I've read the howto's-perhaps my burner or player just stink

[braindead0]

I've authored a DVD using DVDIT, as the version I have (pretty recent, but perhaps not the latest) doesn't support +R/+RW.. I built the image on my HD. Once that was done I ended up with the following files in my VIDEO_TS directory:

VIDEO_TS.BUP
VIDEO_TX.IFO
VIDEO_TS.VOB
VTS_01_0.BUP
VTS_01_0.IFO
VTS_01_0.VOB
VTS_01_1.VOB
VTS_01_2.VOB
VTS_01_2.VOB

Presumably, that's all the files I need (or would expect)? I put 3 seperate video clips into DVDIT and set the menu with buttons to play each one. Previewing worked fine. Also worked fine from the HD with PowerDVD.

So, I fire up Nero and proceed to burn both the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS (empty) directories into the root of a DVD+R: tried DVD/Video, DVD ISO/UDF and now I'm working on DVD UDF only. The latter two I did using the howto information here on burning DVD's with Nero.

So far, all attempts to play either from my DVD drive or my regular player have failed. PowerDVD locks up, and my player says reading for a bit and then NO PLAY.

It sounds to me like I'm missing something really basic here...

Any help? I tried searching, but as this is my first DVD attempts.. I'm not up on the best keywords to use ..

Oh, I'm running XP on a AMD1800+, with a TDK indiDVD burner. I'm guessing my next step might be to use ifoEdit and just create a fresh IFO (and whatever else goes with it) for one of my video clips?

tia.

[braindead0]

Just noticed the thread talking about issues with nero 5.5.10 1.02 UDF format (like it's not .

Starting a burn using dvddecrypter, from an imgtools image (now that I got that working, the special 'nero' version crashed out continually).

Perhaps I've answered my own question.

... or perhaps not.. Still no go. Same issue on the standalone player (didnt' try it on my drive, locked up powerdvd is a pain).

Any suggestions?

edit: The first thing I tried with my new burner was to simply copy a regular DVD (dark city) using Nero... that worked mostly, it played the intro on my settop player, the menu was hosed up though (pixelated) and locked up. This leads me to believe that I can in fact burn a DVD on +R media (same media brand) with this drive and play it in my settop player.

I can't help but suspect there's something wrong with the file layout...

[braindead0]

lala, talking to self..sheesh no takers..

I'm in the process of re-encoding (DV-MPEG2) my footage using Procoder, into seperate audio and video. Then I'll use all of the steps in the 'burn DVD's using freeware tools' howto. If that doesn't work, I don't know what to try next.

I did notice that there used to be a 25meg DVD image for download here that you could use to test burning. Anybody have a location for it (not available here anymore)? Or perhaps somebody could upload it to my ftp server at walkervision.dyn.ee?

Thanks..

[BJ_M]

http://www.overlaytools.com/demo/circusDVD5MVBR.mpg

[braindead0]

I'm fairly certain that I'm not having problems with encoding, the preview in ifoEdit (and DVDIT) both work fine. What I was hoping for was an .img (or other image file format) of a assuradly valid DVD image.

Or, do you think it's possible that Canopus Procoder isn't encoding properly.. and ifoEdit and DVDIT both can't detect the error? Doesn't seem likely, but it could fit with my symptoms I suppose.

[braindead0]

Made some progress, using DVDDecryptor and IFOEdit/imgtools to build and burn.. I can at least watch them on my computer.

Sounds like my cheapo fisher DVD player (which is the only one I could find that play SVCD's, none of the 8 or so others I had friends try can).. perhaps just can't hack +R/+RW media.

Perhaps it's time to go shopping for a new DVD player, problem I had was we've got a pretty nice Yamaha stereo system..and it's only got 5channel discrete inputs..and I hate to buy on outboard decoder...ugh..

[BJ_M]

i have a panasonic RP 82 - plays anything and also has built in decoders for dts and ac3

http://www.vcdhelp.com/dvdplayers.php?DVDnameid=1500&Search=Search&#comments

[braindead0]

Thanks for the tip, sounds like something to look into! But first I've got 4 test DVD's I'll have some friends try on their players..just to make sure it's not me

[mikeeve]

OK. This is the second thread I've found with the same problems/symptoms I have: Can preview/play the DVD files (VIDEO_TS and friends) while on the hard drive, but can not play the burned DVD-RW on the same computer, using the same software player (Sonic CinePlay) that did the preview.

I really think that if one of us finds a fix it will help a lot of people. Given the wide variety of software used to burn the DVD and the variety of players, this is starting to look more like a problem within Windows XP or maybe an old DLL that some other application left behind. Wouldn't it be a hoot if all this is related to the digital copyrights management stuff that everybody is trying to force onto our systems?

Edit: Discovered I can burn and play DVD-R on my Pioneer A05 burner.I can also play both the DVD-R and DVD-RW on my standalone DVD player.Just can't play DVD-RW on the Pioneer!

[braindead0]

I picked up a Cyberhome 500, ordered from Best-Buy.com. It plays *all* of my test DVD's without a problem.

I'm pretty sure that the answer is...crappy older DVD player (a Fisher.. S1200 or something like that).

Problem solved, DVD's working fine now.