DVD Burning from downloaded files...MPG's AVI's ect

[Themickster]

Ok, i have read all i can on converting, shrinking, ect, ect. but somehow i cannot find out how to turn a film i 'came across' online into a watchable dvd on my stand alone dvd player. I have a Sony ?????? 4x writer with updated firmware and can sometimes burn using Sonic films direct to dvd, othertimes it tells me'incorrect file source......**!!!!!! but is there a program available which can convert, rip or whatever the hell i need to do in order to burn using Nero ultra(the one with all the bugs.....!!!!) on to a dvd?
Any help out there would be greatfully appreciated. So far , using cheap but good 4x -R dvd i have probably got 6 watchable dvd's and 10 nice orange coasters...(U know the ones....!)

[RJ]

Well, you need to convert the films you have into DVD compliant MPEG files, then auther and burn them.

can sometimes burn using Sonic films direct to dvd

Sonic ? That's the name of the manufacturer, not the program. There is quite a difference between MyDVD and Scenarist. . .
And there are even more. . . DVDit, ReelDVD. . and maybe a few others I don't know of. . .

So, which program do you use ?

othertimes it tells me'incorrect file source......**!!!!!!

Sonic makes authoring programs. You have to feed them with DVD compliant MPEG files, not just any video file you came across.

but is there a program available which can convert, rip or whatever the hell i need to do

Convert. Encode it to DVD compliant MPEG-2. Try TMPGEnc, that should do it (depending on your source).

in order to burn using Nero ultra(the one with all the bugs.....!!!!) on to a dvd?

Well, if you really want to watch it in your standalone player, don't use a program which you know is full of bugs. Some Nero versions really produce DVDs that are not entirely DVD Video compliant. You can use ImgToolClassic and DVD Decrypter (both free) as the alternative.

RJ