I got the matrix 1080i hdtv rip and i was going to make it a standard dvd.....then it occurred to me, a regular dvd will get encoded at around 5000 kbps max ti fit on dvd5, at the same time i can get a better file at around 5000 kbps for less than 2 gb ie. kdvd................

so since the resolution and bitrate of the hdtv rip is WAY high than regular dvds, cant i use kdvd to make a really high bitrate rip to fit in 4.5 gb ? I have started learning file prediction and so on and if im wrong in trying this feat please correct me. peace.

p.s. come to think of it there are not hdtv -> kdvd tutorials...how do i change .ts to kdvd ?

Sure you can
Nothing stops you from doing it. Simple. If your target is a KDVD, try PackShot (mencoder based) to encode your movie, using 2-pass, with a MAX bitrate of 8,000.
Use CalcuMatic to calculate the average bitrate to fill one DVD-5.
I'm sure you'll like the result.

-kwag

ok...i havent started the main project yet but just messing around.....here are some stats

original file specs:
size: 1920 x 1088
bitrate: 15,000
file size: 19.640 mb

i used tmpgenc with the kdvd template at cq 100 and max bitrate 15,000 min bitrate 300 and my results
size: 720 x 480
avg. bitrate: 9161 kbps
file size: 16.083 mb

quality was pretty damn good i must say.....

calcumatic tells me the avg. bitrate of my movie needs to be 4267.4 kbps.....so that means my max bitrate will be 8000 in packshot but it will try to keep an average of 4267 ?

Exactly

-kwag

before i dive into this project theres some stuff id like to know.....some years down the line i'm gonna have an hdtv...now ive heard people complaining that many dvds look like shit on their hdtvs.....i want to make a good quality matrix kdvd and i dont even mind making it a 2 dvd rip to preserved the quality but what worries me is that the 720x480 resolution is small compared to hdtvs and if i play them on an hdtv after stretching its not gonna look as great as the hdtv rip i have right now, so is it worth going through all this to convert it to kdvd or should i just burn the .ts hdtv files and leave them ? although i need the movie itself to watch at times and standalone players dont play .ts and also my xbox doesnt play it. hmmm....so many questions.........

Well, to tell you the truth, I'm pretty sure that if you encode your movie as KDVD with a calculated average bitrate to fill that disk, it's going to look pretty damn good
I have a 32" Samsumg HDTV, and I put 3 movies on each DVD, and only in some places I can clearly see some artifacts. But of course, it depends a lot on the movie.
But overall quality, it looks almost like the original DVD.
As a matter of fact, I have some original DVDs that look worse than my KDVDs, when viewed on the HDTV
These DVDs I haven't even bothered converting them to KDVDs, because I know the result will be worse.
The best thing you can do, and I suggest you do it, is encode that movie as KDVD and burn it, then go to a store and play it on a HDTV.
Then you'll know what to expect from your future encodes.

-kwag

its gonna b funny takin a burned kdvd to bestbuy and playing it on their hdtvs hehehehe

Why not
You can say that you want to see the quality of different HDTVs
At least your KDVD will play on every DVD player, and if you want them to , then go ahead and put 3 movies at 704x480 on your DVD, and watch them jump
Your 3 movies will look like this, on one DVD: http://www.kvcd.net/test.m2v

-kwag

so what happens if i set the average to 4267 but set the max to 9000 or even 10,000 ?

You really don't need to go that high with max bitrate.
The max bitrate allowed for a DVD is 9,800Kbps.
For a 704x480 KDVD done with mencoder, ~7,000Kbps is more than enough for high action scenes, to maintain a blockless picture.
Look at the sample above (test.m2v). That sample's peak bitrate is 1,677Kbps
The peak is on the part where the capsule is entering the atmosphere, where there's fire and movement.
BTW, your average bitrate is what dictates the final file size, regardless of what you set max bitrate.

-kwag