Converting AVI's and DivX for playing on regular DVD player

I hope that there'll be an answer to my problem.... I bought a DVD burner last week for the main purpose of burning my AVI files I downloaded from 'Limewire'. I want to convert my AVI files so that I can play them on my DVD player and watch them on TV. I know how to make Video CD's because this option is on 'Nero start smart' but when it comes converting AVI files to DVD for use on my TV I am at a loss and its killing me with Frustration as its been 2 months I've been trying to figure it out.... Please help....

 

Nero is used, but it's not one the best encoders (in truth, it's one of the worst ones).
The basic process is:

1) encoding (AVI/RM/WMV -> mpeg movie; mpeg = MPEG-1 for VCD ; MPEG-2 for SVCD and DVD)
2) authoring (mpeg -> cue/bin (S)VCD image; .ISO DVD image)
3) burning

Sometimes you have an application which directly burns a VOB set on a DVD, and in this case 'authoring' regardss mpeg -> VOB set).
Sometimes you manage to 'author' VCD/SVCD movies into a DVD [DVD Lab only], obtaining more room (like having a 4700 MB CD-R).

My suggestion, because I will never suggest using Nero as encoder (I used it only as "(S)VCD authoring application", and only with simple < 830 MB mpegs...) , is learning to use some good encoder depending on your objective:
- TMPGenc (very good but slow)
- Cucusoft (never tried)
- Cinema Craft Encoder (never tried)
... (thousand names) ....

We have plenty of guides on this on http://www.afterdawn.com/guides/ , but, alas, almost all of them use TMPGenc...

 

Nero is not a very good encoder, so you may:
1) convert the avis into DVD compliant format with DivxToDVD (free program). Note that you can add more than one avis at one time.
2) burn with Nero.
Good luck!

 

Thanks I will give the DivXToDVD programme a try... I tried Cyberlink power producer Gold and it worked for the first two movies I converted with no problem but now its just sitting and doing nothing... Still I will try those alternatives you suggested... thanks.