Notes

• These steps use a relative directory (./tvshows) and the system temporary directory /tmp.
• The files in ./tvshows and /tmp will use a lot of space; be prepared.

Steps

1. Transcode files to mpeg, using ffmpeg

   ffmpeg -i /full/path/to/input.avi -target dvd -aspect 4:3 /tmp/output.mpeg

   Use -aspect 16:9 to keep it letterboxed.

   This step usually takes the longest.

2. Build a DVD disc image using dvdauthor

   The following takes two files and builds a DVD image in ./tvshows:

   dvdauthor -t /tmp/video_1.mpeg /tmp/video_2.mpeg -o tvshows

   Add as many videos as desired after -t.

3. Create titles for the DVD

   dvdauthor -T -o ./tvshows

4. Make the ISO

   mkisofs -dvd-video -o /tmp/tvshows.iso ./tvshows/

5. Check the ISO

   isoinfo -i /tmp/tvshows.iso -l

6. Burn image to physical DVD

   growisofs -dvd-compat -Z /dev/dvd=/tmp/tvshows.iso

Program versions

• ffmpeg

  $ ffmpeg -version
  
  FFmpeg version SVN-rUNKNOWN, Copyright (c) 2000-2007 Fabrice Bellard, et al.
    libavutil version: 1d.49.3.0
    libavcodec version: 1d.51.38.0
    libavformat version: 1d.51.10.0
    built on Mar 17 2009 21:11:10, gcc: 4.2.4 (Ubuntu 4.2.4-1ubuntu3)
  ffmpeg      SVN-rUNKNOWN
  libavutil   3212032
  libavcodec  3352064
  libavformat 3344896
  

• dvdauthor

  DVDAuthor::dvdauthor, version 0.6.14

• mkisofs

  $ mkisofs --version
  mkisofs 2.01 is not what you see here. This line is only a fake for too clever
  GUIs and other frontend applications. In fact, this program is:
  genisoimage 1.1.6 (Linux)
  

• isoinfo

  $ isoinfo -version
  isoinfo 1.1.6 (Linux)
  

• growisofs

  $ growisofs -version
  * growisofs by <appro@fy.chalmers.se>, version 7.0.1,
    front-ending to genisoimage: genisoimage 1.1.6 (Linux)