AVI to DVD conversion

[mattman1968]

For the past few years I've been transfering my digital home movies to my DVD Recorder via composite cables. The quality has been surprisingly good, even when viewed on my 42 inch plasma.

Recently I've decided to step it up and capture via firewire to the computer using Windows Movie Maker. The problem is that the only viable options are to capture at high quality 25 mbps which produces a 12.5 GB file per hour of video, or capturing at 2.1 mbps which produces about a 900 MB file per hour of video. Personally, I don't see difference between the two avi's on my computer monitor. When I re-encode to DVD using DVD Flick, I am not happy with the resulting DVDs at all. Both videos are lacking the crisp details, which is understandable considering that a 12.5 GB file has been compressed to 4.3 GB. But I would expect the 900 MB file to retain it's quality.

How do the gurus create their DVDs from avi files? If anybody can offer any suggestions, I welcome them. Otherwise I might have to continue using the DVD recoder to transfer my movies.

Thanks,

Mattman

[t0nee1]

Some gurus will suggest using the easy ConvertXtoDVD, and others will tell you to keep watching on plasma or PC, but I'm not one of them... guru that is..
Also thanks to guns for this on other thread," If you want quality, you have to get your hands dirty and learn some of the tools.

You can't have it both ways. No matter what your best friend, or some guy you spoke to on a torrent site, says to you, there is no such thing as a simple tool that produces high quality conversions. " good luck!!

[Abond]

The point of transfering the DV video to computer is editing. If you don't need to edit it, stay with DVD recorder.
DV is 12.5 GB per hour by definition - that means direct copy. The 2.1 mbps is converted file (probably to low 320x240 resolution) - with it as source you should expect low blury quality.
To preserve the quality of original DV when you convert it to DVD require excellent standalone mpeg encoder (TMPG, CCE, Main Concept, Procoder or the free HC) and IMO some avisynth skills. Such one-click DVD creation proggies like DVDFlick or ConvertX are not enough.
Additionally you need some knowledge about interlacing and how to deal with it properly.

[mats.hogberg]

Transfer the DV (It seems like you have a DV camera) to your computer via Firewire. Use WinDV. You'll end up with huge files (as you've seen) but it's exactly the same video as in your camera.
Encode this to DV specs mpg at highest possible bitrate (while keeping it within the DVD specifications, see WHAT IS DVD top left, and allowing you to fit what you need on a DVD5 or DVD9) uising some high quality encoder like CCE (preferrably multipass VBR).
Now, hand cam video is one of the hardest material to compress, as it is often shaky with fast pans and other nasty stuff that doesn't compress well, so don't expect too much.
The guide listing for "DV to DVD" turns up 19 hits, here's a few sample links:
http://www.doom9.org/index.html?/dv/guide.html
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/userguides/179038.php
Skip guides using oneclick solutions in general, and WinAVI in particular.

/Mats