Fitting four hours onto a DVD?

Hello all.
Is there any way using Compressor to fit four hours of video onto a DVD?
When i try to compress, it gives me a maximum amount of something lie 174 minutes at a CBR of 2.
Any advice?
Thanks.

I created a custom compression setting that allowed me to get 4 hours onto a single DVD5 (the 4.7gig single layer DVDs). However, the footage looked absolutely terrible.
It is much better to go with the 150 Min compression and put it on a Dual Layer DVD (DVD9: 8.5gigs of space).
Hope that helps!
~Luke

Similar Messages

EyeTV to iDVD - fit four hours on 4.7 GB

I already e-mailed Elgato, and they told me this was impossible, at least the way I wanted to, and wondered if anyone has managed to succeed in doing this, as it is a struggle. My present system lets me go from EyeTV to Toast and create DVDs up to 4 hours in length. Unfortunately the menu selection in Toast is rather sparse, and I much prefer iDVD's menu selection process.
I haven't upgraded yet to iDVD 6, and was hoping someone here could convince me that it could replace Toast in what I do.
I have an Elgato EyeTV 200 box, and makes several exported formats with its EyeTV 1.8 software (which I may spend $50 to upgrade to version 2, if I hear it can do what I want). I captures the video as MPEG-2 muxed. Unfortunately if I want to use it in iDVD, I have to export it to DV first, and then import to iDVD. iDVD 5 anyway only lets me fit 2 hours of video on a single 4.7 GB DVD. Remember I said EyeTV can do 4 hours. Has anyone figured out a way to get the MPEG-2 files of EyeTV to be accepted by iDVD and maintain their 4 hour length when burnt by iDVD while using iDVD to construct menus in version 6 of iDVD? Does one need to go through iMovie to do this? If you outline a method to do this with iDVD 6, I'd like to know, as that would convince me to get iLife '06.
Thank you.

Well I do have Toast 6.1.1. I don't want to go
through the hassle of upgrading Toast again. It was
really silly the way they made it almost impossible
to get the 6.1.1 update when Toast 7 was released.
I finally managed to get it, but not after
twisting a few arms.
One option would be to use Popcorn.
Create a DVD image in Toast 6 and then use Popcorn to compress the DVD down so you can fit four hours onto a 4.7GB disk.
This functionality is included in Toast 7.
Personally I would get Toast 7.

How to fit 4 1/2 hours onto a DVD

OK i dont get it. Because It says that a standard DVD fits 4.7 GBs on a DVD. So when I finished my project with FCP. I exported using QT conversion. I exported my file as an MP4 using H.264. and got my 4 1/2 hour project down to 2.4 GBs. But when I tried to import it to DVDSP it said incompatible format...
What is the best way to fit my 4 1/2 hour video onto a DVDSP project without losing a lot of quality...

I just dont understand that if I can get the files to under 3 GBs why they wont fit on a single layer DVD
I think you may be missing the basic element here. The DVD-Video specification was established so that DVD-Video discs would be properly recognized and play in DVD players from any manufacturer. But in order for that to happen, the files on the DVD MUST comply with the DVD-Video specification. That spec requires specially formatted, MPEG-2 video and multiplexed with either AIFF (PCM) or AC3 (Dolby Digital) audio in the form of VOB files.
It wouldn't matter if your file had the size of only 2mb. If it isn't in the right format, it won't work. Essentially, it isn't the size that matters in this case; it the file format you provide to DVD-SP.
When you exported your movie using QuickTime Conversion, it doesn't matter what the resulting file size is ... because you chose MPEG-4 (h.264) and that doesn't meet the DVD-Video specification, nor does it meet the requirements of DVD-SP for encoding.
That's what Compressor is for. You simply export from FCP "Using Compressor" and choose the appropriate DVD preset. In your case, you'd have to modify a preset to meet the bit rate requirements for a program the length of yours ... or use a dual layer disc as has already been suggested.
You can also export a reference or self-contained movie form FCP and use the resulting file in Compressor or import it directly into DVD-SP and let it do the encoding. However, using Compressor will allow you much more control.
-DH
ps: a single layer DVD disc (DVD-5) only has about 4.3gb of usable space even though the discs are rated at 4.7gb.

Fitting FCP movies onto a DVD

Hi
I have 6 movies (all final cut pro quicktime movies) I want to place all on one DVD
movie#1 = 3.4 gigs
movies #2 to #6 = 1.5 gigs each
What is the easiest way to capture them all on the same 4.7 DVD R?

...... ok, 105min, you sure want some menu, buttons, music, fancy eye candy.. ;-)
I'll support that. I used Pass Through theme and there was so much animation, that I had to turn some menus off to fit 3.4GB of images and movies on a single-layer DVD-R. Motion Menus was 13:37 of 7:30, for a total project of 119:50. I got it on.

Fit 2 1/2 hour program onto a DVD

I have a 2 1/2 hour program I cut in FCP7 with chapter markers for DVD Studio Pro. I tried to burn a DVD in DVDStudioPro and was told program was too long. What can I do now to fit it onto 1 DVD and still have chapter markers? I'm not much of an editor and was forced to do this project when my "real" editor had to bale.
Thanks!
This is an SD project.

The setting will tell you how many minutes you can expect to fit on a standard DVD-5 when you adjust the average data rate. Maximum bit rate will not effect how many minutes will fit on the disc. You may want to do a one minute test of a complex part of the video (lots of motion, pans, etc) to see what it will look like. You could be disappointed with the quality.
The alternative would be to make a dual-layer disc but unless you are having them manufactured vs. duplicated playback compatibility could be less than desirable with DL+/- media. Studios almost always make dual-layer discs (manufactured from a glass master at a replication facility) to ensure that the highest quality encoding can be used and will fit on the DL disc.

3 hours of footage onto 1 DVD?

Hi everyone,
We have a big project coming up: 3 hours (not including the menu.) How can we compress this using compressor so it all fits onto 1 DVD, either single or dual layer?
I've read in other posts that if you use AC3 audio instead of AIFF, that will help save room... but really i'd like to know more about the setting to use in Compressor/DVDSP in order to pull this off.
Thanks in advance

Do the math.
Double that maximum bit rate for twice the size of DVD5.
It will look better.
But you also might consider editing some of the footage.

Fitting 3.5 hours onto 4.7G disk

To all,
What settings should I be looking for in compressor to fit 3.5 hours of video onto one DVD-5 disc?
I have tried the lowest setting possible, (2.0 avg., 5.0 max bitrate) and compressor freezes about half way through the encode. Two different times it has done this after about 2 hours of encoding, I might add. (Also, the inspector tells me I can fit 174 min on disc.) ???
I would even settle for making a dual layer disc if I could just get all the video encoded!
Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.
C.J.

Fitting more than 2 hours on a 4.7G DVD can be done, but you need to be encoded in Dolby Digital to make it smaller so it will fit with the large m2v file.
A sight that will help you determining bit rate is at
http://www.customflix.com/Special/AuthoringNightmares/03/BitBudget.jsp
You can change between PCM and Dolby to see what will work the best.
As for compressor freezing, I have had a similar thing happen only to find that it starts again after a time. Is it pausing or freezing? Have you ever just let compressor (batch monitor) stay on over night or through the next day to see if batch monitor show any progression?
It would be helpful for you to post information about which version of compressor you are working with and what model of computer.
Hope this helps

I made an imovie project that's over 2 hours so iDVD won't let me burn it onto a DVD. What do I do?

I made an iMovie project that's over 2 hours long so iDVD won't let me burn it onto a DVD. What do I do now?

Would I need to switch the disk in the middle of it burning so it can burn the other side
No, you do not flip over the disk. The dual-layers are both on the same side of the disk. You can't see them, they are just there, and iDVD will do what is necessary if it needs to burn both layers.
You would only flip over a disk if it were a "double-sided" disk. That's an entirely different kind of disk and it has only one layer on each side. Those are much older kinds of disks that were used commercially before the advent of dual-layer disks. I don't know anyone who uses them any more.

High Quality HD footage Need to compress/export to fit onto a DVD!

So, basically I have 58 min. worth of HQ, HD footage (with burnt in time code) that I need to fit onto a playable DVD (that will be burnt using DVD Studio Pro)
Normally, I'd just export using QuickTime movie - however after doing so, my file size was 89.52 GB, which obviously is huge.
What is the best way to go about compressing or exporting this so that it will fit onto a DVD or Dual Layer DVD.
I need to send this to the client, and the quality really doesn't have to be amazing, as this is just for them to view and choose which footage they want to keep, etc. The quality need to be decent enough to view, essentially.
I used FCP and DVD Studio pro -- but really just basic stuff for the most part. I am not super familiar with compressor and all that lingo, so the simplest way to go about this would be best, ha.
The raw footage was shot using a SONY HDCAM 1080i 59.97 (16x9) - if this helps.
Digitized the footage using pro-ress in FCP...so yeah I don't what other info might be needed, sorry.

#42 - Quick and dirty way to author a DVD
Shane's Stock Answer #42 - David Roth Weiss' Secret Quick and Dirty Way to Author a DVD:
The absolute simplest way to make a DVD using FCP and DVDSP is as follows:
1. Export a QT movie, either a reference file or self contained using current settings.
2. Open DVDSP, select the "graphical" tab and you will see two little monitors, one blue, one green.
3. Select the left blue one and hit delete.
4. Now, select the green one, right click on it amd select the top option "first play".
5. Now drag your QT from the broswer and drop it on top of the green monitor.
6. Now, for a DVD from an HD source, look to the right side and select the "general tab" in the track editor, and see the Display Mode, and select "16:9 pan-scan."
7. Hit the little black and yellow burn icon at the top of the page and put a a DVD in when prompted. DVDSP will encode and burn your new DVD.
THATS ALL!!!
NOW...if you want a GOOD LOOKING DVD, instead of taking your REF movie into DVD SP, instead take it into Compressor and choose the BEST QUALITY ENCODE (2 pass VBR) that matches your show timing. Then take THAT result into DVD SP and follow the rest of the steps. Except you can choose "16:9 LETTERBOX" instead of PAN & SCAN if you want to see the entire image.
Shane

Fitting large project onto DVD

Friends,
I have a project at that is 4.9 gigs at high quality. How do I shrink it down to fit onto a 4 gig DVD. Maybe the answer is obvious but I am becoming increasingly frustrated. I am sure all of us have been there a time or two. So in short, how do I change the bit rate?
Please help.
-Jon

Also use Compressor to export your audio file from an AIFF to an AC3 if you haven't already. This will ensure bit-rate compatability and also shrink the file size.
If you're looking for a quick fix you can still build from DVDSP then use Popcorn to fit it onto your DVD.

Urgent help need to compress 4 hrs of footage onto 1 dvd

hi people any one know the settings i will need to compress 4 hours of footage onto a single layer dvd? the footage is of a seminar so not much action but will still need best quality possible have been using compressor 2 and got a complete head ache as lowest settings state i can only fit 174 minutes on a dvd that coupled with the compression times of over 185 hours at times. so im gonna re install compressor 1.2.1 and try again with that
but any help would be greatfully appreciated
cheers

If it was me, I'd be looking at using BitVice to create a half D1 file... pretty much half the file size, and by most people's accounts a better quality than MPEG1. It works by reducing the horizontal resolution - the DVD player re-sizes the footage and there is pretty good reproduction.
Any encoder that can create the encode at 352x576 will be OK, but I know Bitvice will and have used it to do so. Since the file sizes are smaller for the same bitrate, you can fit twice as much footage on. You can easily get 4 hours of Half D1 onto a DVD-R.
Have a look at this graph to get more of a feel for how the different resolutions can work. I don't necessarily agree with all of the info there- the notion of 'fair' quality and 'good' quality being subjective terms and not always applicable to all source types or motion types, etc... but it's a good starting point nonetheless.

2 1/2 hours onto iDVD?

I am using Final Cut Pro 4 and have a 2 1/2 hour movie that I need to fit onto iDVD. I tried compressing the file with Compresor, but iDVD dosn't recognize compressed files. What can I do to fit this movie onto iDVD? Is there a specific export setting I can use that will reduce the file size and still retain fairly good sound and image quality?
Please Respond!
- Dsprate In Low Buget Land

Things are heating up a bit too much, so this will be my last post to this thread.
Rob,
As stated, they are just options to possibly solve
the OP's dilemma ... not necessarily addressing his
specific question. Since he has been trying to fit a
2.5 hour program on DVD-5 media using a tool (iDVD)
that has a 2 hour limit on program length, I felt
that offering other options was in order.
Nothing personal David, it's all appreciated. Offering options is of course valuable, especially when the options are viable.
1) I don't have or use iDVD so I cannot say whether
or not is supports dual layer discs.
Fair enough.
2) Using DVD-SP is a valid option - sure you have to
buy it, but since the OP stated he is using FCP 4, he
should qualify for the $199.00 up/crossgrade to Final
Cut Studio. I don't think you could find a better
deal anywhere for software of that caliber unless
someone was giving it away. And there's certainly no
need to buy a post-production facility just to burn a
DVD. But then, with a decent Mac and Final Cut
Studio you'd be well on your way to doing just that.
Are you telling me that in the whole mac world, the only piece of software that's accessible to the OP and that'll give him decent quality output is DVDSP for which he has to shell out $200? Like I said, there are millions of programs for DVD authoring for Windows (try the google experiment I suggested earlier), and I refuse to believe that the mac world can only answer with DVDSP for $200 (or indeed $1200 for FCS, in case someone is just coming to the world of mac for editing purposes, lol! "Be warned, that if you want to actually output your work, you must buy into the entire FCS as there are no other options... that's $1200, thank you!").
3) What if you want to do it on one disc? Heck, I'd
like to be able to cram 14 raided SATA drives inside
my G5, but what we want isn't always the best option.
I've listed other one-disc options anyway. A 2 disc
set IS a very valid option that the OP may have not
considered. It would allow the bit rate to be set
higher resulting in better quality as well.
The obvious answer is to do it on a DL disc. So what's all the drama about cramming 150 minutes into a SL disc? Nobody suggested that. ONE disc does not mean SINGLE layer disc. There's also DL. No need to split up the output to two discs. Since iDVD can't do over 2 hours, the natural thing is to suggest software that can (hopefully AGAIN, DVDSP is not the ONLY software that can do i!!!).
4) Yes, I have stated on several occasions that I
feel the encoding quality of Toast is lacking (when
compared to other encoding apps). But trying to fit
150 minutes onto a single layer DVD is going to mean
a quality hit no matter what you do.
No, the 150 minutes is not the issue. Again, why the focus on SL discs? Who's suggesting that? ONE disc is not only SL. After all you can use a DL disc, so why do you keep talking about "trying to fit 150 minutes onto a single layer DVD"? Who said he's limited to SL? Didn't you yourself suggest DL? That's a red herring. The problem is not the quality of SL stuff burned with Toast, the problem is the compression engine used by Toast, whether SL, DL or whatever. That doesn't make it viable, unless the OP doesn't care about that level of quality. Again: is DVDSP the ONLY software in the mac world that will give you decent quality output? Don't you see that this is what you seem to keep suggesting over and over and over again? If you are right, then I'd suggest there is a very serious problem for mac users. The entire point of my posting in this thread, however, is to say that I find that suggestion hard to believe, and I hope against hope that SOMEONE has actually used another piece of software (for less than $200!) that can give good quality output... so far we have suggestions to the effect "try this, it might work, I've never done it myself"... not exactly a vote of confidence.
5) A standalone DVD recorder does its own encoding
from the video signal being fed in to it. No need to
convert file types, just connect A/V cables to the
inputs. The one I have (Pioneer DVR-533H-S) does
have a Firewire input and when connected to my Mac,
FCP recognizes it as a DV device. I simply playback
from the Timeline or do a Print-to-Tape. It records
to disc in RT, plus about 3 minutes afterward for
disc finalization. The user can set the record time
in 15 minute increments up to 6 hours (I cannot
attest to the quality of long recording times).
Again, what I would hope is testimony from someone who CAN attest to the quality. Not faulting you, merely saying that this question never seems to get a satisfactory answer on the board. Answer would be short and sweet: "Yes, of course in the mac world we have several software options to do what you want to do - f.ex. program X, at $50 will output very good quality DVDs of 150 minutes on a DL DVD - that's just one among many such apps". That's it! Instead we get: "DVDSP the one and only, and anything else, has either poor quality (Toast 7), or is untried, and maybe will work, maybe not, and oh yeah, we actually don't have another software solution, so how about a hardware solution, cause I'm sure you need another hunking piece of metal to add to your collection... and even so, I'm not sure about the quality of the result."
6) As far as my re-editing suggestion; that too is a
very valid option. It was not at all intended to be
sarcasm. How you took it that way is beyond me.
Sorry David, here I must disagree. Do you imagine for 1 second that someone who has 150 minute film is unaware of the option of editing things down? If they are at 150, it is presumably because that's what they find to be optimal. It is insulting to suggest that it may not have occured to him/her to edit it down. Not to mention the laziest kind of advice. "I'm thirsty, where can I get something to drink around here?" "Have you considered not quenching your thirst?" "My car is not working, where can I get it fixed" "Have you considered not fixing it?". This is so silly, I'm shocked you'd actually suggest this in answer to a technical question of how to output a 150 minute DVD "make it less than 120". If he wanted to do a 120 minute project, he wouldn't be doing a 150 minute one. You CANNOT be serious. I'd suggest you NOT to give this particular piece of "advice", as it's highly insulting.
In fact, it would seem that you've taken exception to
just about all of the options I listed. Hopefully
you'll re-read them in a more objective light.
-DH
I have only taken exception to what your wrote, based on my own experience - I had an almost identical question (134 minute long project), and I saw the answers I got. I'm here to tell you, these kinds of answers DO NOT help. What would help is: "DVDSP is not the sole solitary unique and only option in the whole wide world of Apple computers if you want good quality output to a DL disc of material over 120 minutes long. For example Softare X, one among many, will do exactly that, and this has been widely confirmed." That's it! Are you suggesting that apart from the holy DVDSP there IS NOT ONE such software solution that has been CONFIRMED to give good quality output to a DL disc? Either that's true, in which case it's incredibly sad and depressing for mac owners, or it's not true... and if not true, then we need to find what that Software X is - so far, you don't seem to have the answer. Mabye somebody does.

2 hour AVCHD on DVD

I have a 2 hour performance shot AVCHD and I am trying to put it on a DVD. I am converting to mgeg2 dvd and using draft quality but it still comes out 4410 meg... too big.
What should I do next to widdle down the size.
Thanks!

What is the Bit-Rate of that "draft quality" MPEG-2 Export?
For down-rezzing HD to SD, Jeff Bellune's TUTORIAL might help get the highest quality, and also give you tips on fitting that MPEG-2 onto a DVD-5. Two hours should fit fine, with good quality.
Good luck,
Hunt

How to fit long video onto disk

I understand to use the 150 min setting to get a long video compressed and onto disk in DVD Studio Pro. However, what settings do I use in Compressor to fit a video of say 170 minutes in length onto a DVD?

Get a DVD-R recorder and play directly to disk using the 6 hour setting. This uses a hardware encoder to do the compression and will potentially look better than what Compressor can get you.
The real question is why not do this with multiple disks. NO ONE can sit through 6 hours of video without stopping.
x

How do I fit my iMovie onto iDVD

I am trying to make a DVD. I set up the DVD ready to import my iMovie. I realized my movie is 27.8 GB because of all the clips! I compressed the movie to quick time (.mov) and it says 981.2 MB on disk. I then try putting this onto the iDVD, but it says it's still too big! And with it compressed this small form it's original size, it looks terrible. How do professional movies get burned onto a DVD and have it great quality? How can I make my movie still look good, but fit onto a 4.7 GB blank DVD+R, just like people burn real movies onto these exact same blank DVDs, but they look good?

While in iMovie HD, use the send to iDVD button. Customize the iDVD project. Keep the iMovie HD project under 2 hours unless you have anew Mac that can burn DL DVDs.
Use Verbatim DVD-R for best results.
iDVD 5 Getting Started
Apple's iMovie Learning Site
Apple's iDVD Learning Site
Ken Stone: Authoring in iDVD 5
My favorite, by far:
iMovie HD & iDVD 5: The Missing Manual
iPhoto 5: The Missing Manual

Fitting four hours onto a DVD?

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