am still learning...

Please help! Thank you.

[live4ever]

No way to put 7-8 hours on a regular DVD unless you burn them as data and playback on a DivX capable player.

[alph]

I generally put up to about 6 hours on a single DVD. You can put more but then you are really cutting into quality.

My method:

-Convert all AVIs using FFMPEGX to the Half-DVD standard (352x480) 16:9 using the "DVD ffmpeg" preset. Bitrate, as suggested by the software, is about 1450kb/s and audio AC3 at 128kb/s. (this quality versus size trade-off is ideal for me)
-Go to the video tab of Toast, drop on all your mpegs, and let it author the DVD. Toast only re-multiplexes and adds chapters every 5 minutes. It can add a nice menu if you like too.

You can double this by going down to the Quarter-DVD size of 352x240, which, if you have a good quality source, does not look half bad either given the great results the ffmpeg encoder provides.

Happy encoding.
Alph

[paleintruder]

Thanks Alph!

[sjk]

Thanks, alph. Can you give a general estimate of how long it would take to convert, say, a 20-minute AVI/DivX video using the suggest preset you mentioned (on whatever system you use would be fine)?

[NarenFish]

I usually just run the AVI through Divx Doctor if it dosn't play right in Quicktime then drop it into Toast 6 to encode it into a DVD. It's a little ghetto but it works.

I am wondering what method would result in the highest quality transcode from AVI to DVD. I have acquired so many applications for this process it's pitiful. MPEG2 Works 3, Divx Doctor, Divx Tool, D-Vision 3, I don't even know why I have some of these applications, probably to resolve some small issue which I can't even remember anymore. Good god, I'm sure I have more apps and I don't even know what it was for.

[alph]

Encoding to half-DVD using "DVD ffmpeg" in FFMPEGX you can expect about 30 minutes for 20 minutes of video on an 800 mhz G4, double that on a G3 800 mhz.

Using the "DVD-ffmpeg" preset in FFMPEGX encodes about twice as fast as Toast does, and the quality is slightly better but very close. Using FFMPEGX's "DVD ffmpeg" preset with decode with quicktime enabled slows things down to speeds which are comparable to Toast's since Toast decodes with with Quicktime too.

Cheers,
Alph

[sjk]

That's helpful info... thanks!

[rdolan]

Alph-

I did as you said above, encoded to dvd half, and dropped the mpegs on Toast. I had 4-1 hour TV shows at about 700MB each, but Toast tells me that I need about 12GB disk space.

Can you tell what's going wrong? I read something about Toast doing this on this forum with no solution offered. Whatchu think?

I ordered Popcorn the other day, buts its on the slow boat, not here yet. This will solve this problem right?

Thanks for your help

rdolan

[Frobozz]

rdolan,
Toast can fit about 90 minutes of video to a DVD when Toast is doing the MPEG2 encoding.

When you get Popcorn try this: place two of the AVI's in Toast and Choose Save as Disc Image. Then choose that disc image with the image file option in Popcorn to fit on one DVD. You might be able to do this with three AVI's but the picture quality will be really bad.

The reason your AVI's are about 700 MB each is they probably are Divx. If so, burning each one as data to a CD-R in ISO 9660 format lets you play them without any re-encoding on a Divx-compatible DVD player. Getting one of those DVD players is a better option than re-encoding to MPEG 2 and burning to a DVD.

[rdolan]

froboss, thanks for the reply.

I understand what you are saying, but let me clarify my lack of knowledge. lol.

I started with AVIs that are about 350MB. I encoded them to half dvd ffmpex which brings them to about 700MB, per Alph's instructions above.

It is when I drag a few of the the mpegs onto toast (they presumaby don't need any further encoding by toast, correct?), that toast says that I need 12GB.

Alph says he fits about 6 hours by comprimising the quality to half dvd, 128, which, for this application, is just fine by me.

And yes, one day I will prbably buy a divx player, but its not in the cards right now.

thanks

rdolan

[alph]

Toast does not always recognise the mpegs properly. The trick I've been using to get around this is to run them through MPEG Streamclip.

Open your MPEGs in Streamclip and use the "Demux to headed m2v and ac3" command, assuming you encoded to ac3. This will give you an m2v file and an ac3. Make sure both files are in the same folder and drop the m2v file into the Toast video tab. Toast will find the ac3 file on it's own and should now recognise the sizes properly.

If you did not use ac3, you can try the new "Convert to headed mpeg" command in Streamclip 1.2, but I've had less success with that one, although it works most of the time, since Toast used to have an issue with some muxed mpegs too.

Alph

P.S. Make sure you've upgraded to Toast 6.0.9 since it has improved recognition greatly.

[Frobozz]

alph,
Your advice should be added to a sticky on this site. If Toast doesn't see the MPEG video as being in spec for DVD it will re-encode the video to its 720 X 480 (if NTSC) MPEG 2 that has a limit of about 90 minutes per DVD with PCM audio or 120 minutes with AC3 audio. The step with MPEG Streamclip seems to be the best way to get Toast to accept some MPEGs as being in spec so they won't get re-encoded.

[rdolan]

I hate being one of those guys that keeps coming back saying nuh-uh, but, lol, nuh uh.

I've tried all of the above, so many different ways its hard to recollect and list them.

One interesting thing that happens is that Toast insists on encoding these to PAL after I have run them through streamclip

I was able to burn a mildly successful disk image with Sizzle, but it didn't like my ac3, no audio. But it WAS only 2.6GB, which is where it should be.

You've given me plenty of advice, that you so much for your trouble. I'm just gonna put this up until I refill my patience.

ciao!

rdolan

[alph]

Streamclip does not change framerates or videosizes. For Toast to recognise NTSC you need a framerate of 29.97 or 23.97 with 3:2 pulldown and a DVD compliant video size (720x480, 704x480, 352x480, 352x240). Toat also does not accept videos with different framerates, so all your clips need to be all NTSC.

Alph

[sjk]

That's been my understanding, alph, until the recent puzzling experience with Toast burning 480x480 video to DVD. Still hoping to eventually have an explanation for that.
[edit: it makes sense now; Case clued me in to the DVD-SVCD format]