2 VCD -> 1 DVD

[shadowjagans]

well i wanted to burn a movie but unfortunately its in VCD version its double discs and when i burn them i want to burn them into a DVD (saves me space and i hate changing CDs while watchin movies) does anyone know a good program that can mend 2 VCD files together into one so i can burn them onto a single DVD?

Thanks.

 

[g-paw]

I used Virtual Dub, a free program and did the following:

http://www.weethet.nl/english/video_mergeavis.php

Worked perfectly. I'd copy the video files from the SVCD to your harddrive and then merge them. Once merged burn them to a DVD

 

[shadowjagans]

i downloaded virtual dub but i cant seem to open the .zip?

 

[g-paw]

Make sure you have the latest free version of Win Zip, I think you can get it here.

http://www.download-zone-free.com/winzip/

Also make sure you've downloaded the 32 bit version of virtualdub unless you have a 64 bit system.

 

[shadowjagans]

well i've got the virtualdub from another site (i can access this one) but when i read ur instructions its weird coz they only teach me how to merge .avi files and not the VCD files, theres lots of VCD folders and files (MPEGAV/VCD/CDI etc.) and i duno which one to merge and which one to leave alone or wateva

 

[g-paw]

Unfortunately my wife has the SVCDs somewhere and she's at work so I'm working from memory, always frightening Open a SVCD or VCD, disk which ever you have, i.e., right click and then click open. There should be either an mpg, mpeg, or avi file, I think it'll be an mpg. Click on it and it should play, if not keep clicking on files with one of these extensions until the movie begins to play. Once you find the correct file, create a folder onn your hard drive and copy the file to your hard drive. Then go to the next VCD and do the same thing untill you have all the files for the movie you want to merge on you hard drive. Once this is done, use virtualdub to join them. If I find an SVCD disk, I'll try to be more explicit

 

[shadowjagans]

well ok my VCDs r in .DAT form but i still dont know how to merge them, im using VirtualDub 1.6.15 and it seems different than the link u gave me, the option Append Video Segment doesnt seem to b available to me when i open the video file

 

[g-paw]

I've got somethings to do right now but I'll be back in about 2 hours or so. I've only merged files one time so I have to figure it out again. I do remember that once you start the merger, things go pretty quickly. You'll be able to do what you want, it will just take time to figure it out.

Also, download RAD Video Tools, if you haven't done so.

http://www.radgametools.com/bnkdown.htm

This is a free program that converts video files, we may or may not need it.

 

[g-paw]

The files you would want are mpg, on my SVCD disk they are in a folder called MPEG2, it may be different on your disks but should have a mpg extension. The problem is they are Read Only, which is why I think I can't copy them to the the hard drive or convert them to avi files. I tried unchecking Read Only under properties but the file reverts to Read Only. I think once the Read Only was changed and the file was copied to the hdd, the rest would be easy. Unfortunately, I haven't figured out a way to change the file from Read Only. Hopefully, someone else can contribute to solving this problem.

 

[g-paw]

Found a way to rip the write protected mpg file to your hard drive. Download and install IsoBuster.

http://www.smart-projects.net/isobuster.php

I'd suggest you make a copy of the VCD just in case something happens because my experience is something can always happen. Use IsoBuster to rip the mpg file on your VCD to your hard drive. It takes quite awhile, like over an hour for mine because it converts the file to avi, which is ok. Once all the mpg files are on your hard drive you should be able to merge them per the above instructions. Once they're merged you should be able to burn them to a DVD. Can't tell you how much but it will take quite a bit on space so hopefully you have a lot of room on your hard drive.

 

[shadowjagans]

well okey... i tried converting my VCD files (the .DAT) to .avi and they seem to get really big the files r like 500mb and 250mb but when i convert them to .avi they're like 18GB and 10GB, maybe i'll jus burn them as they r and leave them as 2 CDs for now until som kind of new program comes out or somthin, really thanks for ur help anyways =]

 

[g-paw]

A lot of people don't seem to understand that video files are really big and take a really long time to capture and render or convert. I think anyone that wants to work with video files should first get a 2nd hard drive of at least 200GB, which you can now get for less than $90. It is also a good idea to render or convert video files when you're not going to use the computer, e.g., overnight or when your at work. You'll also likely to need 2 or 3 programs, many of which are free. E.g., in your case, one for ripping and converting, one for merging, and one for burning to the DVD. While this may all seem daunting and time consuming, like most things once you get the hang of it, it's not really that much work and the learning curve is fairly short. I also think it needs to be approached as a hobby, sonething that you enjoy learning as well as the feeling of accomlishment when the project is successful. Definitely a lot more involved that ripping and burning music. While personally I enjoy the challenge of solving these problems, I find the movies themselves boring but I find most home movies boring. But I have a wife who wants the end product and keeping her happy definitely pays off. Anyway, some things to think about. For me the best part of this whole undertaking was finding IsoBlaster. Best of luck