I am looking for the best way to encode my DVDs with decent quality and small file size. I currently use DVD Shrink and after encoding them to 4.5 gigabytes, I then re-encode them with DVD Shrink reducing them as far as it lets me (50%), so I have them in VOB files format at about 2 gigs a movie. I am not a video-phile and that qualiy is fine for me.
But would it smaller with similar quality to encode them in AVI or MPEG? I have heard of 800mg movie files that are good quality. I would love to get them down under a gig. What is the best way to encode them and keep them small while keeping decent quality?
Also, is VOB files the only way to encode that allows you to use the subtitles menu? Meaning, I want to have the ability to turn the subtitles on and off when I want to. Will AVI or MPEG let me do that, or will the subtitles be permanently fixed?
You can use shrink to reduce it as far as it will let you, then you can run it thru shrink again to reduce it in half again.
You will be able to keep subtitles.
I would recommend using re-author and keeping movie only with no extras or menu in order to keep some kind of quality. Cos I'll tell ya right now, the quality ain't gonna be that good with that much compression, videophile or not. :)
Hi Jason,
We have been backing up DVDs to DivX (or XviD) AVIs for years now.
It was the only game in town, before DVD burners became common & inexpensive.
A 2-hour film will fit a std 80 minute CD-R, with quality superior to your double-shrinked 2GB videos.
That's MPEG4 video + MP3 audio = 700MB Audio Video Interleave.
If DVD has 2-channel AC3, you can simply use that audio in the AVI. But, since most AC3 are 5.1 surround, you would traditionally compress to MP3 that has Pro-Logic type surround matrixed into stereo.
I still keep hundreds of titles on a big SATA drive, which can be served to any PC on my LAN.
Or, I can burn them off onto CD-R.
Checkout AutoGordianKnot
http://www.afterdawn.com/software/video_software/dvd_rippers/autoGK.cfm for an easy solution.
The regular GK is a little more hands-on...
GordianKnot does do subtitles, but I don't :-)
So, I dunno how the playback works.
My AVIs are top-quality; better video than shrink once compression exceeds 60% (or even 70%).
Shrink gives full audio quality, and shrinks only the video, whereas AVI shrinks both.
Only thing is: AVIs don't make good DVDs.
They won't playback in most people's standalone DVDs, and making DVDs from them is like making an audio CD from MP3s - it's not a good plan...
Well, not the best plan, but this DVD Santa
http://www.afterdawn.com/software/video_software/dvd_tools/dvdsanta.cfm looks interesting, but you must accept that the DVD will not look better (actually will probably look worse) than the AVI.
So grab the AutoGK and check it out.
800MB is dumb - lots of people asking how to make 700MB AVIs out of 800MB ones - so just make them 700MB ;-)
I use DivX Professional 5.2.1 but XviD is freeware.
AutoGK likes them both.
Let us know how you get along,
Regards
Thanks Ogs. That was just the info I was looking for. I just downloaded AutoGK and will be trying to see if I can figure it out. I am going to look to see if there is a guide here on AfterDawn. Do you know of any other good tutorials to walk you through it? Thanks again...
