DVD creation help?

Cyclotron

Hi,

I am wondering when you want to burn a film or documentary to a dvd to watch on your home tv theatre, how do you go about it.
I have aload of science documentaries that I want to burn to dvd and when I do my dvd player downstairs cannot read the dvd cd. Why is this?
Do I have to convert the .avi file to some other format before burning to the dvd? Im using Roxio DVD Builder 6. But I really dont even know how to use the program.

Thanks

Pengwuino

Use the help guide with whatever program you are using unless you can get lucky and find someone on here who knows how to use that specific program. The program will basically take the avi file and convert it to the file structure DVD videos are done in

Cyclotron

Yea but you see with Roxio when I search for my video files there is no option to search for .avi so I cannot see them therefore drag them down to for burning.

dduardo

You'll probably want something like TMPGEnc.

http://www.tmpgenc.net/e_main.html

russ_watters

The videos probably need to be saved in mpeg2 format (the format of dvds) before you can even see them with the burner program. You may need to get a better burner program (that will convert any video as necessary) or a better video editor (that will build all the dvd files necessary).

ZapperZ

Hum... doesn't it require a DVD software that's able to master a DVD movie disk? I have saved my edited movies in mpeg, avi, etc. I don't think this is an issue. However, during the mastering of the DVD, it writes it in a different format than DVD data. So software like Pinacle, DVD Architect, etc. will take those mpeg or avi files and master it into a DVD movie disk that DVD players can read. You can also make menus and other effects to your heart's content.

If you want a simple DVD movie editing/mastering software, Pinacle is a good start (cheap too, less than $100). Or if you can afford it and serious with movie editing and DVD mastering, get Sony Vegas+DVD.

Zz.