AVI and Nero

[ksnielsen]

Hi-

I have been asked to help an area school get their movie created in Windows Movie Maker to a DVD. They have Nero (he said it is the latest version, that's all I know). If they save a DV-AVI file from Windows Movie Maker, can Nero create a DVD video? I have never used Nero before. Any specifics would be much appreciated.

Thanks, Karen

[Bobby]

Hi Karen.

Nero is the name of a container for a lot of utilities. The Nero one usually refers to is the CD/DVD writer program, but that can't create a viewable DVD from just an AVI file. In the package is a program called Nero Vision which should be able to do that. It is a fairly standard NLE program, like Premiere Elements, that allows you to put a movie clip on a timeline, add titles and menus, etc.

Which Nero package do you have?

[Chuck Engels]

Also, do they have any Vista PC's? From what I have heard Vista has a program that will burn DVDs of videos created with Movie Maker.
And make sure they have DVD burners, or they won't be doing much with their videos

[ksnielsen]

Thanks. Unfortunately, I don't have much information. I will be going to their site this afternoon. I don't think they have Vista but I will look at that. They do have a DVD burner. I would be able to do it with Imgburn of needed wouldn't I? Can that take an AVI file and burn to DVD?

[Paul LS]

NERO can burn a video DVD... you can import the DV-AVI, add a menu and burn. It does it quite efficiently and with good quality. But it is a pretty basic video editor.

[Chuck Engels]

But it is a pretty basic video editor.

But then again so is Movie Maker. If they are editing in Movie Maker and exporting a DV-AVI file it can be imported into a Nero Project and burned to a DVD. I don't think ImgBurn will do that, it needs a already prepared folder to burn, but I don't know that for a fact.

[Bill Hunt]

Karen,

Are you being asked to do the project, or to teach how to do the project, while you do it? That might make a lot of difference.

If it is the former, you can easily obtain the end result with other programs, that you probably have. If the latter, then you will need to work with what they have. Obviously, the former will be a lot easier, as YOU get to pick what programs are used.

One caveat, that might/might not apply. WMM Exports (or did - I don't have the Vista version) to DV-AVI Type I. These files can, and do, cause some problems for NLE's, like Premiere Elements and Pro. Conversion to DV-AVI Type II is easy, and the workflow that I recommend. Sometimes DV-AVI Type I files will play "nice" in other NLE's, but sometimes problems arise, like Audio without Video, vice-versa, or Audio sync problems.

Good luck,

Hunt

[Peru]

They do have a DVD burner. I would be able to do it with Imgburn of needed wouldn't I? Can that take an AVI file and burn to DVD?

If you use ImgBurn to burn a DVD, it will be as a data file, not a playable DVD.
If you want to be able to play it on a stand-alone DVD player, you will need to output a video_TS folder to burn with ImgBurn.

[ksnielsen]

Thanks for all the input. The school created the movie and I have been asked to get what they created onto a video DVD. I have to use the tools they have in place and show them how to do it. Hopefully I will be able to figure it out. Thanks for the help and support. Sure would be a lot easier to do it myself. Oh well.

[Steve Grisetti]

See if you can at all get them to spring $39.99 for a download of DVD Architect Studio. It's so easy to use and you can do so many great things with it.

It also encodes DVD video at about three times the speed of programs like Premiere Elements! (And even produces better results, in my opinion.)

[Bill Hunt]

In that case, I agree with Steve completely. Maybe a "bake sale?" From what I have read of that program, it will likely be the best $39.95 that they have spent in a long time. If I didn't already have Encore, I would have bought it a long time ago.

Good luck,

Hunt