What I want to do here...

[MeekloBraca]

I have some programs im converting from VCR to DVD Recorder and record on my DVD recorder a 2 hour disc full of a program, then say 30 mintes-45 minutes on another disc. Then take both discs, run them through an editing program on my computer, and burn it all onto one disc. Now I know there will be some video loss but my hope is to minimize that doing this, instead of recording a 2.5 hour program in 4 hour mode.

Is this possible and if so what should I use to do it?

[ZippyP.]

When you are finished editing will you have more than 2 hours to put on a disk? I ask because if you do it gets more complicated. If no then it's relatively simple. Also, how complicated will your edits be? Simple cut and splice to remove commercials or do you need transitions?

[MaxBlack]

Everyone will have a different idea about this, but here's how I would do it:

1. Copy the VOB files to your PC and join-and-edit them with VideoReDo Plus. It's not free ($50) but it is the best frame-accurate editor available IMO.

2. Once you've gotten the commercials & glitches out of the joined video, save it as Elementary Streams

3. Re-mux to a DVD titleset (VIDEO_TS) using MuxMan 15 (freeware).

4. Depending on just HOW MUCH bigger than a DVD5 the resultant fileset is, use on it either DVD Shrink (if shrinking by less than 25%) or DVD Rebuilder (if shrinking by more than 25%) using the Hank's HC encoder

There are many ways to skin your cat but these steps will be trouble-free and of high quality.

[MeekloBraca]

I want to take the 2 hours worth of video, and the 30-45 minutes worth of video, and shove the total 2:30-2:45 on one disk. I am not willing to purchase software for it. Commercials are not an issue. I want to combine the 2 hour block of video, with the 45 hour block of video and make them one.

The main goal again is to avoid recording a 2 hour 30 minute video in 4 hour mode and coming out with a final product that is of better quality than what I would get in 4 hour mode.

[ZippyP.]

I am not willing to purchase software for it.

That'll be tough, but with a free 30 day trial you can do it.

I'd rip each DVD to the hard drive with DVDDecrypter (free). Then I'd use TDA (30 day trial) to author them into an oversize DVD with menus. It can also do simple edits. Use the "add dvd video" to import. Then I'd use DVDShrink (free) to make it the correct size.

[greymalkin]

if you go ahead and cut out the commercials you will probably easily get it under 2 hours and not have to worry about doing any re-encoding (a.k.a. losing more quality). In a 2 hour documenary there are about 30 min. worth of commercials.

[MeekloBraca]

The commercials are already gone. Im talking about ripping Nascar races to DVD here, and there 4 hours televised easily. CUt out the commercials, and any prerace or postrace stuff that doesnt include my favorite driver and 75% of my races are between the 2 and 3 hour mark.