Is it necessary to convert avi files to another format?

[janz]

I'm new. I'm blond and I'm over 50 so that may give you an idea of my technical prowess.

If annnnyone can tell me how to get avi films onto a DVD disc (to view it on my laptop) I will be eternally grateful.

Can I just burn it straight on, as is, using my Nero burner :blink:

[kluelos]

You said, "to view it on my laptop".

Taking you at your word, then, you don't care whether you can view this movie on a standalone DVD player. Good, that makes life easier.

Treat the file exactly as you would if it were an MSWord document -- it's data, and Nero doesn't need to know or care what sort of data it is. Burn it, as data, to a DVD. Load the DVD into the laptop's drive, and use Windows Explorer to find it, open it, copy it, or whatever you wish to do.

This assumes there's an appropriate viewer installed on the laptop. If there isn't, or if Media Player is giving you problems, try the free VLC viewer from videolan.org, since it can display almost anything in the way of video or audio media. Not everything, but the vast majority of it.