Anyone know why I keep failing at making a video-dvd?

[tecmobo34]

Hello guys thanks for your time. I just bought my dvd burner less then 3 weeks ago and have yet to make a successful video dvd. I am really new to most of this and have done my best to read through the "how to" guide, but I still can't figure out what my problem is. All I am trying to do is make a "video-dvd" using video files that are on my hard drive. My burner came with Nero so I am using that. I heard I needed to convert my video files to MPEG so I tried Advance X Video to do this. Still when I try and make my video dvd, it seems to be going fine and all of a sudden my dvd tray opens and I get an error that just says not able to burn recording aborted. Anyone know if I am doing something wrong here? Most of the videos are things such as music videos or boxing matches I have downloaded. Thanks in advace for the advice.

[hiptune]

Hello guys thanks for your time. I just bought my dvd burner less then 3 weeks ago and have yet to make a successful video dvd. I am really new to most of this and have done my best to read through the "how to" guide, but I still can't figure out what my problem is. All I am trying to do is make a "video-dvd" using video files that are on my hard drive. My burner came with Nero so I am using that. I heard I needed to convert my video files to MPEG so I tried Advance X Video to do this. Still when I try and make my video dvd, it seems to be going fine and all of a sudden my dvd tray opens and I get an error that just says not able to burn recording aborted. Anyone know if I am doing something wrong here? Most of the videos are things such as music videos or boxing matches I have downloaded. Thanks in advace for the advice.

You need to completely start over. Read up, use new software, new approach to dvd. Like perhaps tmpgenc for mpeg2 encoding. And even their authoring program, easy and cheap. And then if you fail, write out steps in clear detail what happened.

Sounds like you are doing plenty wrong, but hard to tell from sketchy paragraph above.

[jdizzy40]

And by all means first, identify what each file is to begin with before converting to MPEGs. It makes no sense to convert something that is already the correct format. Your errors may be related to imcompatible files. There are much better authoring programs out there than NERO.

[presto]

Here is one of many possible ways:

Get free trial of Tmpgenc DVD Source Creator

AND

Get free trial of Tmpgenc DVD Author

Use TD Source creator to convert your files to DVD compliant mpgs.

Use TD Author to author DVD and burn to disk

[lumis]

okay, it sounds like he's having a problem actually burning the disc.

does nero give you an error message when it ejects the tray? maybe power calibration error?

[spectroelectro]

The reason you keep failing to make a playable DVD is that it's hard. Took me a lot longer than 3 weeks to learn how to reliably burn playable DVDs, and probably did for most of the folks reading your post.

[1] DVDs are a lot harder to author than they should be. Most DVD authoring software is crap.

[2] DVDs are not entirely trivial to encode or capture. Most DVD encoding and real-time MPEG-2 software/hardware is crap.

[3] Even after you've encoded and authored your DVD, burning the DVD isn't trivial. Most DVD burning software is crap.

Some basic advice:

Stay away from Nero 6.X. It's garbage. Nero 5.5.X is good but requires a modification to the aspi layer for Win 2K/XP to work with modern (post DVR 104) DVD burners.
http://www.abarth.com/nero/Nero5535.exe
http://aspi.radified.com/

Avoid offbrand DVD burners like Plextor and HP. Pioneer is the best and most reliable brand. Any recent Pioneer burner will work.

Avoid real-time MPEG-2 capture unless you've got an ATI AIW Radeon card that works well with your mobo, and that might be non-trivial. Specifically, stay far away from dazzle and suchlike real-time MPEG-2 capture devices.

Don't waste your time with cheapie $39 PCI video capture cards. Unless you'er a stone-cold expert you won't get good results, and might not be able to get it to work at all. The native install software for my LeadTek WinFast TV2000 took down my Win 2K system hard, to the point where ntoskrnl.exe got clobbered. This is typical in cheapie cards.

You've already got some problems because you're trying to cap and author DVDs on a laptop (not good, mediocre performance at best with laptop HD/CPU) on an external burner (not good, external burners tend to be buggy) with Nero (almost certainly Nero 6, which is begging for trouble).

If you've got your work cut out for you if you absolutely positively HAVE to cap & author video on a laptop with an external burner. Much better and easeir if you try to cap & author & burn using a desktop system with a fast HD entirely dedicated to your video files (using an entirely separate HD for your OS, which will NOT be the case with a laptop) and an IDE burner, not an external unit.

With a desktop system and IDE Pioneer or Lite-On burner (the 2 best models), the typical workflow involves:

(A) Capturing video, typically in Type 2 DV avi format, to HD;
(B) Encoding the video files, typically using Procoder/TMPGenc/Mainconcept/Quenc/CincemaCraft Encoder;
(C) Authoring the video, the only really good DVD authoring app still produced right now is Ulead DVD Workshop 2, but SpruceUp and DVD Maestro are also excellent if you can find 'em used;
(D) Burning with Sonic RecordNox 6.x or 7.x

The farther you depart from that workflow, the more weird-ass problems you're going to run into. If you depart far enough, i.e., into real-time MPEG-2 cpature and proprietary editing/DVD authoring apps, you may encounter video/audio sync problems and unplayable DVDs that no one can help you with. As always, YMMV.

[tecmobo34]

Thanks again guys for all of your helpful advice! I am new to all of this so I know it is going to take me a while to figure out, that is the fun part...figuring out how to do. Thanks again everyone, I am going to do what you suggested.

[presto]

A very likely culprit is your media. If the burn seems to be going well and suddenly fails try making a much smaller DVD (In other words, don't fill up the DVD). Do that as a test. If you can burn a smaller DVD then buy a different brand of DVD and try again with a full DVD. I had a lot of trouble until I bought Ritek brand and have had no trouble since.

[MOVIEGEEK]

Do you have DVD files(IFO,BUP,VOB)?If so use burnatonce to burn the VIDEO_TS folder.
Use TDA,Nero Vision Express or Sonic MyDVD to convert,author and burn.

[guns1inger]

spectroelectro - that is the most negative piece of crap I have seen posted here is a while (probably since Jah Rankin's last anti-Shrink rant). Just because you couldn't grasp the concept doesn't mean that it was the fault of the software or the process. Most likely the problem was PEBKAC.

tecmobo34 - start slowly. Do a few small files. Don't try to make a commercial quality disk out of the gate. If you want real help here, you need to do a few things first yourself, to show you are trying, and when posting be as specific as possible. Include at a minimum the following information

1. The source file - Divx/Xvid/Mpeg ?
2. The software you are using, including version numbers if possible
3. The guide you followed, or the process you use
4. Any error messages you recieved when things go wrong
5. A clear description of the problem

If you are vague when you ask for help, then we can only be vague in our response, which wont help you.

If you are working with files you have not created yourself, then GSpot is invaluable for finding out what type of file you have. It will also give you details that we will need.

[lordsmurf]

spectroelectro - that is the most negative piece of crap I have seen posted here is a while (probably since Jah Rankin's last anti-Shrink rant). Just because you couldn't grasp the concept doesn't mean that it was the fault of the software or the process. Most likely the problem was PEBKAC..

I would have to agree with spectroelectro to a degree. It's the truth ... the dirty damned truth. There is a an absolutely HUGE amount of crap hardware and software out there (Nero 6 is a good example), and the information available (at least CORRECT information) is small.

This was one of the reasons I started to help out at sites like this one.

The reasons people fail varies, you have to go one step at a time. tecmobo34 is very much a victim of crappy software, as well as trying to "do it" rather than slowly read. Video is almost like a college course. Lots of reading, some small experiments, and then after several months you should know the material well enough to have a good basic understanding, and an ability to grow in time.

A good capture card, proper capturing software (depends on hardware), and then proper encoding (if needed) and authoring software. I suggest TMPG to encode and TDA to author, for newbies.

Or just ditch the computer altogether, and grab a DVD recorder, use SP mode, and treat it like "VCR verion 2". It all depends on how much you want to do.

[presto]

guns1inger wrote:
spectroelectro - that is the most negative piece of crap I have seen posted here is a while (probably since Jah Rankin's last anti-Shrink rant). Just because you couldn't grasp the concept doesn't mean that it was the fault of the software or the process. Most likely the problem was PEBKAC..

Allthough he put it more harshly than I would, I think spectroelectro was essentially correct. Everyone who buys a computer now a days gets a nice DVD burner-But how many are able to do anything with it? My dad just got one and even after all the months (years!) I've spent around here it took me quite a while to help him figure out how to use the software that came with it.

What if most people who bought a TV or a Car just couldn't make it work? Would they visit a website and spend hours and hours reading guides and put up with people telling them it is their fault? Of course not, DVD burning is not-ready-for-prime-time but is being sold as if it is.

Lordsmurf wrote:

I suggest TMPG to encode and TDA to author, for newbies.

I agree, but I'll add that in my opinion they are all that most people (myself included) will ever need.

[mjvgiese]

I have one thought on this subject.... when I first started trying to make DVD's, whenever I would try to burn the DVD, right before the burn process started the disc tray would open. I was using a trial version of Nero I got from nero.com when this happened. All I had to do was get the full version of Nero, and the disc tray stopped opening, and it actually burned! So, if your using a trial version of Nero, you might want to go out and buy the full version. At least it helped me.....

Good Luck!

[guns1inger]

I guess I've just been around PCs so long I expect a large proprtion of software to be crap and find the stuff that works. PC's have never been something that works out of the box with little or no frustration or pain. But if you can get it working, then you are away. This is why I don't believe the Media Centre PC will be around for long unless the whole PC industry changes radically. Just don't, please god, end up like Apple.

But like any puchase, you should research first. I came to this site when I started because I wanted to see what people were using, what they were saying about it, who had credibility when they said something was crap or something was good. There is crap out there, there is also some amazing stuff. Not all of it is easy to grasp out of the box, but this is a complex process and I don't expect to be as simple as turnong on a TV. If I want it that simple, then Lord Smurf's DVD recorder and a couple of cables would be the answer.

I took exception to the post mainly because it started out with "Oh woe, it's all crap, the sky is falling" and held the tone throughout, even when trying to help. If I had that question, and read that answer, I give up. Most burning software is not crap. The most popular (because it comes free and/or is easily pirated) is not very good. Most authoring software is not crap. Much of it is simplistic and ultimately limited, but most of it does what it advertises. One-click-wonders is probably the main area where I'd agree the majority is second-rate.

I guess I'd just rather help people in a more positive way is all.

[pfh]

I was thinking along the lines of gunslinger too.
In the 1st place tecmobo said he downloaded- not captured anything. However, one can't discount the "crap factor" as it were, that others have mentioned. There's good info to be had for sure so nobody's right or wrong.

The fact that a lap top is being used doesn't help at all. Also, more explicit info would help.

[dcsos]

The fact that a lap top is being used doesn't help at all. Also, more explicit info would help.

And that said laptop is running the biggest piece of CRAP SOFTWARE
of all "WINDOWS ME" !!!

The Crap software discussed properly before refuses to install properly on ME,
so you have crap software working crapilly on top of that!

[thegeeman]

Hi
Took me absolutely weeks and weeks of trawling help guides etc. to understand what i was doing. I found this site an absolute godsend and one which i could not have succeeded without. Whatever you do, save this site.

Right. Use TMPGenc plus to convert your file (mpeg, avi) to a compliant DVD format, i.e Mpeg2. I suggest you follow the project wizard. Once this is done you then need to create VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders. I suggest you use TMPGenc DVD Author. Why? For the novice, it is super easy and when you get to the end, it will even burn the disc for you, so no need for Nero.

After a while you can start experimenting with different programs etc. to find the best way forward fo you!

Tip: if you can get hold of a small mpeg file, approx. 1 min clip, then why not try some of the different settings within TMPGenc to familiarise yourself with some of its features. By using a small file you won't be waiting hours and hours for encoding!!!

Best of Luck

[jimmalenko]

The most important thing for you ATM is to isolate each step, and see which one is giving you the grief. Of course, this is quite hard when using "all-in-crap-one" tools.

Essentially, "all" you need to do is Convert, Author & Burn.

For most files, http://members.dodo.net.au/~jimmalenko/AVI2DVD.htm should be able to cover things for you. I then use TMPGEnc DVD Author to author, but there are many tools that do a bang-up job, some of which are free such as dvdauthorgui, gui for dvdauthor & ifoedit. I then burn with Nero.

The guides section, as well as the forum search feature, are truly your friend here.

[TBoneit]

Well having read this thread,

I do not understand where Laptop or external burner came into it. The computer specs suggest otherwise. 250GB hard drive, as far as I know that size doesn't exist in laptops right now.

I have a Laptop myself as well as a desktop but I use the DT for DVD work. Laptop comes up short in two areas. Specs are 2.2 P4, 380 Mb Ram, CD-RW/DVD combo. 16Gb and most importantly USB1.1 so external won't be good.

However it is good enough to do VCDs and Divx.

Any moving on. To me the problem seems to be either Media or the fact that Nero will open the tray for most errors. If the files being fed into nero are not all Good then as I see it Nero will convert the good ones sequentially and then error out when it hits a bad one.

Easy way to test Burner and media. Burn a Data DVD that is full with verify on. If that passes it is a source problem. And what Wayne said is good advice if media or burner is a problem and it won't burn a data disc trying other media such as made in Japan brand name to pin down the problem.

One important thing to remember is pin down problems quickly whenever new hardware is added so it can returned within the return period if it turns out to be a H/W problem.

I feel bad when we get a customer that buys something that is defective or incompatable and they play around with it and tech support til beyond the time I can take it back. If defective I can still exchange but when it is a compatability problem then they are stuck. So to me speed is of the essence.

Good Luck
Cheers

[Rivers]

Here's my 1p worth.
I use a laptop, external hard drive and dvd burner. Using Videostudio 8, Windv, Dvd shrink, DVDdecrypter and some guidence from this site I have made my own movies from a dv cam, backed up dvds and converted VHS to dvd and I have not had one coaster after about 50 burns.
I have had problems along the way but they have been solved one way or the other.
Tecmobo34, don't give up, you'll get there.

[tecmobo34]

wow! You guys are amazing, this is hands down the most helpful message board I have ever been to. I sincerely appreaciate all of the helpful information that all of you have provided and I apoligize for being so vague in my first post. This is all new to me so I have to work on improving my descritpion when I post. Another thing, I made the mistake of putting the wrong info in my file, I am actually using a desktop not a laptop. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I am going to experiement more this week with making a video dvd and I will post my updates as soon as I complete them. Thanks agian guys for all of your help!