Re: [Hampshire] convert download video to domestic DVD?

On Wed, Apr 29, 2009 at 10:29:12PM +0100, Victor Churchill wrote:
> I have some material downloaded by BitTorrent of a TV series currently
> being broadcast. (I believe this is OK from a TV license viewpoint and
> trust it is from the copyright viewpoint as well.)
>
> The download files are .avi format, and while I can view them on my
> desktop my OH would like to watch them on the regular TV (I can't
> think why... something to do with the space in here? ;-)
>
> The home DVD player does not like a DVD burnt with the .avi files. The
> TV has an S_Video input but I do not have an S-Video output on the
> laptop. Likewise a yellow socket whose name I do not know on the TV
> but not on the laptop. Normal (VGA?) video out on laptop but not in on
> TV. So no direct connection.
>
> Is there a way on Ubuntu to write a 'regular' DVD that will play on a
> domestic player?

You will need firstly to convert the AVI to an MPEG2 PS. There's
any number of things that will do this, but I mostly use avidemux for
that kind of job. Check that the file is playable and watchable on the
computer at this stage. (It will probably expand somewhat after the
AVI container, as that's likely to contain some kind of MPEG4).

You will also need something to write the appropriate menu
structures and so forth for the DVD. I've not really looked at that
bit of it, but the main tool to use is dvdauthor -- complex,
command-line, and driven by an XML config file (ewww). I believe that
there's a couple of GUI front-ends for it, but I can't think of the
names of any of them off-hand.

Hugo.

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