Best DVD to Xvid app or process?

[rembetis]

I've decided to downsize all my kids' movies and am looking for recommendations on the easiest method or application (preferably 1-step) that still delivers good quality video.

Thanks in advance.

[Colby]

are you going dvd to hd file? why not use dvdshrink or clonedvd or something. You can specify the file output size. "good quality" is in the eye of the beholder. Are your kids videophiles? I say pick a file size and limit it to that, your kids get what they get.

[rembetis]

Yeah I guess dvd shrink is an option. I've seen some really good quality xvid movies as low as 700mb, though, and I'm not sure shrink can compress that much and still look passable.

FWIW, I'm taking files already on the HD and looking to downsize.

[rhitt]

Without a doubt (IMHO) the best/easiest. I do Xvid down to 700MB with multi-channel sound all the time.

[rembetis]

Without a doubt (IMHO) the best/easiest. I do Xvid down to 700MB with multi-channel sound all the time.

By what method/app, please?

[m_ski]

I use DVDdecrypter to IFO files then AutoGK to make the xvid or divx.
2 steps but both are pretty simple.

[rhitt]

My last post wasn't clear at all....apologies.

AutoGK was what I meant to recommend. As to the method or how to....that's the benefit of AutoGK. Do the install straight, setup the input and output and the custom size for the Xvid file (I use 700MB and get great quality).

Let me know if you have any questions and I'll try and help.

[rembetis]

Ok, thanks guys, I'm doing a test run with AutoGK right now (forgot I had a version on my HD). Hope all those codecs I had to install don't mess with my setup though -- I think a couple were older versions of ones I already had (but AutoGK refused to work unless I let the installations finish).

One other concern -- many of these kids "movies" are really just multiple episodes of a tv show. No way to retain navigation with the AVIs beyond chapter jumps, right?

[jowaldo]

sounds like you picked autoGK... thats what I use too... don't think there is any special way to keep navigation..

[S Pittaway]

can you not rip them as seperate episodes and show them as sub items on the film, the give an option to play all via a video playlist?

[dalanik]

I use GK and XVid and I'm very satisfied with results. You can compress shorter movies to 700 Mb and longer (1hr 45min +) to 1400mb.... saves a LOT of disk space!

[rembetis]

can you not rip them as seperate episodes and show them as sub items on the film, the give an option to play all via a video playlist?

That's definitely an idea... but might turn in to more work than it's worth. One conversion just took me nearly 3 hours

[abobader]

can you not rip them as seperate episodes and show them as sub items on the film, the give an option to play all via a video playlist?

That's definitely an idea... but might turn in to more work than it's worth. One conversion just took me nearly 3 hours

Hi rembetis,

Yes, and if you want best result encoding, it will take longer time, like from 6 to 8 hours depending on the movie length. Also sometimes you will face audio synec problem tho.

I stopped converting from some time now, as nowdays, hard disk is cheaper than used to be.

My best.

[kasje]

Have a look at http://www.vidomi.com ..it's free

i convert all my movies to a xvid or divx. Then put them on dvd. Then i have between 2 and 5 movies on 1 dvd. Then i put the movies in amc. I write the number of the movie on the cd. Like movie nrs 234,235,236 etc
And store them in my dvd rack.
In xlobby, when i press play in the detailmoviescreen..a window pop up to say i need cd nr x and the tray is opening. So no harddisk spending cause i don't watch several movies everyday. So i don't want to use up all the expensiv harddiskspace.

and yes, when i have a movie longer then 1.45 hours it's takes some time with a 2 pass, but the quality is great.
greetz