DVD to (smaller) DVD

[hackwojr]

Hello,

I recently (and finally) got a DVD writer, so I want to put all my DivX files on to a playable DVD format. Also, I will want to rip future DVDs and compress them and make them playable in a DVD formatt. I have been making SVCD and VCD and this "quality" works just fine. This will allow me to play 3 to 4 movies per DVD. Currently, I can store about 5 to 6 DivX files (~2hr each) on a data DVD, but this makes them unplayable on a DVD player.

What programs can I use or how can I make a DVD standard file at a bit rate of ~1200 that will work on a DVD player (writable with Nero)? Is this even possible? It would seem that since my DVD player can read SVCD, I should be able to use this same format on a DVD disc, but I haven't seen anything that will do this.

I have not used DVD Shrink, but form this forum and other places I have read, there seems to be a great limit to the amount of compression this program can handle. And, will it take a DivX file back the MPEG-2?

Thanks.

[megamachine]

Shrink can only read standard DVD file structure, which you can use to rip and compress DVD movies. But for your other task, you will have to convert the DivX movies to MPEG-2 first, and then author those files to DVD file structure before burning. You can try TMPGEnc (30 day free trial) for encoding and TMPG DVD Author for authoring. Not sure about minimum bit rate for playing on a stand alone, and it is also a matter of taste and quality expectations. I have been able to fit up to 4 hours of movies on on DVD, but the quality is not optimal. You should probably get the softwares noted above, or others that might be recommended by other members, and try converting your DivX movies and see what works for you. It is useful to also search these forums for threads with similar concerns, since there is a wealth of information here.

[hackwojr]

Thanks. I do have TMPGEnc. I will try this. When you convert a file using this program, can you use a different frame size (besides the default 352x240) audio bit rate, and frame rate (23.976 vs 29.97) and still make it playbable in a stand alone?

[megamachine]

Yes, you can change these settings. First load a DVD template (use the Load button on the lower right) and select whether you need PAL or NTSC DVD. Then go to Load again and in the Extra folder select Unlock. This will allow you to customize the settings any way you wish, in the Video tab of the Setting section. However, I am not sure of how much you can change the frame size and frame rate for stand alone playback, so I will defer that question to someone who knows more precisely what you can do.