Hello all, I finally learned how to burn my video media and things to a DVD. :-P
However, some of the stuff I wish to burn is over 2 hours, and I really do not want to waste an extra DVD-R just for 15 minutes of extra footage. They are also somewhat expensive, and I am not high in cash.
Can someone tell me if there is a way to, I don't know, compress the video files so more than 2 hours can fit on a DVD-R? If there is a possible way, does it affect quality tremendously?
Actually quite a few programs can do that. You may start with DVD Shrink, a free program downloadable from this site. Check out the 'software' section. Also, read this guide:
http://www.afterdawn.com/guides/archive/dvd9_to_dvdr_with_dvd_shrink.cfm If ripping is not a problem, you may also use Nero.
Both Nero and DVD Shrink let you re-author a DVD (e.g. adjust the compression level of various contents, get rid of unwanted parts). By sodoing, you can copy a DVD9 to DVD5 with little or no quality loss.
Using DVD Shrink OR Nero's recode2 re-author mode will asllow you to join several different video clips together. AFA the quality issue, you can run a video through DVD Shrink's Deep Analysis and quality enhancement then compress it X2 and still come out with a fairly good quality. Pros, you have good control and can really heap a ton of stuff on a disc. The cons, you lose your menus and have to go through another proggy to put enough them back in.
Another proggy to lQQk into, DVD2One. It's so good I went out and bought it -
Here's some extra information -
As always, create a folder for all the episodes OR movies you'll be working with 3 folders for each movie. Next, assemble all the DVD's or episodes you have, run them through DVD Shrink. Let DVD Shrink rip them. When that's finished, run them through re-Author. Trim off all the Audio you don't require then the extras and trailers. If the project is episodel or several movies, you may wish to also remove the ending credits also. That means starting your movie with the first shot of the movie and ending it at the last shot. All of this you can do using the "Start" / "Stop" feature in DVD Shrink re-Author.
Now, using custom compression, compress them to the max, run them X2, then to a file on your HD. On each pass, use all of your quality controls set to "Maximum sharpness".
When finished open DVD2One (a truly super "proggy"). DVD2One should be set to "Join" then select the "non-Seamless" "Mode", that will give you a second or two between each movie. If it's a "flipper" DVD then use the "seamless" setting.
DVD2One will give you a Warning when you attempt to put too much on it. :)
Soooo,
DVD Shrink to edit and to compress. Compress it twice using maximum compression. DVD2One to join and then to your favorite engine to burn.
What you can expect:
The most you can hope for is 3 DVD-9 movies on a single disc (most Disney DVD's are DVD-9's) - if you decide to do it to smaller DVD's you can get 4 DVD-5's on a single disc before your quality goes downhill. Expect commercial VHS Video quality. You will be amazed at the quality you get all things considered, them that's tried rave -
I have assembled 5 DVD-5 movie OR 4 DVD-9 movies on a single DVD. On this "Puppy" don't even think of using anything other that TY's top grade OR Verbatim "DataLife" PLUS. Use your, "I'm not too bright, I bought this crappy stuff." at your own risk BUT don't ask for help if you do use it.
The quality ? On a par with a TV show copied on VHS tape done at SP speed. (For those of who forgot, SP is the best possible speed for a VHS.)
Seem too good to be true ? A lot of others have thought so too until they actually tried it. They are now believers. :)
