DVD to DVD-r Success

[mpauley73]

I have been using VCDHelp.com over the past 6 months to learn all I can about (S)VCDs. I purchased a Que!DVD Burner ($500 from CompUSA) a few days ago so I could make a perfect DVD copy. After a few days of trail and error (A few $9.99 DVDr coasters), I have finally come up with an almost perfect process:

1. Rip the DVD using SmartRipper.
a. Go to max-filesize and raise the limit to 6 Gigs.
b. Enable Stream Processing and take only the Video and
the English 6 channel audio files.
c. Select Demux to extra file (will automatically make M2V
& AC3 media files)
d. Make sure the media files have the exact same names
example: Driven.M2V & Driven.AC3
2. Use DVD authoring program (I use SpruceUp full)
a. Import M2V file (this takes a few minutes)
b. This will auto import the AC3 file.
c. Add chapters points.
d. Make your menus
e. Create disc from SpruceUp or make the Title set.
f. Watch your perfect copy.

The only problem I have is SpruceUP does not support 16:9 right now. Instead of spending 30 hours making SVCD with DVD2SCVD (the best program I found), it only take 2 hours.

[themamboman]

$500 for the QUE DVD burner? Was it on sale? The last time I was in CompUSA (last week), it was $699. Pricewatch showed the lowest price of $623.

I guess it's time to buy one.

Has anyone reviewed Sonic DVDit? It came with my DVC2.

[mpauley73]

This is the Que! DVD Burner 4.7gb 1 speed. The total was around $515 or so @ CompUSA not far from DC. I tried DVDit and it wasnt as friendly.

[Kdiddy]

Dont use SpruceUp, its not crap, but has been discontinued..
invest DVD Wise, Spruce Virtuso or Maestro, or if you want to run with the profressional big dogs, Scenarist!

[daren b]

i see you used the long way round and why increase limit to 6 gigs to rip a movie less than 4 giggs in size

[mpauley73]

Not all movies are less than 4 gigs. Why is this the long way? How do you do it?

Thanks

[daren b]

if the film is over 4.7 you have to re encode theres no way round this but to re-encode but if dvd is 4.7 or under ie asian bootleg or original under 4.7 then ripp with any ripper but ripp whole video ts file complete import into dvd gearpro tell it to build dvd film takes about 15 seconds then just burn with same program
whole process 35 - 40 minutes this builds fully compliant dvd as original not data disc so will play on any standalone supporting dvd-r

[mpauley73]

I'll give that a try and let you know. Thanks

[FreeMovies]

9.99 coaster????? HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!!! simple question, why bother with a dvd burner when you can just split the movies on to 2 cdr's... i mean most bootleg dvd rips just leave out the added features etc. Personally, thats one hell of a sum to spend on a coaster. Compare this with a cd that might turn out to be a 50 cent coaster. Not to mention, even if you get a successful burn, for 5-8 more dollars you might as well go out and get the dvd.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: FreeMovies on 2001-10-14 16:30:26 ]</font>

[alkieman]

Simple answer FreeMovies.. quality.
Like it or not, VCD quality is not that great, especially on a 47 inch widescreen set like mine.

You can rip a DVD, demux the audio and video files, reencode the video at a lower bitrate without losing too much in quality and then use a decent authoring package to create your disc. Several of my friends haven't been able to tell the difference between one I ripped to DVD-RW for a test and the original (except for my crappy attempt at a menu that is).

The ONLY advantage that VCD has is cost, it's incredibly cheap. Incidently the Pioneer drive I have has a form of burn proof built in and so far, not one coaster. Not sure if the QUE drive has.

[Hateslife]

I have no problem with the prices on DVD burners... When they first hit 500$, I was ready to run out and buy one that day. Then I considered media prices... It's 10-15$ apiece for the assorted DVD writable formats.

I remember back when cd writers were five and six hundred dollars, the media were still only a couple of bucks, and that made it all worthwhile. The convenience of file transfer paired with the marvelous potential for piracy, all for a couple dollars a cd.

Quite simply, I don't own a HDTV, and I only have two speakers and a sub hooked up to my stereo at any given time. SVCD is every inch as good as DVD, so I see no reason to spend 10 to 15$ for piracy reasons. Think about it, you'd literally never make your money back

And the worst bit is that DVD-ROM drives still aren't standard. Lots of people don't have them, considering'em a luxury item. There's jut no compelling reason to buy a DVD writer, and I'm not convinced there ever will be.

[alkieman]

Sorry, don't agree. You're happy with SVCD and lets face it, for quality versus price SVCD is great but SVCD is not that great quality on my 47inch Widescreen TV.

SVCD resolution is generally 640x480 or thereabouts and it's maximum bitrate is only 2.6mb/s. DVD supports many resolutions but the best is 720x480 NTSC and 720x576 PAL with a maximum bitrate of 9.8mbps. There's just no way SVCD can compete with that quality. Even DVDs I have made at half D1, 4mb/s still look vastly superior to the SVCDs I used to create. I have made a few DVDs from my DVC camcorder and they look fantastic, as good as any store bought DVD disc.

True, DVD burners are expensive but you can now buy bulk DVD-R blanks for around 6 dollars from mail order suppliers.

There's still no substitute for a good quality film on one disc, at it's best resolution SVCD can squeeze less than 40mins per disc. If I am happy with half D1 4mb/s (which I am), I can get two full length movies on one DVD-R with chapters, menus etc.

I'm not interested in piracy and making money, just in the convenience of creating DVDs from my camcorder footage and transferring old, rare VHS movies to disc.

I can't argue with you on price though, less than a dollar for a blank CD-R is great against 6 dollars for a blank DVD-R. On a smallish TV or 32 inches or less I would guess you maybe wouldn't notice the quality difference, but believe me, on my TV I notice.

[Jotarou]

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
On 2001-10-13 18:02:21, daren b wrote:
if the film is over 4.7 you have to re encode theres no way round this but to re-encode but if dvd is 4.7 or under ie asian bootleg or original under 4.7 then ripp with any ripper but ripp whole video ts file complete import into dvd gearpro tell it to build dvd film takes about 15 seconds then just burn with same program
whole process 35 - 40 minutes this builds fully compliant dvd as original not data disc so will play on any standalone supporting dvd-r
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>


I just tried this method, and it seems to work fine on my Skyworth 1050P DVD player. Thanks for the tip. Now if only I can find a full, non trial version of Gear Pro DVD.


JoJo

[bigsid]

About the reencoding, isnt there some way to just to combine all the vobs into one large movie, split it down the middle (or at the 4.7gb mark) and then add chapters using software similar to SpruceUp?

[Kdiddy]

All you need to know

http://rilanparty.com/vbb/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=39

[SatStorm]

Something people don't realize yet:
The television brodcasts, are now digital
There are DVB/satellite/cable/terrestial.
You can rip those transmissions to your PC and then burn DVD-R's with them, and produce really easy full playable DVDs for your DVD standalone. In a way, treat the whole thing, like we do with VCRs.
(We all store our favorite tv shows or other stuff to vhs tapes).
The bitrate on DVB transmissions, is never beyond 5000kb/s for full resolution channels. It is almost always 1.8 GB per hour...
I believe strongly, that the future is there and not with dvd rips or DV rips...
The future is digital.

[waldok]

Satstorm, you are soooo right !

But, one has to admit (at least here in France) that Santa will have to be extremely generous if we want to invest in a full digital solution including DVD-R drive, .

My plan for the future (but when ?) is to buy some DVB receiver card (like Hauppauge) and use it to directly transform the incoming PVA streams into SVCD compliant streams and later into DVD compliant streams on DVD-R (or DVD-RW).
But up to now, SVCDs are the best compromise I've found for quality vs storage space when it comes to ripping DVDs or encoding DV material, and I watch them on my 43" rear-projector with a great pleasure (having to switch to disc 2 in the middle of the movie also allows to get another beer Most people don't even notice this is not a DVD they are watching !

Anyway, I really think the situation will change when prices go down and I just can't wait to get my hands into the process of producing my own DVDs from digital broadcasted material

Waldok

[SatStorm]

Hi,
If you are in France, try to get a nokia 9600 receiver (also mention as mascom there, or d-box 1 in germany) with dvb 2000 as firmware.. (www.no-access.de)
By having a subscription to Canal + (Astra satellites) or TPS (Hotbird satellites) and the correct cam (Seca for canal plus or Viaccess for Hotbird) you can rip in realtime XSVCD mpeg 2 files. You can burn those direct to a 80min CDR (about 30 min of video and audio in broadcast quality)and watch them to many standalone players compatible with XSVCD...
It is really cheap solution, with today's technology....
The last year, all my recordings are to xSVCD (or I re - encode them to CVD 352X576). I forget what is VHS....
I shall buy soon a DVD-R PC Burner. I can put 4 hour of broadcast quality there...
The future is digital and also starts now!