Novice Question: Burning DVDs

[nana01]

Background: ACER laptop with Windows Vista. Semi-professional basketball team.

We need to burn copies of game film. We have a DV Camera that burns to a DV tape and a DVD (through a DVD Player/Recorder) simultaneously during the game. Post game- we mail the DV tapes to league, and make copies of the DVD for opposing team/home team/referees. Original DVDs play fine on computer and DVD players.

Problem: The method being used to "copy" the DVDs is completely incorrect. This is what I was told to do:

Insert original DVD
Go to Computer/ E: Drive and open the folder for the DVD
Copy the two files (video_ts and audio_ts ... or similar) to the desktop and eject original
Insert blank DVD and open folder
Copy Video_TS and Audio_TS files from desktop to DVD folder
Eject to "close" session

The "copies" play on computer but not DVD player.

I have downloaded Nero 9, trial version, and can copy the Originals and make good copies. But for some games, the real original was given to the visiting team or referees and we no longer have access to. So here is my question:

Is there a way to "finalize" or convert the bad copies so that they can play in DVD players?
or Is there a way to pull the files from the copies and burn to new DVDs correctly, probably using Nero?

Note: I found in Nero where you can finalize a DVD, but it says the copies are already finalized.

[redwudz]

First, you don't need Nero for any of this. It may be re-encoding your VIDEO_TS folder and causing problems. Just rip (Copy) the DVD to your hard drive, then use the freeware ImgBurn in 'Build Mode' or use the EZ selector and burn a exact copy of the DVD VIDEO_TS folder to a new disc. Nothing complicated.

If that still causes problems, then there is likely something wrong with the DVR created DVD file.

And welcome to our forums.

[lordsmurf]

The directions you were given were written by somebody that doesn't know what they're doing. You were making an ISO mode disc, and it needed to be UDF mode.

Forget Nero.

Forget the bad copies, put them in the trash.

Take the good DVD from the DVD recorder (not called a "DVR") and then do as told above. ImgBurn. ISO read, then ISO write. Here is a guide if you need to see the process: http://www.digitalfaq.com/guides/video/copy-dvd-decrypter.htm (DVD Decrypter, ImgBurn, same difference)

[nana01]

You said to "forget the copies, put them in the trash"... but for some of our games, this is the ONLY copy I have, as the original was given to other teams/referees and is impossible to track down.

So can I still "rip" the VIDEO_TS from this "ISO mode disc" as you called it and use it to create the UDF mode that I need? Can I also do the audio file using this ImgBurn program? I don't want to download it if I can't...

Also, lordsmurf, I'm a bit confused. First you said "You were making an ISO mode disc, and it needed to be UDF mode." and then "ISO read, then ISO write." So do I want ISO mode or not? Sorry, but I am not sure what any of these refer... trying to do some research to understand better.

Thanks!

And yes the people who told me how to do it didn't know what they were doing but pretended like they did .... men! lol

[VegasBud]

nana01,

It sounds like the problem with the copy you made is that it was written as a data disk, not as a dvd-video disk. That means that the contents are there, but not in the very specific disk layout that a dvd player requires.

Copy the entire VIDEO_TS directory (from the copy you made) to your hard drive, then use ImgBurn with this guide to burn a new dvd-video disk. That should be all you need to do, but if you do run into a problem, post back with the details.

By the way...you can forget about ISOs and nero. You don't need them.

[redwudz]

nana01, I'm guessing that you're not aware that the DVD audio is contained in the VIDEO_TS folder, in the VOBs. The AUDIO_TS folder is there mostly for future expansion and special types of audio and 99.9 percent of the time is empty and not needed. But ImgBurn will put in a blank one automatically if you like.

You might take a look at 'WHAT IS' DVD to the upper left on this page and it will explain the DVD structure, format and specifications.