Video Mode vs. VR Mode

[Mixer2000]

I am getting the Sharp DVD recorder tomorrow and I have read the manual online through and through so when it arrives I will be all set. I do have one question that I am hoping you can help me out with.

I plan on doing all of my edits after the recording has been completed. So basically I plan on recording (to DVD-RW) my videos to the DVD Recorder. Then take the DVD and put it into my PC and using software like DVD Author to add chapters points and edit things that I dont want out.

With this in mind which mode (Video or VR) makes more sense, or does it not matter at all? Also will I have to finalize regardless of which mode I use.

Thanks

[Mixer2000]

So to my surprise the recorder came today. Since there were no replies here I decided to try a test and record in Video Mode. To my surprise it played back fine in my Toshiba SD-4700 but will not read at all in my computers Toshiba 5002.......HELP

[PhilipL]

Withdrawn

[Mixer2000]

PhillipL,

I am using Imation DVD-RW media. I can now play the movie on my Pioneer 114 PC DVD drive with Power DVD software but when looking at it in windows under control panel only shows it as a blank disk. I installed VOBInstantread software and still will only play with PowerDVD but can not see the folder in order to copy it to another DVD-R or to the Hard Drvie.

Any help or other suggestions is very appreciated. Is there another reader with better results then VOB InstantRead

These negative results are using VR mode for recording with the Sharp.


For addidtional information OS is Windows XP

[Mixer2000]

Ok here is where I am currently at with this process.

I am using Imation DVD-RW they are version 1.1 I wonder if that has anything to do with my problem. I have a Pioneer 114 DVD reader and a Toshiba 5002 Reader/Writer in there as well. Neither drive can read the DVDs that I am creating with the Sharp DVD Standalone recorder. Every once and a while it will read them whether in Video or VR mode does not seem to make a difference. I thought it had before but seems to have been a fluke. However I do think that my drives....well at least the pioneer.... can read these DVDs because I have gotten Power DVD to play them in both VR and Video mode, but not everytime I insert them.

Does anyone have any suggestions because this is getting discouraging. Are there any other UDF readers that I could try. Does anyone think it is the media. It can find them flawlessly when they are blank

As a side question if I do get the VR mode disks to play through a method suggested here will I then be able to copy them to DVD-R and have them play in my standalone DVD players that support DVD-R or will they have to be converted.

[Mixer2000]

I have done some research and my DVD-RW drive (Toshiba 5002) in my PC should be able to read RW disks in Video format. I am stumped

Help please.

[Mixer2000]

Does anyone have any other suggestions with the info provided here? If not then I will let this thread die and start another outlining a different problem based on this thread.

[Saminai]

Hi there,
I also have the sharp dvd recorder, and experience the issues you had.

My problem was with VR mode. If I use video mode with a dvd-rw, it works perfectly on my PC and standaone player (a cheap apex).

VR mode is a special mode that WinXP doesn't seem to understand. I did find some software that claimed it could read VR mode disks and let you copy the contents to your computer.

But based on what you said you want to use it for, (editing it on your pc not in the sharp recorder) it seems you should only use VIDEO mode.

Remember the default setting for dvd-rw is to format them in VR mode. you have to manually initialize it again to VIDEO mode. Or change the default like I did.

Sorry for the late response, I hadn't checked this forum in a while.
I hope its not too late and you're still checking here for responses.
Perhaps we can pool our resources and try to figure out how to use our sharp recorders better.
I would like to be able to read VR mode dvd-rw disks on my PC....

[gNOMEintheRedHat]

I have a Phillips DVD Video Recorder that records in VR mode and I have NO PROBLEM reading, ripping, editing the disks in WinXP.

the Phillips uses +RW disks instead of -RW.

I've tried the disks in DOZENS of PCs
Work, School, friends, family.

The VR format is simply a different way of storing the menu and chapter information.

The disk is still formatted in UDF format, a format that XP supports natively.

Thanks,
gNOME

[Gil T Pleasure]

gNOME,

The Philips DVD+RW recorders use DVD+VR mode, which isn't the same as DVD-VR mode used by Sharp, Pioneer, Sony (when recording to DVD-RW).

For more info on DVD+VR mode (aka DVD+RW Real Time Video Recording Format), see:
http://www.dvdplusrw.org/faq/faq_plusvr.html

[PhilipL]

Withdrawn

[Saminai]

Ah ok, but then how do you get XP to read UDF 2.0 media??

I also noticed that if you edit the video, it doesn't really delete the data..so when you just read it on your PC you might see the deleted portions. At least it seeemed that way. It basically made me stop using VR mode...

But still, you can't play those back on standard DVD players.

[PhilipL]

Withdrawn

[Mixer2000]

Thanks for the responses. I am now using a DVD-ROM drive that my brother in law lent me that can read all of my DVD-RWs in Video mode no problem. I installed the UDF reader mentioned here and I still can not read the VR disks. I think this has to do with the fact that I have the drive in an external case (through firewire) and XP sees it as a removable drive and not a DVD-ROM reader. Is there any way around that. I am eventually going to get off my lazy ass and open the PC and install it on the secondary IDE, but I need a quck fix until then if possible.

[bikerval]

I have the Sharp recorder... and I love it! I record in Video Mode onto Princo (Leda) 1x whitetop RWs ($1.49 or so at www.Shop4Tech.com).

If I've recorded something without commercials I simply:
1- Finalize the DVD-RW on the Sharp.
2 - Create a subdirectory on your PC named VIDEO_TS
Very important to name it exactly that... with caps!
VIDEO_TS can be below another subdir that identifies disk content.
3 - Put the DVD-RW into my DVD tray on my PC.
4 - Start the software DVDShrink.
5 - Select the DVD-RW in my drive as the source and click Next.
6 - Select ReAuthor and click Next.
7 - Select Add and click Next.
8 - Select the Movie Segment and click OK.
9 - Click Crop.
10 - Set the Start and End points and click OK.
11 - "Copy Files" will be highlighted... click Next.
12 - Click Browse and select the VIDEO_TS subdirectory.
13 - Click Next. DVDShrink will write files to VIDEO_TS
14 - Start RecordNow Max
15 - Skip out of wizard if it starts.
16 - Select Data.
17 - Select Add Files and Folders
18 - Select the VIDEO_TS folder (NOT the files within the folder)
19 - Put a blank DVD-R (or whatever) into drive
I use 1x Princo (AKA: Leda 84cents at Shop4Tech)
20 - Click Record button and wait for it to burn.

If I need to trim out more than just the beginning and end (ie: commercials) I use this weird method:
1 - Hook Sharp up directly to PC using Firewire (yes, Sharp manual says
you can't do this... I do it all the time)
2 - Start Premiere (or whatever capture software you use).
3 - Start playing the disk and capture to .avi or whatever you want.
4 - Edit on the PC using your favorite software.
5a - Convert to dvd and burn like any other footage you captured.
5b - Use Premiere (or whatever software you might have to do this) to
export Timeline via Firewire back into your Sharp recorder.
(Put the Sharp into DV mode.) Again, the Sharp book says this
doesn't work, but I do it all the time. There is very, very little
quality loss. I only have Premiere 6.0 without dvd mpg output
and used to use DVDit to convert avi to mpg and burn to DVDr.
I now almost always export my edited footage to the Sharp. Is
much faster... but I don't care about fancy chapter points and menus.
I have so much footage that I just want it on DVD as quick as
possible. This works great for me.

[Saminai]

Wow fascinating. I would have thought to try exporting video from my Sharp through the firewire to my PC.

Now if only my PC was anywhere near my Sharp recorder

[Saminai]

Hi
How do you know if you are unable to read the discs on your PC? Anyway VR allows a non-distructive editing mode called a PlayList leaving the original intact, or you can edit the original that will then remove and give you back the freespace of any part of the video you like.

Ok basically WindowsXP can't read the VR disk. If I try to use DVd DEcryptor or Windows explorer or any other disk tool, it claims there's nothing in the drive.

But somehow, TmpegDVDAuth is able to read the disk! ??
It reads it, and it appeared to work, but then I noticed in TmpegDVDAuth when you edit the video by cutting out parts, it gets all screwed up. Parts that didn't show up in the edit window end up in the finished video. I noticed in the edit screen if you play through the video you'll these missing parts, but if you use the slider it will skip right through them.
Very bizarre...makes me think TmpgDVDAuth has bugs.

But the thing is, why can't regular Windows see the media at all?
Even after I Finalize it? What good is finalizing a disk...
I've used UDF mode before..like with DirectCD 2.0 remember that dinosaur with cd-rw's? It let you treat a cd-rw like a floppy disk, but until you finalized it you couldn't read it in a standard cd-rom drive.

So I assumed UDF mode in DVD-RW was the same once you finalize it you should be able to read it in a standard dvd-rom drive.
I also installed a UDF reader from adaptec's web site, but that didn't help.
I'll try searching this forum for more on UDF readers...

[Saminai]

I typed instantread UDF in the search box up above and this is what I got...not very helpful!
This subject is difficult to get information on. I searched on google and found a ton of irrelevant articles....stuff like whether to use UDF 1.02 or 1.5 in Nero when burning DVD's. What does that have to do with importing VR mode disks??


Search found 2 matches
Click here to search for instantread udf using Google in our Forum.

[PhilipL]

Withdrawn

[Saminai]

Thank you Phillip!

[sepultura]

I have a similiar situation. I have a Pioneer set top dvd recorder. I record a dvd-rw in VR mode, to use the editing features that the unit has. Then i finalize the disc. Then i put the disc in the pc, start up dvd decrypter, and use ISO mode to read the disc. It reads it, then you put a blank dvd disc in the drive, and burn it onto a dvd-r.

I messed up the other day. I did all that, but forgot to edit out the comercials of a movie. Then i realized that the original dvd-rw that i used had a few scratches that could no longer be read by either my pc's dvd drive, or my set top recorder. So i have no way of editing the newly burned dvd-r. I don't know of any software titles that will recognize the disc. I tried ISO magic. Does anyone know of any titles that will work?

thank you!

[offline]

sepultura,

please do not threadjack. Start your own topic/thread in future