Revisiting Nero (Copying DVDs), Searching My Posts

[solarblast]

I'm pretty sure that in one of these forums that I got into a side issue about using Nero 6 to copy a DVD. I had complained that the StartSmart way led me to a unsatisfactory copy on some occasions. Someone mentioned that I should only use the Nero utilities for this type of thing. I didn't know what was meant by utilities and have forgotten the reply. Does anyone know?

The side issue is probably buried in my posts, but is there a way to search my posts and threads to find Nero? Moments ago I displayed my posts, but the search for the window searched the forums.

[LJB]

Nero Recode is one option.
I also use nero, but I suggest imgburn as another option, with better reliability on the burn.
Ulead DVD Movie Factory is another reasonable option.
Also verify the quality of your blank media.

[solarblast]

I tried Recode with the same result. That is, I have two DVD players here. One is Panasonic and the other is a Sony. The Sony gives me a "dirty" DVD msg. I've dealt with this in the past, and I'm on shaky memory ground here. I'd hoped the "utility" Nero might clear it up. It may in fact be dirty. At the moment, I cannot find my DVD cleaner DVD, so until I can, then I really haven't much to go on.

With respect to the utility approach however, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me that there's any difference between the "utility" approach and that of StartSmart. Why would Nero want to use a different approach to do the same thing in two packages? I can see why they might to have different user interfaces, but why some different way to format, particularly from the default view.

Well, I'll look again for the cleaner when it's daylight. Right now the area is not well lit.

[redwudz]

Try using the 'Advanced' search. If you were the author of the thread, use your name there. Use 'nero' for a search subject. You have 235 posts, so that should narrow it down. If you know the forum, that would also help. With those two items, there are about 10 that come up. There are many ways to search the forums.

[solarblast]

Ah, advanced search.

Regarding my DVD copy issue, I found the CD cleaner disk from Staples, but have no idea if it can be used for DVDs. I would think it should work. Although, I guess the heads are what's really getting cleaned, so there may be a difference. However, it makes me wonder why I got the CD cleaner, since I can't recall having a problem with any CD read devices. Perhaps I have a DVD cleaner here too. More looking ...

In any case, this all arose when I had trouble copying a simple non-copyrighted DVD. Since I have Vegas 6, I can just copy the material to Vegas and then write it to DVD. I think it's possible to do that without using DVD Arch. Off to the manual.

Here's an additional question related to my recent usage of Vegas. I wanted to capture a DV tape into Vegas. The display screen in Vegas showed at first an image I know was coming from my webcam, so I disabled the webcam. Then it displayed a single image of a waterfall. The capture image button was enable. I got out of Capture, and re-entered. The waterfall image disappeared and replaced by a view of the camcorder. What was the single waterfall image all about? Where did that come from? I didn't recognize it from anything I did.

[redwudz]

DVD laser lens rarely need cleaning. But a CD cleaning disc may work, depending on the brand of drive and if it will even accept the disc. But I would look for causes for read/write problems elsewhere.

[nic2k4]

You don't clearly state what is your issue. From your second post, it would seem you're talking about playback problems. Your Sony DVD telling you the DVD is dirty is just a generic message it gives when it can't play a disc. If a pressed DVD won't play it must be dirty; the Sony engineers never considered someone might play DVD±R in their unit. How's playback in the Panasonic?

From your third post, you tell us the issue happens only with copying a simple non-copyrighted DVD. So now the problem appears to be caused by the source material. where did that DVD come from?

[Seeker47]

I'm pretty sure that in one of these forums that I got into a side issue about using Nero 6 to copy a DVD. I had complained that the StartSmart way led me to a unsatisfactory copy on some occasions.

I've done this with some regularity, using Nero 6 -- both the lesser OEM version, and the full Ultra Suite -- going in thru StartSmart, because that is the user interface. Some caveats about this:

I never upgraded to Nero 7, due to various bad things I've read about it, here and elsewhere. Nero 6 still does whatever I need it to do just fine.
The dvd must be either unprotected, or ripped so that it now is.
The dvd must be reasonably compliant. If there are problems, run it thru FixVTS.
Stick to good quality -R blanks, or +R if your hardware happens to prefer that. No crap media.
Have a good burner in your computer.
Nero won't be the way to go for DL.
Using a 2nd. (outboard, USB-connected) optical drive to play the source dvd can make this more convenient.

As nic2k4 mentioned, you can't really judge playability on the basis of one standalone player. I see disks that have certain issues on one player -- particularly an older player -- but not on others. If there are problems in 2 or 3 standalones that are different brands, different models, from different years, then you can have some strong suspicions about the disk. Forget about software players like PowerDVD: they can play things that really barf in a standalone.