Converted video to MPEG2

[JasonQuinn1992]

I Converted my home movies to from .MP4 to MPEG2 or .mpg format and I compressed them to the lowest possible file size using Freemake Video Converter so they could fit on one DVD. After the conversion finished I viewed the files and they were blocky or pixelated and very hard to view. My question is what im I doing to the file to get them so pixelated. because the originals are fine. How do I fix this problem that I've been having for 2 weeks?

I just converted one file and its fine but the other ones have been horrible

Please Help!

[T_Jet]

My question is what im I doing to the file to get them so pixelated. because the originals are fine.

This

I compressed them to the lowest possible file size using Freemake Video Converter so they could fit on one DVD.

How do I fix this problem that I've been having for 2 weeks?

Accept that you are not going to fit them on one DVD and don't compress the video so much.

[JasonQuinn1992]

I just compressed the file halfway and the result was the same

[T_Jet]

Is there a specific reason you are converting to MPEG2?

Speaking generally your .mp4 is probably already highly compressed and by converting and compressing further to MPEG2 you are going to have quality problems. You can only squeeze so much juice out of a lemon.

[sanlyn]

You're learning what countless others have learned a very long time ago. If you're starting with compressed mp4, you should convert to lossless Huffyuv or Lagarith AVI first and clean up the compression artifacts and other noise, then encode to higher bitrate MPEG2. A single-sided DVD can hold 60 to 90 minutes (90 to 120 minutes if you have a good, clean source and work carefully). Double that time for dual-layer DVD+R. Most retail DVD's are on dual-layer discs encoded at very high bitrates.
Low-bitrate = low quality. Lower bitrates = lower quality. Can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear, etc., etc.
Otherwise, you're probably better staying with what you have.

[davexnet]

Jasonquinn192 - how many hours and minutes are you trying to squeeze on one DVD?

A program like AVStoDVD will fill the DVD and maximise the bitrate as much as possible. Have you tried it?

Why don't you post a small clip of you mp4 source and a small clip of you resulting mpeg-2?
Or at least post a mediainfo in text view of each of them?

You posts have been short of details and if you want to get to the bottom of it, you need to be more forthcoming
about your work flow, with as many details as possible.

[JasonQuinn1992]

Im trying to fit 5hrs worth of footage of a single 4.7GB disc, I actually working to compress some files now, ill put a sample up tomorrow morning. My next question is: Is there a good filter in virtualdub that can helpget rid of the pixelation/grainy/snowy look of a video. No I havent used AVStoDVD,. I've been using ConvertXtoDVD 4

[manono]

Im trying to fit 5hrs worth of footage of a single 4.7GB disc...

And you wonder why it looks like utter garbage?

[mike20021969]

I Converted my home movies to from .MP4 to MPEG2 or .mpg format and I compressed them to the lowest possible file size using Freemake Video Converter so they could fit on one DVD.

Don't even bother converting your video files beforehand.

Freemake will automatically adjust your video files before burning a DVD (in fact, it can put up to 20 hours onto a single layer disc - the quality will be rubbish though).

Unique! Burn DVD - up to 40 hours!
Unlike other software, our free video converter doesn't have a two-hour limit and can burn DVD video up to 20h to a Standard DVD or 40h to DVD-DL. With our free video converter, you can make multiple DVD copies and save the output DVD video to your PC as an ISO image or DVD folder.

Source: http://www.freemake.com/free_video_converter/