DVD, two hours on a disc: how do they do it?

[TangoWhiskey]

I'm curious about this... how do they get two + hours of video onto a single DVD, when ripping a two-hour show off DVD or Tivo or Dish PVR and trying to write it back to a DVD will take two or more discs?

I know encoding can make a difference, as can the number of disk layers. I think DVD uses MPEG4 as it's encoding mechanism. I'd just like to be able to record a two-hour movie using my DVR and then copy it to a single DVD, not two or three of them. It's just no fun to get up and swap a DVD every 45 minutes.

How do they do it!? Is it possible, with normal home equipment (I have Nero's latest version, plus a DVD writer--unsure if it's dual-layer capable or not) to write a two-hour movie to a single disk at the same quality as the original program?

 

[Greebo]

Diminish the video quality and you can fit like 6-8 hours on a single DVD.

 

[ScottM]

data compression and bits/pixel have a lot to do with it.

 

[mikea]

You have to be sure you can write dual-layer. That's difference between 4GB and 8GB of space.

Commercial DVDs are dual-layer.

 

[TangoWhiskey]

You have to be sure you can write dual-layer. That's difference between 4GB and 8GB of space.

Commercial DVDs are dual-layer.

Thanks, Mike! I figured that was the key. The other responders must have missed the part about "with the same quality". If I take 10 gallons of water out of a bucket, I should be able to put 10 gallons back in a similar bucket... it shouldn't take two buckets.

The dual layer makes sense as the issue.

 

[Greebo]

Thanks, Mike! I figured that was the key. The other responders must have missed the part about "with the same quality".

What, we're supposed to read the posts ALL THE WAY TO THE END NOW???

Sheesh! Talk about your demanding posters!

 

[The Old Man]

Troy, ya gotta take a different approach.

We have DVRs hooked up to both of our cable boxes. I use Video Studio from Ulead, subsidiary of Corel, to import the dvd to the computer. It only imports the content, not the menus and overhead. I can then edit the content as needed (remove commercials, etc) and re-write to a dvd.

VS is not free ($70), but you can download a sample version from the Corel website. I needed a method of importing dvds of home movies for my nephew when I went looking. The sample version did the import better than any of the freeware and their editing methodology is the simplest and most powerful I found. It is also the only one I found with video sound, audio and music track functions which allow you to adjust the volume on each track on a frame by frame basis.

 

[john smith]

Use Handbrake to rip and edit.

 

[jesse]

You have to be sure you can write dual-layer. That's difference between 4GB and 8GB of space.

Commercial DVDs are dual-layer.

Ding..ding..ding...Mike wins!

 

[TangoWhiskey]

Ding..ding..ding...Mike wins!

I bought some Memorex DVD+R dual layer discs today... I think my writer is compatible; if it's not, I will upgrade the writer and get BluRay capability while I'm at it. Discs are more expensive, of course, but I'd rather have fewer media around to manage.

 

[mikea]

I bought some Memorex DVD+R dual layer discs today... I think my writer is compatible; if it's not, I will upgrade the writer and get BluRay capability while I'm at it. Discs are more expensive, of course, but I'd rather have fewer media around to manage.

I haven't messed with it lately but there was dual-layer and double-layer and such. Just match the DVD+R or DVD-R and double layer or dual-layer and the speed to meet or exceed the drive speed to the label on blank disks.

The last I heard, I wouldn't mess with Blu-Ray for now, although I guess you can get a Blu-Ray reader if you want to be able to PLAY HD movies. I'll let somebody with current info like Rich clarify.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

ahhh! The average person just wants a disk to work when you plug it in!
When will we ever get full compatibility??
Wiki says there are like 10 disk formats now.