ConvertXtoDVD is set to convert to a target size of DVD-5. However, the resulting files add up to less than 2.5GB. If I set the target size to DVD-9, the files still add up to less than 2.5GB. The source videos add up to almost 3 hours of video. What am I doing wrong?

You're encoding using the "medium quality" setting which (IIRC) takes the average bitrate as a baseline. Set the quality to "high/slow" and your disc type to DVD-5, and it will make a 4.3 gig disc. Bear in mind this might not look any better unless you are coming from a good quality source.

If originals are not good enough then ConvertXtoDVD will not fill disk.
During conversion it will use as high bitrate as is needed to keep quality, but it will not buffer up bitrate needlessly.

Interestingly, the videos I'm trying to convert are Battlestar Galactica episodes.

I'll give the high/slow setting a try. As for the source quality, I've converted these episodes previously, but I think with a slightly older version, and they filled the DVD no problem.

Gaius: Bingo. I had no idea the high/slow setting would fix the problem; I thought it would simply do a more higher quality, more time/processor-intensive conversion. Thank you!

It does, but it also tries to use the maximum bitrate it can (up to the most the source has) in order fill the disc, as opposed to using the average bitrate.

It's worth noting that even though it will attempt to fill the disc, if you have too many hours or use the "add original files to disc" setting enabled, this will have to lower the bitrate to make everything fit.

Holy thread revival batman!

Hey everyone, i am having this problem where convertXtodvd is ignoring the target size, just as above. However the files im dealing with are DVD quality and there are 17 of them. Convertx predicts this would normally take 17 gigs of dvd data. (or so it states at the bottom of the screen) However once i convert them if i choose dvd5 they come out to be 3.2GB .. but if i choose 5500MB manually they come out to be 4.2ish.. and if i choose DVD9 they come out to be about 5.9gb

is this all just the same as what was said above? dealing with the way in encodes? becuase i have encoded at least 20 discs so far with similar or lesser quality and have had amazing results with each convert coming out to 4.4gb and fitting perfectly... im pretty stumped here

oh and for the record i tried updating to the latest and the latest version wont even convert these files, it spits an error on the subs (even if i tell it NOT to convert the subs) the old versions works with them becasue the old version doesnt even see the subs (which is good casue i dont want em).

any help would be appreciated.

Thanks


*edit*
and i am def using High quality / Slow encoding

Ugzz: 2.1.10.209 has fixed almost all problems with subtitles.
Analyzing any more requires full logs.

UPDATE:

v2.1.12.124 has just been released a few minutes ago !

Looks like even 2.1.12.214 (detects the subs correctly) which i just updated to like 5 min ago gives me the same damn error. I keep getting a "floating point devision by zero" error, but if i run version 2.1.0.148 (which does NOT detect the subs) i get a full encode with no errors other then the fact that the size doesn't match up with the settings in the encode menu.

Ive taken to choosing dvd9 and getting a file that is around 5.6gb .. then i use dvdshrink and crush it to dvd5.. course there is some more quality loss becasue not only am i converting it twice, but im also lowering the quality twice..

I was trying to find the "magic" number that game me 4.0-4.4gb but each encode it seems to randomly between 2.9-4.0gb.. so other then just doing it over and over and hoping for the 4.0 size its not much of a work-around..

i guess using both apps works for the moment, but i really want to get a version that does it right.. The new versions just spits the error and the old versions, althought it works, is far less then perfect.

Also i tried updating to the newest k-lite pack.. but it gave no change..

The solution was SO simple for my issue. Turns out all i had to do was delete all of the sub files. The subs worked fine on the computer but none of the encoding apps i used worked. So after deleting all of the sub files one by one it fixed the problem. luckily all the files were already demuxed and just in the folder. Even if convertx saw the subs and i told it NOT to convert them it still crashed.. but now that i deleted them.. its all good Nothing but smooth encoding!