Sony DRU-500AX - Help please !

[Benmmellor]

Hi,

Finally managed to get a Sony dru-500AX drive and am happy with CD writing on it, but the free software is a bit basic. This is my first foray into DVD recorders.

Hopefully some helpgul souls can answer a couple of quick questions :

1) Is there anything to counteract the region chages limit - I have DVD's from region1 and region 2 and would prefer if the drive didn't stick after 5 changes.

2) What's the recommended software for burning - is it worth inistalling the basic software shipped with the drive and installing Roxio (will have to buy the latest version) - or is there another recommendation ?

3) What's best software for ripping - Pinacle Instant Copy or Epromo Movie Jack - or any other recommendations ...

Basically I travel a lot and would like to copy some of my DVD's to VCD so i can watch them when I'm away ....

Many thanks for any advice received....

[housepig]

Ben -

personally, I had no luck using the RecordNow software with this drive, so I went back to using Nero (version 5.5.10.20) and have had no problems. But it's a matter of personal preference - I'm used to Nero, and don't have any problems with the way it works.

As for ripping, that's another can of worms - "best" means different things to different people for different ends. I use DVD Decrypter to rip dvd-5 discs to ISO images, then to burn the ISO image back to a recordable. The result is an exact copy (minus the encryption).

For dvd-9 discs, I use DVD Decrypter, then run it's output through DVD2One to compact it down to dvd-r size, then burn with Nero.

But there's tons of different tools and approaches here, from totally freeware based methods to methods that use $20,000 software suites -the choice is yours.

[mkelley]

And to give you a different perspective, I installed Record Now that came with my Sony and have been extremely happy with it. Even though I use other DVD authoring software I use Record Now to burn all my DVDs (with no problems -- quite honestly, I don't know how HousePig had any problems with it, as it's pretty idiot proof. You just drag your VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders over and burn it. That's it -- there really aren't any other options or things you need to worry about).

I agree with him about your other questions -- it's a big world, start reading the guides here and you'll have more specific questions that can be answered.

[housepig]

quite honestly, I don't know how HousePig had any problems with it, as it's pretty idiot proof.

I guess they just didn't count on an ADVANCED idiot like me....

and to be honest, I didn't spend a lot of time working with it - I found the interface kludgy, and couldn't seem to get it to recognize the burner it came with... so I stopped screwing with it and went back to Nero.

but I'll get you, Mkelly... and your little dog, too....

(kidding.... kidding....)

[mkelley]

Glad you took it the right way -- not a slam on you. Obviously there are some interfaces that just don't click with some people (I actually didn't like Record Now until I turned off the Wizards which, unlike most Wizards, aren't very intuitive).

That's the nice thing about having choices -- which is what my tag is all about. I'm a big believer in getting as many tools as possible, since it opens up so many more possibilities for everyone.

But you'll have to get my cats -- we don't have dogs in this household <g>.