My First Post to DVDRHELP

[Joey04]

Greetings!

I am new to this site, and this is my first post. I probably need to spend 7-8 more hours surfing this site and learning, but let me just post my 'nightmare', and see if at least some of you folks can guide me.

I purchased a Lite-On 4X Dvd burner this past November 2003. My primary goal is to convert my collection of camcorder digital videotapes (mostly all family events, weddings, birthdays, etc.) to DVDs.

My Sony camcorder actually has some digital editing software, and the DVD Burner came with 'Sonic MyDVD', and I had a reasonably decent experience with capturing the video, editing the video, and creating a DVD. Sonic took almost 12-14 hours to 'transcode' the video files to DVD, but since then I bought a much more powerful machine. The DVD created played fine on the DVD player in our living room.

The nightmare began when I tried copying the DVD… I don't want to have to run the entire Sonic MyDVD transcode process every time I want to make a copy of a DVD I create... I just want to copy it to my 120 GB Hard Drive and paste to brand new DVD media. However, none of the copies would play in our living room DVD player!

I tried a number of copying softwares (DVD X-Copy Platinum, ICopyDVDs2, CloneDVD2), and several different brands of media (+R, -R, etc.) and each time the same result... However, I did discover that even though only the original would play on the living room DVD player, both the original AND the copies play on the computer... This leads me to believe either (a) the copying software does some type of compression that the DVD player does not like to read, or (b) the DVD player does not like reading some types of media.

I don't want to get a better living room DVD player, I want to be able to create DVDs that will play in any crappy DVD players (because I want to send copies to family members, and I want them to be able to play the DVDs in whatever crappy player the play there regular film DVDs in.)

So thanks for reading this message this far... Where should I start studying how to create good copies of my home DVDs? (I overviewed the guides and could not find anything on this.)

Thanks so very much for reading this long post, and thanks in advance to any replies!!!

Joey
Coppell, TX

[Safesurfer]

One suggestion would be to try writing just an image of the DVD to your hard drive and then burning a copy from the image - that way you should get an exact copy, no reencoding. You can do this with the latest version of Dvddecrypter (ISO Read, then ISO write), or Nero, or any other software that lets you create an image file.

[lenti_75]

it looks like your dvd player doesn't like the burnt dvd media. it's strange that the first ones works.....
my suggestion is, that the software makes your dvd's as DVD-Rom, it changes the bitsetting by default.....that if you used + media. you didn't specify what type of media did you use the first time....
if you used - media...then don't know
use dvdinfopro or nero to see what booktype you have for the first dvd's, if that is dvd-rom, this is the answer.....

[Joey04]

Safesurfer,

I had a freeware version of DVD-Decryptor that I could use to copy (rip) the original... I just couldn't find the software to use to write the disk. Is the latest version of DVD-Decryptor freeware, and can it be used also to write to blank media from what it has read?

lenti_75,

my original was a Panasonic +RW 4X. I have tried writing to +R 1X, -R 1X, +R 4X, and +RW4X. I probably haven't done every combination of every copying software and every media type, but I have done a bunch of them. I have never used a DVD-ROM, only +R and -R.

If I create an originial using a DVD +RW 4X, should there be any problems if I copy it to a DVD -R 1X?

Originally, I wanted to create originals on RWs, then if they are crappy just burn over them, but then make all my copies on Rs because Rs are cheaper than RWs. If I use an 'Image Copier', I could understand I might be forced to copy '+' only to '+' and '-' only to '-', but would I also be forced to copy 'R' only to 'R' and 'RW' only to 'RW', and '1X' only to '1X' and '4X' only to '4X'?

Thanks again very much in advance!!!

Joey

[Safesurfer]

Safesurfer,

I had a freeware version of DVD-Decryptor that I could use to copy (rip) the original... I just couldn't find the software to use to write the disk. Is the latest version of DVD-Decryptor freeware, and can it be used also to write to blank media from what it has read?

Joey

Hi Joey:

Yes, the latest version of dvddecrypter is still freeware (donations accepted). When you rip though use Mode - ISO - Read to make an image of your DVD on your hard drive. Then use Mode - ISO - Write to write the image to your new DVD. This should give you an exact copy, so if there are any problems with the copy, something else must be the culprit. I can't imagine why there would be any problems copying an RW to R.

[Joey04]

Thanks. I will try it when I get home.

I found a how-to manual for DVD-Decryptor, and I printed it.

Given there shouldn't be any problems copying an image from a +RW 4X to +R 1X, do you think there woud be and problems copying an image from a '+R' to a '-R'?

I just want to try to rule out everything I could be doing wrong...

[Safesurfer]

Hi Joey:

I only have a -R burner, so I have no experience of +R. I found the following link that might be useful. I don't see anything re problems reading from one format and burning to another. The only issue I see is what formats your standalone can read properly. Hope this helps!

http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html#4.3.1

[lenti_75]

DVD-rom is the bitsetting for the disc, is not that you used a dvd-rom....
use dvdinfopro and see what booktype you have on the "original" discs, I still think that this is the problem.
your dvd does not like any recorded disc.

[HAMP]

when you used CloneDVD to copy your Master, which option in the beginning did you use? Top, middle or bottom button?

if you used the Top or Middle, Please try and use the bottom button, that option will not transcode you master copy, it will copy the exact way the master copy is made. Since the master will fit onto a 4.7 there is no reason to transcode.

Joey04 wrote:

If I use an 'Image Copier', I could understand I might be forced to copy '+' only to '+' and '-' only to '-', but would I also be forced to copy 'R' only to 'R' and 'RW' only to 'RW', and '1X' only to '1X' and '4X' only to '4X'?

No none of that is true, you can copy -R to +R. or even copy a +R @ 1X to a -R @ 4X.


Basically what I am saying, you did all the work already with the master copy which is your RW, by making it fit onto the Media, all you have to do is just make a copy of that, You dont have to rip and transcode and all that other stuff(i.e. Mode - ISO - Read, Mode - ISO - Write)

Option can be:

1. CloneDVD(use the bottom button)
2. Nero (Copy Disc)
3. Easy CD & DVD Creator(Disc Copier)
4. Alcohol 120% (copy Wizard)


Like I said before, you did the hard work already by making the Master, this is the easy part, just make sure you find out what is compatible with your Standalone DVD player.

https://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers