Shrink "Automatic" makes files too big

[lbeck]

I'm using Shrink 3.2. I've used it successfully many times before, but now I can't figure out how to get it to shrink to a video_ts file that will fit on a conventional DVD blank. It defaults to "Automatic" in "compression settings" which is supposed to shrink the source DVD to fit on a conventional blank. The green bar goes to 4464 which will work for me but it continues to in the red to 4783 which is too large for my blanks.

Moving the slider bar in "custom ratio" to the right only gives me less compression and larger files. There is no room to move the bar left. If I type in a number and press "enter" nothing happens.

I'm aware that I cah delete chapters or other material from the original DVD to get the size smaller but would rather not.

Thanks

[setarip_old]

Hi!

Try using a more current DVD compressing ripper, such as DVDFab, DVD95Copy, etc...

[Chetwood]

Which won't help if the material is too large to fit on a blank disk even if maximum compression is applied. If you can't drop any streams or delete credits in re-author mode you might wanna split the to two discs, use Dual Layer or encode to AVI.

[lbeck]

setarip_old,

I'm aware that I could purchase additional software. I was only confused because I've used Shrink successfully many times in the past. This is the first time that I couldn't adjust to a point of placing everything on one blank.

Chetwood,

I've already deleted everything except menus and sound. All other material is too small to make a difference.

I do have other options that I've used successfully. I can play the DVD and use my capture card to pull the info into a large AVI file. Then I'll use Pinnacle Studio to make the DVD. I was trying to avoid that option because then I need to create my own menus and the entire process is more trouble and the finished product doesn't look as good as my previous experienced with Shrink.

[Groucho2004]

There are much better options than Shrink, particularly with high compression levels. You could use DVD Rebuilder (free version) with HCEnc (also free).

[Chetwood]

You should avoid that option because it's toally bogus. First of all you could convert from DVD to AVI with AutoGK so there's no need to jump through an extra hoop using a capture card. Second of all DVD -> AVI -> DVD is too much encoding. If you don't want to encode DVD to DVD twice with Shrink to bypass it's compression limit your best bet is one step compression with DVD Rebuilder (though I'm not sure what happens to the menu cause I don't use it).

[lbeck]

Hmmm. Lots to consider here. I'll try the AutoGK and DVD Rebuilder to see how it works out. My other option since the source DVD isn't copy-protected is Nero 7 (is it the recode option?) to create a video_ts and then burn to DVD-DL. I don't think that Shrink has a DL option.

I don't have any DL discs and have never burned one, but both of my burners will handle them I'm assuming that DVD-DL is mature enough that they play on even old players.

It's probably time to install some new software and learn some new tricks. I appreciate everyone's help here.

[Groucho2004]

Hmmm. Lots to consider here.

Not really. If you need DVD as target format and you want decent quality, then DVD Rebuilder and HCEnc is the only (freeware) option in my opinion.
DVD Shrink is OK when you reduce to something like 95% or even 90% but beyond that it won't look good any more.

Also, there are very few DVDs that can't be compressed to fit on a single layer disk (with reasonable quality) with the DVD Rebuilder / HCEnc combo. So, you probably won't need a DL disk.

[setarip_old]

@lbeck setarip_old,
I'm aware that I could purchase additional software.There are freeware versions of both programs that I mentioned...

[Chetwood]

DVD Shrink is OK when you reduce to something like 95% or even 90% but beyond that it won't look good any more.
I'm gonna have to call bullshit on that. Apart from the fact that percentage does not mean anything (http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?t=45129) using Deep Analysis on a rip gives decent quality. Just watched a movie on a 2.5m screen at a friend's house with no visible artifacts.

My other option since the source DVD isn't copy-protected is Nero 7 (is it the recode option?) to create a video_ts and then burn to DVD-DL. I don't think that Shrink has a DL option.
Of course it does, simply set Edit -> Preferences -> target size to DVD-9. Of course that's unecessary too since you could rip straight to ISO with DVDfab and be done with it.

[Groucho2004]

I'm gonna have to call bullshit on that. Apart from the fact that percentage does not mean anything (http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?t=45129) using Deep Analysis on a rip gives decent quality.

Fair enough. However, in this case, where Shrink can't even compress down to a single layer disk it is not the right tool for the job.

Just watched a movie on a 2.5m screen at a friend's house with no visible artifacts.

Don't really know how this statement is relevant.

[Chetwood]

However, in this case, where Shrink can't even compress down to a single layer disk it is not the right tool for the job.
That's why I suggested Rebuilder (though I never use it cause I prefer Xvid and AutoGK for my own SD rips).

Don't really know how this statement is relevant.
It was meant to counter your point about DVDRB being necessary to achieve DVD format with decent quality which just is not true.