How to Burn an 8 GB DVD Movie to 4.7 GB DVD-Rs

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Compression allows an 8 GB movie to be burned to 4.7 GB disks.

When DVDs were first released, they came in one size only: the 4.7 GB disks known now as single-sided or standard disks. As technology advanced and additional features became standard on DVDs created by major movie studios, the storage capacity of the DVD grew to 8.5 GB, which is considered a dual-layer disk. If you have 8 GB of movie material to burn to disk, you can use a dual-layered DVD-R or you can fit the 8 GB movie to a 4.7 GB DVD-R.

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Step 1

Put a blank 4.7 GB DVD-R into your computer's DVD drive and open your usual DVD-burning application. Many DVD-burning applications provide a built-in compression tool for fitting more than 4.7 GB of information to a 4.7 GB disk. If you cannot find this feature in the "Help" menu of your usual burning program, download and install Brisk DVD Creator, CyberLink PowerProducer, Magic DVD Ripper or Roxio, all of which have built-in compressors.

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Step 2

Use the "Add Files," "Add Video" or "Import" button in the DVD-burning program to open a window in which you can navigate to the 8 GB movie you wish to burn to the 4.7 GB DVD-R. When you get to the folder that contains the video file, double-click the file to add it to the DVD project.

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Step 3

Press the button labeled "Settings" or "Project Settings" on the main page to view the size settings for the project. If this button doesn't appear on the main page in the program that you normally use or that you downloaded, check the "Properties" or "Settings" menus.

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Step 4

Set the project to compress the 8 GB movie so that it will fit onto the 4.7 GB disk. The setting to do this varies from program to program. In CyberLink PowerProducer, for instance, you will find a "SmartFit" button that automatically compresses the project to the disk. In Roxio, the "Fit to Disc" option is found in the drop-down menu next to "Quality." In many DVD-burning programs, you can find an "Automatic" setting in the "Output quality" or "File Size" drop-down, which will compress the file for the disk.

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Step 5

Press "Apply" or "OK" to save the settings and return to the main screen of the DVD-burning program. Click the "Burn," "Write" or "Create" button to burn the compressed 8 GB movie file to the 4.7 GB DVD-R.

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