Copied DVD contents, won't play in DVD player

[TnDipspit]

My father had some old VHS tapes converted to DVD which work fine in a normal DVD player as well as the DVD player on my computer. We wanted to make a backup copy, so I dragged the contents of the original DVD onto my desktop, inserted a blank DVD, dragged the contents onto the DVD and burned it (which consists of a VIDEO_TS folder that contains several .BUP, .IFO & .VOB files). The backup disk plays fine when I watch it on my computer, but when I try it on my DVD player at home - it can't read it. Any suggestions on what I did wrong? Thanks -

[jyn999]

Sounds like you burned the DVD as a data disc and not as a movie disc. Use your burning software to make a DVD copy instead of dragging the files from the original DVD.

[bugster]

Could also be player/media compatibility. This may mean the original was +R and you burnt to -R, or vice versa, and your player doesn't support the media type of the new disk.
Or more simply you used a brand of media that your player doesn't like.

[Cornucopia]

This is a great example of the difference between settop/hardware DVD players and computer DVDplayer software:

1. Computer software is (usually) smarter and will forgive minor "formatting" errors, settops WON'T.
2. Computers (usually) access a title by it's ISO9660 or UDF filesystem, settops access primarily by position in the track (more true of CD than DVD here).
3. An extension of above, computers can read video titles that aren't in a particular order, or even in the correct directory structure, settops REQUIRE that they be in VIDEO_TS right off the root, and that they be in a particular physical and logical order and contiguous.

That is why many CD/DVD disc burning apps have a special preset/template for DVD-Video, as opposed to DVD-ROM/Data. There are often presets for VCD/SVCD, etc for similar reasons.

Scott

[smearbrick1]

Some dvd players require the audio_ts folder be present on the disc to play. You didn't mention that you included this. Even though it is empty, it can sometimes be necessary.

[joed1228]

It could be something as simple as your DVD player and it usally is. Bring it to a friends house and try some of their DVD players or do what I did, go to a store and try to play it in their DVD players. Try a Sony, Samsung, Panasonic and others to rule out the DVD player.

[gnum]

Sorry for the stupid question... I am trying to get familiar with DVD structure. This is a bit of info I've got from here:

http://www.cdfreaks.com/article/117/1

it says:

You would think it would be as easy as copying these files to a folder on your hard disk and then burn them to a recordable DVD, but unfortunately they didn’t make it that easy. The files copied will contain useless data and your copy will not work,

The question is: WHY NOT? Those are played perfectrly using let's say VLC. Wouldn't it work if I author a DVD using this HDD versions? Why using DVD Decrypter for backups?

a lot of questions actually :)

thanks a lot!

[reboot]

VLC is just a media player, like most others on a computer, it finds the movie inside whatever structure/container it's in, be it (S)VCD, avi, or DVD.
What works on your computer is RARELY an indication of what will work on a standalone player.

[gnum]

Yeah. I understand that. My question was whether I can burn a proper backup DVD from files simply copied fron an original DVD.

Let's put it this way:
1) I can rip files (not ISO image) with DVD Decrypter
2) I can just copy them via file explorer

What's the difference between #1 and #2? Is this only that #2 is still encrypted?

thanks.

[reboot]

#2 won't work (usually) if they're encrypted, which is why there's #1.
#1 and #2 won't work if it's larger than 4.3gig, which is why there's DVDShrink.

[Cornucopia]

Assuming it ISN'T encrypted, and is <4.3GB, you CAN copy the files from disc to disc.

But,

If the 2nd disc isn't formatted with ISO/microUDF (aka UDF v1.02), and
If the 2nd disc doesn't have the data recorded completely contiguously, and
If the 2nd disc doesn't have the files ordered in a PARTICULAR order, and
a couple of other specific requirements,


you'll end up with a disc that will probably play in most/many computers (if not all), but won't play in many/most settops.

That's one reason why there is AUTHORING.

Scott

[gnum]

2Cornucopia & reboot,

thanks a lot. This almost satisfies my curiousity. I understand I have to author a DVD properly using those files. I am just trying to grasp things completely. What bothers me is the statement

The files copied will contain useless data and your copy will not work,

Why should i decrypt. I take encrypted files from a DVD, then author them properly and write a new disk, bypassing decryption. Isn't it gonna work. And if not why?

I am sorry to be annoying. Just trying to strip things to the bone...

[reboot]

then author them properly and write a new disk, bypassing decryption

That's the key. Authored properly, they will work.
#2 doesn't decrypt, nor author properly.