Do I have to change my OS to burn DVDs

[bilbo1160]

Just bought a dvd writer and I'm going to take the big step into authoring dvds and burning them back.
I am presently running Windows 98SE and I'm not sure if I can use this due to the file size limitations.
I have read somewhere that using PrimoDVD will allow me to keep my original OS. Is this correct and is this the only burning tool that will allow me to do this.
What is the compatability issues like around Primodvd. Nero tends to get mixed comments on its compatability with standalones.

[solarfox]

I'm burning DVD-R's under Windows 98SE with no trouble, so it can be done.

However, the software I use is a bit on the pricey side -- ULead Media Studio Pro 6.5 for capturing and editing, and ULead DVD Workshop 1.2 for authoring & burning. Both of these programs can overcome the 4Gb file-size limit for most of the process; MSP6.5 can do "seamless capture" and break your raw capture up into <4Gb chunks, while DVDWS1.2 can be told to create a "VIDEO_TS" directory on your hard drive instead of a monolithic ISO image. (The VIDEO_TS directory will have the final video encoded as multiple .VOB files, of 1Gb or less in size, thus avoiding the 4Gb issue entirely; you can then use DVDWS, Prassi PrimoDVD, or whatever to burn the VIDEO_TS folder straight to disc.)

The only thing it can't do is create an MPEG file larger than 4Gb, so if you're encoding a single file up to the disc's maximum capacity, it won't work. Usually, this only happens to me when I try to encode exceptionally long programmes, such as a 4-hour miniseries (with the commercials removed, of course!), into a single file, so I get around it by breaking the programme into two files with the changeover strategically placed at one of the commercial breaks.

[mpojeep]

Bilbo,
I would recommend that you change over to Win2K partitioned as NTFS. For myself, I found that Win2K is a very stable OS for video editing. I partitioned mine as NTFS so that I won't have the 4GB size limitation. The advantages of NTFS far outweighs the disadvantages it has over FAT32. I also installed it as standard PC instead of ACPI.

[solarfox]

I'd tend to agree -- I was planning to switch over to Win2K / NTFS myself, until ULead came out with MSP6.5 and added the seamless-capture capability. (Having to break up my DV captures into <18 minute segments was a major annoyance.)

I probably still will change over, eventually... but as we say down here in Texas, "If it ain't broken, don't fix it", and having gotten my video-editor system (which is a separate computer specifically built for the task) properly tuned into stability and harmony with all the necessary devices, I'm reluctant to fiddle with it any further unless I absolutely have to.