Copy DVD video at different encoding rate?

rawskyb

Hello, I am new to this forum, and actually new to PC-based DVD burning/ripping, etc. I have been burning DVDs for a few years now using consumer DVD burners from Panasonic, a few various models. After building a new PC system (AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+, dual internal 300G SATA drives, dual LG DVD-RW, 2G SDRAM, etc) I am hoping to move most of my DVD burning activities over to my PC.

So here's the problem I have: I can copy my DVD-video discs just fine using several different software tools, including Nero Express that came along with my DVD-RW drives. But I have many DVDs that I created in "XP" mode, which is the 60-minute mode for a typical 4.7GB DVD-R. I want to be able to copy two of these 60-minute recordings to a single new DVD-R disc, but I can't seem to identify the correct software or process for handling this. Nero creates simple disc images (.nrg file types) and I can convert these to .iso images, but I can't figure out how to modify these files so that I can burn two 60-minute DVDs to a single 120 minute DVD. Does that make sense? I think it's a simple matter of modifying the encoding rate, but I'm not sure.

Eventually, I would like to take all of my created DVDs (some 60-minute, some 90-minute, some 120-minute recordings, etc), transfer them to my PC's hard drive, and then be able to grab one or two or three of these files and burn them to a single new DVD at will, and quickly. The only way I can do this today is by using my consumer DVD recorders to play the original DVDs from one player, and then record them to a second recorder in a specified mode (SP or Flexible Record mode). This of course requires 2-hours worth of time to transfer two 60-minute videos.

Can anyone help me figure out how to do this? I suspect this is a simple thing, and probably a stupid question, but I figured the newbie forum was the right place for this question.

Thanks!!!
-Blayne

Id33k

You could convert those movies to .Avi Files then use Nero to create a dvd and burn those .Avi files. If you want to do that just say so and I will tell you how, unless you already know.

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rawskyb

Thanks Id33k

Actually, some instruction on doing this would be appreciated. I can give it a shot and see if it produces what I'm looking for. I only have Nero Express right now - will that be sufficient?

-Blayne

BeardedKirklander

Could DVD Shrink work for this? It is free.

imkidd57

Yes, it's not a well-known feature of DVD Shrink, but you can use it to make a very basic DVD compilation if it's used in 'Reauthor mode'.

Quick tutorial:

1. A necessary step is that you have to make a disc image of each of the discs that you want to grab a title from (which is apparently what has been already done).
2. When you have the images, then fire up DVD Shrink and open one of the disc images from the 'File' option on the main top menu bar.
3. When the image is finished being analysed, just press the 'Reauthor' button, then drag the main title from the right-hand side to the left pane (see diagram below).
4. When it's finished copying, then open the next disc image and drag the second title across.
5. You can (a) change the order of play by dragging up or down in the list, (b) for each title the extra languages, director's commentary etc, can be de-selected if desired under the 'Compression settings' tab, and (c) the titles can be edited by chopping off the intro or credits.
6. When finished these adjustments, click 'Backup' to set it going to shrink the titles and burn the disc, DVD folders or ISO.

In this diagram you can see when the second title is added, its filesize in the left pane is smaller because of the predicted compression...




The drawback with using DVD Shrink to make a compilation is that although you get a DVD-Video compliant disc, you won't get a disc menu. Thus navigation with two or more titles might prove awkward as you have to use the DVD player remote button to change titles without an acknowledgement of what title you're watching.

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BeardedKirklander

That's a great post. Very helpful. You should make it a tutorial link or something.

What did ya use to make those spiffy arrows?

Hey, with DVD Shrink, it doesn't auto-insert any chapters, right? Each item is rendered as a separate title?

Thanks, man.

imkidd57

AFAICR, Shrink should preserve the chapters already in the title. I don't think there's any facility to insert chapters, either manually or automatic basis.

Not quite sure what you mean by 'rendering as a separate title'... On the finished disc in the example above there will be two separate titles, as expected. You just have to use the buttons on the DVD player remote, or the menu on a software DVD player, to select them.

The arrows are part of Xara Xtreme, the graphics application I use.

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BeardedKirklander

Too bad that is not available for free on the Windows platform.

imkidd57

Some things are worth paying for IMO .

Did I understand your question about DVD Shrink and separate titles correctly?

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BeardedKirklander

I think I mis-spoke. It's all good.

rawskyb

DVD Shrink looks very promising. I'm going to download and give it a shot today. I'll post back on whether this works, of if I still need a different solution.

You guys are all very helpful. (and I say "guys" non-gender assuming, in case there are any females behind these screen names)

-Blayne

rawskyb

So I downloaded DVD Shrink yesterday and it looks like this does the trick. The only drawback is the lack of navigation/menus in the resulting DVD-Video. I wonder if there is any way to write the video files out to the hard drive, and then edit/add menus in another application? I'll have to play around with some things to see if it's possible.

Thanks again to imkidd57 and BeardedKirklander for the suggestion and instructions.

-Blayne

BeardedKirklander

Yes, you can save as VIDEO_TS folders from DVD Shrink and then use something like Ulead DVD MovieFactory 5 ($50 USD, but a free demo can be downloaded) to add menus and chapter settings, etc.

Enjoy.