-i have two .avi files.
-i would like to edit the first file and cut out about one minute from the end of the file.
-i then want to merge the two files
-and convert the files to a dvd compatible format

these are the programs i have downloaded:
-MPEGEncoder
-EZMerge
-DVD2SVCD*
-TMPGEnc Plus
-TMPGEnc Author
-IfoEdit*
-VobEdit*
-DVtool
-AviSynth*

and on my computer i already have 'Sonic MyDVD'

*=i have no clue how to operate




Problems:
-MPEGEncoder: once i convert the .avi file to .mpg it is upside down and loops the first minute or so of the film.
-TMPGEnc Plus: when loading the .avi file into the 'Video Source:' an error message pops up saying 'File "C:\yadda/yadda/yadda.avi" can not open, or unsupported.'

Sounds like maybe MPEGEncoder is doing a poor YV12 to RGB convertion.

You need to install whatever video codec the AVI uses. For playback a directshow codec is used, so just because you can playback the AVI does not mean that you have the correct codec installed. Use somethine like GSpot to detect the codec.

To do the join/edit with AVISynth would look something like:

part1 = avisource("part1.avi").trim(0,?????)
part2 = avisource"part2.avi")
return part1 + part2

Then (once you have the correct codec installed) just encode with TMPGEnc or CCE also I guess MPEGEncoder although for that you might want to add FlipVertical() or convert the colourspace.