Not sure if I'm doing something wrong

[4kaz]

I have a new DVD burner (LG GSA-4040B with firmware update), my first ever, running on a new computer under Win XP Pro. I bought it to archive my kids movies (sick of replacing them when little fingers total the originals).

Right out of the gate, I archived Finding Nemo onto a Memorex DVD-RW using an DVDxCopy (incidentally, that was before I knew to remove drag-to-disk software from my computer, turn everything not necessary off, stop screensaver, disable anti-virus, etc...and it worked...and played in my home theatre DVD player)...it was a no-brainer...I thought to myself 'this program is awesome', it was so simple, my kids could have done it...DVD in DVD-ROM drive, blank DVD-RW in burner, click start and walk away!!!

Now I'm trying to archive 'Happy Gilmore'...been trying for 4 days...writing error every single time. I full-erase the disk (which, in itself, takes quite a while) and try again. I have also tried to re-burn 'Nemo' with DVDxCopy, to see if it is the DVD I'm attempting to copy that is the problem, but Nemo won't burn now either (even when I full-erased the disk it was first burned to and tried to burn it on there again).

I have tried DVD Decryptor-->DVDshrink-->Nero to burn, as well as DVDfab, and with these, they do burn, but I must be missing something, as it will not play on home DVD player...there are the audio and video folders (with contents) on the disk, but it will not play as a DVD.

I went out last night and bought Maxell DVD-RW's (LG recommended Maxell and TDK, which I couldn't find anywhere), assuming my troubles might in fact be crappy media (I have since come to learn that I'm not the only one who has had trouble with Memorex). I tried DVDxCopy (as well as DVDfab), just burning the movie files, and not the extras (my kids don't need these), and they seem to burn ok this time, but my JVC XV-E100 got an error message after trying to read the disks. I don't know if it's the fact that I didn't copy the whole disk that the JVC doesn't like or whether it's just tempermental reading DVD-RW's, and maybe it would be ok with DVD-R's (I just hate to waste my money before testing). I was however able to get a disk to burn with CloneDVD and then play on my JVC (sometimes I got an error message on my JVC with this disk too, but most of the times, it would eventually play...I think, because this player takes so long to read the disk, that it may sometimes time-out), but that software copies the entire disk, in which case quality is lost to fit it on (and, like I said, my kids don't need all that extra stuff). At least I know now that it's not the burner.

I went to the JVC site and looked at the pdf manual for this player, but it said that it's not compatible with DVD-R/DVD-RW's, and it didn't mention DVD+RW/DVD+R at all, either way...I think it may be because the player is a couple of years old and burning DVD's was new back then. I have emailed JVC to ask them what disks are recommended, but I would hazzard to guess that, because this unit is a couple of years old, it will not have been tested with the +'s. Again, I hate to have to buy a whole box of DVD+RW/DVD+R's just to try one.

Would it make any difference if I chose to copy the entire disk or just the movie with DVDxCopy (although that's not really what I want), or if I used DVD-/+R's and burned just the movie (still not wanting to buy a whole pack just to try 1)? Is there another all-in-one program that is easy to use that does not forfeit quality to get 'just the movie' onto one disk?

I am just about ready to through in the towel!!! Please help me!!! I'm looking for any advice.

[Morloc]

Hi,
A few observations:
1) you are correct. The brand of media you buy makes all the difference. And it won't do a lot of good if I tell you what works for me and my equipment - it may not work in yours.
2) some players definitely don't like RWs. Try consulting the DVD player and DVD media lists at left .
3) try playing your creations in your PC to validate the first two points above. If they play well in the PC, the problem might be with your player or media compatibility with your player.
4) as far as I know, the degree of compression will only affect picture quality - not whether the disks will play or not.
5) do yourself a huge favour and stick to DVDShrink, but get the latest release. It's simple for beginners, almost foolproof, and will let you copy the main movie only if you wish.

Good luck,
Morloc

[4kaz]

I have already erased the 2 Maxell DVD-RW's that I used with DVD Decryptor-->DVDshrink-->Nero and DVDfab that would not read in my home player. I had already looked up the burner, my home player, and the media types on here, as well as talking to LG and looking at JVC's manual. What makes no sense is that the disk I burned with CloneDVD is the exact same Make/type as the other 2 burned the other 2 ways, yet they wouldn't play on my home system.

If it were the media or my player, none of them would have worked, would they?

I'd rather use DVDshrink as I've heard that the quality of the recording is much better (and, like I said, I don't want all of the extras on the disk taking up space).