New AVStoDVD user got some questions this software

[rock_king_my]

Hi all.

A few questions I gotta ask about AVStoDVD:
1. Why is it when I add .AVI video files, the 'Output Size' meter at the bottom doesn't change? I need to know the size of the potential disk so far.

2. Is there a way to preview the DVD video in terms of audio/video synch & subtitle/video synch?

3. Is there a way of changing the thumbnail of the videos in Menu Editor? I don't want to use a screenshot of the video, I prefer another picture. This function looks like 'disabled' (greyed out) to me. I think there's a 'long-cut' if I put the finish DVD-Video through PGCEdit & Vobblanker but just curious if I can do the change quickly in AVStoDVD. I think the background menu can be changed easily.

4. If the video got chapters, can I create a sub menu for chapters/scene selection or even Set Up menu for audio/subs choices?

Cheers.

[guns1inger]

1. I am running the current 2.3.0 version, and the size meter certainly updates for me. Note, however, that the meter has a maximum size, and adding more to the disc will not increase this size, only lower the bitrate of the encoding. The output size meter has the meter, then it has two numbers nnnn / 4450. nnnn increases as you add files. it is says 4450, then you are using all the space, and adding more data (files) simply reduces the bitrate allocated to each file (and therefore lowers the quality)

2. There is a preview function that gives you the Avisynth output of the video and audio. No subs (as Avisynth doesn't handle the subs).

3. Not with this version. I guess it is still being worked on

4. No. It doesn't do chapter menus.

All-in-one tools tend not have have full featured anything. If you want complex menus, use AVStoDVD to output elementary streams (selected under the Output button), then use a more featured authoring tool to bring it all together. That is how real DVDs are done. DVD Styler, GUIForDVDAuthor and DVD AuthorGUI are all free.

[rock_king_my]

Hi guns1inger.

My mistake, the meter does move but when I add only one AVI file about 700MB, it takes up the whole 4450MB disk.

Where's the setting for me to lower the video bit rate, maybe this will give me space to add more movies.

I don't mind VCD quality just to fit in multiple movies on one Disk.

[guns1inger]

It will adjust the bitrate automatically as you add the files. Before starting the project you should go into the Preferences settings and on the Audio/Video tab change the Video Resolution to VCD. Because there are limitations on the bitrate for VCD res material on DVD, you may find that you don't fill the disc with your first file.

Again, just because the meter says it is full, doesn't mean you can't add more to the disc. Like any good encoder, AVStoDVD tries to get the most from the available space (and hence the best quality), so it anything longer than 65 minutes at full D1 resolution will fill the disc. However if you add a second file of the same length (total running time 130 minutes), it will still fill the disc, but encode with a lower bitrate.

Set the preferences for VCD first, then add all your titles. However the quality is going to suck big time. There is simply no way to avoid it.

[_MrC_]

Where's the setting for me to lower the video bit rate

Go to 'Title Edit'/'Video', toggle off 'Auto Video Setup', toggle off 'Auto BitRate Calculation' and set the 'Video Avg BitRate' as you wish. Simple, isn't it?

BTW, if you do not have particular reason, I suggest to leave AVStoDVD do the bitrate prediction for you.



Bye

[noangelnoangel]

i actually have the same question.

basically i just want to burn my movies into dvd's with their subtitles on.
if the original avi is 700 mb i would certainly like the finished project with the subtitles to be 700 as well.

i dont want to change AVStoDVD's bitrate, i do want a high quality, but i need the project to be exactly like the original size movie.

how do i do that?

thanx.

[Baldrick]

i actually have the same question.

basically i just want to burn my movies into dvd's with their subtitles on.
if the original avi is 700 mb i would certainly like the finished project with the subtitles to be 700 as well.

i dont want to change AVStoDVD's bitrate, i do want a high quality, but i need the project to be exactly like the original size movie.

how do i do that?

thanx.

It's not possible. DVD requires higher bitrate to achieve similar quality as mpeg4(divx/xvid/h264) compressed video.

[noangelnoangel]

i actually have the same question.

basically i just want to burn my movies into dvd's with their subtitles on.
if the original avi is 700 mb i would certainly like the finished project with the subtitles to be 700 as well.

i dont want to change AVStoDVD's bitrate, i do want a high quality, but i need the project to be exactly like the original size movie.

how do i do that?

thanx.

It's not possible. DVD requires higher bitrate to achieve similar quality as mpeg4(divx/xvid/h264) compressed video.

i see.

so if i convert a 700 mb movie, what will the converted file size be? about 1.5 gb?

[guns1inger]

As a general, but not hard and fast, rule, xvid/Divx to DVD requires an increase by a factor or 3 - 4 - as a minimum. A better rule is to look at the running time. A standard DVD blank will hold 4.3GB of data, which equates to around 65 minutes of very high quality video, 90 - 120 minutes of good quality video, and 180 minutes of average quality video. If you want to fit more video then you have to reduce the resolution to SVCD or VCD, which drops the quality further, but can allow up to 7 hours on a disc.

If your 700MB file is a standard 90 - 120 minute video then you should put just that on the disc.

If you want more movies on a disc, keep them as Divx files and don't convert.