Burned movies that work on computer but not player?

[ambrosechapel]

I'm hoping someone can explain the following symptoms which I've had with a few movies.

• they rip OK with MacTheRipper
• they may or may not need to be compressed with DVD2One, it doesn't seem to be a factor
• I successfully make an image and burn it
• When the burned, verified disk is mounted on completion, MacTheRipper (default for DVD insertion) tells me it "can't read title/IFO information"
• The disk won't play in my DVD player
• although it 'knows' it's a DVD, it hangs at the point where it would normally start loading the menu
• The disk will play in my iBook, although sometimes I have to hit "menu" a few times to convince the Apple DVD Player to get going

Any idea what this all means? Is it ARccOS? Bad sectors? How can I have created a DVD which works in the computer but not the player?

An example disk would be the Australian release of "Into The Blue", although it's happened with a couple of others.

[terryj]

How are you burning the disc, and with what program would be my
question.

It sounds like the video files, and MAYBE the video _TS structure
is there, but the disc is NOT in UDF format? Perhaps as a Mac Data
disc? Are you using TOAST 6 or 7? or what to burn these to DVD-R?

[ambrosechapel]

I create the disk image with either DVD2One, if it needs compressing, or with DVD Imager if it doesn't. Both methods have produced this result. I burn with DiskUtility.

If I wasn't producing UDF disks, surely all my burns would have the same problem?

[rsgars]

I'm not a Mac guy but have you upgraded to the latest firmware for your burner? This may sound crazy, and I fought the idea for a little while, but ultimately this fixed the problem for me. I was having the exact same problem and it seemed to me if the disc was burning and it would play on my PC, how could it be the burner firmware? Well, it was. As soon as I upgraded the problem went away.

[ambrosechapel]

I don't know if there is an update for the Mac Disk Utility. If there were, I'd have installed it with the other regular system updates.

Although you're right, I haven't tried doing the same thing with another burning app. I should try doing it with Toast instead just for the experiment.

[rumplestiltskin]

When MTR finishes, you should have a VIDEO_TS folder. Drop that into Toast (using the UDF choice) and burn.

What brand and type of media are you using?

[Noahtuck]

I don't know if there is an update for the Mac Disk Utility.

That's not what he said 8)

have you upgraded to the latest firmware for your burner?

One has nothing to do with the other
What is your burner ? As it's not listed in your specs.

[tgpo]

DVD Imager should produce a correct DVD for you, but if you have Toast you should be going straight to Toast as a standard. In my eyes nothing can compare to it burning wise in OS X.

[ambrosechapel]

I don't know if there is an update for the Mac Disk Utility.

That's not what he said 8)

Oh, I see, sorry. But both my points are still valid -- I don't know if there is such a thing, and if there was I would have installed it anyway. Anyone got any details on that? On how I could check, or update, the firmware version of the drive? Or download any firmware updates from Apple?

I will try Toast next time this happens.

[ambrosechapel]

What brand and type of media are you using?

I'm using TDK disks and I buy both +R and -R -- is one better for Mac OS X burning, does anyone know?

[rumplestiltskin]

If you're using the internal DVD burner in your Mac, no updates to the firmware are necessary unless Software Update suggests it.

The TDK discs should be fine. Most recent Macs can use both -R and +R. I tend to use +R simply because I found I get reliable burns from Ritek G04 & G05 +R's. (Just an opinion, not a recommendation as -R's should work equally well.)

If MTR successfully creates the VIDEO_TS folder, launch Toast, click on the "Data" tab, then click the "DVD-ROM (UDF)" radio button. Click the "New Disc" button and name it something like MYDVD (all caps). Drop your VIDEO_TS folder into this disc. If you want to be really anal, create a folder named "AUDIO_TS" in the disc structure, as well (at the same level as VIDEO_TS). No need to put anything into the AUDIO_TS folder. Burn but burn at no more than half the max speed of your burner or the media (whichever is less). Then come back here and let us know how it goes.

[oldandinthe way]

Does your player read anyone's burned disk? Many older players especially SONY's will not.

Some older players will only read DVD-R disks, Some players prefer dvd+r like my Zenith, and reject certain brands of DVD-R.

Optical media are at least part witchcraft. Older DVD players (which were primarily from name-brands) have been known to rigidly interpret the DVD-Video specs in a way that keeps burned DVD's from operating. $30 can get you a new DVD player.

[ambrosechapel]

I appreciate the information, oldandinthe way, but that's not my problem.

I burn DVDs all the time, in both +R and -R formats, as I've said above.

99% of my ripped, burned DVDs work fine. They work in my computer, they work in my crappy, really-not-fussy cheap Chinese DVD player.

Certain DVDs don't work fine. I can rip them ten times over and get the same results. I can even get the same results with a different disk of the same movie.

What I haven't tried is:

A) seeing if they work in someone else's DVD player, in which case it's my player that doesn't like the disk

B) burning with different DVD software

[terryj]

At this point, (B) should be you trying to use Toast 7 instead of DiscUtility.
As for (A) possibly, but here's something else we hadn't considered:
What version of Mac The Ripper are you using?
Are you using the latest build, v. 3.0r13, or the freely available one,
version 2.66? And last, JUST THE NAME OF THE STUDIO that makes
one of the LAST DVDs you had problems backing up, please.

[ambrosechapel]

I'm using MTR 2.66 not 3. How do I get the new one? Someone send me a link?

And SONY for the second question.

[terryj]

Yup, you are facing ArCCoss, Sony's bastard anti copying system.
I figured that might be your problem, but I had assumed
you had STF and was running the newest MTR build, as that
is the only one successful enough to deal with SONY released discs.

go over to MTR forums,
click the link on the forums,
and go to the MacTheRipper forum.
The newest version is donationware
($15 US minimum, well worth it to deal with
Sony/Universal/Tristar released discs IMHO),
and instructions to get it are there.