stitching together mpegs, avi etc

[funkyboogalooo]

Guys over the past few years I have compiled quite a nice collection of downloading videos and movies of cars, bikes etc. I would like to stitch them all together so as to make one long movie but don't know how. I'm guessing I will have to change them all to one format but other than that don't have much of an idea how to do it.
I would also then like my brother to make them into DVD so I can watch them on my telly.
So here's the questions.
What is the best format to change them all to and can this be done?
What is the best (free) programme to put them together with?
Finally will my brother who has a DVD burner be able to turn them into a DVD and if so how does he do it?
Hope you can help
Mike

[FourWheelDrift]

Best to convert to with AVI's/mpg's

Firstly convert any wmv videos you have to AVI using Stoik Video converter (free) - www.stoik.com/downloads/downloads_frm.htm

When you have your video clips done you need to get hold of VirtualDUB (free too) - www.virtualdub.org/

This will allow you to join them all together and save as a big AVI video file.

Then you need to convert the AVI to MPEG2 format, most people will say to use TMPGenc but I don't like this piece of software as it can mess up the audio others can be found and are listed on the site below. Then you need to convert the MPEG2 to VOB files that can be written to a DVD disc then you're done.
Lots of help on how to do these last two things on here - www.videohelp.com/ with lots of different ways and options.



>> Edited by FourWheelDrift on Thursday 24th February 11:01

[zumbruk]

There are also some quite good (at first glance) newsgroups called something like microsoft.public.windowsxp.video and microsoft.public.windowsxp.moviemaker. (Assuming you have XP, that is...)

[Raify]

I've recently stitched some clips together from a dv camera, using windows movie maker.

It should be already installed in XP, don't think I downloaded it...

Fairly simple program, I think you're best off having everything in mpeg format

[zumbruk]

Raify said:

I've recently stitched some clips together from a dv camera, using windows movie maker. It should be already installed in XP, don't think I downloaded it...

It came as part of SP2. If you haven't installed SP2 (shame on you) MM2 is downloadable from MS.

Raify said:

Fairly simple program, I think you're best off having everything in mpeg format

It seems quite good - MS can't possibly have written it.

[Raify]

zumbruk said:

Raify said: Fairly simple program, I think you're best off having everything in mpeg format It seems quite good - MS can't possibly have written it.

how true, it didn't crash once when I was using it!

[funkyboogalooo]

OK I have sitched them together and converted to avi but my brothers dvd recorder has gone south. How do I make a VCD? Any suggestions?
Cheers
Mike

[voyds9]

Nero

[ErnestM]

funky,

Be warned - while it is relatively easy to MAKE a video CD, you are at the mercy of your DVD player as to whether or not it will play. It's hit and miss at best...

...I recommend you tell your brother to sort his DVD. Much more reliable...

ErnestM