Smaller Is Better With DVD Movie Burner File Compression

Contrary to a popular notion, sometimes smaller is better. For example, many of today’s cars are more compact and fuel efficient than the ones of the past. Also, when hiking and camping, small packs of soap, toothpaste and snack food, are easier to tote around. Even cell phones have become so small that it is much easier to lose them. Likewise, sometimes our home movie or Hollywood movie is too large to fit onto a single DVD. When that happens, we can compress (shrink) the file, before we use the DVD movie burner to burn it onto a DVD. Then we are able to squeeze it neatly onto a single DVD, instead of toting multiple discs around.

Sometimes computer files need to be shrunk, when using a DVD movie burner. However, the technical term is compressed. This refers to the encoding of a file so the amount of space required to store it, has been reduced. After a file has been compressed, it can be referred to as a packed file. You have probably dealt with compressed files before, without being aware of it. Sometimes files are compressed before they mailed, and then uncompressed when the mail is received. The process may seem like magic. How can the size of the file be shrunk, and then expanded—without any data ever being lost?

The “magic” of this process is actually referred to as redundancy. Redundancy is relatively common in the majority of computer file types. It refers to the case in which data is listed several times in the file. When a file is compressed before a DVD movie burner burns it, the redundancy is eliminated. In other words, a particular piece of data that appears over and over in the program, is only listed once. Then a loop refers to that same bit of data multiple times, instead of listing it multiple times.

So what is the function of file compression, in terms of a DVD movie burner? There are times when you will want to squeeze a DVD-9, onto a DVD-5. A DVD-9 is a disc with one side, and two layers. This type of DVD can store a maximum of 8.5 gigabytes (A gigabyte is 1,024 megabytes; a megabyte is one million bytes, and a byte is the storage space of about one printed character.) On the other hand, a DVD-5 disc also has one side, but only has one layer, instead of two. This disc can only store 4.7 gigabytes. Using DVD movie burner software, you can compress the DVD-9 data before burning onto a DVD-5.

While the idea of adding more data to a smaller storage space may seem attractive, keep in mind that problems can arise. Perhaps the most common problem is pixilation. In other words, the individual pixels on the screen are visible, making the image look grainy. A pixel is the tiniest area on a computer screen, which can be assigned a distinct color. The best way to avoid pixilation during playback is have a DVD movie burner burn at a slower rate.

In the case of engaging in file compression before using a DVD movie burner, smaller is better. However, keep in mind that a trade-off of quality can occur in the process.

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