I have videos on my hard drive in a variety of formats - flv, avi, mp4,
mpeg, wmv - that I'd like to put on a single DVD, as separate chapters.
Is there any program (preferably freeware) that will directly handle all
these file types without first having to convert them to some common format?
If not, any recommendations for a freeware converter? What's the most
widely used common format?
Finally, the audio levels on the various files vary widely. What kind of
program do I need to adjust just the audio levels? I'm NOT going to try
to match video parameters (color temperature, brightness, contrast).
Ray K wrote:
> I have videos on my hard drive in a variety of formats - flv, avi, mp4,
> mpeg, wmv - that I'd like to put on a single DVD, as separate chapters.
> Is there any program (preferably freeware) that will directly handle all
> these file types without first having to convert them to some common
> format?
>
> If not, any recommendations for a freeware converter? What's the most
> widely used common format?
>
> Finally, the audio levels on the various files vary widely. What kind of
> program do I need to adjust just the audio levels? I'm NOT going to try
> to match video parameters (color temperature, brightness, contrast).
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ray
IMO VSO ConvertXtoDVD is really good for handling all manner of formats.
It's not free but it is not expensive at about $60. You can download a
trial version. There is an old free version but it doesn't handle as
many file types and it really isn't very good in comparison the latest
version.
With the audio levels it depends on how complex a procedure you want to
involve yourself in but basically you need to "normalise" the track.
Once again ConvertXtoDVD allows you to boost the audio level if needed.
I don't know why I had so much trouble opening your message, using
either Thunderbird or Outlook Express. Using Thunderbird, I had to open
the message in a new pane.
Ray K wrote:
> Thanks for the lead.
>
> I don't know why I had so much trouble opening your message, using
> either Thunderbird or Outlook Express. Using Thunderbird, I had to open
> the message in a new pane.
>
> Ray
All of a sudden, your message started opening okay. Maybe an earlier
problem with my news server.
Anyway, I've tried ConvertXtoDVD. I attempted to make a DVD of four
videos, three flvs and one mp4 file. Total time, about 17 minutes. The
program was easy to use, and fairly intuitive, although the conversion
seemed to take a very long time (23 minutes from start of conversion
until the Burn button appeared). (I don't know how this compares to any
other similar programs.) Burning time was fast: under four minutes.
Only problem is that the last video didn't appear on the finished disc.
No, it wasn't the odd mp4 file, but one of the flvs, and it wasn't the
longest or shortest video.
So I started the project all over again, same videos but what had been
the missing fourth video the first attempt was now in the number 1
position. Again, only the first three videos appeared on the final DVD.
So the problem is, why can't I get more than three videos on the DVD?
"Ray K" <raykosXXX@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:4a68c8ff$0$31272$607ed4bc@cv.net...
> Ray K wrote:
>> Thanks for the lead.
>>
>> I don't know why I had so much trouble opening your message,
>> using either Thunderbird or Outlook Express. Using
>> Thunderbird, I had to open the message in a new pane.
>>
>> Ray
>
> All of a sudden, your message started opening okay. Maybe an
> earlier problem with my news server.
>
> Anyway, I've tried ConvertXtoDVD. I attempted to make a DVD of
> four videos, three flvs and one mp4 file. Total time, about 17
> minutes. The program was easy to use, and fairly intuitive,
> although the conversion seemed to take a very long time (23
> minutes from start of conversion until the Burn button
> appeared). (I don't know how this compares to any other
> similar programs.) Burning time was fast: under four minutes.
>
> Only problem is that the last video didn't appear on the
> finished disc. No, it wasn't the odd mp4 file, but one of the
> flvs, and it wasn't the longest or shortest video.
>
> So I started the project all over again, same videos but what
> had been the missing fourth video the first attempt was now in
> the number 1 position. Again, only the first three videos
> appeared on the final DVD. So the problem is, why can't I get
> more than three videos on the DVD?
>
> Ray
This may seem a silly question, Ray, but how are you determining
that there are only three?
Are you looking at the VTS files on the disc or simply a menu
produced by ConvertX? Did you watch the conversion take place
and/or read the log?
Did you investigate ConvertX's menu system and options?
> This may seem a silly question, Ray, but how are you determining
> that there are only three?
> Are you looking at the VTS files on the disc or simply a menu
> produced by ConvertX? Did you watch the conversion take place
> and/or read the log?
>
> Did you investigate ConvertX's menu system and options?
All I did was look at the screen of my TV. Only the first three
appeared. When I put the DVD into my computer, my PowerDVD player also
showed only three titles.
When I use Windows Explorer to examine the Video_TS folder, it shows
four ifo files, four bup files, and four pairs of vob files. So the
problem becomes, why doesn't the fourth file appear in the menu?
I'm using all the ConvertX default settings. I looked at the
Settings/DVD Menu and Settings/Chapters tabs. Nothing obvious that
restricts the number of videos appearing in the disc menu.
Thanks for your comment and pointing me in a new direction.
"Ray K" <raykosXXX@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:4a68f0e3$0$31261$607ed4bc@cv.net...
> > This may seem a silly question, Ray, but how are you
> determining
>> that there are only three?
>> Are you looking at the VTS files on the disc or simply a menu
>> produced by ConvertX? Did you watch the conversion take
>> place and/or read the log?
>>
>> Did you investigate ConvertX's menu system and options?
>
>
> All I did was look at the screen of my TV. Only the first
> three appeared. When I put the DVD into my computer, my
> PowerDVD player also showed only three titles.
>
> When I use Windows Explorer to examine the Video_TS folder, it
> shows four ifo files, four bup files, and four pairs of vob
> files. So the problem becomes, why doesn't the fourth file
> appear in the menu?
>
> I'm using all the ConvertX default settings. I looked at the
> Settings/DVD Menu and Settings/Chapters tabs. Nothing obvious
> that restricts the number of videos appearing in the disc
> menu.
>
> Thanks for your comment and pointing me in a new direction.
>
> Ray
I use convertx to make dvds from motion jpeg produced by a
neighbor's camera. Her clips are usually about 15 seconds, some
over 30. I've not yet filled a DVD and we've stacked more than
50 clips this way. convertx's menu, when it excedes the first
screenful, always supplies a forward (or reverse) link to the
next page of menus.
I'm not on the system right now which runs convertx, I think
it's the "motion menu wall" option, though others I've tried
have supplied the link as well to the next menu page.
Convertx has an impressive array of canned menu screens, examine
it for larger menus, if you don't see the link on page one.
CLicker wrote:
> "Ray K" <raykosXXX@optonline.net> wrote in message
> news:4a68f0e3$0$31261$607ed4bc@cv.net...
>> > This may seem a silly question, Ray, but how are you
>> determining
>>> that there are only three?
>>> Are you looking at the VTS files on the disc or simply a menu
>>> produced by ConvertX? Did you watch the conversion take
>>> place and/or read the log?
>>>
>>> Did you investigate ConvertX's menu system and options?
>>
>> All I did was look at the screen of my TV. Only the first
>> three appeared. When I put the DVD into my computer, my
>> PowerDVD player also showed only three titles.
>>
>> When I use Windows Explorer to examine the Video_TS folder, it
>> shows four ifo files, four bup files, and four pairs of vob
>> files. So the problem becomes, why doesn't the fourth file
>> appear in the menu?
>>
>> I'm using all the ConvertX default settings. I looked at the
>> Settings/DVD Menu and Settings/Chapters tabs. Nothing obvious
>> that restricts the number of videos appearing in the disc
>> menu.
>>
>> Thanks for your comment and pointing me in a new direction.
>>
>> Ray
>
> I use convertx to make dvds from motion jpeg produced by a
> neighbor's camera. Her clips are usually about 15 seconds, some
> over 30. I've not yet filled a DVD and we've stacked more than
> 50 clips this way. convertx's menu, when it excedes the first
> screenful, always supplies a forward (or reverse) link to the
> next page of menus.
>
> I'm not on the system right now which runs convertx, I think
> it's the "motion menu wall" option, though others I've tried
> have supplied the link as well to the next menu page.
>
> Convertx has an impressive array of canned menu screens, examine
> it for larger menus, if you don't see the link on page one.
>
There was a second button to the right of the Play button on the menu
screen. I could have sworn that I clicked on it to see if the menu
continued on a second screen, which was the case. So chalk it up to
operator error.
The default ConvertX menu template is Black Mirror, without any
indication how many titles would appear on each screen. I changed the
template to Minimal; now all four titles appear on one screen.
> IMO VSO ConvertXtoDVD is really good for handling all manner of formats.
> It's not free but it is not expensive at about $60. You can download a
> trial version. There is an old free version but it doesn't handle as
> many file types and it really isn't very good in comparison the latest
> version.
>
> http://www.vso-software.fr/products/convert_x_to_dvd/
However, if you go here, http://vso-convertxtodvd.en.softonic.com/ it costs only $33.73 (as of
July 28, 2009). I paid that amount for the latest version, 3.7.3. The
key they sent via email works. So the company is legit.
Great program, with powerful control over the DVD's playing menu options
and powerful control over just about everything else.
One minor complaint: A conversion tends to take a long time. If you
merely want to halt it (so the computer can divert it resources to
another application for awhile), you can't. Once the conversion starts,
the only option is to Stop/cancel it, which I think means starting it
from the beginning when you're done with the other application.
"Ray K" <raykosXXX@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:4a785b05$0$10286$607ed4bc@cv.net...
<snip>
> One minor complaint: A conversion tends to take a long time. If you merely
> want to halt it (so the computer can divert it resources to another
> application for awhile), you can't. Once the conversion starts, the only
> option is to Stop/cancel it, which I think means starting it from the
> beginning when you're done with the other application.
This is not correct. There is a pause/resume option. I think it is on the
"Action" menu. I don't have the program in front of me.
Creating DVDs from various video file formats 
Linear Mode
