xvid -> DVD

[thegreatjohan]

hello, i have an xvid file that i want to encode and burn onto a dvd for use in a standalone dvd player. i am completely new to this and was mildly confused by the guides. could some1 offer some assistance? :thanks: note: i have nero 6 and dvd shrink right now, i am assuming i would use the nero to burn it once i get the file into the correct format

[mic]

If the number of different methods is confusing, what I think you need to do is work backwards. Decide on a DVD authoring prog, based on budget, needs etc... DVDLab is good, but there are freeware alternatives. Then decide on an mpeg2 encoder, based again in part on what you want to pay. If you have the full Nero package, consider using Nerovision. Read the relevant guides for those apps you've chosen, which will tell you what you need to use to get your xvid into them. For directions on how to convert the audio to ac3 read both guides and posts, or to keep things as simple as possible, go with NeroVision.

[tigerman8u]

Dvd2svcd is a good free program. You basically have to convert the avi to dvd compliant mpeg 1/2. Then author the mpeg with a program such as Tmpgenc dvd Author.

[DrShrinker]

Try The FilmMachine (http://members.home.nl/thefilmmachine/)

[Delphin]

hello, i have an xvid file that i want to encode and burn onto a dvd for use in a standalone dvd player. i am completely new to this and was mildly confused by the guides. could some1 offer some assistance? :thanks: note: i have nero 6 and dvd shrink right now, i am assuming i would use the nero to burn it once i get the file into the correct format

If you are only mildly confused you are starting out ahead of most folks because the process of creating a DVD leaves most folks TOTALLY confused (at least at first). ;)

I own three different commercial programs :

Power Producer (from the folks that make the PowerDVD player)

Magix Video Deluxe

Roxio Easy CD and DVD Creator

The versions I have are getting slightly out of date, but I haven't bothered to pay for upgrades because they are all pretty poor at DVD authoring.

These programs try to idiot-proof the process of creating a DVD, but just succeed in making DVD's for idiots. The user interfaces are so restrictive you can't do anything. Then they crash half the time and burn a coaster anyway. Even when they finally do work, the video quality was poor and the DVD's they created were twitchy, because they insist on re-encoding the video even when it doesn't need to be messed with.

Now I use this simple three step process . . .


1. Use AVIsynth and HC to create a DVD ready MPEG2 file.

2. Use BeLight/BeSweet to create a DVD ready AC3 audio file.

3. Author the MPEG2 and AC3 from step 1 and 2 with GUI for DVDauthor.

These tools are all FREE and can produce results very close to the quality of a commercial DVD.

By comparison the above mentioned commercial programs look like overpriced TOYS.

I am looking at a DVD I created with the above FREE TOOLS now, and it has a custom opening lead-in menu with full motion and custom masked and highlighted buttons. This menu gives options to play the whole video or skip to the chapters menus just as you would see on a professionally authored DVD. The chapter menus also have custom button shapes with custom highlights plus full motion multi-scene previews (four little TV screens playing a preview clip simutainiously on each chapter menu screen).

Fast forward, reverse scan, and slow motion work just fine on my new DVD’s created with GUI for DVDauthor where they NEVER worked well with the other three programs.

It did take a couple hours to figure out how to combine all these programs effectively the first time, but that was nothing compared to the time I wasted trying to figure out ways around the bugs and restrictive interfaces of the commercial programs.

You can look up some of my previous posts on the forum to find some hints to using AVIsynth and HC to encode your Video.

There is a pretty good guide to GUI for DVDauthor along with the files you need at the main web site . . .

http://www.videohelp.com/~gfd/

It was a little tricky to get GUI for DVDauthor set up and working properly, but the results are well worth it, and once you do get it working it’s very reliable and consistent. :) :) :)