1. Re: DVD to AVI or WMV software
Re: DVD to AVI or WMV software
Source:
http://www.tech−archive.net/Archive/WinXP/microsoft.public.windowsxp.moviemaker/2007−02/msg00149.html
• From: quot;RalfGquot; <itsnotme@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 10:50:24 −0500
The difference in file sizes comes down to compression capabilities of the
Video and Audio CODECs being used in the conversion and the bitrates chosen.
The amount of time it takes can vary with the software you use and your
methodology. Your all in one solution may have been simple, but as you found
was slow and produced overly large files. Try ripping the DVD raw files to
harddrive first, which should be quick. Then convert the video to the
desired format. You'll need to source CODECs if you haven't already got
them, such as Xvid or Divx for video, MP3 for audio. Converting Audio and
video separately then multiplexing them together into an AVI (or WMV) can
save time as well.
Converting the minidiscs to a standard sized playable DVD should be the
quickest alternative if you aren't looking to put a lot of different videos
onto a single DVD. If your camera DVDs store the video in the standard VOB
file format then conversion would be minimal.
Only MS CODECs are provided with Windows... anything else you have to source
yourself unless it comes provided with a software package, like the MPEG2
decoder required to play DVDs. Some 3rd party CODECs are free, others you'd
have to purchase. Using a freeware program like VirtualDub to convert videos
to AVI using XVID and MP3 CODECs you can create 1hr videos that are 350MB in
size, or larger if you prefer to retain as much quality as possible. If
multi−pass video encoding is used the quality can be further increased
without increasing file size, but at the expense of additional time. Audio
compression is also a factor in file size... when uncompressed the audio in
a 1hr video will be over 400MB by itself, compressed to Mp3 the same file
can be less than 40MB.
As far as which is better, I think that will depend on software too. I get
very small files using WMM to convert AVIs to WMV, but the sound quality is
inevitably crap compared with the original file and video degredation is
quite evident when you compare the two side by side. OTOH some WMVs created
from scratch in Photo Story 3 turned out great.
quot;Yobboquot; <info@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:eirW9T7THHA.5108@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Re: DVD to AVI or WMV software 1

2. Re: DVD to AVI or WMV software
Hi All
I've searched and searched and I can't find a decent DVD to AVI / WMV
ripper
anywhere, especially a freeware one!
I've gone and got us a camcorder that records to DVD−R / DVD−RW and hasn't
got any cable outputs on it. Its a Canon DC100 and Canon have told me
that
I need ripping software to get the data off so that I can mess around with
it in say MovieMaker and ultimately get it back on DVD.
I really like the simplicity of No1 DVD Ripper, ie select DVD, select
format
(AVI, WMV, etc) and rip, but on my P4 3Ghz, 512MB, 250GB WinXP Pro SP2 PC
it
took over 5 hours to rip a 1 hour 4 min DVD (home made one so no
protection)
to AVI and the file size was 2.5GB !
Tried WMV and although the file size went down to 500MB it still took 4
hours!
Canon said DVD ripping would be as fast as downloading from tape to PC via
firewire, but this surely isn't right.
Does anybody know how to get realistic file sizes and rip times with this
software or one as simple?
My friend downloaded a 45 min episode of Prison Break as an AVI file and
the
file size is only 340MB and the quality is great. How can this be so?
Is AVI better than WMV?
I tried the AVI xVid method, but Windows Media Player on machines that
didn't have this codec couldn't play it!
All I want is a very good video/audio quality file with a manageable file
size like the Prison Break file − am I asking too much?
Thanks for listening to my rant. Any help would be very much appreciated.
.
Re: DVD to AVI or WMV software 2