Help with recording on RAM and transfering to -R

[jackedup]

I am a complete newbie so please bear with me. I would like to find the simplest way to create a -R disk from video I edit on a RAM disk. Ideally I would like to try using VirtualDub as it has a logo removal filter but it does not recognize the RAM disk and it is not seem in DVD Decrypter either.

I tape two one hour episodes on a DVD RAM disk, edit out the commercials and would like to make a -R for permanent storage without losing any quality if that is possible. I was originally going to use a stanalone player and recorder but was advised this would result in some quality loss due to the conversion of digital to analog and back to digital and was also advised I could do it with a DVD burner without losing any quality.

I should also note that in using BHA - B recorder Gold I tried copying a commercial DVD, and then made a copy of that copy and there was a noticeable loss of quality from the seond copy compared to the original, and this was done on the PC burner. I was under the impression the copy would be indentical to the original and that was the advantage of digital and using the PC DVD burner as opposed to standalone units, but given this experience that is not the case. I am not saying it cannot be done but certainly was not the case from this one trial, and have no idea how to do it without losing quality.

I have spent many hours of reading over the last few days and think I am more confused now then before I started. It seems many procedures are fairly complex and require one to make many decisions in each step which if the wrong decision is made can result in quality loss, and if you make two or three wrong choices I am sure the finished prodcut is far less then desireable.

The total running time once I have edited out commercials on the DVD-RAM disk is 100 minutes and would like to fill the entire -R disk to allow for the best quality video possible, rather then simply using SP mode and have 20 minutes blank on the end of the disk. The other alternative would be to record in XP mode for a better original and transfer the first one and the next day transfer the second epsiode and then finalize the -R disk.

Can someone explain this process in relatively simple terms, and if possible throw in how to use the logoaway filter in Virtual Dub. I don't know if this filter will work, or how well it will work, and sure would not try it on my only copy of the show, but would like to experiment on a backup copy.

Thank you for any advice or help you can offer.

[gshelley61]

TMPGEnc DVD Author can read the .VRO video files from DVD-RAM and easily author your final DVD without re-encoding (= no loss of quality). You can cut, join, add chapter points, even add a menu if you like. You can save the finished DVD files to your computer's hard drive and play it back before burning. Then you can burn to -R/RW, +R/RW... that is, whatever your DVD burner can handle.

[jackedup]

TMPGEnc DVD Author can read the .VRO video files from DVD-RAM and easily author your final DVD without re-encoding (= no loss of quality). You can cut, join, add chapter points, even add a menu if you like. You can save the finished DVD files to your computer's hard drive and play it back before burning. Then you can burn to -R/RW, +R/RW... that is, whatever your DVD burner can handle.

Thanks for your reply. Do you know anything abuot VirtualDub to remove the logos prior to burning it to the DVD-R, or can it be run without re-encoding?

Also could you tell me why doing a disk copy of a commercial DVD twice would result in quality loss? It appears to be a complete disk copy and copies the image to hard drive and then burns it back to the disk?

Thanks again

[gshelley61]

I have not used the logo removal filter, but frameserving MPEG through VirtualDub filters will require re-encoding and a subsequent quality loss.

I'm not familiar with B Recorder Gold, so I can't comment on it. When you made your DVD file copy, did you have to make it smaller (shrink) to fit on a single DVD-R? That would reduce the quality for sure.

I use DVD Shrink all the time to back up commercial DVD's. I generally do not include menus, subtitles, foreign language audio tracks, extras, etc. in order to save file space and maximize quality. Many times when I save the main movie only, no file compression is required at all or it is minimal. Disc-to-disc copies of the backup are identical to the backup.

For very long movies (Lord Of The Rings) I use DVDFab to split into two discs at 100% quality to avoid re-compression entirely. Changing to the second disc is no big deal when a movie is over 3 hours long...

[jackedup]

I have not used the logo removal filter, but frameserving MPEG through VirtualDub filters will require re-encoding and a subsequent quality loss.

I'm not familiar with B Recorder Gold, so I can't comment on it. When you made your DVD file copy, did you have to make it smaller (shrink) to fit on a single DVD-R? That would reduce the quality for sure.

I use DVD Shrink all the time to back up commercial DVD's. I generally do not include menus, subtitles, foreign language audio tracks, extras, etc. in order to save file space and maximize quality. Many times when I save the main movie only, no file compression is required at all or it is minimal. Disc-to-disc copies of the backup are identical to the backup.

For very long movies (Lord Of The Rings) I use DVDFab to split into two discs at 100% quality to avoid re-compression entirely. Changing to the second disc is no big deal when a movie is over 3 hours long...

Thanks
No I did not have to shrink or downsize the movie in any way. It only took about 2.5 GB on the disk, so it was a straight copy. The B recorder gold has several options, one of whcih is just a straight copy. It is very much like copying a floppy disk where simply duplicates it. It creates an image on the hard drive and then burns it back to the -R disk. It does not copy files as such but apparently makes a disk image. The first copy and the copy of the copy shows virtually the same bit rate as the original but as I say there is noticeable degradation in quality.

I will try a couple of copies with DVD shrink, even though I do not need to remove anything from the DVD, just for a comparison.

I was in error and it was burned to a -RW disk however would not think that should be a problem or make a difference should it?

Thanks again

[handyguy]

"I have spent many hours of reading over the last few days and think I am more confused now then before I started."

Are you sure you have been reading this forum? Cause what they write is pretty easy.

[gshelley61]

No, an -RW disc would have made no difference. I hope you find DVD Shrink works for you.

[jackedup]

"I have spent many hours of reading over the last few days and think I am more confused now then before I started."

Are you sure you have been reading this forum? Cause what they write is pretty easy.

Perhaps you could post a link to a post here that answers the questions I had mentioned. I am not saying the answer is not here, but I have not found it.

[gshelley61]

couple of DVD Shrink guides:

v3.1 basic Full-Disk guide
http://www.dvdshrink.info/fulldisk_basic.php

v3.1 basic Reauthor mode
http://www.dvdshrink.info/reauthor_basic.php

[jackedup]

So is no one here aware of any programs that would allow a RAM disk to be ripped to the hard drive, edited and then burned to a DVD-R?

I know TMPGEnc DVD Author but would like to find some freeware first to be sure what I want to do is going to work. I don't mind buying software but would like to try some freeware first and if everything works out as planned will look for a product to purchase with more features and bells and whistles.

Thanks

[FulciLives]

So is no one here aware of any programs that would allow a RAM disk to be ripped to the hard drive, edited and then burned to a DVD-R?

I know TMPGEnc DVD Author but would like to find some freeware first to be sure what I want to do is going to work. I don't mind buying software but would like to try some freeware first and if everything works out as planned will look for a product to purchase with more features and bells and whistles.

Thanks

The most popular is TMPGEnc DVD Author because:

1.) Not free but not really expensive either
2.) Will import the video and audio directly from the DVD-RAM disc
3.) Will allow editing
4.) Does not re-encode the video nor the audio
5.) Allows for simple creation of menu with custom chapter stops OR you can import the chapter stops the stand alone DVD recorder firt put on the DVD-RAM disc.

Pretty straight forward simple thing to do THANKS to the amazing software that is TMPGEnc DVD Author.

As for the logo removal thing ... forget it ... you will have to re-encode and that causes a loss in quality. Makes no sense to do that to remove a logo.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

P.S.
Download TMPGEnc DVD Author. It will work FULL FEATURED for something like 2 to 4 weeks (I forget how long) from the time you install it. After that it "locks up" until you register it aka buy it.

Please note that you don't need to pay extra for the AC-3 encoder option because your DVD-RAM discs will either have AC-3 audio already (unless you use XP mode which uses PCM WAV audio but that is DVD compliant as it AC-3 audio).

[gshelley61]

So is no one here aware of any programs that would allow a RAM disk to be ripped to the hard drive, edited and then burned to a DVD-R?

I know TMPGEnc DVD Author but would like to find some freeware first to be sure what I want to do is going to work. I don't mind buying software but would like to try some freeware first and if everything works out as planned will look for a product to purchase with more features and bells and whistles.

Thanks

The very first reply you got on this forum was to check out TMPGEnc DVD Author. It was suggested because it is simple to use and inexpensive to own. Freeware solutions to editing DVD-RAM and burning to DVD-R do exist, but would likely be too complex for a newbie to handle at first. I also answered your question about backing up commercial DVD's and suggested DVD Shrink. Free and simple to use.

I'm honored Fulci agrees with you trying out DVD Author, but you didn't really have to ask the same question twice... 8)

[jackedup]

So is no one here aware of any programs that would allow a RAM disk to be ripped to the hard drive, edited and then burned to a DVD-R?

I know TMPGEnc DVD Author but would like to find some freeware first to be sure what I want to do is going to work. I don't mind buying software but would like to try some freeware first and if everything works out as planned will look for a product to purchase with more features and bells and whistles.

Thanks

The very first reply you got on this forum was to check out TMPGEnc DVD Author. It was suggested because it is simple to use and inexpensive to own. Freeware solutions to editing DVD-RAM and burning to DVD-R do exist, but would likely be too complex for a newbie to handle at first. I also answered your question about backing up commercial DVD's and suggested DVD Shrink. Free and simple to use.

I'm honored Fulci agrees with you trying out DVD Author, but you didn't really have to ask the same question twice... 8)

Sincere apologies, I didn't realize it was against forum poilcy to followup a response with another question.