Best (freeware) way to get my DV to a DVD

[padrefan19]

Best being 1.)free 2.)quality & 3.) easy in that order.
Sort of a (quickly catching on) newbie here attempting to get my Sony DV camcorder onto DVD. I have downloaded numerous freeware versions as I tread through forum after forum but have yet to get a DVD! Seems like winDV is the way to get it to my PC but after that nothing has worked. Have tried avi2dvd with QuEnc and that doesnt quite work either. Any suggestions would be great! thanks

[gadgetguy]

I use QuEnc almost exclusively for conversion to DVD compliant MPEG2, and I'm very happy with the results. What specific problems did you have?

[padrefan19]

I used QuEnc along with avi2dvd and get this error:

avisynth open failure
avisource: couldn´t locate a decompressor for fourcc xvid
d:\avi2dvd_temp\avisynth_script_file.avs,line 2

which seemingly is a codec problem but after loading every codec I could find nothing help. Is there a better (free) way besides avi2dvd to use along with QUEnc or what is you entire process of going from DV to DVD?

thanks

[gadgetguy]

I use avisynth in combination with VirtualDub for editing. The error indicates that it thinks the source is an xvid file instead of DV-AVI, but without seeing the script, (that I assume avi2dvd generated), I can't tell what exactly is causing the error.

Edit: if you aren't editing you could try opening the avi directly with QuEnc.

[Baldrick]

avisource: couldn´t locate a decompressor for fourcc xvid

it sounds that your source is xvid and not any dvavi.....install the koepi xvid codec....or maybe something is wrong with avi2dvd,avisynth.

edit: too slow.

[padrefan19]

Sorry, my mistake. I mistakenly copied from a forum I was reading, the error is "for fourcc dvsd" not "for fourcc xvid". That may not make a difference, but my oops.

[Baldrick]

install a dv codec like the panasonic dv codec or check our tools list undec codecs or dv.

[padrefan19]

I have also tried the xvid codec with no luck, maybe I am not using it correctly, but executing the file is all I believe you should have to do. Maybe I'll try the avisynth, virtualdub route.

[padrefan19]

tried seemingly every codec that was suggestion, panasonic included. thanks for all the suggestions though!

[gadgetguy]

You could try installing the Panasonic DV codec, but it would really help if I could see the actual script.

Edit: I see we're all typeing at the same time.

[gadgetguy]

Have you tried opening the file directly in QuEnc?

[redwudz]

I've used the freeware version of DivxToDVD for quick and easy DV to DVD conversions.

For quality, I do it this way; WinDV>Virtualdub Mod to edit>Frameserve to TMPGEnc Encoder>TMPGEnc DVD Author for menus and burning.

[padrefan19]

Same error when I open up directly with QUEnc, except it says "line 1" instead of "line 2". What script file would it help to see? The one through avi2dvd?

[gadgetguy]

Either one will do. I just want to see if it's using aviSource, directshowsource, etc.

Just a thought, is the avi file a Type1 or Type2 DV-AVI?

[padrefan19]

is TMPGEnc & TMPGEnc DVD Author freeware? i didnt think it was but follwing your quick link it seems it may be. Or is that just a trial with the dreaded "watermark"?

[padrefan19]

log:

[2:53:26 PM] AVI2DVD Started !
[2:53:27 PM] Type mode : Avi Input
[2:53:27 PM] Output : Dvd
[2:53:27 PM] Encoder Selected : QuEnc
[2:53:27 PM] Start demuxing the AudioStream No.1 ...
[2:53:31 PM] Demuxing of the selected audio finished
successfully ! [C:\Documents and Settings\DMirabile\My
Documents\My
Videos\movie\Avi2dvd_temp\Extracted_Audio.wav
3907950 Bytes]
[2:53:31 PM] Audio extracted renamed successfully !
[C:\Documents and Settings\DMirabile\My Documents\My
Videos\movie\Avi2dvd_temp\Fixed_Audio01.wav 3907950
Bytes]
[2:53:31 PM] Starts Wav->Ac3 convertion ...
[2:53:34 PM] Audio converted in Ac3 successfully !
[C:\Documents and Settings\DMirabile\My Documents\My
Videos\movie\Avi2dvd_temp\AudioStream 1 WAV
2CH.ac3 1465344 Bytes]
[2:53:34 PM] Start creating avisynth script ...
[2:53:34 PM] Avisynth script created successfully !
[C:\Documents and Settings\DMirabile\My Documents\My
Videos\movie\Avi2dvd_temp\Avisynth_Script_File.avs 212
Bytes]
[2:53:35 PM] Bitrate used : 7616 Kbpps
[2:53:35 PM] Start video encoding ...
[2:57:35 PM] Video encoded successfully ! [C:\Documents
and Settings\DMirabile\My Documents\My
Videos\movie\Avi2dvd_temp\Encoded_Video.m2v 0
Bytes]
[2:57:35 PM] Job NOT Done. There are warnings ... Find at
the log file the 0 byte generated file to focus where exactly
the problem appears

Script:

# Avisynth Script Made By Avi2Dvd
AviSource("C:\Documents and Settings\DMirabile\My Documents\My Videos\movie\092405to110305.avi", false)
ConvertToYV12()
LanczosResize(720,428,0.0,0.6)
AddBorders(0,26,0,26)

[padrefan19]

not sure if type-1 or type-2, tried using Gspot thinking that would tell me and it didnt, I dont think. Again, still sort of a newbie sorry.

[gadgetguy]

Try changing the Avisource to DirectShowSource

[padrefan19]

lost me....avisource to directshowsource in what QUEnc?

[padrefan19]

Or in the avi2dvd?

[gadgetguy]

In the script. I don't think you can do it through avi2dvd so you'll have to edit the script directly. There should be a file with the extension .avs that when opened in Notepad should match what is under the Script heading in the log you posted above. Then you open the .avs script with QuEnc. (after changing AviSource to DirectShowSource)

[padrefan19]

Get a script error.

[padrefan19]

Back to my initial post, is there just a "decompressor" I need or is it not this simple? Or wait did I just realize what codec actually is? is codec the decompressor? Again, newbie.

[gadgetguy]

Do you get the same error or a different one?

[padrefan19]

"Script Error: Invalid arguments to function "DirectShowSource"

gotta run, will probably pick up where i left off tomorrow, appreciate the help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[gadgetguy]

DirectShowSource uses slightly different parameters. Try modifying the line to this:
DirectShowSource("C:\Documents and Settings\DMirabile\My Documents\My Videos\movie\092405to110305.avi", fps = 29.97, audio = false)

[padrefan19]

That actually worked running through QUEnc and creted an MPEG. Which leads me to my next question, Would I then just run avi2dvd with QUEnc get my error, change the script file, then re-run it in QUENC? Or would there be a more permanent solution so it runs with that change automatically? Because this doesnt fix it to where I get an .iso image (my ultimate goal) through avi2dvd.

UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!

I was sent an updated (?)/different (?)/ new (?) Panasonic DV codec which maybe is specifically for dvsd. Im not sure if that codec varies between between xvid, dixv, dvsd, etc., or not (Im still kind of new), but it worked. The link is:

http://movavi.com/codec/dvsd.html

Again not sure if this is different from the codec i got before but this one worked. Thanks for all the replies to questions and for putting up with my lack of knowledge!!!!!