Can't find freeware to convert wmv files to a DVD format (What is that format anyway)

[Markfw]

I am new to this video converting stuff. I made a movie for my sons school tape of a play, but it is 600 meg, and works on some computers, but others say "can't download codec" in Windows media play. I am trying to make copies for the parents, and they need something easy to play. So, I would like to convert this to some format that I can burn on a 700 meg CD, but will play in a standard DVD player. Also, is there any freeware out there to do this. I have tried 20 different ones, and none work.

Help please !!

 

[Markfw]

Bump anybody ??

 

[oldfart]

Any PC with a relatively up to date version of Windows Media Player should be able to play wmv files. I've done this many times without a problem. Playing movies on a standard DVD player is much harder. You can make a VCD or SVCD, but many home DVD players wont play it. Did you have the users download/install Windows Media Player 7?

 

[Vernor]

WMV is obviously MS proprietary.

 

[BoomAM]

if you`ve got a cd burner and nero, then you can use that to create VCDS and SVCDS very easyly. Just select what movie files you want on the CD (most formats, including *.wmv), and click burn, there you go.

hope this helps.

 

[Vernor]

VCD is mpg. You still need to convert the wmv files.

 

[oldfart]

And MANY home DVD players wont play VCD or SCVD

 

[BoomAM]

nero converts it automaticly, i think.
As for Home DVD players, Here in the UK, practicaly every DVD player that ive come accross supports SVCD & VCD. The only ones that dont are some f@~%*$d up overseas imports.

 

[oldfart]

Many US market DVD players dont. VERY FEW old ones do.

 

[Markfw]

Thanks for the info ! I do have a burner with Nero. Ddi you say it does that automatically ??? As for playing or not, I will try anything once. Who cares about $0.50 for a test. Right now I am giving the parents the option of VHS, or CD. The VHS comes across pretty blurry compared to the CD which was filmed on a digital camera. The DVD (on a CD) would give me one more option for those who have problems. The first parent was the guy with the camera, and he has a 700 mhz laptop. I had him download Windows media player 9, and it still gives hime the error under Win98SE. I figured if he has a problem other might. I don't want to fix 200 parents computers, and the CD is way earier for me to create, and better quality, so this gives me one more possibility. Is there and way to Convert toAVI or mpeg2 ? I can't find didly for free converters!!! If I was making money on this, I would just buy software, but this is being done for free for my sons school.
Thanks again in advance.

 

[oldfart]

It was filmed on a DV camera right? Can you work with the original DV tape, or are you stuck with the wmv format? DV -> VHS should make a very good quality tape. I still think for playing on a PC, wmv is a good way to go. I've never heard of a wmv problem before. Maybe it was improperly encoded. How was it done? The other option would be MPEG1. To play in a home DVD player, VCD or SVCD, but I can guarentee you, you have people (most) who can't play it in their DVD player. To learn about VCD/SVCD, go to VCDHelp.com

Hmm. I just tried TMPGEnc, and I can open a wmv file with it. You have to use the browse and pick all files, then pick the wmv file. TMPGEnc should be able to convert it to an MPEG1, MPEG2, VCD or SVCD format.

 

[Markfw]

Thats the problem, I have to work with the wmv. See, we take the movie, add titles and credits (the parents want to see their kids names in the credits, its a big deal and Mine included), and create a movie using Windows Movie Maker 2.0. Then use the built in "save the movie as" in the Windows movie maker. And I already tried the TMPGEnc, and I had some kind of problem with it. Maybe I will try again when I get home since you suggested it.

Thanks again, I will let you know.

 

[oldfart]

For doing that kind of work, I use Pinnacle Studio 7. The wmv product at the end plays fine on any PC I've ever used. I use TMPGEnc when I want to do a 2 pass VBR MPEG2 for SVCD.

What are the options in Movie maker? Can you save as other formats such as MPEG1? With wmv, are there different settings such as resolution and bitrate? Has the wmv file played on any PC?

 

[Markfw]

Oldfart: 1) I was born in Virginia (that you are from), greetings !
2) When I use TMPGEnc, and open the file created with Windows Movie Maker 2, (That plays fine under it or ATI file player), it says "can not open, or unsupported"

As for Pinnacle Sudio 7, unless they give out free copies for use in scholl or something like that, I am not going to buy it for this one project for my son's school. Any other ideas on free software or any other advice ?

Thanks again fellow Virginian ! (spelling ??)

 

[oldfart]

Can you play that wmf file via Windows Media Player on any PC? If not, you need to tweak your Movie maker settings or something. I've never used it, so I cant say what. Bottom line is a wmv file should play on any PC that has a Windows operating system. How big is the file? How long is the movie?

There is a Pinnacle Studio 8 Demo available. You have to order a demo CD. Dont know what the demo limits are.

 

[lazy232]

As far as I know, you can't convert .wmv or .asf files to any other format due to M$ proprietary.

 

[Markfw]

Oldfart, yes I have been able to play it on any PC. The person with the problem before that I mentioned, downloaded windows media player, but didn't install it. So now I have a 100% sucess rate playing it back on media player or ATI file player. But no import or convert. I think I may have to just stick to CD or VHS until I get a DVD burver, and Pinnacle 8.

Lazy 232, you could be right, but that sucks, and why my sig is the way it is.

 

[oldfart]

I'm using TMPGEnc right now converting a wmv to an MPEG1.....I'll report results in a few minutes.

EDIT: Worked like a charm. I converted a 640 x 480 wmv file to a 352 x 240 NTSC MPEG1 (VCD format). Plays fine. I'm sure an MPEG2 SVCD would also work.

 

[Markfw]

Oldfart, please do me a favor: Download Windows Movie Maker 2 (the new one), and import any file, edit, add a title, export to "computer playback" and then try your convert. If your handle or screen name is anything like your age (like me, 49) I have been at this for a long time, and I know I am doing everything right, but I still can't convert the file. (I also am a Senior Programmer/Analyst at my company, but I still need a little help at times with areas that I am not expert in)

Please let me know the results.

Thanks

 

[oldfart]

I'm running Windows 2K. It wont let me install it unless I have XP.

 

[Viper96720]

go to downloads and search for video editing. There's some software you can try for free. Don't know how disabled some of it is though. Get asftools and you can convert asf, wmv, and wma into avi. Then compress it into divx format using virtualdub or similar. Then burn it on cd. asf tools

 

[TheCorm]

I spent an entire day trying to find a way of converting WMV to AVI/MPEG but alas failed....and it somehow messed up my systems ability to encode MP3's at anything above 32kbps, maybe from all the installing/uninstalling of media converted.

Anyhoo.....sounds good that TMPGEnc can do it, I think I might have to give that ago tonight! Odd that UK DVD Players have SVCD support and US ones don't....not that I have had any luck playing Video CD's anyway....keeps saying disk error.

Corm

 

[oldfart]

It was pretty easy. Just hit the "browse" button for audio source, pick "all files" for file of type, and pick your wmv file. From there, it's normal TMPGEnc operation like you started with an AVI file.

not that I have had any luck playing Video CD's anyway....keeps saying disk error.

My point exactly. Not all DVD players are the same. I know someone that has a DVD player that with play VCD ONLY if it ws pre recorded. It wont play one that was burned! It wont play an SVCD of any type.

 

[Viper96720]

asf tools converts windows media to avi. I've used it before to convert a wmv.

 

[kuk]

Don't know if this thread is still valid, but I'm having the same problem that Markfw900 has.

Since Windows Movie Maker 2.0 only exports to Windows Media 9, ASF Tools isn't able to open the file (and this is probably the same problem that TMPGEnc might have).

You can try exporting it to DV-AVI (if you have enough HD space), then use another software to convert it to VCD. Just check for audio stutters, since this is the problem that resulted in the start of my quest for a WMV to AVI converter.

Kuk