Articles - > Basic Guide How to Convert AVI Files to DVD with Avi2DVD

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Basic Guide How to Convert AVI Files to DVD with Avi2DVD

Avi2DVD is a GUI that uses freeware tools and various freeware encoders (QuEnc/FreeEnc/NuEnc) or CCE to perform conversions such as AVI, OGM, MKV, and WMV to DVD, SVCD, or VCD. It can also be used to convert DVD to SVCD or VCD. One of nice features I like about this program is automatically convert audio files to AC3 format. The current version, Avi2DVD 0.4.2 beta, is still in beta phase so it's still buggy though. After installing Avi2DVD, some of my programs such as VirtualDubMod 1.5.10.2 or DGIndex became extremely slow and sluggish and returned to normal as soon as I uninstalled it. It seemed to be some kind of codec conflict that’s caused the problem. Hopefully, the future updates will improve this handy program. In this basic guide, I will show how to convert .avi file to DVD only

You can download Avi2DVD here:
http://www.divx-digest.com/software/avi2dvd.html

Installing Avi2DVD will pack your PC with relatively useful tools:







The older Hank HCEnc version 0.15 came with this program. In order to update from HC 0.15 to HC 0.16. I deleted the original HCbatch.exe, copied the HCbatch_016 there, and then renamed it to HCbatch.exe. Thanks UncasMS for the wonderful tip of updating HC encoder in DVD-Rebuilder. This tip worked well with Avi2DVD too

File preparation:

Put avi, ogm, mkv, or wmv file(s) and subtitles in a simple path such as D:\Movie. Let’s say your first half of a movie is your CD1 and your second half is your CD2

• If you have a movie with 2 parts, for example, rename them like this: Test CD1.avi and Test CD2.avi
• For subtitles, do the same like this: Test English CD1.srt, Test English CD2.srt, Test French CD1.srt, Test French CD2.srt

The CD1, CD2, CD3 etc…are important for Avi2DVD to accept and arrange your files correctly. Now let’s load Avi2DVD to start the guide


Step 1: Input

With Avi mode selected, press “Load avi/ogm/mkv/wmv. On the Open dialog, you just browse to D:\Movie, open the Test CD1.avi, and Avi2DVD will automatically load all the files for you.

Under Choose AudioStream a list of audio streams will appear (usually with .avi files there is only one, but if there is two, the choosing the one you like)

The Aspect Ratio should have already been selected by Avi2DVD, but if it hasn't been, or has been chosen incorrectly, just change it

If the source is interlaced (excessive horizontal lines during playing the movie), you can select the Deinterlace checkbox to de-interlace it.






Step 2: Output

Choose DVD or SVCD for output format.

Choose Disk Size offers various types and capacities of media you can use. But for this guide the default option should be DVD (DVD-5 4.7 GB) unless you have a very large files, a dual layer burner and DVDR DL media, in that case, choose DVD (DVD-9 8.5 GB)

Your Aspect Ratio setting is important, it should be the same as the source, or you may end up with horrible quality results

Choose the Audio Bitrate based on the quality of the original sound. Avi2DVD will automatically encode into AC3 audio for better DVD player compatibility. If your source was VBR MP3 audio then abut 192kb/s or 224kb/s should be fine. If you had AC3 audio input, a little higher is fine but there's no need to go past 384kb/s.

Make ISO should be selected and you can set Name to whatever you like (this will eventually be the Volume Label of your DVD after you burn it). The only reason you might not want to select Make ISO is if you don't have enough space for it. If you unselect it, you will still get a VIDEO_TS folder with DVD files in it

Choosing PAL to NTSC or NTSC to PAL Conversion might cause jumpy or sticky play back on certain movies. It is up to you to decide

You can also set chapters to be automatically added every given number of minutes

Last thing is to choose an Output Folder. Click the small folder icon to choose where to save your output. By default, Avi2DVD will create a folder called Avi2dvd_temp in the folder where you store your input files




Step 3: Encoders

You have the option to use five different encoders: QuEnc, FreeEnc, NuEnc, HCEnc are free and CCE is commercial encoder which you have to pay if you want one. You can pick any encoder listed above. IMHO, I am big fan of HC encoder for its fast and superior quality (Thanks hank315 for this great encoder). Therefore, I pick HCEnc in this guide. But I suggest that you should try them all to compare yourself

For Profile, you can select fast, normal, good, and best. IMHO, I choose best for profile. If you want the best quality, then you have to sacrifice encoding time

Leave “mpeg” for Matrix as default




Step 4: Subtitles

There 3 sets of subtitles: Subtitle 1, Subtitle 2, and Subtitle 3. To add a subtitle file (srt or txt) simply click the Subtitle 1 button and locate the file “Test English CD1.srt” in the prepared Movie folder. Do the same thing to Subtitle 2 and Subtitle 3 if you have more than one subtitle, you can change the options for each subtitle independently. Avi2DVD will arrange which subtitle for which movie file correctly. That is why it is so important to prepare your files at the beginning

Note: Preparing for this guide, I couldn’t find any .avi file with subtitle. Therefore, no subtitle showed in the screenshot. I’m sorry though



Step 5: Menu

I have to temporarily postpone the Creating Menu step. Because of its complication with so many different steps involved, it is difficult for me to combine everything in one basic guide. I’ll have separate guide for Avi2DVD’s Creating Menu in the future

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