Why do movies (.avi files) look better when viewed using a DVD player than on a computer screen? [more inside]
posted by murtagh on May 30, 2009 - 19 answers

I'm moving around a lot. Tired of dragging movie DVD's around. Not looking to make an iso copy (i.e. DVDShrink). Too much disk space. ~750MB avi's would be more ideal, but even as a software developer the options I've Googled are confusing. Is there a simple (i.e.1-button) DVD to AVI converter?
posted by hungrysquirrels on Apr 19, 2009 - 20 answers

I can rip movies to Xvid using Handbrake and it is all good....it rips the movie but no special features which is fine....But lately, when I tried John Adams (miniseries) or the TV show the 4400, it only took one chunk out of the whole disc and ignored the other episodes. Is there a way around this so I can get all the episodes even if they are lumped into one .avi file? (I really don't mind all the fast-forwarding). Thanks...and to all of those reading/responding...have a great weekend.
posted by snap_dragon on Mar 13, 2009 - 7 answers

Two-part question about subtitles and DVD-to-AVI conversions: 1) How do I, using open-source software, "hard-burn" a subtitle file onto an AVI from a DVD source? 2) Even better, is there a video player that can load and display subtitle files to an avi format? What software & subtitle formatting should I be using? Extra points all around if your solutions handle Mandarin without encoding hitches. [more inside]
posted by saysthis on Feb 23, 2009 - 6 answers

How do I burn .avi/.mpg/.flv/.divx etc. to a DVD-R for use on a Divx enabled stand alone DVD player? [more inside]
posted by Mitheral on Dec 9, 2008 - 10 answers

WinAVI crapped out on Vista Premium 64-bit. What other friendly converter such as WinAVI can I use instead to convert xvid/divx/etc to .vob files so I can burn them as a DVD with Nero and such? Thanks in advance [more inside]
posted by cheero on Aug 21, 2008 - 6 answers

What's the best freeware DVD -> .avi or .mpg ripper for Windows XP? [more inside]
posted by beaucoupkevin on Sep 25, 2007 - 6 answers

I need a rather rare video tape copied to DVD or saved as a video file. I don't have the equipment to do it myself and the tape is out of print, only released in Japan, unlikely to ever be released on dvd, and still under copyright. It's official documentation of an American child actor's Japanese music career. It is my 'happy' tape because I always feel better after I watch it. What is the best way to get this copied? Bonus points if it's cheap or free and/or local to Charlotte, NC. [more inside]
posted by aristan on Sep 6, 2007 - 9 answers

My sister gave me a DVD with some AVI files of video that she took on a recent vacation to Paris. I want to burn this to a normal DVD so that my technophobe grandparents can watch it on their DVD player. Insert blinking 12:00 joke here. How do I do this, preferably for free, using my iMac and it's DVD burner?
posted by SpecialK on Aug 29, 2007 - 5 answers

Help me not spend $70 on Nero. What is a good piece of free stuff or more moderately priced program that will effectively help me convert stuff I download from the web (avi, torrent stuff) to a DVD or VCD so I can play it on my TV? [more inside]
posted by skepticallypleased on Jun 20, 2007 - 21 answers

I have a bunch of .mkv files, a Mac (10.3.9, Toast), and a DVD player that plays divx. How can I convert those dang .mkv files to a format readable by my DVD player? Thanks.
posted by PenguinBukkake on Oct 20, 2006 - 1 answer

Help me make a DVD. [more inside]
posted by BigBrownBear on Aug 11, 2006 - 4 answers

How do I convert the various popular flavors of digital video floating around the Internet into a format I can easily and reliably burn to DVD and play on a DVD player? [more inside]
posted by killdevil on May 15, 2006 - 7 answers

Burning DVDs: I want to get clips from (commercial and locked) DVDs and into a new DVD for class, with a menu system. I've seen this explanation, but I have a Mac (OS X, I could be convinced to upgrade to 10.4 if necessary). What's the easiest and/or best way to do this? [more inside]
posted by barnone on Jan 18, 2006 - 11 answers

On making DVDs from AVI files: What's transcoding, why does it take so long, and how can I speed it up? [more inside]
posted by Kickstart70 on Nov 23, 2005 - 14 answers

On a Windows machine, what's the best way to convert Flash, Quicktime, and MPEG clips into native DVD (.vob) format for viewing in regular DVD players? I mainly want to avoid (1) $$$, i.e. Premiere, and (2) trojanware.
posted by shannymara on Oct 3, 2005 - 2 answers

What is the *easiest* way to take a clip from a commercial DVD and turn it into a WMV or AVI file. I own the DVD I am using and need a hastle-free way of showing lots of DVD clips in my class lectures. Also, the quality needs to be reasonable -- but not perfect. And again, I'm looking for the *easiest* way.
posted by JPowers on Sep 24, 2005 - 7 answers

Ok, my google-fu has failed me. I'm trying to find a simple software program that will allow me to take an AVI file (or multiple AVI files - TV shows, mostly) and burn them to a DVD-R while still having the audio sync up properly. I've tried a couple of programs, and for some reason, the audio ends up being out of sync toward the end, although it's just fine at the beginning.
posted by gwenzel on Jun 16, 2005 - 8 answers

What windows app will allow me to take an AVI or MOV file and .SUB or .SSA or other subtitle file and burn it onto a DVD+R or -R with the subtitles either burnt-in or generated by the dvd player?
posted by signal on Jun 26, 2004 - 3 answers

What's good (free) software to rip my DVDs to a compressed format: Avi/DivX etc, for back-up/usability purposes? Ideally something that allows me to preserve widescreen and is 'user-friendly'.
posted by Blue Stone on May 24, 2004 - 9 answers

Best way to rip video from a DVD into MPEG or AVI? I need to grab scenes from a movie and monkey with them in Premiere (Windows).
posted by vraxoin on Apr 24, 2004 - 5 answers