Inconsistancy with DVDMFII - Will TMPGenc DVD author help ?

[arcorob]

I have noticed a recent (and scary) inconsistancy with DVDMF II. I use it initially to burn the wedding videos I do. I have noticed lately, when demo'ing to potential custs, that some play in their DVD players and others don't, ALL BURNED the same way with the same media.

Now this is pretty scary. I generally use similar bitrates, CBR, the same Pile of DVD-R media and the same tool. So why would one work in say someones APEX but then not another disk ? Last night 4 out of 6 played.

Now I never seem to have trouble with ones I copy with NERO later. I burn those as UDF/ISO XBOX capable, DVD bOOK type, etc.

So question (vague as it is) , anyone know of this with DVD MFII ?

Should I use DVD Author from TMPGenc ? If so, am I burning correctly with Nero or should I follow what Pegasys says and use DVD VIDEO (I thought that led to compatibility problems)

Sorry to ask so much BUT I am a sticklerfor consistancy. When A + B does NOT always = C , I am in a bind.

Thanks...

[FulciLives]

I have noticed a recent (and scary) inconsistancy with DVDMF II. I use it initially to burn the wedding videos I do. I have noticed lately, when demo'ing to potential custs, that some play in their DVD players and others don't, ALL BURNED the same way with the same media.

Now this is pretty scary. I generally use similar bitrates, CBR, the same Pile of DVD-R media and the same tool. So why would one work in say someones APEX but then not another disk ? Last night 4 out of 6 played.

Now I never seem to have trouble with ones I copy with NERO later. I burn those as UDF/ISO XBOX capable, DVD bOOK type, etc.

So question (vague as it is) , anyone know of this with DVD MFII ?

Should I use DVD Author from TMPGenc ? If so, am I burning correctly with Nero or should I follow what Pegasys says and use DVD VIDEO (I thought that led to compatibility problems)

Sorry to ask so much BUT I am a sticklerfor consistancy. When A + B does NOT always = C , I am in a bind.

Thanks...

What brand of media are you using? I find that the best brand you can get is Taiyo-Yuden which can cost anywhere from $1.86 to $2.50 a piece but if you are doing this as a business then you really should be using the best media as it helps to insure compatability.

Also no matter what authoring program I use (these days mostly TMPGEnc DVD Author and sometimes I still use SpruceUP) I always use ImgTool Classic to make an ISO IMAGE file then I burn it with DVD Decrypter.

Also it pays to keep the final DVD-R size below about 4.2GB as even good media will occassionally have READ ERRORS on some discs after this point.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[FulciLives]

I just wanted to add that it might be a good idea to perform a READ ERROR TEST on each DVD you burn using DVDInfoPro

If you have any READ ERRORS then you might want to consider chucking that disc.

It would be interesting if the 2 of the 6 that didn't work have read errors or not.

Might want to check 'em out.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[arcorob]

I'll have to try that. The thing is I don't have a good source to test at home as I have 3 minteks, a Pioneer and 2 Apex. They play EVERYTHING so I always think all is okay.

In the case of the ones that wont read, they read fine there and on my laptop. But in these people, those say NO DISC. Really strange.

I still wonder if I would be better sticking with NERO or using my DVD Arch. from Sonic Foundry.

[FulciLives]

I'll have to try that. The thing is I don't have a good source to test at home as I have 3 minteks, a Pioneer and 2 Apex. They play EVERYTHING so I always think all is okay.

In the case of the ones that wont read, they read fine there and on my laptop. But in these people, those say NO DISC. Really strange.

I still wonder if I would be better sticking with NERO or using my DVD Arch. from Sonic Foundry.

If you read enough forum posts around here on DVD burning you will find that most people have A LOT of problems using NERO for DVD burning.

The best way is using ImgTool Classic to create the ISO IMAGE file then burn with DVD Decrypter.

Although I've never used RecordNowMax I have heard very good positive things about it but NERO ... no way!

Also check the discs that you said didn't work the other night and scan them for read errors using DVDInfoPro ... there is a FREEWARE version of that program but it has AdWare so you must be connected to the internet while using it. There is an AdWare Free pay version and it is cheap if AdWare bugs ya THAT much.

I think DVDInfoPro would be very usefull for you to use in scanning for READ ERRORS so consider at least giving it a try.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[FulciLives]

Just had another thought ...

The people that said those DVD discs that wouldn't work (but work for you) ... try and find out the model and make of their DVD player.

Then look over at the LEFT HAND side under DVD PLAYERS (under the OTHER heading) and look up that model/make to see if it is compatable with DVD-R

Not all DVD players are compatable with DVD-R discs and then of course even some that are can be rather picky.

So in short it might not be so much YOUR FAULT but the FAULT of the DVD player they are using.

But as I've pointed out there are some small little things you can do that could help compatability and using NERO surely is not one of 'em!

Good Luck!

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[arcorob]

Well now I am curious...

What is the compatibilty with TMPGenc DVD Author if you use that to burn the ISO ?

What is DVD Decryptors ?

I had been having great luck with DVDMFII and NERO but that one really got me. The DVD player from the other night SHOULD have played (APEX that I looked up). The other was a TOSHIBA thats non-specific.

I expect that in an occassional player, but not where 4 out of 6 of the same work. It makes it tough for me because I don't know whether to

a) Cut them another of the same
b) try a + format
c) Make em a vhs and tell them their machine doesn't play burned DVD's.

Its a dilema. I'd switch to TMPG or DVD decryptor but need to know its percentage wise, high in compatibility. Any thoughts ?

[FulciLives]

Well now I am curious...

What is the compatibilty with TMPGenc DVD Author if you use that to burn the ISO ?

What is DVD Decryptors ?

I had been having great luck with DVDMFII and NERO but that one really got me. The DVD player from the other night SHOULD have played (APEX that I looked up). The other was a TOSHIBA thats non-specific.

I expect that in an occassional player, but not where 4 out of 6 of the same work. It makes it tough for me because I don't know whether to

a) Cut them another of the same
b) try a + format
c) Make em a vhs and tell them their machine doesn't play burned DVD's.

Its a dilema. I'd switch to TMPG or DVD decryptor but need to know its percentage wise, high in compatibility. Any thoughts ?

Well ...

1.) When some discs work but some don't ... same brand ... same burning method ... it usually indicates that you are using crap media and/or have a bad batch of discs. Just like with VHS videotape the more expensive blank DVD media do tend to be better quality ... giving you a better "burn" with greater compatability. This is why I originally asked what media you use ... then pointed out what is considered by many to be the best media there is to use.

2.) TMPGEnc DVD Author is an excellent authoring program that works much better than Ulead DVD Movie Factory 2. Often times MF2 will not like the way you encoded something if you don't encode it with MF2. It's a picky authoring program ... more picky than it should be.

3.) ImgTool Classic is a program that takes the output that many authoring programs spit out (i.e., your VIDEO_TS folder) and creates an ISO IMAGE file of it. DVD Decrypter is a RIPPING and BURNING program that can BURN that ISO IMAGE file to a DVD recordable. Both of these programs are free and many consider it the best way to BURN to DVD.

4.) The other BURNING option that seems to be foolproof is RecordNowMax. It is a program you must buy (unlike the free ImgTool Classic and DVD Decrypter which are both FREEWARE). The one nice thing about RecordNowMax is that you don't have to manually make an ISO IMAGE file first as it does it in one easy step.

5.) Some people will turn blue telling you that NERO is fine for DVD BURNING but you will find that MANY MANY people have issues with using NERO for DVD BURNING with the biggest issue being a final DVD disc that is not very compatable amoung different models and makes of stand alone DVD players.

I believe in 110% of everthing that I have told you but at this point I wish that someone else would pick up on this thread to offer more advice and/or confirm the things I've said. I don't kow why no one else has come aong just yet.

If you haven't already discovered it there is one other DVD creation/burning site that is worth checking into and that is the doom9 website.

I don't know what more I can tell you other than GOOD LUCK

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[arcorob]

John,

Thank you again. I believe 100% of what you are telling me. Don't doubt that for a minute.

Just for your info, the media is by LEADDATA, white top printables.

I have never had issue with them but that doesn't mean that certain ones aren't more sensitive. The troubling part is, ONLY on that persons DVD player. If they did not work at all I would not try to show them the disk.

I am just a bit slow to change methods till I fully understand them and their ramifications to my business. I have many of the tools (or access anyway) and thats not the issue.

I just have to think about things like:

If I burn an ISO image, what does that do if I need to reverse the process. I have sometimes had to extract the SOURCE mpegs from the VOBS. Can I do that with an ISO file.....

Is an ISO image burned DVD more compatible than a UDF/ISO type file format structure. Why ?

Okay, I ask too many questions and your right, some more folks should jump in here. I am looking for stability. If its suppose dto play in a dvd player, I want it to play, if not supported, fine, I accept that but not on 4 out of 6 because then I have to question MY process and not their DVD player.

Thank you so much again !

[FulciLives]

Just for your info, the media is by LEADDATA, white top printables.

BINGO

LEADDATA



with a hammer!

LEADDATA is considered to be VERY poorly made unreliable MEDIA. That is probably the main reason you are having problems and why the results, using the same methods, are hit or miss (i.e., some work and some don't even on the same stand alone DVD player).

Need to be buying better media

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[FulciLives]

If I burn an ISO image, what does that do if I need to reverse the process. I have sometimes had to extract the SOURCE mpegs from the VOBS. Can I do that with an ISO file.....

Is an ISO image burned DVD more compatible than a UDF/ISO type file format structure. Why ?

NERO creates an ISO and then burns that ... you just don't know that it does it. In fact all BURNING programs that can work with the VIDEO_TS output must first create an IMAGE for burning. It is just that NERO can be very unreliable doing this process.

RecordNowMax works like NERO in that it does it all in one step without you knowing it but unlike NERO it works very well. Please note that RecordNowMax is a PAY program.

ImgTool Classic and DVD Decrypter are free. Also once you create the ISO IMAGE file with ImgTool Classic you can burn as many copies from it to DVD as you want then when you are done simply delete it from your HDD.

Need to make a copy of a DVD you already burned? Use DVD decrypter to RIP it in ISO READ MODE and it copies the disc contents to your HDD as an ISO IMAGE file. Then burn from that back to DVD. Again when you are done burning X number of copies delete the ISO IMAGE from your HDD.

Simple. Free. Works better than any other method. Everyting in life should be that way

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[arcorob]

Two replies at once

Leaddata - You know, I had heard that but I have burned over 200 of these suckers and had only two complaints. And come to find out, in both cases, it was their machine. That one from Tuesday that would not play, played fine today in a customers samsung. So in other words, it plays in most all machines, but their had trouble.

I think I am making much ado about nothing. I called the prior occassion back, turns out hers was an apex also...SO BOO APEX...LOL

Thanks to ALL for your help. I now have some new tools to play with. I had always used DVD decryptor as a rip tool.....

[arcorob]

Hello,

Well I tried what was suggested. I created the image with imgtool , very easy. I had set it up to look for dvd decryptor however, my version was out of date and it choked.

Upgraded, burned with no problem.

Now the question is how much more compatible is it ? I dont know. It plays in all I have but then again, always did.

Can anyone tell me how dvddecryptor burns an image, is it xbox ready, UDF 1.02, etc...In other words how does it stack up.

And quit picking on my LEADDATA disks. They work great, print on them great and I bought 600 of them a while back for like 450. LOL

Thanks for the help gents. Wish I could send a disk somewhere and have it analyzed.

[FulciLives]

Thanks for the help gents. Wish I could send a disk somewhere and have it analyzed.

Well you could try running the READ ERROR TEST on the DVD using DVDInfoPro or NERO CD SPEED.

See this THREAD here ...

How to test whether your DVD is a bad burn

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[arcorob]

Nahh...I meant analyzed as far as compatibilty. The info tool is great but if I dont know how to read the hex or ascii dump....Well, what does it tell me ?

Thank you again !

[chiasports]

ill bet if you tried burning with stomp it might solve the problem?

helped me as ton with compatibilty