NOTE: This guide, while still working, is very outdated and uses an older and complicated method to achieve an otherwise easy task. Luckily, AfterDawn has many other guides that use free or commercial software to achieve this task and in 2008, it has never been easier before. Here are your options...
This is by far the easiest and fastest method. It will take an AVI file (or MKV, WMV, OGM, FLV, .DIVX, MPG etc.) and convert it to a DVD ready to burn, complete with chapters, subtitles and a motion menu (all optional), all in a few clicks. As of March 2008, this software item has had 212,000 downloads.
This guide is another excellent method to convert AVI (or MKV, OGM) to DVD using the freeware tool, Avi2DVD with either a freeware video encoder or a commercial video encoder. This guide arguably produces output of a small bit better quality than ConvertXtoDVD (if using CCE SP), but it will take more time. It produces a DVD ready to burn with optional subtitles and chapters. As of March, 2008, Avi2DVD has been downloaded 718,326 times.
If you have CCE SP, this guide will arguably create the best quality DVD when it is finished of all the options. CCE SP is a very expensive MPEG video encoder but for what it does, it does it fast. Unless you have CCE SP, you are better off with one of the above options.
You "can" technically continue this guide but it will take a long time and it is an outdated method, therefore one of the above is highly suggested. You may also want to learn how to join two AVI files, if your video is in two or more parts. You can find that and many other great articles in our Guide section.
If you don't want to have subtitles in your disc, simply go to the TMPGEnc part.
Now, launch SRT2SUP. Go to the SRT File menu and select Open as text.
Now, locate the SRT subtitle file from your harddrive, select it and click Open.
If you wish to adjust the time settings for the subtitle file (to start bit earlier or later compared to the movie file, etc), the window that pops up right after you've opened the SRT file, allows you to do this. Once you've satisfied with the values, click OK and SRT2SUP will analyze your subtitle file immediately.
Change the subtitle colors
In the right side of the main window you see a small box that should contain each line of the subtitles. Select one line and see if the text appears at the top part of the main window correctly -- as a default, this is normally not the case. If so, please go to the Settings menu and select Global.
Here you can adjust the colors and various other aspects that effect to the resulting subtitle look. Adjust the colors as you wish and click OK after you've done this.
Now you should see the subtitles with the colors you chose to use. If you aren't happy with the colors, go back to the Global settings and change them again to match your requirements.
Save the subtitles
After you're satisfied with the subtitle settings, its time to save them as SUP files.
In the main window, you see a button just underneath the list of subtitle entries that says All. Click that button, otherwise your subtitle file will be blank.
Then, go to the SUP File menu and select Save. Give the subtitle file a reasonable name and click Save. Process will take couple of minutes and will create you a SUP file that you can use with IFOEdit.
If you don't want to have subtitles in your disc, simply go to the TMPGEnc part.
Now, locate the SRT subtitle file from your harddrive, select it and click Open.
In the right side of the main window you see a small box that should contain each line of the subtitles. Select one line and see if the text appears at the top part of the main window correctly -- as a default, this is normally not the case. If so, please go to the Settings menu and select Global.
Now you should see the subtitles with the colors you chose to use. If you aren't happy with the colors, go back to the Global settings and change them again to match your requirements.
After you're satisfied with the subtitle settings, its time to save them as SUP files.
