Problems copying .VRO files from DVD-RAM -- SOLVED!

[usually_quiet]

In the past I have often copied .VRO files from DVD-RAM discs without problems, but every time I try to copy the .VRO files from two discs I recorded recently, I encounter read errors that cause copying to fail. There are no scratches or smudges on the recording surface, and no visible defects in the dye layer. I tried carefully washing and drying the discs, but that did not help.

The odd thing is that these discs play without any glitches on the DVD recorder that made them, and using the OEM version of PowerDVD 5 that came with my DVD burner. (WMP, MPC and VLC all choke when they get to the bad spot(s) on the discs.)

I tried recovering the data using MPEGStreamclip, ISOBuster (free), and ISOPuzzle, with unsatisfactory results. Has anybody found another free program that I might use to copy these files?

[fatbloke88]

Might be worth seeing if a trial version of TMPGenc 4 express or Authoring works will open it(I was going to suggest DVD author 3 but its discontinued)

[usually_quiet]

Per your suggestion, I tried one of the TMPGEnc products that can import .VROs and it wasn't able to read the problematic DVD-RAM discs. Then I tried VCDGear, VOB Toolv0.06, and VRO2VOB, but they did not work either. PowerDVD 5 must be magic to be able to read and play the file perfectly past the point where everything else fails.

Probably the only way to copy the programs that I want to save is play them back and re-record. Since that means buying a capture card, or DVD-RAM-capable DVD player, or another DVD recorder, it's not going to happen.

I thought I had found the solution to my previous DVD-RAM problems by erasing the entire disc before re-using, but apparently that is not a perfect fix. DVD-RAM is intractably problematic if the goal is to save and edit the recording. I'm going to have to make sure I always have something else available for that.

[Loko]

I get lots of problems with DVD-Ram on a Hitachi camcorder. There are several programs that will copy these files ... errors and all. A free one is Unstoppable Copier from www.roadkil.net . Others are CDRoller and Jufsoft Bad Copy.

Loko

[usually_quiet]

I get lots of problems with DVD-Ram on a Hitachi camcorder. There are several programs that will copy these files ... errors and all. A free one is Unstoppable Copier from www.roadkil.net . Others are CDRoller and Jufsoft Bad Copy.

Loko

Thanks for the suggestions, but I won't need them, at least not for this.

I finally got the idea to try Cyberlink Power Producer Gold, since Power DVD 5 could play the file, and it worked! I disliked Power Producer so much for editing and authoring that I uninstalled it a year ago and forgot about it, but it worked perfectly for extracting the problem recordings, something that I had not used it for in the past.

[lacywest]

Interesting stuff here ... I wonder if the programs mentioned here ... are still around.

I have had problems using programs to extract the vro file ... sometimes I just simply copy and paste from the disk to the harddrive.

[usually_quiet]

Interesting stuff here ... I wonder if the programs mentioned here ... are still around.

I have had problems using programs to extract the vro file ... sometimes I just simply copy and paste from the disk to the harddrive.

If you read the initial post in this thread, I had tried that also and it did not work.

DVD-RAM may be fine for watch and erase recording with a DVD recorder, but is not good for editing on a PC without investing in appropriate software.

DVD-RAM camcorders are a different story, because the manufacturer supplies software that can transfer recordings to a PC as well as edit, although I guess some people still have problems when using it. It has been six years or longer since Panasonic provided similar software for DVD recorders, and at this point it isn't possible to buy a disc containing the camcorder software from Panasonic or Hitachi anymore as a replacement part. Newer camcorders primarily use hard drives and memory cards not DVD-RAM.

[jagabo]

DVD-RAM may be fine for watch and erase recording with a DVD recorder, but is not good for editing on a PC without investing in appropriate software.

I don't know why you're having problems with those particular discs. Maybe there are bad spots in deleted titles? Or parts of the disc that are read by Explorer but not the player software?

I get DVD-RAM discs recorded by DVD recorders all the time from relatives in Japan. The ones that aren't CRPM encrypted can easily be "ripped" from the disc to the computer via a simple drag-and-drop in explorer (one big VRO file). The ones that are CPRM encrypted require the use of relCPRM to remove the encryption. After ripping I use Mpeg2Cut2 to extract segments.

[usually_quiet]

DVD-RAM may be fine for watch and erase recording with a DVD recorder, but is not good for editing on a PC without investing in appropriate software.

I don't know why you're having problems with those particular discs. Maybe there are bad spots in deleted titles? Or parts of the disc that are read by Explorer but not the player software?

I get DVD-RAM discs recorded by DVD recorders all the time from relatives in Japan. The ones that aren't CRPM encrypted can easily be "ripped" from the disc to the computer via a simple drag-and-drop in explorer (one big VRO file). The ones that are CPRM encrypted require the use of relCPRM to remove the encryption. After ripping I use Mpeg2Cut2 to extract segments.

Yes, dragging and dropping, only copies the entire VRO file if there are no bad sectors. These discs had bad sectors, but there is no way to tell that just using them with a DVD recorder. The DVD recorder had no problem recording them, or playing them later.

Editing dragged and dropped VRO files like that only works there is no file fragmentation, otherwise parts of one recording are interspersed with others, not written in order. Unfortunately DVD-RAM is designed to allow both these situations. DVD-RAM works like an HDD (random access), but most software that reads files stored on DVD-RAM discs reads them exactly as it would read files stored on other kinds of optical media, in one long, contiguous track.

[lacywest]

Could also be the DVD burner device in your computer ... I originally bought 3 Panasonic DVD Burners back when I was using the Panasonic E50H DVD Recorders.

One of my Panasonic DVD Burners had to taken out of my tower ... weird things happened when it was connected ... PC would not start.

Right now I'm currently using a Pioneer 109 to read DVD-RAM disks. I also have some Sony SATA DVD Burners that are said to read DVD-RAM disks. I have not tried one of them ... yet. They were 20 bucks each ... from ... ZOOMZIPFLY. I bought them to put in PCs that I build for my customers. They are not very friendly to use when in WIN 7 but behave okay in WIN XP.

[usually_quiet]

Could also be the DVD burner device in your computer ... I originally bought 3 Panasonic DVD Burners back when I was using the Panasonic E50H DVD Recorders.

One of my Panasonic DVD Burners had to taken out of my tower ... weird things happened when it was connected ... PC would not start.

Right now I'm currently using a Pioneer 109 to read DVD-RAM disks. I also have some Sony SATA DVD Burners that are said to read DVD-RAM disks. I have not tried one of them ... yet. They were 20 bucks each ... from ... ZOOMZIPFLY. I bought them to put in PCs that I build for my customers. They are not very friendly to use when in WIN 7 but behave okay in WIN XP.

There wasn't anything wrong with the burner on the DVD recorder or my PC. The design of the DVD-RAM format itself, combined with inadequately designed software on the PC side, is the cause of my issues.

..and this problem was marked SOLVED two years ago. I consider the matter closed for my part. I'm not using DVD-RAM anymore. The expense and potential complications when using DVD-RAM outweigh any benefits or additional features it offered me. My guess is that it also causes more wear and tear on the burner in my DVD recorder than any other media I might use.

[lacywest]

Okay ... I understand but there are people who might be interested in seeing how you solved the problem that you were having.

[sambat]

I've extracted multiple recordings from DVD-RAM using VobTool006.

[jagabo]

Editing dragged and dropped VRO files like that only works there is no file fragmentation, otherwise parts of one recording are interspersed with others, not written in order. Unfortunately DVD-RAM is designed to allow both these situations. DVD-RAM works like an HDD (random access)

Yes. I guess I've been lucky -- all the discs I've received have several recordings but none have been fragmented. It would be nice to have some software that parses the IFO file and extracts the titles automatically.

[usually_quiet]

Okay ... I understand but there are people who might be interested in seeing how you solved the problem that you were having.

As far as I can tell, there was nothing done to this thread that prevented anyone from seeing how I solved the problem. In fact marked it "SOLVED" back then hoping that perhaps others with the same problem would see that I found a solution.

I also hoped that anyone running across the thread might see "SOLVED" and save themselves the trouble of offering me help that was no longer needed years after the fact, but obviously that didn't work out as planned.