As the title states, I'm looking for the top two programs for converting divx/xvid files to DVD format, ready to burn and play in any DVD player. Cost/price of the programs is not a factor. Looking for quality and/or speed. Big thank you in advance for taking the time to reply and help out!

-D j K i l l a-

P.S. Did I mention I'm very thankful for the help/advice.

Which of both?
I can recommend the tools & guides you can find on videohelp.com & doom9.org.

I'm looking for the best program for quality and the best program for speed with at least a little good quality.

-D j K i l l a-

There are too many choices, too many alternative paths to say which are the top ones.
I personally use two programs, a very good mpeg2 encoder called ProCoder and an authoring program called DVDLab Pro.

CCE is a faster mpeg2 encoder with excellent quality output, but costs $1950. CCE Basic works for most people, and is relatively inexpensive at $58, but only allows 2 passes on encoding.

There are some free programs that fit your needs, like Avi2DVD, FAVC and DVDFlick. Avi2DVD can use CCE as its encoder, but not the basic version I believe.

The HC encoder is a very good free mpeg2 encoder, and can be used in FAVC or Avi2DVD. If you haven't used encoders before, this is where I would start. If you want to try FAVC, I would stick to the 1.04 version since the 1.05 version has shown some bugs with new additions.
http://download.videohelp.com/favc/O...n/FAVC_104.exe

Avi2DVD, FAVC and DVDflick will get you all the way from divx/xvid to finished dvd.

Another choice might be TMPGenc Author 3, since it combines their encoder and an authoring program in one. This is a commercial program, but does come with a trial edition, so you can check it out before buying. It has the requirement for periodic license checks, so you would have to install it on a computer with internet access. It won't be the fastest encoder.

Kerry56 - Thanks for your input! Since CCE is the best of the best when it comes to encoders, what would you recommend as a good program to convert Divx/xvid that uses the CCE encoder? Does ProCoder use CCE or their own encoder? Are there any programs that will make use of a quad processor or more?

-D j K i l l a-

I've never used the full version of CCE, only CCE Basic. You don't need a front end program...you can import avi files and convert to mpeg2 using just the encoder. It is a professional level program though, and won't hold your hand through the process. You're expected to know how to get the settings adjusted correctly.

Getting the mpeg2 to dvd format is a separate step, though you could use AVI2DVD in this whole process. I've just gotten used to using a different program for authoring.

CCE SP is able to utilize multiple cpus as far as I know. But only going from what I've read, since I haven't used the full program. And since I switched to ProCoder, I don't even use the Basic version. ProCoder is an entirely different encoding program by the way, no relationship to CCE at all.

I use a program called convertxtodvd. Works great and is fast. Takes any format converts to DVD and burns the DVD.

Forgot to mention this program cost me $35

The Film Machine is another avi to dvd converting program and can use both CCE or HCEnc as the encoder. Its still being actively upgraded and new features added. Highly recommended and is free.

http://members.home.nl/thefilmmachine/