DVD-RAM To DVD-R

[rpjallan]

I have a VHS/DVD recorder that records onto DVD-RAM discs. I want to make a DVD video disc from one of the TV shows I have recorded on a RAM disc. I have tried using Toast. Everything seems to go ok but when I play the resulting disc, every few minutes for around 5 - 10 seconds the video and audio stutters very badly. It is unwatchable.

I have tried Quicktime, iMovie and iDVD but none of these seem to recognise the file at all.

Can anybody help me with this?

[chikanakan]

Did you use Toast 7?

[rpjallan]

Yes. 7.0.2. Just on the default settings though. I don't know enough about encoading to change the settings.

[terryj]

is the DVD-Ram disc finalized?

[rpjallan]

I don't think I can finalise a DVD-RAM disk. Only DVD-R, DVD-RW. I'll check on that.

[twosocks]

is the DVD-Ram disc finalized?

RAM discs do not have to be finalized? At least not on my Panasonic.

I've been making some of my own TV DVD's (HBO's Rome, Showtime's Sleeper Cell, etc.) using RAM discs on my Panasonic DVR for about 6 months or more.

Toast will read and transfer the needed file to the Mac, where I will make my own menu driven 'Episode' DVD. I've haven't had any of the playback problems that rpjallen mentioned.

The only downside, is that Toast will reencode the MPEG2 file that the Panasonic creates on the RAM disc and on my old trusty G4 Digital Audio, that process takes about 8 hours.

[Frobozz]

Are you using the Toast Media Browser to extract the MPEGs from the DVD-RAM disc? When you burn the extracted MPEG with Toast does the progress bar say "Encoding" or does it say "Multiplexing"? If it says encoding go to the cusom encoding window and select Never next to reencoding.

[rpjallan]

I was using the Media Browser to extract the file from the DVD-RAM disc. I'm pretty sure it said Multiplexing but Encoding was set to Automatic. I'll set it to never and try again.

[twosocks]

Are you using the Toast Media Browser to extract the MPEGs from the DVD-RAM disc?

Yes, the VRO (MPEG) file.

When you burn the extracted MPEG with Toast does the progress bar say "Encoding" or does it say "Multiplexing"?

It runs the pattern of "Encoding", then "Multiplexing" and finally "Burn"

If it says encoding go to the cusom encoding window and select Never next to reencoding.

Great !!!!
Who says that you can't teach an old dog, new tricks.

Thank You

[rpjallan]

Ok, I have set Encoding to never. I saved the result as a Toast disc image. The disc image plays perfectly on my computer with the Apple DVD player. I have tried burning the disc image at the lowest speed but there is still some stuttering! Is there anything else I could try?

By the way, I have tried a few different DVD-RAM discs with exactly the same result.

[terryj]

What happens if you burn the output to a DVD-RW or a DVD-R?
just curious at this point.....

[rpjallan]

That's what I'm trying to do!

[terryj]

Ok, I have set Encoding to never. I saved the result as a Toast disc image. The disc image plays perfectly on my computer with the Apple DVD player. I have tried burning the disc image at the lowest speed but there is still some stuttering! Is there anything else I could try?

By the way, I have tried a few different DVD-RAM discs with exactly the same result.

That's what I'm trying to do!

Ok, so the output was to DVD-R, and not DVD-Ram disc correct?
..........
ok,
Let's go back to the beginning:
What BRAND of discs are you using? ( both DVD-R, and DVD-Ram)
Please LIST it as completeley as possible, including if you can DVD Media Code.

Does the burned disc play fine using DVD Player on the Mac?
Do they play fine in VLC? What errors do VLC produce when
playing the burned disc? Please post these here.

When playing these discs on Standalone DVD Players,
( I assume) your Panasonic cannot play them back.
Have you tried another settop player?
if so, what brand? Please post that here.

[rpjallan]

As I said in my original post, I have a Panasonic VHS/DVD recorder that records onto DVD-RAM discs. I want to make a DVD-R video disc from one of the TV shows I have recorded on a RAM disc. It is a .VRO file. I have tried using Toast. Everything seems to go ok but when I play the resulting disc, every few minutes for around 5 - 10 seconds the video and audio stutters very badly. It is unwatchable.

The DVD-RAM disc is Panasonic, which came with the recorder. I am burning to TDK DVD-R 16x discs. I have tried playing the discs on 2 different DVD players.

[terryj]

As I said in my original post, I have a Panasonic VHS/DVD recorder that records onto DVD-RAM discs. I want to make a DVD-R video disc from one of the TV shows I have recorded on a RAM disc. It is a .VRO file. I have tried using Toast. Everything seems to go ok but when I play the resulting disc, every few minutes for around 5 - 10 seconds the video and audio stutters very badly. It is unwatchable.

The DVD-RAM disc is Panasonic, which came with the recorder. I am burning to TDK DVD-R 16x discs. I have tried playing the discs on 2 different DVD players.

Ok, we got all of your original post my friend.
But in order for us to FURTHER help you troubleshoot the problem,
we are going to need more info OUTSIDE of the file and the process,
which has already been discussed in great length, and troubleshooted
by twosocks and frobozz.

The fact that you are burning to 16x discs TDk is a start.
So we now know you are using High Speed media.
Are you burning at the maximum speed, or are you burning
at 1x speed EACH AND EVERY TIME?
TDK 16x media can also be poorly manufactured. You don't list the
DVD Media CODE, which can easily be obtained via Toast 7's DVD Info
Command. If you look to the left where it says "DVD Media",
you will see if you click that link, and do a search for TDK 16x media,
that TDk 16 DVD-Rs have a media code of TTH02..is this the Indentifier
code on your discs? Since you are in Australia, you could be getting
different discs manufactured to different standards than we are use
to here in the states...We should try and rule this out if possible.

Have you also tried to burn the discs with any other brand, such as Sony,
Apple, or Maxell?
Can you go out locally and pick up a small pack of discs to try?

You also say you are having problems with the 2 standalone players
you use, but what BRANDS of Players are they? Certain Players
have exacting manufacturing standards; Players made before 2003
can only play discs written at 1x or 2x speed, otherwise they produce
results EXACTLY like you suggest if the discs are burned at anything
above 1x, such as my RCA 5240P.

Certain models of players from 2003-2005 can only accept
discs burned at no higher than 8x, my own Sanyo is like that.
Anything burned at higher than 16x and my Sanyo freaks out and
causes the disc to Stutter and make playback unwatchable.
WHAT model of DVD Standalone Players do you have?

You also DO NOT SAY if the disc plays back fine in the Macintosh that
BURNED it. Often this could be a tell tale sign that something is
wrong with your internal burner...it could be something as small
as a necessary firmware upgrade, or it could be a sign that the
laser isn't properly calibrated, and it needs service.

We have ruled out:
It is not the files from the DVD-Ram.
It is not the files folder re-processed through Toast, as DVD Player
plays it, according to you, successfully.

If you would be willing to:
Try burning it on a different brand of media ( Apple, Maxell, Sony)
PLEASE TELL US:
If playing the burned to DVD-R output through either DVD Player
or more tellingly,VLC, is successful.


we can then troubleshoot what the problem is further.

[JoachimS]

Use TOAST to convert the DVD-RAM as above, but "burn" it to an Image file. What happens if you mount that Image and play the mounted DVD Image with Apple DVD Player. OK now?

Copy VIDEO_TS to your drive and fix timecode breaks (APPLE-F) with MPEG-Streamclip. OK now?

Just some ideas:

From my experience, stuttering sound comes from Audio Tracks encoded with 44.1kHz, not with 48kHz as the DVD standard says. I think we can exclude that as you took the original DVD-RAM footage.

When you made the recording on the DVD-RAM, was the quality setting for the DVD-RAM XP? XP mode uses a very high bitrate that can cause problems with some DVD-Players.

[rpjallan]

Thanks for your help but I've given up on this. I've wasted far too much time on it!