38 files - how to make a single DVD arch. 3 movie?
 

IS there a way to take 30 single AVI's files and make it into a seamless running dvd without the menu? I know that there is a SINGLE AVI under the NEW>PROJECT, but I have separate files (about 38 of them). I would just use Vegas to rendering them together, but it is going to take 5 hours according the the ticking clock. IS there a better and quicker way to go right from the 38 AVI's on my hard drive to a single playable DVD arch. movie?

Yes. Put them all on the Vegas timeline, render as one big MPEG 2, assuming you're not creating a file that exceeds 4.5 gig for a single layer, and approx 7.5 for a dual layer.
You're going to have to render them together no matter what, and whether it's Vegas taking 5 hours or DVD Architect taking 5 hours, that's the amount of time your machine is going to take.
There is no other way to transcode an avi to an mpeg without rendering. Additionally, you don't have the length of those avi's posted, so there is no way to advise you regarding bitrate, etc, but you'll want to be sure you're within disc ability at XXX bitrate.

It is about 2 hours of footage, I guess I will go the MPEG2 route - ok doing it now, it is going to take about 3 hours rendering. I might have to optimize is after because I don't know how big it will be after it is all said and done - is this an ok sequence to do this arch 3 DVD in? Render Mpg2, bring it into Arch 3, optimize and prepare, and then burn?

You're not going about it correctly. If you render to the *correct* mpeg bitrate in Vegas, you won't be optimizing anything, it'll already be the correct bitrate to fit your media. Then it's just a matter of burning, nothing else. No additional rendering.
Use a bitrate calculator; they're all over the web for free, to determine the correct bitrate for the EXACT length of video you have.

The best thing to do is use a bitrate calculator to determine optimum settings before you have Vegas do the encoding.
Feeding 2 hr. into the bitrate calculator I use (be advised that the link is a zipped file, I get the following somewhat conservative settings as I like to have a safety margin.
BTW, this assumes that you're using AC3 audio.
CBR: 4,600,000
VBR: 2,800,000, 4,600,000, 8,000,000

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David, the above is a bit confusing. 2 hours of AVI would be approx 25GB of media. Getting that to a 4.7 GB dvd is quite easy, your bitrate should be around 4.5/4.6 as Mike mentions. You set that value in your Vegas render options.

Ok, but I played with the bitrate calculator and it said 3496 as a bit rate. There is no drop down menu choice of that number. So under the Mpeg2 CUSTOM video tab, I am unsure of what to do. Do I put in a bitrate under constant? Do I put in a variable with the max bit rate of 3496?

Also, I rechecked and it is 2 hours 45minutes long, not 2 hours. IT is 10.9 gigs worth of video from a Sony DCR-SR80 HDD camcorder.

Lastly, the three pull-down menu number for CBR are :
192000
420000
980000

Not sure where you got those numbers.
CBR is Constant Bit Rate so you'll only have one number.
VBR is Variable Bit Rate and you'd get 3 sets of numbers.
Using your new length of 2 hr. 45min.m I get
CBR: 3424
VBR: 2568, 3424, 6856
As I said earlier, I would round these down to 3400 or 2500, 3400, 6800.

To use that calculator, select DVD-5 in the Disk Type drop down box and 192 Kb/s - Dolby 1.0 (Vegas AC3 default) in the Audio Encoding drop down box.

Click the Settings tab on the lower left and you can preset some variables.
For example, click the 1 Kilobit = 1024 bits option.
You can also select 192 Kb/s - Dolby 1.0 in the Audio encoding type and Bitrate box. Change this if you encode using PCM or a higher Dolby rate.

As Douglas said, you enter those numbers in Vegas by selecting the Custom and then Video tab options in the Render settings. You can also save it as a preset. I've got a number of different settings I've saved over the past few years based on the type of videos I 'm working on. It does come in handy.

One last thing. With a video that long, I'd use the VBR settings as well as checking the Two-pass option in an attempt to squeeze the maximum quality out of the render. This will increase the render time but it should be worth it.

In this image, you can see where you set the values. You don't get a dropdown for a specific number, you have to input your own.
Just looking at the SR 80, it's already MPEG, so not sure where/how you got avi's out of it. You converted them somewhere?

Those are the drop down menu numbers for CBR and VBR on my mpeg2 video tab.
I guess that answers my question I was asking as well. I can type in any number I want into the box and I don't have to use the drop down-menu,
BUT when I type in for VBR : 6800 (max) it defaults to 192,000. I guess I am still doing something wrong here.

Do I render a separate audio stream in the audio tab? Or do I render out a separate audio after I render the mpeg2 video stream?

I pulled the files right off the HDD using the USB. Maybe they are mpeg2, I am not sure, all I know is that there are 38 separate files that I need to run as a single movie - and that is where I am now, trying to input the rates, but as I said - when I punch in the ones Mike gave me "6800", "3400", "2500", it defaults to "192,000"...

I was just looking at the camera's features and among them I see One-Touch DVD Burn which begs the question "why not use the built-in options for doing this" instead of torturing yourself?

p.s. Under RECORDER/PLAYER, it says:
Format: HDD (Physical); MPEG2-PS (SD Logical)
so Douglas's question "Just looking at the SR 80, it's already MPEG, so not sure where/how you got avi's out of it. You converted them somewhere?" really does need to be answered.

Because I only need about 1/2 the files on the HDD. I need 38 files that are sandwiched between about 67 files. They are very specific files that I need. That is why...I really do wish I could use the one touch, but alas I cannot because of this.
Lastly, this is not my Sony Cam, it is a friends that is completely computer illiterate and asked me to do it, so I cannot delete the files or anything else.
So why does it default to "192,000"?

I don't have the manual but I'm surprised that you're not offered an option to pick specific files for burning to a DVD.

Sony's default template for AC3 encoding says:
"Audio: 192 Kbps, 48,000 Hz, Stereo
Main Audio Service: Complete main
Use this setting for stereo DVD soundtracks."

You're free to change this all the way up to 576 Kbps but that may not be within DVD authoring specs.

edit: I trust that you're aware of the fact that, by bring these MPEG-2 files into Vegas, you're forcing them to be re-encoded, further reducing the quality of the original files.
I'd do a test on one file using the values that the bitrate calculator said to see what the final result will look like. You may decide to do it over 2 DVDs instead of just one.