avi or mpeg?

[shogunblue24]

Hi again. I need some basic advice on which type of file I should save my edited video as. I'm editing DV video and want to burn it to be played on a DVD player. I've done this many times using a combination of moviemaker and videostudio 2.

I've always went for avi in the past, but videostudio's video editor allows me to choose between PAL DV avi and PAL DV mpeg. Both options are 16:9, but the mpeg one says its dolby 5.1 audio, which is surely better than the avi option of 16 bit stereo?

So which is better?

I'm not sure, but I think the avi visually looks clearer, but that's maybe me being daft!

Cheers, Shogun

[heinz-oz]

DVD standard requires mpeg2 Unless you have one of the recent player which can play Divx in which case you may be able to play your compressed video in an avi wrapper. AVI is as descriptive as, for instance, bucket or glass. You don't know what's in it until you look.

[Ken Berry]

It's still best to capture and edit in DV/AVI. Editing in this format causes less problems. But as Heinz has said, at some stage, this has to be converted to DVD-compatible mpeg-2 in order to be burned to DVD. We recommend that after you have finished editing, you go to Share > Create Video File > DVD to do this. If your project is not much more than an hour, you can safely use the PAL DVD 16:9 template. But if it is longer than that, you will need to adjust the bitrate, using the Options button, so that the overall mpeg-2 file is reduced to the maximum limit for a single layer DVD, which is around 4.3 GB (or less if you are including a menu).

The choice of audio format is up to you, though Dolby will usually allow you to squeeze a little more video onto your DVD as it is highly compressed.

[shogunblue24]

I'm not sure if I explained myself properly, so I'll try again.

When I select the create disc option to create a dvd, I can import video files to add to the dvd. According to the manual, I can add avi, quick time or mpeg files. So even if I use the avi file, the dvd I make from it as a normal dvd and will play through a dvd player that doesn't have divx.

The video editor allows me to save create a video file where I can choose to create the file as avi or mpeg. What I want to know, is which one gives the best quality video when I plan to add them to a dvd.

Hope that's clearer?

[shogunblue24]

Ah, that made more sense to me ken, cheers.

I'm still very new to videostudio, but I'm enjoying what it can do.

[heinz-oz]

I'm not sure if I explained myself properly, so I'll try again.

When I select the create disc option to create a dvd, I can import video files to add to the dvd. According to the manual, I can add avi, quick time or mpeg files. So even if I use the avi file, the dvd I make from it as a normal dvd and will play through a dvd player that doesn't have divx.

The video editor allows me to save create a video file where I can choose to create the file as avi or mpeg. What I want to know, is which one gives the best quality video when I plan to add them to a dvd.

Hope that's clearer?

Whatever format you save your video file to prior to authoring to DVD, except for DVD compliant mpeg2, will have to be converted at the authoring stage. Every conversion stage will lose some quality. As I said before, you are not making yourself clear. What type of AVI are you creating? It's best to create a DVD compliant mpeg file after editing, unless you want to edit that further, and load this file into your authoring program. Make sure though that DVD compliant files are not re-rendered by ticking the option "Do not convert compliant mpeg files". Other than that, keep your files in their original format until you are ready to burn.

[shogunblue24]

By'eck I'm confused.

I seem to be managing though, so no worries.

I am however having issues with some avi video files that won't add to the video editor time line so I can edit them.

They were made using a digital blue camera (used in primary schools). I've added this type of file before using moveimaker, but video editor doesn't seem to like it.

I'm going to try moviemaker now, but if anyone has any ideas.

[shogunblue24]

Moviemaker at least recognises the file type, but only plays the audio, just as media player does.

I'm beginning to wonder if the files were saved correctly.

[pepegot2]

Use videoRedo to edit your mpeg files. Excellent program-no problems. AVI is the onerous way. Mpeg Editors have come along way and are very good.