Comments

Steve Grisetti wrote on 11/22/2011, 7:44 PM
You can fit about 70 minutes of video on a standard DVD.

It doesn't matter if your original video is 14 gigabytes in its original form. When DVD Architect crunches it down to DVD video (.vob files) you can fit about 70 minutes of video on a standard DVD.

Though of course, as I point out in my books, you'll get the best and fastest performance if the video you feed DVD Architect as as close to your final DVD format (i.e., a 720x480 MPEG) as possible.
Steve Mann wrote on 11/22/2011, 9:46 PM
"You can fit about 70 minutes of video on a standard DVD." using the default parameters. I put 90- to 120-minutes on DVDs all the time.

Ideally, you do not want to let DVDA recompress your file. It will compromise quality. Encode the video file (in the "Render As" menu) in MPEG2 using one of the DVDA templates. Use a bitrate calculator to adjust the encoding parameters in the "Render As" menu to compress the video only as much as needed to fit everything on the DVD. Next, encode the audio file (in the "Render As" menu) in AC3 format using the same root filename. Drag the video file to the DVDA Project Overview window and the audio file should follow. Add menu buttons as needed then make the DVD.
Westside Steve wrote on 11/23/2011, 10:20 AM
Thank you sir. So, I assume these are 2 separate render processes correct?
First mp 2, and then the ac 3.
Thank you!
WSS
Westside Steve wrote on 11/23/2011, 10:21 AM
By the way, note that there are 3 steves in this thread.

Seriously though, the reason I wondered about putting more information on a regular dvd is that I've done a fair amount of dual layer dvd's and they always seem to behave improperly in many dvd players.
WSS
Steve Mann wrote on 11/23/2011, 2:20 PM
I am number one!

I did some dual-layer DVDs but the failure rate was too high. I don't do them any more.
Westside Steve wrote on 11/23/2011, 2:47 PM
Yes. As to the failure rate, at least in architect regular version, Wadsworth to be a lot lower if I started from scratch every time. Not actually from scratch, you understand, but not the burn another? Using the burn another option seemed to give me feel years at least half the time.
Plus they're really inconsistent on other dvd players.
WSS
Westside Steve wrote on 11/23/2011, 2:49 PM
Oops. Speech to text got me again!
WSS
Steve Mann wrote on 11/23/2011, 4:06 PM
You should read some of my Vonage voicemail transcripts.

One of the best is when my wife recorded a message that included "I am [unintelligible] awfully soon". Vonage transcribed it as "I am awesome".

She is.