Help transferring from VHS to DVD

[beauknowsdiddly]

Hey everyone,
So I'm using Pinnacle for Dazzle to transfer all my old vhs tapes to dvd. The problem I'm having is I believe that they're all just to big to fit on dvd. After I convert them to dvd they end up being about 7 to 9 gbs. I'm fairly new to the digital world so I don't know what to do here. Whenever I attempt to transfer to DVD, thinking Pinnacle would just shrink it down and transfer it to dvd it doesn't seem to work. After the project ends, I get about half way through the dvd and it freezes. I've already wasted a few blank dvd's so I don't want to keep going until I have a better idea of what I'm doing.

Are there any other programs maybe I should be using to shrink the size or should I maybe be editing the videos once I get them to my computer and use 2 dvd's per VHS?

I appreciate your help.

Have a great Day!

[davexnet]

How many hours of video are you trying to get on one DVD - Limit the time to 2 hours per disk.
Best to capture your video then use something like AVStoDVD to create the DVD.

[beauknowsdiddly]

How many hours of video are you trying to get on one DVD - Limit the time to 2 hours per disk.
Best to capture your video then use something like AVStoDVD to create the DVD.

The last video was only about an hour and a half and it was 7 1/2 GBS

[davexnet]

How many hours of video are you trying to get on one DVD - Limit the time to 2 hours per disk.
Best to capture your video then use something like AVStoDVD to create the DVD.

The last video was only about an hour and a half and it was 7 1/2 GBS

The size without any context (details) doesn't mean much.
But generally, size = bitrate x running time.

You set your bitrate too high

[beauknowsdiddly]

Yeah sorry about the lack of info. I have no clue about the bitrate pinnacle uses I just used all the defaults the program came with. There's no real instructions with this program unfortunately. It's pretty complicated for a newb like myself

[davexnet]

Capture the video then use AVStoDVD to make the DVD. It is good at optimizing the results,
chooses the best bitrate to fit your stuff on the disk.

Why did you waste some disks? Surely you checked the result before attempting to burn it?
The burn program should have told you it was too big to begin with.

Everything should be discrete steps. You capture the video. Check it and make sure it's good.
You create the DVD output, either video_ts folder or ISO. You play it back on the computer to make sure
it's right.
Then you use something like IMGBurn to write it to the DVD.

[beauknowsdiddly]

I did check the result and everything looked just fine, other than the size and it didn't tell me it was too big. But just froze up about half way through. Thought maybe it was just the cheap DVD's the came with the dazzle. who knows. One said at the very end, "there was a problem closing the DVD"

But I will definitely take your advice and install those two programs and make sure they are no more than 2 hours long. Thanks for all your help Dave!!

[davexnet]

If your disks are dual layer they can hold 8.5GB.
Single layer 4.5 (approx)

[beauknowsdiddly]

I do have some dual layer discs that I got a long time ago.... But I could never get them to burn for some reason. Do you have to have a specific burner? Mine's an ASUS BW-1281ST a.
Suppose to be a Blu-ray burner I dunno.

[davexnet]

I do have some dual layer discs that I got a long time ago.... But I could never get them to burn for some reason. Do you have to have a specific burner? Mine's an ASUS BW-1281ST a.
Suppose to be a Blu-ray burner I dunno.

I have an Asus also, but I've never attempted dual layer. To be honest I don't burn much of anything anymore

[lingyi]

A few questions and recommedations.

What format is your captured file? Install and run MediaInfo and post the full text of what it reports. Your video may be Mpeg-2 which can be burned directly to a DVD or another format that requires conversion.

Do you really need to burn a DVD? Are you planning to play your videos on a standalone DVD player? If not, you can place into an .MKV or .MP4 container without any conversion or loss of quality.

If you do need to have a burnt DVD, don't use the blank DVDs you received with your device. The only quality blank DVDs are Verbatim AZO or Taiyo-Yuden. Everything else, including your free discs are 2nd tier or worse. Not worth using. Taiyo-Yuden discs are hard to find and expensive. Verbatim AZO (be sure it has the AZO logo) is available at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-DVD-R-4-7GB-Recordable-Media/dp/B00081A2KY/ref=sr_1_3?...%2C1758&sr=8-3

Your burning problems are either bad discs or bad burning software. Only use Imgburn for disc burning.

As recommended, AVSTODVD will help make your file compatible for burning, but you'll lose quality if you shrink it to a single layer disc.

Report back with your info and I and others will be able to help you better.

[Cornucopia]

A 90 minute video using the highest max bitrate legally compliant on a dvd would only get to 6.6GB, so you must be setting something wrong, encoding-wise.

And, to clarify what davenext wrote:

Filesize = bitrate * runningtime

Is not just "generally" but ALWAYS, INVARIABLY, 100%. A formula & a RULE.

Perhaps you can share what settings you chose...


Scott

[beauknowsdiddly]

Thank you Lingyi, Here's the info you requested. We do want the on DVD, although .MKV and .MP4 is probably also a good idea. As I said earlier I do have some double layer dvd's, but can never seem to get them to work. Memorex. I don't know if it's because they're just crap DVD's or the wrong kind of Burner. I also have some Blu-ray discs. Doubt I could use those though. Like I said, total newb to the whole video conversion thing. Thanks again for all your help guys.

General
Complete name : C:\Users\Beau\Videos\1994 Our German Affaire Christmas Party\1994 Our German Affaire Christmas Party.mpg
Format : MPEG-PS
File size : 3.53 GiB
Duration : 1 h 20 min
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 6 293 kb/s

Video
ID : 224 (0xE0)
Format : MPEG Video
Format version : Version 2
Format profile : Main@Main
Format settings : CustomMatrix / BVOP
Format settings, BVOP : Yes
Format settings, Matrix : Custom
Format settings, GOP : M=3, N=15
Format settings, picture structure : Frame
Duration : 1 h 20 min
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 5 944 kb/s
Maximum bit rate : 8 000 kb/s
Width : 720 pixels
Height : 480 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 4:3
Frame rate : 29.970 (30000/1001) FPS
Standard : NTSC
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Interlaced
Scan order : Top Field First
Compression mode : Lossy
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.574
Time code of first frame : 00:00:00:00
Time code source : Group of pictures header
Stream size : 3.33 GiB (94%)
Color primaries : BT.601 NTSC
Transfer characteristics : BT.601
Matrix coefficients : BT.601

Audio
ID : 192 (0xC0)
Format : MPEG Audio
Format version : Version 1
Format profile : Layer 2
Duration : 1 h 20 min
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 224 kb/s
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate : 41.667 FPS (1152 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 129 MiB (4%)

This is just with whatever the default settings are for Pinnacle for dazzle if that helps any.

[lingyi]

Haven't captured or burned anything in years, but nothing I can see that's a red flag in your video.

This video will easily fit on a single layer DVD which holds a max of 4.38GB, but best to keep your burns to ~4GB as the outer edge (DVDs are burned from the inside out) are prone to errors.

Also post the MediaInfo log of the larger file. A dual layer DVD can hold a max of 8.75GB, but again, keep it below ~8GB to be safe.

Try creating an .ISO (which is a disc image that can be later burned to a DVD) and report if there are any errors. Post the Imgburn log that will show what caused the error. If the .ISO completes, open it in VLC and Potplayer where it should play through without any issues. When you're ready to burn your .ISO to disc, use only Verbatim AZO or Taiyo Yuden discs as I mentioned above.

Finally, give the make models of the drives you have as it's unlikely, unless they're really old, they can't burn dual layer discs and AFAIK, all Blu-Ray burners can burn SL and DL DVDs.

[beauknowsdiddly]

Awesome! Thank you Lingyl, I'm still in the process of transferring the tapes to digital to my PC. Once that's done I'll convert to .ISO then DVD as suggested. Hey thanks again for all your help. I''ll get back to you if I have any further issues!

[dvd3500]

I slightly uncouth method I tried: I recorded and encoded a video at the highest settings (I believe the 9.8 MPbs, variable bit rate, two pass). Come out at about 7 GB.
I authored it to a dual layer DVD then I used DVDshrink to shrink it to a single layer DVD as I needed to send it around (this was pre-YouTube days) and I could not see a real difference between the two in a CRT TV or earlier LEDs/flatscreen.
I never watched them on anything bigger than 32 inch to be fair and they were 4:3 encoded.

I have not attempted it again on a larger screen or a different, more madern MPEG2 encoder (though I doubt that would make a difference).

This is all not massively relevant I know but I figured I would mention it.

PS: DVDShrink can also shrink ISOs