Need to burn my first double layer dvd EVER.... HELP !!!

[Canon GL-2 Guy]

I tried Image Burn which is normally an excellent choice for this type of task (burning) however at the cost of $1.25 per disc I don't want to experiment by trial and error without knowing what I'm doing. I got several pop-up alert mesages which have not been encountered before and stopped. I've used this program a lot for single sided discs.

Is there a simple, no brainer, intuitive & straight forward app which will yield a good result and less coasters that ye gents would suggest which would be suitable or tailored towards double sided dvd's?

Open to all opinions, sage advice and recommendations. What do you use?

Thanks in advance.

Bruce

[redwudz]

ImgBurn is about as simple and foolproof as you can get. I've never had a coaster using it and Verbatim DL plus discs. About 50 burns so far. (I don't use DL that often.) About 500+ SL discs with ImgBurn also, no coasters, all Taiyo Yuden 8X and 16X minus discs.

What were the pop ups and alert messages?

[johns0]

If you were trying burn an iso file and imgburn told you that the layer break was missing or incorrect then extract the iso with 7-zip and build and burn the VIDEO_TS folder with imgburn letting it select the best layer break.

[Canon GL-2 Guy]

Gents, a progress report:

I downloaded & tried to follow the official website guides with Image Burn in regards to how to prepare an .iso file to then be burned onto a double side/layered dvd. Having not done this before, here’s the part which is still unclear. At the very end of one of the guides this statement was made: “Remember to choose the MDS file “when you eventually burn this ISO as it contains the layer break information. “

What was meant by the especially the 1st 6 words and how do I incorporate this consideration/factor into the final burning process?

1) What role (if any) does the .MDS file play in ensuring the layer break was chosen succesfully and that the dvd just burned will sucessfully play the whole video file perfectly as intended?

2)Since ImgBurn yields both an .iso & a .mds file, when one burns the image file to dvd does the .mds file have to first physically reside in either the
a) Master folder that contains the video and audio TS folders or:
b) Also with the ifo,vob and other files within the video TS folder?
c) Or does it matter where it is?

What I don’t want to do is to have to watch over an hour + of video for each case just to see what happens when the layer/continuity break occurs & personally have to ascertain if some sort of an error occurs there (or not) or hand out a dvd "blind" to people I’ve made promises too.

Anotherwords, I want to have absolute confidence the end result is 100 % operational and free of errors when distributed.

Any comments, observations or helpful pointers on the above?

If all I do is select the .iso file to burn to disc like I would with a single layer disc does that create a problem?

Please advise.

Thanks so much.

[MOVIEGEEK]

Just use build mode with your DVD folder(VOB,IFO,etc),if you make an ISO you need the MDS file for the layer break info.
If you are burning an ISO and you have the MDS file then you select the MDS file as the source.

[Canon GL-2 Guy]

OK, thank you.

So does it matter at all where the .mds file is located on your hard drive?

Does it have to be/physically reside in the folder being burned from or can it just be out there on the drive on it's own?

I would appreciate clarification on this point just to make sure!

Bruce

[MOVIEGEEK]

I think the files have to be together in a folder,when I rip a DVD I always put the ISO and MDS file in the same folder.

[Canon GL-2 Guy]

Please anyone,
I would appreciate exactly what folder location "to be together in a folder" means. Is it:

a) Within the video TS folder amongst the other files or:
b) In the general folder together with the audio and video TS folders

Also, for anyone out there.. After the imaged is burned to dvd, how can I find out in the video exactly when/where the layer break is so I can check for continuity quality at that location/cell?

Thanks!

[Supreme2k]

IMGBURN will allow you to choose and preview the layer break.

He means that the iso file and mds must be in the same folder. If you rip IRONMAN, make a folder named IRONMAN. Inside that folder should only be IRONMAN.iso and IRONMAN.mds (according to MOVIEGEEK's method).

The mds file is created after the image is created from the VIDEO_TS folder. You can have the image creator create an iso file and an mds file from the VIDEO_TS folder.

Of course, all of this is covered in the imgburn documentation, which you should have already read.

[Canon GL-2 Guy]

Sorry, as I'm just trying to understand the process as this is the first time around. Thanks for your patience.

The video is 1:12:19 in length which was not ripped but shot myself.

The file's size is "5,018,874" bytes or "4.78 gig" so it's just a little over single sided capacity. ImageBurn only gave me one choice to indicate where the break would be.

My question is this: How much video in terms of hours, minutes and seconds can an average dvd hold? I'm trying to get an idea of where I should start watching it in order to observe what happens just before, during and after the layer break.

Thanks for continuing the dialogue.

[mrswla]

My question is this: How much video in terms of hours, minutes and seconds can an average dvd hold? I'm trying to get an idea of where I should start watching it in order to observe what happens just before, during and after the layer break.

Depends on how much compression you want. You can fit over 8 hours on a SL disc, but it will look like crap. 8) On average one hour will fit on a SL disc without compression and two hours will fit on a DL disc without compression.

[MOVIEGEEK]

Canon,
Your video isn't that much larger than a SL,use DVDShrink and burn on a SL.If you insist on a DL then make sure the layer break is at least a silver star in ImgBurn(blue is the best).

My question is this: How much video in terms of hours, minutes and seconds can an average dvd hold?

There are calculators in the Tools section but the basic formula is Bitrate x Minutes = Size.A video that has a 9,000kbps bitrate will be ~60MB per minute but you also have to factor in the audio bitrate.

[Canon GL-2 Guy]

I have other video projects which are approx the same length of time in the pipeline.

How much quality will I lose by utilizing DVD Shrink? Is it easy to use? Does it recode?

I prefer a 9k rate if at all possible however on the other hand if I can reduce the media cost in cases like this to a fraction compared to a DL disc I may go for it.

ImgBurn worked fine and I did use the only silver star break in 2 cases availible to me by default.

Bruce

[MOVIEGEEK]

How much quality will I lose by utilizing DVD Shrink? Is it easy to use? Does it recode?

DVDShrink is very easy to use,it will transcode the video and does a good job if you use Deep Analysis.Reducing a video by 10% will not be noticeable but saving $.80 a disc is.

[MysticE]

You might also experiment with DVD Shrink's Quality Enhancements. There are a few choices and depending on the source, one may suit you better than another. Smooth vs. Sharp etc.

[Canon GL-2 Guy]

Hi once again,

1) What is the best possible combination of settings in the "Quality Enhancements" area in DVD Shrink as quality is exactly what I'm looking for. What choices makes an appreciable diference? What parameters should be on/off or selected and at what values?

2) Also, what's the max reccomended/suggested file size to shrink down without quality going to pieces? The source data is 5 gigs or maybe 5.5 to 6 gigs?

Please share your thoughts on that.

Thanks so very much.

Bruce

[MOVIEGEEK]

1.I would just use Deep Analysis,it's like a 2 pass encode.

2.The most I shrink is 35%,any more and the quality suffers.Since you will be only shrinking 10-25% I don't think you will notice.

When in doubt use a DL.

[Canon GL-2 Guy]

What does everyone think about the following settings/options and their value in adding quality in addition to "deep analysis".

1) Smooth/fluidity versus Sharp and

2) Selecting "compress video with high quality adaptive error compensation".

What is the best combination of the above 3 variables?

Any further dialogue and discussion of the pros and cons with actual users will be appreciated.

[bendixG15]

You know, in the final analysis, you are the most important critic of the work that you do. Yu've been posting here for two weeks asking the best way to do things. I would suggest that the time has come for you to start doing things on your own.

It does take less than an hour, hey - rip and burn away. Then come back with more questions.

[Supreme2k]

I have to agree. You've been here almost three years. Well more than enough time to read a guide or two on burning dual-layer. If you spent half the time reading up on the subject as you do posting "what's the best", you'd be an expert by now.

[Canon GL-2 Guy]

OK then, I'm outta here since that's what you all seem to want.

Please keep in mind that this thread covered various aspects over time.

Thanks for any helpful info imparted.