Ok after I download, compressed the file using winar and then play to make sure that is the file I wanted and it is functioning properly how do I go about placing it on dvdr disk and be able to play on most stand alone dvd drives. Also is it possible to place more than 1 file on a single recordable dvd disks and can you store more than 2 hours worth of video? Example if I have one video file that is 700mb but is 1 hour and 16 minutes, the next file is 704mb and is 1 hour and 21 minuts long and then a third file that is 2.6 gb and is 3 hours long all one one disk and have it fuction properly and be able to play on most consumer dvd drives?
DVD is a container format. Think of it as a rubbermaid container. Either a 4.7 gigabyte or a 9.4 gigabyte rubbermaid container.
DVD-Video is a video format. Think of it as a VHS tape. A videotape up to around 2 hours long for a "single layer", 4 hours long for a "double." DVD "players" play DVD-Video by default, which is a very specific format, specific to the region of the world where you live. Files of this format eventually become .vob's or .ifo's, but are occasionally seen as .mpegs.
Computer DVD drives play either.
Consumer DVD players generally play ONLY DVD-Video discs, but there are exceptions.
Divx/xvid/etc are video encoding formats, and if you downloaded a movie that's 700 megs, it's a DivX. Files of this format generally end in .avi
By default, most DVD-Video players do NOT play DivX, however there are exceptions. I have one, but...honestly, a Modded Xbox is a better investment. Generally, to play a DivX video, one must use either a computer or a media player specifically for DivX, example one of the Creative Zen media players.
CAN you turn a DivX into a DVD-Video disc? Yes. Programs like DVD Santa do this for you, usually. Click the "guides" tab @ the top of the page to find a specific guide. Personally, I like Nero Vision Express for this job.
CAN you just drag a DivX file into the DVD_Video folder in Nero after selecting "Video DVD" from the list? No, it probably won't let you, and if it did, it wouldn't work. It MUST be TRANScoded before it will be a true DVD-Video, and it WILL lose quality, and take a CRAZY long time to transcode.
Now, can you put more than 1 DivX on a dvd? Yes, you can. I've got several DVD's with 5 full length, high quality divx's on them. Here, the FILE SIZE is important, you can fill it up till you run out of space when you make a DATA DVD and put DivX files on it.
Can you put more than 2 hours of video on a single layer DVD-Video? Well, yea, but it can be tricky. As above, follow the guide. Here, LENGTH is your limitation. MOST dvd images are 4.2 gigabytes or so.
Hope that clears it up for you. Just remember: DVD doesn't mean "video", it's a definition of the platter.
