Why burn an ISO file?

[cmfslc]

TmpgEnc DVD author has an option to burn an ISO file. Why would I want to do that? If I want multiple copies, why not just make a copy of the VIDEO_TS file?

[lordsmurf]

VIDEO_TS isn't a file. ISO has many uses.

May as well ask you "why not just use the hard drive and not waste DVDs"

[steve2713]

It's just a matter of preference as much as anything. You could have asked the exact same question and asked 'why burn a VIDEO_TS folder'. I do everything as ISO images and burn with DVD Decrypter, DVD Decrypter burns with better quality and better compatability than anything that I've ever used (alot of other people do what I do for the same reasons).

[dcsos]

Making and burning an ISO is an insurance of sorts about DATA CORRUPTION & DATA INTEGRITY

this is because if you intend to burn a DVD it may be fine to burn from the VIDEO_TS with only 8 files in it...
but say you had a DVD with an internal Title set stucture that made that folder contain 500 files in this folder.
At this point , it becomes easier for the BURN program to deal wth 1 file instead of 500

Does this make it more understandable?

[NiteLite]

So for quality and endurance backing up DVD's or anything to DVD should be made from an ISO file?
A pressed DVD contains .vob files yes or no?
I have wondered about quality when converting pressed DVD to ISO or leaving as .vob.
If ISO is one file how does it work on FAT32 systems? 4GB sections?
cmfslc... good thread, thanks.

Thanks dcsos for the correction.

[dcsos]

If ISO is one file how does it work on FAT32 systems? 1-mb sections?

You meant 4 gig sections and you are right (3.99 on pc fat 32 or mac hfs)

[lordsmurf]

ISO better than .... anything...

No .... myth ... I don't buy any of that.

[hech54]

DVDDecrypter burns ISO's...and DVDDecrypter is free.
DVDShrink outputs to ISO images....and DVDShrink is free.
I rest my case...

[NiteLite]

heck54 ...I use both but not because they are free. I would pay for quality. I've used your method also. Looked good.

lordsmurf...I guess "anything" was a little vague...

One last question to maybe clear my head.
So if backing up a pressed DVD in your collection...
"converting it to ISO or burn and write in ISO mode absolutely does not deteriorate the original any more and maybe less than backing up as .vob."

I appreciate the replies. Learning something here. Thats good.

[lordsmurf]

"converting it to ISO or burn and write in ISO mode absolutely does not deteriorate the original any more [than using] .vob."

How you burn it makes no difference. Whether you burn a VIDEO_TS folder set, or you burn and ISO/IMG/NRG. Use good media, good software, and proper software setup, and you'll be fine.

Whether I author to a folder set and burn with a VIDEO_TS template in RNM, or author to an ISO and burn with an image burner ... the results will be exactly the same.

If you are "ripping" a DVD, then you may not get non-VIDEO content in file mode. It only scans VIDEO_TS structure. I believe ISO mode rips the ENTIRE DISC, including anything outside the VTS (never really looked, I don't "backup" discs very much). This is nothing that cannot be recreated with a little effort, but ISO is surely easier. Of course, if you "shrink" the content, those programs ALSO ignore non-video stuff.

There are a lot of variables here.
I think we're talking about more than ISO vs FOLDER SET.

[sacajaweeda]

I make everything ISO. If I have to access one of the VOB files on the ISO image I just mount the ISO with Daemon Tools and browse it with explorer just like a drive. There really isn't any point in storing stuff as VOB files if it's a finished project. Loose file title sets can be easily and accidentally corrupted/altered whereas an image file cannot...

[SEALs1230]

First I rip the movie using DVD Decryptor then I shrink it down using DVD2one. Then I burn the Video TS folder using Nero. Those are .vob files. Is there a better way to do this?? What are these ISO files that you guys are talking about and how do I get them from a DVD that I have in my collection.

[Shocker Milwaukee]

I do both with equal success. VIDEO_TS format with NERO 5.5 & ISO with DVDDecrypter & RecordNow. I don't see a difference in results.

[monzie]

.iso file are 'images/duplicates/exact copies/clones/dopplegangers' of real CD's and DVD's..to all extents and purposes (from a pc point of view) they ARE cd and dvd media (other than not being round plastic disks)...so they also require a 'virtual' cd/dvd player to 'load' them...but because they are 'images' the data is complete 'as is'....another common form of .iso files is .bin files (usually used for CD media..like pc games or VCD's).....the data within an .iso can only be altered by changing the .iso itself (which no longer makes it an .iso..and can be checked by using a checksum or MD5).

To copy an .iso all you are doing is burning an image file (ie a COMPLETE file....nothing else required...no sticking ifo's/vobs/ into VIDEO TS folders etc).

.iso's are very handy for storage of COMPLETED CD's/DVD's etc on a HD....allowing access yet stopping changes to the data held within.

[SEALs1230]

so if you burn an ISO then will a normal DVD player read it? And how do you get the ISO on your computer anyway?

[Sifaga]

the iso dosnt get burnt as an ISO, its whats insdie the ISo that gets burnt

[SEALs1230]

ok but will a normal DVD player play this? and how do I make it so that I start with a normal DVD that I buy, onto my computer then back onto a burned DVD in the form of an ISO or whatever it is?

[cmfslc]

Thanks for your responses. Especially dcsos.

I thought perhaps an ISO might burn faster or something. Looks like not. For my purposes, I'll probably stick with burning VIDEO_TS folders. But it's good to know situations where an ISO would be better.

[Sifaga]

hey seal,

if your method of

dvddecrypter, dvd2one, nero works then i wouldnt worry about ISO files, i would stick with it.

if you want to try a different method not Necessarily better

i rip with dvddecrypter to an ISO file

i use dvdshrink to shrink the ISO

and burn with dvddecrypter

[SEALs1230]

Thanks Sifaga. I never knew that DVD Decryptor burns. haha Good thing to know. My process works for me, but the reason I kept asking was that I never tried that process before so I wanted to give it a shot and see which I prefered.

[dcsos]

To explain the iso better
MONZIE has given us the key factors here..

Because the iso has all the files arranged in the proper order
within it,
The ISO could even be used to burn with a program that isn't dvd aware
as the structure is already correct

[northcat_8]

It's just a matter of preference as much as anything. You could have asked the exact same question and asked 'why burn a VIDEO_TS folder'. I do everything as ISO images and burn with DVD Decrypter, DVD Decrypter burns with better quality and better compatability than anything that I've ever used (alot of other people do what I do for the same reasons).

This is also my preference. I've tried burning the VIDEO_TS folder with Nero and got my one and only coaster of my DVD burning life. I only burn ISO files and I only burn with Decrypter.

Having a 4 GB file on a FAT32 drive is not possible. You need to go to a NTFS file system.

[Gurm]

You can fit more in an ISO file.

Seriously - ISO files of Microsoft's Office, for example (not that I copy Office routinely), because of the obscene number of files, will be 640MB exactly. The files themselves will be more on the order of 800 MB, and in fact can't be burned with a program like Roxio at all because they aren't arranged (packed) in the correct order.

ISO files ARE the DVD/CD they come from. This doesn't matter much with your typical video, but with other kinds of data it can be of VITAL importance.

[cyflyer]

one quiery I have about ripping in iso mode. When I've done it with decrypter, then tried to open the files in Shrink, Shrink doesn't see the iso file. The file is there, but shrink does not see it so I can edit. Why ?
Does that mean if you want to do any editing/compressing you must rip in file mode ?

[BobK]

To open an iso with DVD Shrink you have click on 'File', then click on 'Open disk image'. Or you hold down the control key and press 'I'.

[cyflyer]

thanks Bob. Files show up nicely also. You live and learn !

[crazy14muzic]

Are there any advantages of ISO over IMG? I still use ifoedit to create my images.

[NiteLite]

Having a 4 GB file on a FAT32 drive is not possible. You need to go to a NTFS file system.

How about 4GB minus a bite or two depending on which Microsoft support page you read. Say 3.99GB.
Go to NTSF...and have to give up 98SE. No way.

[Gurm]

Having a 4 GB file on a FAT32 drive is not possible. You need to go to a NTFS file system.

How about 4GB minus a bite or two depending on which Microsoft support page you read. Say 3.99GB.
Go to NTSF...and have to give up 98SE. No way.

You are a waste of space. Please give your computer to a museum now, and take your hands off the keyboard. You are a danger to society.

[NiteLite]

Grum...I do take your post in jest as I see no reason to make Gates any richer by buying something I do not need or want.
Until I see an absolute need I will run 98SE until the tires fall off.