Is There Any Good DVD Creator App?

[Jale]

I'm trying to create a +50 hours lenght Dragon Ball DVD which includes all 153 episodes from the first Dragon Ball (when Son Goku was a kid), but with current programs such as Nero Vision won't let me change the transfer rate (kbps) lower than 1600 kbps. I know that to fit 153 episodes of around 20 or 30 minutes each would require a very low transfer rate which potentially reduces the quality of the videos, but that doesn't matter to me, I just want them to fit a single DVD.

I need a program which allows me to do the following:

• Set very low transfer rates or an automatic set to fit the disc.
• Personalize my own menus and chapters (create them in Photoshop and then use them as a menu).

It doesn't matter if the program is freeware, shareware, n00bish or professional, I'm sure I will manage to get the hang of it later.

[AirborneExtreme]

i use sony dvd architect for making dvds with nice menus... however, i dont think it is possible to put 50+ hours on a single dvd...

[Zach]

TMPGenc

One of the best, if not most preferred programs out there. There is a free version which doesn't include an mpeg2 (DVD) codec.. But there is also a retail version which comes with that support..

I'm sure you'll know where to find it.

[Jale]

I got that one. It's callled TMPGenc Plus with the MPEG2 thing, but I wanted it to be .vob instead of .mpg. I try to put the .mpg files and Nero, being so bitchy, only accepts .vob files. It also re-encodes them up to 1.5 Mbps and I don't want it.

I want to create a non-standard DVD.

i use sony dvd architect for making dvds with nice menus... however, i dont think it is possible to put 50+ hours on a single dvd...

Oh, I'm 100% sure. Maybe not 50 hours, but I got a Dragon Ball DVD containing the Buu's Saga and it contained 36 hours on a single 4.7 GB DVD.

[Zach]

Wow 36 hours on a single layer? Must have been some really low quality, heh..

Actually, you can try looking for the DVD creation software from the same company that puts out the mpeg2 TMPGenc. That's what I used when I wanted to make VOB DVD's and it worked pretty well.. It may be two programs tho I can't remember..

DVD Source Creator, and DVD Author, I think they are called. They're from Pegasys

[Jale]

Wow 36 hours on a single layer? Must have been some really low quality, heh..

Yeah. All of them were 352x240 and very blocky, but quality is not my goal here. I just want to fit all 153 episodes.

Actually, you can try looking for the DVD creation software from the same company that puts out the mpeg2 TMPGenc. That's what I used when I wanted to make VOB DVD's and it worked pretty well.. It may be two programs tho I can't remember..

DVD Source Creator, and DVD Author, I think they are called. They're from Pegasys

I'll try those then.

[Jale]

DVD Source Creator almost had the thing I needed, but it still sticks to the standards. It won't let me go down the 750 kbps. I really need to go down to 256 kbps or 512 kbps.

[Zach]

Well if you have TMPGenc encoder, what's the issue?

You can encode your stuff there in the resolution you want, and bitrate. And then make a non-standard DVD. I know I did this before. Made menu's for everything and all that without a problem, but it did give me warnings, etc.

You're NEVER going to get the function and flexibility you are looking for out of a DVD authoring program. They are made to be simple, for the everyday user, and are pretty much mediocre.

Just encode one file at various bitrate settings and look at the file size. Assuming all your episodes are the same length roughly, you can calculate how much disc space you will take up, and how many files you could fit on there (don't forget to take menus into account). When you find the bitrate you want, to fit the amount of episodes you desire, just encode everything at that rate