Question Re: Converting 480p MKVs to DVD

[RoryObasan]

The computer dummy is here again. I've been trying to find downloads of Richard II (Hollow Crown) and all the links I've checked out are 1 GB or more, far too big for my computer to handle. The smallest size that I was able to find was for a 480p MKV. I want to find out what will happen if I convert it to DVD. Would it fill the center of the TV screen (Letterbox format) or will it be smaller? I don't want to download the file yet until I find out how it would appear on my TV when I convert it to DVD.

Any information would be greatly appreciated!

[KarumA]

If it is smaller and not widescreen then it will be scaled up and you will have black borders at the side.
Simply put if you burn a small 480p file then it will be ugly and you will see pixels.
Why don't you burn the 1gb files? Just because you cant play the 1gb on your computer does not mean one can't burn them and convert them to dvd, which would change their format anyway and you should be able to play them.

[RoryObasan]

If it is smaller and not widescreen then it will be scaled up and you will have black borders at the side.
Simply put if you burn a small 480p file then it will be ugly and you will see pixels.
Why don't you burn the 1gb files? Just because you cant play the 1gb on your computer does not mean one can't burn them and convert them to dvd, which would change their format anyway and you should be able to play them.

Burning 1gb is not the problem. It's downloading them that is. I've tried every link available and it would take a full day to download them. I really don't want to risk my computer downloading such huge files, considering that I also use this for work. The hot weather will likely damage my comp before I even finish downloading it.

[KarumA]

You could use Jdownloader if the links you say are direct download links.
Basically it is a program that allows you to copy paste each of the links, the program then automatically downloads them. No opening sites needed, in many cases the speed which is capped get bypassed so it is faster but the best thing is you can stop your download and continue later on so you are not stuck with the whole; you need to download the entire 1gb file in one go-problem.

[RoryObasan]

You could use Jdownloader if the links you say are direct download links.
Basically it is a program that allows you to copy paste each of the links, the program then automatically downloads them. No opening sites needed, in many cases the speed which is capped get bypassed so it is faster but the best thing is you can stop your download and continue later on so you are not stuck with the whole; you need to download the entire 1gb file in one go-problem.

Thank you very much for the advice! All the programs that you've recommended to me in the past worked marvelously for me. I'll go get Jdownloader right now!!

[KarumA]

Thank you, do remember that the enabling of the resume option depends on the download site you use. If they allow it then it can be used.
But overall it is a good program option when it comes to speed. And it is fairly easy to navigate in the program;

I got an image, but the foprum cuts off the side for some reason and doesn't make it full viewable;
http://i.imgur.com/Oe6Go.png?1

[eliddell]

Note: one thing that most people don't seem to know is that the video resolution on a standard DVD is actually pretty small—720x480 or less for NTSC. So despite what everyone says, if you're burning true video DVDs, the larger file may not be an improvement. Blu-ray or files on data DVDs are a whole other kettle of fish, though.

[KarumA]

Partly you are right but it all depends on monitor size in that instance, on a bigger monitor pixelation is clearly visible for 480p video files even after converting it to a DVD so you would also see it on a television with sometimes even worse quality.
In those cases the bigger better quality file is a much better option even if it gets down scaled a bit.

The 480p file has probably been compressed tightly already which causes quality loss which is visible more clearly on a bigger monitor. Throwing in another compressor to burn it to DVD would not improve that quality and so using the other file would be a better option if you ask me.

[eliddell]

Well, I did say *may* not. A decent-quality h264 encode at 480p is likely to be okay at DVD size. A crappy Xvid 480p encode that's already showing macroblocking clearly won't. And the quality of the re-encoding software can matter, too. Fact is, though, even your typical 848x480 encode will have to be downscaled slightly to fit on a DVD.

[lemur7]

The computer dummy is here again. I've been trying to find downloads of Richard II (Hollow Crown) and all the links I've checked out are 1 GB or more, far too big for my computer to handle. The smallest size that I was able to find was for a 480p MKV. I want to find out what will happen if I convert it to DVD. Would it fill the center of the TV screen (Letterbox format) or will it be smaller? I don't want to download the file yet until I find out how it would appear on my TV when I convert it to DVD.

Any information would be greatly appreciated!

I burn dvd with files that are 480p all the time.... your fine ...it will look good on your TV ....
btw ..all that hype over both Hi 10p(10bit)(no dvd authoring can do those..you need to convert those to 8bit) and files over 720x480 ..is actually just a bunch crap ..over all I find it a waste of space ...you see no really difference and if the excuse to get such high res files is "it looks better on my 60 inch tv screen" ....well if you have a tv that big don't you think you should go and buy your anime or movies ...or at least a few of them ..... my tv is 32 inch so its a fair size ...I can tell you honestly ....if the file at 480p is of good quality and your dvvd authoring program is a good one you'll like the result ..don't worry ...just remember how it looks on your PC/Mac is basically the same as it will look on your tv.....