And to be honest, I think it's stuck. It's on '7h 40min 5sec remaining' for quite a long time now.

10 hours doesn't sound normal. Unless maybe you're converting to some other format in the process. To be honest i don't know much about it...

Oh, speaking of burning DVDs, does anybody know of software which will do it directly from DivX encoded files? All the "legitimate" DVD software I have wants the file in some Microsoftian format or another, and although I can use VirtualDub to convert to a format which the DVD software can then convert into something it likes, it would end up being a three step overnight job at least (and taking a hell of a lot of disk space).

I will answer both yer and colin's questions in one statement. There are some burning softwares out (check the Roxio products) which will take any video format and convert it to something that can be used on a video DVD. You can also do it manually. It sounds like yer's burning program was trying to do just that. This can be very system taxing, and it sounds like your system cannot do both transcoding and burning at a rate fast enough to keep the laser burning. Or it decided to transcode first and ran out of hard drive space.

Converting one video format to another requires a large amount of space. For one, almost every conversion process ends up creating a new file. And this particular conversion, from .avi to the mpeg2 video format used for a DVD, takes an efficient compression scheme and transcodes it into a less efficient one, making the new file quite a bit larger than the original.

Ther are advantages to doing a three step process, which is you can get the .avi, transcode it for DVD, delete or not the .avi to make more room for the DVD image file. Then have the DVD creator make the image and delete (or not) the mpegs.

Or you could go get a new hard drive, faster processor, and upgrade your RAM.

But I think colin's question was not about making a DVD that will play in a standard DVD player, but about burning a compressed (DivX) movie direct to DVD without converting it. If that's correct, then can't you just burn it as a file (data disk) rather than as a DVD movie disk?

quote:

Originally posted by Bravus:
If that's correct, then can't you just burn it as a file (data disk) rather than as a DVD movie disk?

DVD players won't typically play DivX files.

I have the same question as Colin.

Colin, I don't know the answer, but I expect
that any answer will take a hell of a lot of
disk space.

I know DVD players won't play DivX. It's just that I rarely use DVD players, and mostly play movies on a computer, and therefore a DivX on a DVD disk is a perfect solution. I thought that might be colin's situation, but ICBW.

Some dvd players do play DivX.

How will I transcode an .avi to dvd?

Nero is definately stuck. I'm aborting.

quote:

Originally posted by prolific hack colin:
Oh, speaking of burning DVDs, does anybody know of software which will do it directly from DivX encoded files?

Actually, my previous post might be full of
shit. Nero gives an error message about mp4
files, but then will actually burn them DivX and
all. YMMV.

To Bravus' and Andreas' suggestions, I'll be
more clear and say my player won't play DivX.



Andreas, 10 hours doesn't sound normal for Nero.

quote:

Some dvd players do play DivX.

Yup - and if yours doesn't, it's probably going to be cheaper buying one that does than it would be to upgrade your DVD burning software. F'r instance, eBuyer do one from Eltax here that does DivX, XviD, MP3s and what have you for thirty quid. And it's multiregion, at that.

best,
Chris H

Toast (from Roxio) claims it can burn anything that is played by Quicktime into a Video DVD. It probably does so by converting the file.

Edit: Spell-checkered.

Furthermore you need disk space for conversion.

Calling Arkan GL, ArkanGL is required in thread 8261022972...

Most CD/DVD burning apps on both PC/Mac will write to DVD and treat it as a data disk, perfect if you use a computer as playback device, but I guess Colin's goal is to watch those DivXs in a standard DVD player. I think there are some that do, usually cheapo chinese ones. Another option is a portable player like the iAudio (or its' video equivalent) with a video-out jack for connecting to a TV/monitor. Converting is always time consuming and DVD burning in the PC side a little more problematic.

No Yes. I have no problem burning a DVD disk with data. I wanted to burn videos to a DVD for viewing on an ordinary TV with a (cheap and therefore probably not DivX capable) DVD player, thus freeing up the desktop computer (where these videos are otherwise watched) during all-important evening hours. Unfortunately, the process seems too time-consuming and complicated to be worth doing.

I have also considered this media server product, but I would probably have to buy the wireless Ethernet converter as well, and I'm willing to bet I'd still be stuck converting from DivX to something more corporate (although possibly it would only be one conversion step, and I could leave it on my hard drive).

Colin, what do you normally use for burning DVDs?

It should be trivial to burn .avi files directly to DVD. Simply create the disc as DATA and not VIDEO in that case. If your DVD player can play .avi files (or if you intend on playing the disc on the PC), this is the easiest method.

In the case of any converting or transcoding or desire for the DVD to play in any standard DVD player, I suggest doing a little research. videohelp.com is a website devoted to every aspect of digital video capturing and playback you can probably think of. so go check it out and do some thinking.

quote:

Originally posted by B-to-da-I-to-da-CCC:
I think your PC has hung and there's no way to save the dvd-r... it'll have to be binned as it won't be finalised when you power off/reboot or manage to kill the Nero process with Task Manager.

Right on the spot!

And the rest of the message was much helpful, thanx Bic. Will try again tomorrow.

My wife will love it when I tell her the cheapest possible solution is to buy another DVD player.

Doom9 as well.

quote:

Originally posted by Marshdrifter:
Colin, what do you normally use for burning DVDs?

I don't "normally" burn a lot of DVDs. I don't remember the name of the program, but it came with the computer. Just some old makeDVDfunvideo piece o'crap.

quote:

Originally posted by prolific hack colin:
for viewing on an ordinary TV with a (cheap and therefore probably not DivX capable) DVD player

You should check your local video outlets, Colin. Actually, it's the cheaper, no-big-brand models that have more playback options, at least on models I've seen here and some mentioned in video enthusiast boards. I've seen no-brand decks that can play everything from CD, PhotoCD, VCD/SuperVCD, MP3, JPGs, etc., and often with 'no region lock' options. While a big, expensive Sony or similar will balk at dodgy (copied *cough*) discs and be region-locked.