Newbie to DVD

[Washac]

Hi All

I am new to DVD burning so please be gentle


Just some info:-


I use an eMac and an Exteranl Pioneer 108 DVD burner and Toast Titanium 6.


I have DVD of my daughters graduation from university, I would like to back this up incase the original gets damaged. I made a copy by creating a disk image, and burning from the image, this did not work though.

The DVD player that comes with the eMAc does not play the original DVD, VLC plays it after being a bit strange at the start, and also a standalone is fine.


Any help would be appreciated.


Washac

[Frobozz]

Welcome to the confusing world of DVD compatibility. The DVD Player application does not play video DVDs from external drives unless the eMac also has a built-in combo or superdrive. If you used Toast 6 to make the disc image then everything should be fine. Do not use Disk Utility to make a video DVD disc image.

Actually, you could just use the Copy window in Toast 6 to make a copy of the original DVD. Toast will make a temporary disc image, eject the DVD and ask for you to insert a blank DVD, and burn the copy. Very simple.

Incidentally, if you haven't heard, choose DVD-R or DVD-RW media (rather than DVD+R or +RW) unless you are running OS 10.3.3 or later.

[Washac]

Hi

Thanks for the reply.


My external Pioneer 108 plays DVDs fine...

I did make the disk image with Toast 6.

I am running 10.2, so are you saying that I cannot burn a DVD+R even using my Pioneer 108 which is comaptable with DVD+R


Washac

[Frobozz]

I am running 10.2, so are you saying that I cannot burn a DVD+R even using my Pioneer 108 which is comaptable with DVD+R


Washac

You can record on DVD+R media with Toast and your DVD burner. But you can't play the DVD+R video on your Mac with the DVD Player application. You may even have trouble with a recorded DVD+R disc mounting on your Mac. Apple created its software as if there was only DVD-R/RW media and only internal combo or superdrives. Your best choice is not to fight this and use DVD-R media instead. The DVD+R you burn with Toast will play fine on a standalone DVD player or on a new Mac running Panther.

Now for a disclaimer. It may be that when Toast burns the video DVD+R disc that its finalization process makes the disc readable on Macs that normally can't recognize DVD+R media. I don't know since I've always avoided DVD+R media because of all the problems it presented until the past year.

[Washac]

Hi


Thanks for all that.


The Copy I made using Toast 6 on a DVD+R works fine on a standalone player, so that means I can still use the DVD+Rs I have.

The DVD I am copying here mounts on my desktop, and it plays via VLC, but if I click on the disk icon and open the window, it shows no files....


Washac

[WiseWeasel]

If you upgrade to MacOS X 10.3 or above, you'll be able to read DVD+R media in the eMac.

[galactica]

and upgrade 10.3 to the latest 10.3.x to ensure you get full support of that drive's +r capability

[Washac]

Hi All


Many thanks for all the replies and help on this.


I think I will stick with DVD-R for the time being if I want to play my DVD-Rs on my Mac.


I really cannot condone spending £80 plus to upgrade my OS just to use DVD+Rs.


Washac