Converting a BIG avi file to DVD

Lexstan · Post by **Lexstan** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 4:45 pm

I have a rather large .avi file that I want to convert to a DVD. I've broken it out in chapters and all, using DVD Movie Factory 4. I'm pretty sure I'll have to cut the file into segments to get it on a few DVDs.
In Movie Factory, It shows that the file is 4.38 (4.70GB). It's a Football game broadcast I want to keep.
I've gotten to the Burn part, putting the menu together, titles and all.

I cannot find the Video_TS files to try to shrink it using DVDShrink. They are no where to be found. Do they not get written to the hard drive on an .avi file?
How can i cut the file to break it into first half, second half and overtime to burn it to dvd????
I don't do this often enough to know.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 5:53 pm

avi is a term describing a wide variety of formats, all sort of things can be kept inside an avi such as DV , DivX, Xvid, MPEG4
It's a bit like saying you shop at Walmart - Walmart contains groceries, chocolates, TV sets, shoes and so on.

When you create a DVD it converts those video files into a special form of MPEG2 and you end up with VOB files. You can get between 1 - 4 hours of video onto a standard 4.3 GB disc. The size of the completed DVD Video made up from VOB files bears no resemblance to the size of the original videos files (in one of the avi formats).

DVDDoug · Post by **DVDDoug** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 2:43 am

The filesize is determined by the bitrate and the playing time. The DVD bitrate is set up under your Project Settings. You can get 90 minutes of very good quality video and Dolby audio onto a single-layer DVD. If you push it much past 2 hours, you may start to notice the quality degadation, especially if you use (uncompressed) LPCM audio.

Here's a handy online Bitrate Calculator

cannot find the Video_TS files to try to shrink it using DVDShrink. They are no where to be found. Do they not get written to the hard drive...

There is a way to do that -
When you get to the "burn" screen, un-check the box that says Create To Disc, and check the box that says Create DVD Folders. That will create the AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS folders on your hard drive.

Quoting myself

DVDdoug wrote:The DVD standard does not set a fixed level of compression -

Higher bitrate = higher quality = bigger file size = lower compression = less playing time.

Lower bitrate = lower quality = smaller file size = higher compression = more playing time.

A good "rule-of-thumb" is 90 minutes per DVD. You can get that with a 6000k bitrate and Dolby AC3 audio. This bitrate is typical of commercal DVDs. (The DVD spec allows video bitrates up to about 9,800k, and up to about 10,000k combined audio & video.)

heinz-oz · Post by **heinz-oz** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 3:14 am

You will only get a Video_TS folder if you author your video to DVD folders on your HDD. Avi files, regardless of flavor, are just that, files with a name and the avi extension.

I take it you have your avi inserted into a MF project and created your chapters etc.

That, in itself, is not going to do nothing to your avi file, it's still the same as it was prior to creating your chapters etc. Only when you author this project to DVD, either to DVD disk, DVD folder on your HDD or an ISO image file and let MF render the new format will you get your Video_TS folder. It will be in the location of where you authored to and the Video_TS folder will hold a number of VOB, BUP and IFO files. You cannot use any of these to spread over a number of disks. DVD format is mpeg2 and not avi.