How To Compress Videos

[KYS]

Hello,

I want to burn several movies on a single DVD, but am unable to burn videos more than 1.5 hr long. I have seen DVDs with even 7 full size movies.

Can anyone tell me how to do so?

My project configurations:
PAL (25 fps)
Microsoft AVI files
24 bits, 720 x 576, 4:3, 25 fps
Lower Field First
DV Video Encoder -- type 1
DV Audio -- PAL, 32.000 kHz, 16 Bit, Stereo

[GeorgeW]

It's all about customizing your encoding bitrates (for video and audio).

What version of VideoStudio are you using (does it have Dolby Digital audio as an audio option)

How much time are you trying to get on your DVD? and do you plan to use Single or Double layer discs (DVD5 or DVD9, or other)

Regards,
George

[KYS]

Hi,

I am using version 10. Am using Sony DVD-RW, don't know if they are single /double layer.

[DVDDoug]

Here's a Bitrate Calculator.

With a lower bitrate you can fit more playing-time on a DVD, but quality suffers.

Most commercial DVDs are dual-layer. But, I wouldn't expect much quality with 7 movies (10 hours?) on a DVD. Personally, I try to keep by single-layer DVDs to about 90 minutes.

You can get more on a DVD-disc with DivX (an MPEG-4 variation). With MPEG-4 you get the same quality as MPEG-2 with a lower bitrate. However, DivX is not suported by the video-DVD standard, so most DVD players can't play a DivX DVD.

[DVDDoug]

I am using version 10.

If it's a retail version, it has Dolby (AC3) audio. If it's a "free" SE version, probably not. Since you are using PAL, MPEG audio is allowed. (All PAL players can play MPEG-2 audio.) LPCM audio is almost 1GB per hour, so you couldn't fit 7 movies on a DVD with LPCM audio.

Am using Sony DVD-RW, don't know if they are single /double layer.

If you don't know, they are single-layer. They will be marked 4.7GB. Dual-layer discs are usually marked 8.5GB. I don't even know if they make dual-layer R/W discs. Dual-layer discs are more expensive. I bought some "DVD+R DL" discs recently, and they were about $2 USD each here.

[2Dogs]

Hi KYS,

one easy way to do this would be to use Nero Recode 2. You often get Nero 6 or 7 O.E.M version bundled with a DVD burner, and if it doesn't already have Recode, it's available as a download from the Nero site.

It can encode an unprotected MPEG-2 DVD to MPEG-4, and does so fairly quickly too. If I take one of my 4.35GB home movies, my system takes about 40 minutes to encode it to MPEG-4.

You lose the DVD menu, and end up with a single .mp4 file, which is playable on a pc using Nero Showtime or some other software media players. To my mind the quality is less than the source MPEG-2 DVD, although it's much better than VCD or SVCD.

If you really wanted to have a compressed form of DVD that would play on a standalone or set-top player, you'd need to encode to DivX, and by all accounts it will take considerably longer, but result in very little loss in quality. You might check out John Hunter's HD tutorial - he uses DivX to make an HD DVD that will fit onto a regular single or dual layer DVD disc, but the same principles will apply to normal resolution projects.

You can dip your toe in the water by trying out Nero Recode pretty easily, however.

good luck!

[Ken Berry]

While I agree that DivX discs give excellent quality, as already noted by Doug there are only a certain number (though increasing) of stand-alone DVD players rated to play DivX discs.

And even fewer of these have DivX's ultimate rating which will enable them -- apparently -- to play DivX DVDs burned using the new DivX Author editing program, which inserts menus and other effects, just like any NLE for mpeg-2 video DVDs.

[GeorgeW]

LPCM audio is almost 1GB per hour, so you couldn't fit 7 movies on a DVD with LPCM audio.

Stereo LPCM audio is about 675mb per hour (~90 minutes would be about 1GB). Agreed that LPCM audio does use up alot of space -- so using Dolby Digital audio (or mpeg audio in your case of PAL DVD) will leave more room for video.

Regards,
George

[KYS]

Thanks everyone for the input, will try the options mentioned and will post my results, thanks.