How to shrink video files

[didikai]

I have about 50 one hour episodes of a TV program on tape.
I really want to keep as much quality as possible. Each tape has four episodes on, each around 50 minutes. Without splitting episodes across DVDs I can really only get one episode per DVD. Is there a way to get more episodes on DVD qithout compromisond video quality?
I have Dual Layer DVD burner, but am not sure how that works.

[Krispy Kritter]

You should be able to get at least 2, most likely 4 per DVD. I expect you are capturing at too high of a bit rate...especially with your source being vhs tape.

[jman98]

You're leaving out a lot of details, like what you are using to capture your video (brand of card), how you are recording it, etc. I'll give you a short description of how I would do this, which might be of help to you.

First of all, I would record my videos using my Hauppauge PVR-350 to my hard drive using standard 720x480 DVD settings and a constanst bit rate of 9000 Kbps for MPEG-2 video. I'd set the sound around 224 Kbps. After recording to disc, decide how many episodes you want to put on one DVD. I think you could fit 2 per DVD for sure in very good quality, maybe 3. 4 would be pushing it, but ultimately that is your decision. Everyone has their own idea of quality. After deciding how many episodes to put on each DVD, use a bit rate calculator to figure out what the bit rate should be and go a little under that figure.

Finally, I have CCE as en encoder. I use a method described in the Guides section at http://www.doom9.net (they don't allow direct linking to guides - sorry). Look under Guides, then DVD/miniDVD, then DVD Encoding Guides, then CCE. I have an old copy of CCE, so I use an older version of the guide. I do a 3 pass, VBR encode with my average bit rate being a little lower than what the bitrate calculator said to use and I set the max and min values about 1000 above and below the average.

An easier way to do this if you have a good quality video input card is to just calculate the bit rate and record in CBR at the right bit rate to fit your video on one DVD.

The method I recommended will require some effort on your part to do things you haven't done before. If you want to do this the easiest way of all, you can buy a standalone DVD recorder and just record straight from video tape to it, but you will get better quality if you do the recording/encoding on a PC. Doing it on a PC takes longer and requires more work from you. If you decide to buy a standalone DVD recorder, I recommend not doing more than 2 episodes per DVD. Putting 4 on a DVD could result in lower quality than you will like.

[didikai]

You're leaving out a lot of details, like what you are using to capture your video (brand of card), how you are recording it, etc. I'll give you a short description of how I would do this, which might be of help to you.

O.K.
I capture with an ATI Theatre Pro 500 card. I capture as an AVI using Pinnacle Studio Pro 9.
I edit and then save as an MPeg at Pinnacles DVD quality.
I then burn with Nero.
I use Pinnacle Studio, as it's the only one I can get working with my system without dropped frames or out of sync audio. Sony Vegas just crashes the minute I try to capture.
Thanks

[redwudz]

Assuming VHS tape and a length of 3hrs, 20minutes, you could use a bitrate calculator to determine what bitrate to use to get one tape per DVD. At that low of bitrate I would use 1/2 D1 (352 x 480 pixels MPEG2) format. Try encoding a 5 minute representative clip and see what it looks like.

If that doesn't get the result you want, up the bitrate and put 2 or 3 episodes per DVD. If you can't do that with Pinnacle Studio, try a different encoder.

Bitrate calculators: https://www.videohelp.com/tools?s=1#1