PIC gave me 1 good copy, now just coasters

[lbeck]

Boy am I frustrated. Maybe one of you can help me out.

I've been using Pinnacle Instant Copy (PIC) for about a year now with mostly success. Earlier this week I used DVDDecrypter to make a backup copy of Wizard of Oz (the kids are rough on DVDs). Decrypter removed the copy protection fine, and I used PIC to transfer the image to the shrunken PIC files (I prefer PIC to Shrink to keep the menus operating properly). I then burned a DVD-RW and it worked great, so I used the same disc image to burn a DVD-R. The process stopped at the 7% mark on the progress bar and returned a message "An error occurred while writing track 1 at position 14292. Extended information:#Device:Matshita DVD-RAM LF-D521 (G:) ILLEGAL REQUEST: INVALID ADDRESS FOR WRITE 71 00 05 00 00 (and bunches of additional alpha numeric pairs)" Well, this was a blank DVD-R that I've had sliding around on my workspace for a while. It had a few minor blemishes on the writing surface, so I assumed a bad blank. I tried a virgin from my spindle and got the same stop at about the same place. I can be a slow learner at times (maybe just optimistic or hopeful) so I tried another virgin DVD-R from the spindle. This time I shut down PIC and rebooted my machine prior to the new burn, thinking that a grimlin may have remained from my first faulty session. This third try made a third coaster, though it stopped at the 5% mark this time.

Whoa! I decided that I'd better go back to the DVD-RW route. Can it be that the image can be written to -RWs but not -Rs? Well, the -RW stopped at about the same place also. What's going on? Why did the exact same image give me one good copy initially, now doesn't work? Is it possible that the initial writing session to the -RW somehow corrupted the image file on my HDD?

It seems that I've read that some DVD's allow for one copy, and one copy only to be made. Or is this just PPV movies? Not sure where I heard this or what it applies to, but I decided maybe I'd somehow spent my "one only" copy and that DVDDecrypter doesn't remove this limitation.

Last night I remade the image. PIC again returned the message that the image to my HDD was made successfully. This time, I started with a DVD-R thinking that maybe I can make only one copy from the image. Another error and another coaster. Loaded an -RW, another error.

Each time that the process stops it is in the 5-7% place in the process. Another clue (maybe) is that the process starts the DVD playing software WinDVD 4. My computer is configured to automatically load that software whenever a DVD (but not a blank) is inserted into the drive. I figured that this is because PIC has recorded the identity that it is a recorded DVD during that first 7% or so. Trying to play the coasters starts the WinDVD software but doesn't play anything.

I've ruled out bad blanks (I'm using Verbatim DVD-Rs). Out of a spindle of 15, these are the first coasters, and I can't believe that all of the blanks that I used were bad. Also, the image is no longer writing to -RWs.

What should I try next? Can the PIC software have gone bad? Left to my own devices, I will reinstall PIC, but I thought I'd post here to see if any of you experts have something else to try.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

[macleod]

no, you can make copies of copies. I do them all the time for my home dvd player and then another copy for my minivan. It sounds like the source that you are copying has a goof up on it. It will still play OK, but it causes an error.

What you could try is use dvddecrypter to make an image of your copy (ISO) and then burn the image onto a new DVDR. If it is a source issue, then dvddecrypter will not be able to read that section of the DVD.

[lbeck]

make an image of your copy.

I'm not sure whether you mean the original copy of Oz or the DVD-RW that I made ... the only thing that I made from a blank that plays.

I thought of both options, and maybe that's what I should do, though it doesn't appeal to my lazy side. I think I'd use the original, since I haven't really watched all of the copy, and there's a chance that it may contain a hiccup of some sort that would be copied onto any clones. That means using Decryptor to again make an image of the 7 GB file with CSS removed, then use PIC again to compress/write the file to HDD, then PIC-> DVDR. As you know, even with a 1.5 Ghz machine we're talking about 6 hours or so for the 3 sessions. If it's a software issue (PIC) then I'd be back to the beginning again when I try to burn my -R, then I'd uninstall/reinstall the software.

I'm just trying to minimize the evenings spent on this one item, and also save my DVD-R blanks.

Thanks for your input.

[hevsdr]

I just searched the forum and found your problem. I have the same problem. I've used Instant Copy with decrypter for about 3-4 months and ~25 movies worth and no problems. Now all I get is coasters and "error writing track at position ....." all occurring at about 90% or so. This started after I downloaded the patch for IC and the Decrypter upgrade. Tried reinstalling both and still no luck. Lots of DVD+RW's and DVD+R's later still the same problem. I'm not very good at diagnostics, so now I'm wondering if It's my DVD burner????

[ddlooping]

lbeck, hevsdr, why don't you try another software?
The trial version of CloneDVD, or the free DVD Shrink.
I know you might prefer Instant Copy but it might help narrowing the cause of the problem.

[lbeck]

I'm wondering if It's my DVD burner????

I doubt it. You and I have different burners and you're in the + camp (I'm burning -Rs). My guess (and that's all it is at this point) is that it's somethng with PIC. A good diagnostic technique is called "isolating the variables." and ddlooping's advice of "Why don't you try another software?" would help here, if you have the software and the inclination.

Another potential source is your DVD blanks. I got tired of using inexpensive blanks, having a problem during the final burn, then left to wonder if it was a bad blank or something else. I'm still not rich enough to use expensive, high-quality blanks exclusively, but I try to keep a stock on hand so that I can eliminate this significant variable. That's what frustrated me on my most recent problems. I consider the Verbatims to be from my "good" stock. An excelent discussion of recordable DVD media, with brand names, can be seen here.

I always try to find the cause of my problems, but sometimes it's easier to find the path of least resistance. The web (e.g. this forum) is pretty easy and I've learned a lot from my good buddy that's about 2 feet in front of me now. Sometimes there's something simple (or stupid) that I've overlooked, or something unique to a piece of software that others have encountered.

For the present, my "path of least resistance" was to just use Nero to copy the DVD-RW that did work (see my initial post) onto a DVD-R. This worked and I have a good DVD of Oz so I'll move on to other things for now.

I know that this doesn't solve the problem of why PIC couldn't burn successive copies of the image file it created. It may be a bug in PIC software, or maybe something else in my software/hardware configuration.

If I learn anything new, I'll post it.