Problems with DVD Authoring

[Velocity_Girl]

Hi

I'm trying to burn my Buffy eps, ripped from video, to DVD. I have the AVI files and they all work perfectly. I simply want to burn 4 episodes to each disk and have a menu linking to the episodes and nothing else.

I thought mistakenly I'd be able to do it easily :P I've tried no end of programs but nothing works right.

To start off with, I converted the first 4 AVI files with DivXtoDVD. 3 of them worked exactly as movies have done, except one which decided it wanted to be 2 VOB files. I'm sure this would have worked with burning straight to disk, but not with what I tried to do next.

Here I used DVDStyler which was recommended on other boards. The program seemed to provide just what I needed, most importantly the ability to just create an iso image (I can't burn on this pc, need to put it onto the network for our other computer to pick up) and to create a menu linking to multiple video sources. However, when trying to input the VOB files I realized that one had 2 and that ruined my button-to-movie thing that was going on.

Despite this, I decided to just remove the second VOB (it was only a few minutes, so probably mainly just credits). All was going swimmingly, then I got an error message about halfway through- something about a remultiplex and going backwards. I can't remember exactly now.

At this point, I decided to try to convert the AVIs to mpegs so that it was all one file. Converted them to mpeg2 with Winavi, got a speeded up fuzzy mess. Gave up.

Then tried avi2dvd, but realized that it would only let you input 1 video file. Which is bloody ridiculous.

Tried various other things, so many I've forgotten. If anyone could recommend a way to:

1. Get 4 AVI files on one 4.7GB DVD
2. With a menu
3. Into a format that I can put in the shared folder and then run over and burn it.

...then I would be very, very happy.

[guns1inger]

You don't need to squeeze each title into a VOB. That isn't how DVDs are built. I have commercial DVDs where the movie spans 6 or more VOB files.

You also don't need an ISO to move the DVD structure around. Everything you need is in the video_ts folder. If you really want an ISO, install Imgburn o the PC and use it to create one. Then you aren't limiting your authoring choices on some arbitrary desire.

Unfortunately, no simple solution will give you freedom to design your own menus aside from something very simple. You will also struggle to get good quality with 4 episodes to a disc.

If you can live with simple text menus, look at ConvertXtoDVD. If you want to keep the cost to zero and use DVD Styler then convert with a good converter (HCEnc is great for free), then author. VOBs should never be created by an encoder, only by an authoring tool. Do not trust the quality of VOBs that come from anything other than an authoring tool.

[Velocity_Girl]

I didn't mind about the extra VOB files, but having more than one stopped me from being able to have buttons to them and run them as one video.

ConvertXtoDVD I have tried but would still like something where I can move items around.

HCEnc- couldn't work out how to work it, what is it supposed to convert from and to?

Cost is not an issue, if there's a program like Roxio or something that'll do everything I need then that's fine.

I also don't understand why I cannot get 4 45min episodes on a disc when I have other DVDs, yes professionally made but why should that that be limiting, that have that and more on, with perfectly good quality.

[guns1inger]

The commercial discs you have that have 4 episodes to a disc will be using dual layer - the equivalent of 2 episodes on a standard single layer disc.

Really you cannot have it both ways. If you want quality then you have to learn the process, which will probably mean using several tools, and it will take longer to produce each disc.

If you want simple then you have to accept compromises in quality, flexibility and control, and the final output.

WinAVI, Roxio, Nero and even ConvertXtoDVD will not give you a high quality outcome. They are designed to be lowest common denominator products. They are simple to use, expect to be fed low quality source (Xvid, Divx etc), and have limited options because they expect the users to either not care, or not be smart enough to use them. They are fast and easy, by design. That is the niche they fill.

[Velocity_Girl]

The quality I've had with just films has been fine, even on a 42" screen- I'm not worried about simplicity, I've got all the time in the world (yay for summer holidays) and will work things out, but if that's only for quality then I'm not too bothered. If I can get higher quality on a smaller file size, then that'd be worth it, but I don't know how :P

I wouldn't mind about only having 2 episodes to a disc, but I only have 50 discs left and 7 seasons to burn :P

I'm doing a run on ConvertXtoDVD, which says it will fit all the files on a DVD- it'd just be nice if it had a menu design screen =\

[guns1inger]

It does - just a really simple one.

If you are happy with the quality you get from ConvertXtoDVD with four episodes (and I never said it cant be done, just that it won't look as good), you can always use VOB2MPG to then extract the converted video to mpg files, then use GUIForDVDAuthor or DVDStyler to create more functional menus.

Another alternative would be FAVC, which can use HCEnc as it's encoder. Let it encode (much slower than ConvertXtoDVD, but probably better quality for four episodes), then extract with VOB2MPG and author with GUIForDVDAuthor or DVD Styler.

[Velocity_Girl]

Ok, thanks for your help