i need to make my mpeg/avi/s smaller, how?

[CALOSAL2001]

okay heres my problem, i have a movie, split in two parts(cd1,cd2). each file is 700mb, which i thought would fit on a dvd with no problem , since the dvd can burn up to 4.36 gigs.
but when i drag one of the files into my burning software(roxio) the size more than doubles from 700mb to over 2gigs.

please if someone can tell, why is this, and what program can i use to make the files smaller. i tried dvdx copy and shrink dvd, but i think those programs are for backing up dvd's not for copressing files that are already on your computer. ive tried all sorts of stuff and nothing seems to work, can someone just suggest a simple free softawre to make my files smaller.

ps. ive used mpeg's and avi's and the same thing happens to both when i tried to burn them.

[CALOSAL2001]

can nobody help me

i registered to this forum thinking i could get help, man i guess not

[setarip]

"when i drag one of the files into my burning software(roxio) the size more than doubles from 700mb to over 2gigs."

What format are you converting the file into?

[CALOSAL2001]

im not converting the files at all, im just simply dragging an mpeg or an avi file right into roxio, in dvd burning mode. some of my mpeg's acyually fit, and i was able to burn the dvd with no problem, and paly it on my tv dvd player with no prob.
but other ones are just too big beacuse the file size ballons when i go to burn them .

[setarip]

"i was able to burn the dvd with no problem, and paly it on my tv dvd player with no prob."

Then the Roxio software is converting your .AVIs from (probable) DivX-compressed format to DVD-compliant MPEG-2 format, which can be as much as 4X as big as the DivX-compressed .AVI...

[CALOSAL2001]

ok, that makes sense but then (2 questions)
1. why do my mpeg files also ballon in size when i go to burn them

2. what can i do to make either mpeg or avi smaller, ive tried tmpeg enc but that litterally takes hours(like 4 to be exact).

[CALOSAL2001]

ok real simple, what progarm can i use to make mpeg-2 files (that are already on my hard drive) smaller, and that it wont take forever to re encode.

[setarip]

"it wont take forever to re encode"

You'll have to use a program such as TMPGEnc or CCE to reduce the bitrate - but this WILL ALWAYS require recoding. How long this takes depends upon your system...

[CALOSAL2001]

MAYBE IM DOING SOMETHING WRONG BUT, WHEN I WENT TO RE ENCODE THE FILE IT STARTED COUTING DOWN FROM 3 HOURS, AND IT ACTULALY TOOK THAT LONG, ONLY FOR NO VIDEO OR AUDIO TO SHOW UP, SO IT DIDNT EVEN WORK. AND TO TOP IT OFF MY MOVIE IS IN TWO PARTS SO EVEN IF IT DID WORK I WOULD HAVE TO DO THE 2ND PART TOO AND THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER 3 HOURS. I DONT KNOW I GUESS IM DOING SOMETHING WRONG.

CAN U OR ANYONE TELL ME EXACTLY HOW TO REDUCE THE SIZE OF AN MPEG WITHOUT IT TAKING SO LONG

[setarip]

See my response to your other (Duplicate) post - and please STOP posting to both threads.

Multiple postings are a violation of the rules of these forums...