Can't rip DVD home videos to PC

[ashleyl725]

A few years back I had a coworker convert my home videos from VHS to discs, they're very important to me because my father passed away.

My sister doesn't have a copy of them, so I went to make a copy, but I'm having trouble. Sometimes they don't play on the pc OR on the PS3. When I right-click on properties, I see File System: UDF.

What steps can I take to be able to have a digital copy of my videos so that I can make copies and not have to worry about these discs getting scratched?

[jman98]

Could be a lot of things. Right now I'm thinking that probably your co-worker used crap media and the discs may simply be going bad. For years now, almost all DVD media sold in the USA/Canada has been crap. Only Taiyo Yuden and Verbatim (everything they make EXCEPT their "Life" series) make consistently good media any more. Sony uses both the best and worst manufacturers so it can be very good or very bad. Everybody else makes crap all the time.

I'd suggest installing the free ImgBurn and use it to get the media code from one of your DVDs. Post back who made the disc or just post a screen shot and we'll figure it out. You've probably got Ritek, which is crap. If your DVDs are crap as I suspect, someone else will have to post if there are any recovery programs you can use to try to get the contents off the disc, if you even can. I don't deal with crap media so I can't help.


Also, let us know how you are trying to copy the DVDs. Many newbies uses less than optimal ways to do this simply because they don't know any better. Do you have access to more than one DVD drive on a PC? Sometimes problem discs can be read if you use a different drive.


By the way, using a co-worker to transfer your irreplaceable tapes to DVD is probably not your best choice. Co-workers are known for touting themselves as experts when they can BARELY use some very simple tool and the fact is that they make bad decisions like using crap quality media all the time.

[ashleyl725]

I'm aware now that that probably wasn't the best decision. I was 19 when I had him convert my VHS to discs, he also made a video montage for me with clips of my dad as a graduation present for my sister. I still have the VHS tapes, so I don't think I'm at a complete loss here (I hope).

Anyway, I ran "verify" under ImgBurn and got these results:
HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-T50L SC04 (SATA)
Current Profile: DVD+R

Disc Information:
Status: Complete
State of Last Session: Complete
Erasable: No
Sessions: 1
Sectors: 1,706,384
Size: 3,494,674,432 bytes
Time: 379:13:59 (MM:SS:FF)
MID: AML-003-00
Supported Read Speeds: 2.4x, 4x
Current Read Speed: 1.7x - 4x

TOC Information:
Session 1... (LBA: 0)
-> Track 01 (Mode 1, LBA: 0 - 1706383)
-> LeadOut (LBA: 1706384)

Track Information:
Session 1...
-> Track 01 (LTSA: 0, LTS: 1706384, LRA: 0)

Disc Control Blocks Information:
SONY DVD RW DRU-8

Physical Format Information (Last Recorded):
Disc ID: AML-003-00
Book Type: DVD-ROM
Part Version: 1
Disc Size: 120 mm
Maximum Read Rate: Not Specified
Number of Layers: 1
Track Path: Parallel Track Path (PTP)
Linear Density: 0.267 um/bit
Track Density: 0.74 um/track
First Physical Sector of Data Area: 196,608
Last Physical Sector of Data Area: 1,902,991
Last Physical Sector in Layer 0: 0

[usually_quiet]

The media ID is AML-003-00. The reference I looked at ( http://www.digitalfaq.com/reviews/dvd-media.htm ) listed AML (Advanced Media Limited) products as being among the worst.

Try reading the DVD using other DVD drives, if you can. Some drives read marginal media better than others do. If nothing you have available works, I guess you will need to attempt data recovery.

[jman98]

The media ID is AML-003-00. The reference I looked at ( http://www.digitalfaq.com/reviews/dvd-media.htm ) listed AML (Advanced Media Limited) products as being among the worst.

There's also a reference to Sony there with a suspicious RW reference. Unfortunately "RW" can refer to the DVD+R working group, so you'll need to specifically look (you may need to post a scan if you can't figure it out) at the disc to see if it is DVD+RW or DVD+R.


What type of disc is this? This is ÇRITICAL. Is this DVD+RW? Or DVD+R? If it's RW, the discs may simply be destabilizing, which is EXACTLY what RW discs do and why they are NOT to be used for long term storage. Your co-worker may be an idiot for giving you these on RW, if that is what happened, and not explaining to you that RW discs CANNOT be safely used for long term storage. That which makes them re-writable also makes them unreadable after a period of years in storage.

[ashleyl725]

there are sticky paper labels over the front of the discs, that don't peel off very easily how else can I find out?

[classfour]

I would advise against pulling the labels from the top of the media: you may damage the written layer.

Use Imgburn in iso mode, rip to hard drive, then burn the iso to a good piece of media.

Do you still have the VHS tapes?

If so: Take those to a reputable company for a transfer.

I have the hardware to do a VHS to DVD, but not the time.

[classfour]

Also: Imgburn can give an idea of the media - if not, use mediainfo.

[Kerry56]

AML-003-00 are +R discs.

Here is some information from Pepst, one of the Blank Media experts over at MyCE:

Currently only Umedisc makes them. In the past they were made also by Infosmart, Promedia International Limited and several other small companies from HK and China.
The stampers with this MID code were made by Anwell Digital, who supplied the manufacturing technology and the process know-how to these companies. Several years ago, Anwell bought Umedisc and two Chinese media manufacturers (Jilin Quingda & Henan Kerry Digital), integrate them into one company "Umedisc Ltd." and ceased to supply the "AML" stampers to other companies.

So, they could be anything from mediocre to absolute garbage in quality. Paper labels are NOT a good idea, and may have made a bad situation even worse.

If you can't get ImgBurn to make ISO images from the discs, you can try ISOBuster to get the data off of them. Trying several dvd drives (as already mentioned) is also a good idea.

Edit: ISOPuzzle is another program to try.

[classfour]

I've held onto a ten year old Panasonic drive (in an external enclosure) because of it's ability to read difficult discs.

Not certain if it's the drive's slow speed (old 2X burner) that works - it just does.

[OldMan64]

there are sticky paper labels over the front of the discs, that don't peel off very easily how else can I find out?

I believe the paper labels could be the problem. I have had the same symptoms as you with the labels being the problem. If you have not resolved this issue, then try soaking the labels with "GooGone" Spray only the label side making sure it is very wet. Let sit for15mins to half an hour. Remove the labels and wash the disk with dish soap ( Dawn or whatever you have that is similar) Try to play the DVD again. This method has worked for me whenever the disk had a label and would not play.

[sanlyn]

Paper labels are NOT a good idea, and may have made a bad situation even worse.

A good point. Paper labels are never centered precisely and cause wobble during playback -- which will ruin your player.

[jagabo]

there are sticky paper labels over the front of the discs, that don't peel off very easily how else can I find out?

The label is your problem. Use a product like Goo-gone to remove the label. Apply a liberal coating. Let it sit for 10 or 15 minutes. The label will come right off. Wash with dishwashing soap. Rinse (with distilled water if possible -- it leaves no residue). Tamp try.

Or, just soak the disk for a prolonged time in soapy water. The label will come off but some of the glue will be left behind.