Way to get Panasonic DMR-HS2 DVD-R to computer for copying?

[nle1]

As I described in the thread about "recovery problems" with this recorder, I thought I had a way to take a DVD-R made on the HS2 to the computer to do my semi-bulk copying there, rather than on the HS2. I copied the VIDEO_TS file to the computer using Windows explorer, then used my DVDIt! program to burn DVDs from the folder. However, altho those disks would then play fine in the computer, they won't play on any (i.e., 4 tested) standalone DVDplayers. This includes a DVD-RW disk that I've used several times without problem, so it's not a media problem.

I don't really understand how once the video folder has been built, just burning can work this way, but I don't understand any of this anyway! It seems to me to be very advantageous to make copies this way, first to empty the HD on the recorder and secondly, not 'wear out' the burner on the recorder sooner than necessary!

So next question is how to accomplish this? I will be trying playing the HS2 burned DVD-R in a standalone into my computer capture system. But I don't know if this retains resolution and I'd have to download a couple of additional programs to retain the Dolby encoding, etc. If I'm going to be downloading anyway, does anyone have experience using one of the "DVD Backup programs" like DVDxCopy to do this kind of copy? I really don't want to get into total ripping, etc if I don't have to.

Any other suggestions/ideas would be greatly appreciated. I'm just trying to make copy of things seen on TV to friends who don't have access to US basic cable stations thru no fault of their own. It's not like I'm trying to sell 400 copies of the next Hobbit flick before they finish editing it

NLE

[dood]

Are you simply trying to make a copy of a DVD-R made by the HS2 using your PC DVD burner? All you have to do is use a "burning" program like Prassi PrimoVD, Stomp RecordNow Max, Nero Burning Rom, or almost any burning program that recognizes your drive and COPY the DVD-R! I use RecordNow MAx to make disk images of DVD-Rs and burn the images to blanks all the time.

Am I missing something with your question?

[nle1]

You more or less may have answered the question, even if you didn't quite get where my problem was That's why I asked if one of the "dvd copying" programs would work. I thought I HAD done what you are essentially suggesting - using my computer burning program to burn from a DVD volume on the hard drive. Perhaps because DVDIt is both an authoring AND burning program, not just a burning program, for some reason it only burns volumes it itself has created properly.

So I take it using one of these programs, it will do the image to the HD (rather than my just copying the files) and then do the copy. Is that right? Now that you mention it, Prassi PrimoDVD is one of the programs that came bundled with this system, so I'll try to see if I can figure that one out.

Thanks
NLE

PART II: OK ... just checked the Prassi Promo help. It's late at night for me, so I may not be totally coherent. But it seems I SHOULD be able to just drop the VIDEO_TS file I already have copied to my HD into the program to burn -- is that right? Or do I have to have it make its own image on the drive and then do the burn?
May seem like even sillier questions, but I'm pretty new to this stuff and I've tried to start simple - not with a program that the help file says is "professional mastering software."

[ncgoldwinger]

NLE 1,

Just some thoughts as I am new to this as well and just got my unit on Friday..

Regarding the original disc that you burned in the HS2..did you finalize it?
It's my understanding you have to finalize it to make it play in standalone players. If you didn't finalize it maybe there were files that was missing in the Video_TS folder that's in fact created once it is finalized. So when you tried copying the folder to a new disc you were making the new discs the same as the original which wasn't "finalized"..

Copying the folder to your hard drive and the burning back as you mentioned should work fine I would think.

BTW ...Were you able to play the original disc in the 4 standalones?

Rick

[nle1]

Thanks for the good ol' college try, Rick . The original was indeed finalized and plays fine in multiple standalone units. Whole thing makes less and less sense to me, more I think about it. I've now also posted on the Sonic DVDIt MB to see if there's something funny about DVDIt, tho I can't think of what!! Especially since to be sure the program builds a volume right, I have to build it into a "fake" folder and then move the VIDEO_TS folder into another one before burning :P ! You'd think this would be the parallel situation.

Last night, I even tried burning a DVD-R using SP mode, rather than FR, figuring maybe DVDIt somehow "sensed" that and my Lite version didn't like it. Didn't work .

NLE

Got my answer at the Sonic board Sure nuf .... It's because DVDIt can burn its OWN projects, but is not a general burning app. OH well ... now to figure out Prassi ..... Hope there's a help guide on here ...

[ncgoldwinger]

nle 1,

Sounds like either Nero or CloneCD would be what you are after since you are just wanting to dupe the disc..

I've never used Prassi before but maybe it has a "disc copy" feature in it..

Let us know how you made out..

Regards...

Rick

[dood]

I highly recommend Stomp's RecordNow Max. It looks like an updated version of Prassi. There is a free trial on the Stomp website.

[nle1]

Thanks for the comments - I may know where I am by tomorrow. Looks like a part of my problem may be the 'el cheapo' disks. Oddly, tho they've played in all standalones tried (from very old to the very newest), have no problem in the HS2 recording to or playing from, etc., they are considered "Invalid" by Prassi, so a disc copy or making an image of it wouldn't go. I tried something else overnight that didn't work in a new different way, but may be because my RW got messed up during an erase operation. I've now made a recording on a "real disk" (Apple -- all I had) and see if I can get a go with that.

This is so silly .... story of my life ... the hard things seem to work (never one of the weird error messages I see people all over getting) but can't copy a stupid disk

NLE

[nle1]

UPDATE

Don't ask me to explain ... I only report

Problem was not the media. For whatever the reason, Prassi PrimoDVD 2.0 (forerunner of RecordMaxNow) will not read disks made by, or files directly derived from, the HS2. At least in MY computer system (anyone else here try??).

What DID work:
1. HS2 burned movie to generic disk.
2. Friend moved VIDEO_TS file to his PC harddrive. Firewired to portable HD.
3. Connected to his Mac (which would not recognize the original HS2 generic disk, even tho a Pioneer 103, same burner I use with these disks - AND his Mac drive DOES recognize generic disks burned with DVDIt on my 103! [lost yet?]).
4. On Mac, used "Toaster" (Mac version of Roxio CDEasyCreator 5) to burn disk (Apple brand) directly from the firewired HD.

5. Apple disk, burned with Toaster WORKS on standalone.
6. Apple disk IS recognized by my Prassi.
7. Make image --- burn generic disk --- WORKS in standalones.

So my conclusion is the cheap media is fine. Just something about the HS2---> RNM. For now, friend will do my masters and maybe this weekend I'll get up my guts to reinstall Roxio EasyCDCreator --- last time it wreaked havoc with my system, but I didn't put the patch on (thinking I was OK since I wasn't having drive recognition problems, the only symptom I'd heard of with it on a system that hadn't had other versions on it first ).

... and one wonders (not) why on another thread, folks almost came to blows as to whether a particular error only happened on +R's vs -R's :P Watch ... this summer when the sun is in the opposite configuration to now, all things that worked won't and those that didn't will [don't forget that ionic solar wind 8) ]

NLE