Crating and playing dvd from hard drive

[brennick]

Which tools are best for creating a dvd from the video_ts folder? Which tools are best for creating a dvd from an .iso file? Which tools can play from a video_ts folder amd which tools can play from an .iso file? Which format is the best to store your dvd images on a hard drive?
All comments greatly appreciated.

Brenda

[guns1inger]

If you have a video_ts folder, with .ifo, .bup and .VOB files within, then you have a DVD. Use any burning application capable of burning a DVD video to create a finished disc. I use Prassi ONES, but you can use the burning rom part of Nero if that is what you have.

An ISO file is a disc image, it might already contain a DVD structure, or it might be anything else. If you know it is a DVD ISO, you can just burn it with anything that can accept an image file. imgburn is great, otherwise the programs I mentioned earlier.

If, at either of these stages, you find either the image or the video_ts folder is too big to burn, use DVD Shrink to reduce the size, then burn.

PowerDVD or WinDVD if you have them are good player programs. Otherwise download Media Player Classic.

Why do you want to store them ? Do you want to play them, or keep them intact ?

If you just want movies on your HDD, use avi.net to convert them to Xvid/Divx format and you will save a lot of space. If you want to preserve them but not play them, ISO is the best as it keeps everything together in one file until you need it. But it eats a lot of room.

[manono]

Hi-

I'm sure the answers to your questions can be found by reading and searching, as they're all pretty basic (I think). And asking "what's best' isn't such a good idea, in my opinion. There can often be several, or even many, ways to do things, none necessarily being the "best". What's best for one might not be the best for another.

Which tools are best for creating a dvd from the video_ts folder?

I use ImgTool Classic to create an ISO, followed by DVD Decrypter to burn.

Which tools are best for creating a dvd from an .iso file?

I burn using DVD Decrypter, assuming it's already DVD compliant, all the necessary files already there.

Which tools can play from a video_ts folder amd which tools can play from an .iso file?

I mount the ISOs using Daemon Tools, and then they're both seen as DVDs on the hard drive, and a number of software players can play them. I often use PowerDVD.

Which format is the best to store your dvd images on a hard drive?

I burn them to disc so they don't clog up my hard drive. Probably not the answer you were seeking.

Edit: guns1inger beat me.

[FulciLives]

I second ImgTool Classic for ISO IMAGE FILE creation.

DVD Decrypter is a RIPPER and a BURNER program but DVD Decrypter is no longer being upgraded. However the person that made DVD Decrypter now makes ImgBurn which is basically the same thing but no longer does RIPPING but still does BURNING. ImgBurn is still being updated when needed. So I suggest using ImgBurn instead of DVD Decrypter for burning.

Otherwise I agree with what Manono said.

BTW if you need a good working and easy-to-use DVD Authoring program then I suggest TMPGEnc DVD Author. That is what I use 99% of the time.

If I need something with more options then I use DVD-Lab Pro but that program can be a pain in the ass to use.

For most stuff TMPGEnc DVD Author is fine even though it lacks features found in DVD-Lab Pro.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman