Burning Dual Layer DVDs

[harishkumar09]

Hi Guys,
This is the first time I am trying to burn into a Dual Layer DVD. I have a Verbatim DVD +R DL 8x Blank DVD. I want to backup a movie DVD which is 7.61 GB in size. While attempting to burn using ImgBurn, I am being asked to set a Layer Break Point and two items are presented one with a blue star next to it and another with a white star. Legend says Blue Star is very good and white star is poor or average (not sure, but inferior to Blue Star).

I also have other options like "Ignore Layer Break Point Options" button and also two check boxes, one says "Seamless" and another says "Do not update IFO/BUP Files".

I want to know what all these mean and what option should I select when I want to backup a movie from one DVD (bought from shop) to another (a blank dvd to hold the backup copy.)

Also I always watch movies on my laptop and not on DVD Players.

Thanks.

[MOVIEGEEK]

Select the blue star and leave the other boxes unticked. This is normal for ImgBurn to ask every time you use Build mode, a correct layer break is important for DVD players to switch layers.

[harishkumar09]

Thanks MovieGeek. I actually selected "Seamless". Is it OK ? As I said, I watch movies only on my laptop. Are layer breaks important if we watch it on a laptop ? Also if it does not show the blue star, do we select the highest star in the hierarchy ?

[MOVIEGEEK]

Selecting seamless is ok if your laptop drive supports it. As for layer break hierarchy it goes(best to worst): green, blue, yellow, silver.

http://club.myce.com/f116/choosing-correct-layer-break-position-imgburn-313692/

[ranchhand]

With dual layer it's smart to cut down the burn rate from max to, say, 4 or 5x. I know it takes a couple more minutes but DL disks aren't cheap. Helps Imgburn to deal with the break point. With normal DVD burn I just leave it on Max and never had Imgburn fail yet.

[harishkumar09]

Selecting seamless is ok if your laptop drive supports it. As for layer break hierarchy it goes(best to worst): green, blue, yellow, silver.

http://club.myce.com/f116/choosing-correct-layer-break-position-imgburn-313692/

Thanks Moviegeek. I did watch the movie on my laptop and it looked like there was a 2-second freeze (at the point that the bluestar indicated) and it recovered automatically. I had selected "Seamless". I think I am fine with that. If all that this is going to cause is a freeze, I am ok with it.

[harishkumar09]

With dual layer it's smart to cut down the burn rate from max to, say, 4 or 5x. I know it takes a couple more minutes but DL disks aren't cheap. Helps Imgburn to deal with the break point. With normal DVD burn I just leave it on Max and never had Imgburn fail yet.

I agree with you, DL disks are very costly. I plan to buy 10 of them, and I am not sure if I should buy them with the cases or ten of them on a spindle. The ones with the caseboxes for each independent disk are twice as costly as ones on a spindle. I can get 10 DL disks on a spindle, whereas I get only 5 of them with the case boxes.

I am wondering what choice to make. Can anybody guide me on that?

[harishkumar09]

Selecting seamless is ok if your laptop drive supports it. As for layer break hierarchy it goes(best to worst): green, blue, yellow, silver.

http://club.myce.com/f116/choosing-correct-layer-break-position-imgburn-313692/

Thanks for the awesome link. I always wanted to know what the layer break point was. It was well explained.

[harishkumar09]

With dual layer it's smart to cut down the burn rate from max to, say, 4 or 5x. I know it takes a couple more minutes but DL disks aren't cheap. Helps Imgburn to deal with the break point. With normal DVD burn I just leave it on Max and never had Imgburn fail yet.

I will follow your advice. I usually let the default option (which I believe is AWS) as it is. You advice me to choose 4x or 5x ? OK, thanks !

[robjv1]

Just buy them on the spindle -- you can buy blank cases if you need them. They are fine to be stored on the spindle though, if you so choose.

[harishkumar09]

Just buy them on the spindle -- you can buy blank cases if you need them. They are fine to be stored on the spindle though, if you so choose.

Thanks a lot. I hope they are not super-sensitive as compared to Single Layer Disks. I guess handling DL Disks with the same care we give to Single Layer is more than enough.

[harishkumar09]

Also robjv1, is it OK to write episode names on the non-layer side of the DL Disks with a marker pen as we do with a Single Layer Disk ?

[lacywest]

Also robjv1, is it OK to write episode names on the non-layer side of the DL Disks with a marker pen as we do with a Single Layer Disk ?

I do ... and if I mis-spell something ... I use my wife's spray cologne [cheap $4 bucks body splash] to wipe it off and write it over again.

And my wife does have the expensive stuff ... she keeps it hidden ... because she knows if she leaves it out ... I will use it ...

[harishkumar09]

Also robjv1, is it OK to write episode names on the non-layer side of the DL Disks with a marker pen as we do with a Single Layer Disk ?

I do ... and if I mis-spell something ... I use my wife's spray cologne [cheap $4 bucks body splash] to wipe it off and write it over again.

And my wife does have the expensive stuff ... she keeps it hidden ... because she knows if she leaves it out ... I will use it ...

Ha..ha..ha...thanks lacywest !

[harishkumar09]

What about writing .avi and .jpg, .img files to a Verbatim Dual Layer DVD DL R disk ? In other words using blank DL disks for data storage as opposed to movies ? Do I still have to bother about layer breaks ?

[lacywest]

What about writing .avi and .jpg, .img files to a Verbatim Dual Layer DVD DL R disk ? In other words using blank DL disks for data storage as opposed to movies ? Do I still have to bother about layer breaks ?

That ... I have not done ... I just recently bought a Staples Brand 100 Pack DVD-R at Staples for 24 bucks with tax ... it was 26 bucks. I am using them. Good thing ... not one of them has been a coaster ... I bought a Sony 100 Pack at Staples over a month ago ... first one I pulled off the spindle ... it was a coaster and quite a few afterwards were coasters too. I wont be buying them anymore ... they were DVD+Rs.

DL are too expensive to use them for archiving media files ... I only burn them for a movie that is absolutely one of my favorite movies ... Superman Returns ... Stealth ... The Green Lantern ... I actually don't remember what other movies I've used them on ... only exceptional movies are burned to DL media.

I've been very pleased just using DVD Rebuilder Pro with the CinemaCraft Encoder ... and with the days being hot in the garage now ... I usually just use DVD-RB at night while I'm sleeping and for the heck of it ... I do 10 Passes.

[usually_quiet]

ImgBurn has never asked me to choose a location for the layer break when writing video files as data using dual layer media, so I don't worry about it. There is a pause when the laser changes over to the second layer if I play one of the backed-up files from a disc.

I haven't tried writing a disc image contained in a .img file to dual layer media.

[harishkumar09]

Thanks lacywest and usually_quiet for the information. I would prefer to use 1 TB external hard drives for storing media files, but the price of these is the same as what it was 2 years ago.

That is why I have turned to Blank DVD +R DL for my archiving needs. Also I have heard many 1 TB HDD crashing and all the data getting lost. But with DL DVDs you are spreading the risk, all of them have to fail.

I think at present the cost of having 1 TB HDD is the same as an equivalent number of DL DVDs.

Until and unless the price of Ext HDDs plummet drastically, as has happened with Pen Drives and microSD cards (the prices halve for the same amount of storage every 12 months or even less), I have to turn to DL DVDs for my archiving needs.

[lacywest]

I've got several 500GB drivers connected to my system ... Eight 500GB Drives and One Tera Byte ... If I have something I dont want to lose ... I either burn it to a disk or spread the files over all the drives I have ... my drives do fail and it's a bitch to have to use recovery programs to retrieve the lost files.

[harishkumar09]

I just burned a movie on to the DVD +R DL, and when I insert it into my laptop drive, it plays automatically, but the image appears stretched.
But when I play the .VOB files I have in my disk, the image looks proportionate. Why is this so ?

(P.S. I first backed up to my hard disk and from there burned it to my DL DVD.)

[usually_quiet]

What method did you use for burning the the movie with Imgburn? Disc image, VIDEO_TS folder, or something else?

Did you only burn VOBs or do you have a VIDEO_TS folder as well as IFO and BUP files?

Did you burn a data disc or a DVD video disc?

What player software are you using?

[Seeker47]

With dual layer it's smart to cut down the burn rate from max to, say, 4 or 5x. I know it takes a couple more minutes but DL disks aren't cheap. Helps Imgburn to deal with the break point. With normal DVD burn I just leave it on Max and never had Imgburn fail yet.

I agree with you, DL disks are very costly. I plan to buy 10 of them, and I am not sure if I should buy them with the cases or ten of them on a spindle. The ones with the caseboxes for each independent disk are twice as costly as ones on a spindle. I can get 10 DL disks on a spindle, whereas I get only 5 of them with the case boxes.

I am wondering what choice to make. Can anybody guide me on that?

5 or 10 packs are the most expensive per DL disc, the lowest cost per disc being the 50-spindle, and second-lowest the 30-spindle. The price break is significant. At least, that is the situation here in the U.S. I can only very rarely find the Verbatim DL cakeboxes (spindle packs) on a store shelf here. They are generally out of stock . . . or maybe they just don't sell enough of them to keep restocking. So, I have to order them from the online firms. My advice is to only get the "MIS" (Made in Singapore) Verbatim DLs. Other sources do no have reliable quality . . . and at this price, that is a must.

When possible, and particularly with the more routine discs "assembled" on the computer (as with DVD-Fab, for example), if I can get away with splitting to a couple SLs -- or even 3, for a long movie -- I would try to do that. There are plenty of cases though where it's something more important, or where sheer convenience really calls for using a DL. (A data disc would have to be really important to get me to use a DL for it.) I haven't made any efforts yet regarding BR media, even though their blank media prices now may have dropped below that of the Verb DL blanks. (?)

There have been intermittent reports that these Verbatim DLs may be going away before too long. I sure hope that is not correct, but I have no doubt there will come a time when I will regret not having stocked up more on these. Expensive now is one thing, no more supply quite another.

[harishkumar09]

What method did you use for burning the the movie with Imgburn? Disc image, VIDEO_TS folder, or something else?

Did you only burn VOBs or do you have a VIDEO_TS folder as well as IFO and BUP files?

Did you burn a data disc or a DVD video disc?

What player software are you using?

I burnt a DVD Video Disc. The problem was solved after I went to "playback" menu and adjusted aspect ration. Also I do not have the problem when I directly play the .VOB files instead of letting it autoplay(when the stretching happens).

Yes, there was a VIDEO_TS folder and the IFO and BUP files.

[usually_quiet]

double post

[usually_quiet]

What method did you use for burning the the movie with Imgburn? Disc image, VIDEO_TS folder, or something else?

Did you only burn VOBs or do you have a VIDEO_TS folder as well as IFO and BUP files?

Did you burn a data disc or a DVD video disc?

What player software are you using?

I burnt a DVD Video Disc. The problem was solved after I went to "playback" menu and adjusted aspect ration. Also I do not have the problem when I directly play the .VOB files instead of letting it autoplay(when the stretching happens).

Yes, there was a VIDEO_TS folder and the IFO and BUP files.

I asked what player software you are using for a reason. This could be the fault of the player software and might be solved by using a different player.

Otherwise, the DVD was authored with the wrong aspect ratio. That problem can't be fixed without examining the IFOs and VOBs, then correcting the aspect ratio where it is wrong, and burning a new DVD. You might prefer to adjust the aspect ratio used by the player software instead.

[harishkumar09]

What method did you use for burning the the movie with Imgburn? Disc image, VIDEO_TS folder, or something else?

Did you only burn VOBs or do you have a VIDEO_TS folder as well as IFO and BUP files?

Did you burn a data disc or a DVD video disc?

What player software are you using?

I burnt a DVD Video Disc. The problem was solved after I went to "playback" menu and adjusted aspect ration. Also I do not have the problem when I directly play the .VOB files instead of letting it autoplay(when the stretching happens).

Yes, there was a VIDEO_TS folder and the IFO and BUP files.

I asked what player software you are using for a reason. This could be the fault of the player software and might be solved by using a different player.

Otherwise, the DVD was authored with the wrong aspect ratio. That problem can't be fixed without examining the IFOs and VOBs, then correcting the aspect ratio where it is wrong, and burning a new DVD. You might prefer to adjust the aspect ratio used by the player software instead.

I used the VLC Player.

To answer each of your questions again and to the point (the answers are in bold):

What method did you use for burning the the movie with Imgburn? Disc image, VIDEO_TS folder, or something else?
== Write files/folders to Disc.

Did you only burn VOBs or do you have a VIDEO_TS folder as well as IFO and BUP files? == Yes, I have a VIDEO_TS folder as well as the IFO and BUP files.

Did you burn a data disc or a DVD video disc? == I burnt a DVD Video Disc.

What player software are you using? == VLC Player.

[harishkumar09]

"That problem can't be fixed without examining the IFOs and VOBs, then correcting the aspect ratio where it is wrong, and burning a new DVD."

How do you do this ?

[usually_quiet]

The problem is likely VLC. It does not automatically play 4:3 NTSC DVDs with the correct aspect ratio for me either. I stopped using it to play DVDs for that reason. I now use Media Player Classic Home Cinema instead. Try MPCHC to see if it works better.

If there is no improvement then you can look at the aspect ratios to see if they are correct. Use MediaInfo to look at the aspect ratio for the video. IFOEdit will let you see the aspect ratio specified in the IFOs.

[harishkumar09]

The problem is likely VLC. It does not automatically play 4:3 NTSC DVDs with the correct aspect ratio for me either. I stopped using it to play DVDs for that reason. I now use Media Player Classic Home Cinema instead. Try MPCHC to see if it works better.

If there is no improvement then you can look at the aspect ratios to see if they are correct. Use MediaInfo to look at the aspect ratio for the video. IFOEdit will let you see the aspect ratio specified in the IFOs.

Thank you usually_quiet. I will follow your advice.

"That problem can't be fixed without examining the IFOs and VOBs, then correcting the aspect ratio where it is wrong, and burning a new DVD."

How do you do that ?

[usually_quiet]

The problem is likely VLC. It does not automatically play 4:3 NTSC DVDs with the correct aspect ratio for me either. I stopped using it to play DVDs for that reason. I now use Media Player Classic Home Cinema instead. Try MPCHC to see if it works better.

If there is no improvement then you can look at the aspect ratios to see if they are correct. Use MediaInfo to look at the aspect ratio for the video. IFOEdit will let you see the aspect ratio specified in the IFOs.

Thank you usually_quiet. I will follow your advice.

"That problem can't be fixed without examining the IFOs and VOBs, then correcting the aspect ratio where it is wrong, and burning a new DVD."

How do you do that ?

There is probably nothing wrong with the aspect ratios, but since you can't wait to find out that there is a problem before trying to fix it...

Use IFOEdit to correct the aspect ratio for the IFOs and DVDPatcher to correct the aspetct ratio for the VOBs. You will need to make the changes to files on your hard drive and then re-burn a DVD.