Best software for Mac DVD burning

[kevs]

I have dual G5, 10.4.6
internal DVD burner with machine, also a Lacie external (LaCie 1394 DVD-R/RW+CD drive LUN 0
BTW is that 4x burner? got it couple years ago can't remember.

Anyway, for burning movies that I Own, to 4.7 disc, what is best software for that. or best choices thanks!

[terryj]

Toast Titantium 7
(Ha! I beat macuser25 to it!)

[tgpo]

Depends.

Toast for most things.

.bin and .cue files, MissingMediaBurner

IMO

[albloom]

Terry is right about Toast 7, but there's a step before that. You have
to get that movie (that you own) onto your HD. A straight copy won't
do it for commercial copy-protected DVDs.

First the DVD must be "ripped" to remove copy protection. The gold
standard seems to be MacTheRipper. MTR 266 is freely available and
is good for almost all old DVDs and many new ones. For the newer
Sony and Disney and many other DVDs, you need version 3 (which is
donationware). Go to ripdifferent.com, join the forums, and look at
the first few announcements in the MTR forum for how to donate and
to get MTR3.

Once ripped, drag the movie's VIDEO_TS folder onto Toast's window
and puch the big red button.

[kevs]

thanks guys, but I'm not discussing copy protection -- I've been beat on head by moderators of this terrific forum for that. I'm discussing then.....movies that I own, and do not rent.....thanks!

but.... is there another forum where you can freely discuss such taboo issues ... let me know. PM me.

Now for this thread -- copying non copy protected movies I own --
I have Toast 6 do I need the expensive upgrade to 7 to burn across 2 DVd's or is there an equally good software ? thanks! or should I fork out for 7.

[Frobozz]

If by "burn across 2 DVD's", do you mean you want to put a movie from a dual-layer DVD on 2 DVDs rather than compress it to fit a single-layer disc?

If so, that requires extracting and cutting the MPEG and reauthoring the two split MPEGs to new VIDEO_TS folders. To split the movie in two you'd need MPEG Streamclip, Cinematize, PixeVRF Browser or MPEG 2 Works (at least those are the applications I have that can do this). Then use Toast 6 or 7 to author and burn the new video DVDs.

[kevs]

Frozozz thanks.
even Toast 7 needs these others software first to burn across two dvd?

How time consuming is it to do all that?

Is would be real nice, REAL NICE, if one could know how much content you have.

[FulciLives]

I think kevs is asking ... is there something like DVDShrink and/or DVDFab Gold for the MAC.

DVDShrink will take a dual layer DVD and compress it to the size of a single layer DVD. DVDFab Gold will very easily and mostly automatically take a dual layer DVD and split it across two single layer DVD discs.

So the questions is ... do such programs exist for the MAC and what are they and where do you download them from etc.

Also I think kevs got the wrong idea from another thread ... so to set the record straight ... we are allowed to talk about making a copy of a copy protected DVD Video disc as long as you own the DVD and the copy is a back-up for your own private/personal use.

I know nothing about MACs just trying to fill-in-the-blanks based on another older thread kevs made about this topic.

Of course he got all Windows PC answers so I was the one that told him to post here in the MAC section.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

P.S.
A note to kevs ... sounds like you will need MTR3 for ripping copy protected DVD Video discs.

[Frobozz]

Frozozz thanks.
even Toast 7 needs these others software first to burn across two dvd?

How time consuming is it to do all that?

Is would be real nice, REAL NICE, if one could know how much content you have.

The easiest, cheapest and fastest route is to use MPEG Streamclip (which is free but requires Apple's QuickTime MPEG2 component that costs $19.95). You'd open the movie from the VIDEO_TS folder title set in Streamclip. Mark an edit point at about halfway through the movie, trim at that mark and save the MPEG. Then do the same for the second half. Toast then can author each of those MPEGs to a new DVD.

Toast 7 can extract individual MPEGs from each of the video DVD's chapters. So you could use Toast to create a movie with about half the chapters on one DVD and the other half on another disc without using MPEG Streamclip. Each chapter would show in the menu as an individual title, but Toast can be set to have titles automatically play from one to the next. Some DVD players may have a brief pause when going from one title to the next (similar to the layer-break pause you see on DL DVDs).

As for how long it takes, that depends on the computer's speed, the hard drive speed and how much data has to be written. It doesn't take long, however, because there is no encoding that takes place. The MPEG video and audio will be unchanged except for being a different length.

[kevs]

the link you provided has:
MPEG Streamclip 1.7 for Mac
Universal Binary!

as a free download, not $19.

when I ask how long does take, I don't mean how long for computer take, I mean how long for you to set this all up.

Curious what about, extras: bonus clips, you've got let say: bonus clips, behind the scenes, photo gallery, the main movie: where do all these things go? how do you know where they are going if you have to use 2 DVD's to burn? thanks.

[kevs]

and you must have Toast 7, not 6? and there is not software that can just do this without having to trim and cut? is like Fulci is describing with DVD FAB? more automated?

[Frobozz]

the link you provided has:
MPEG Streamclip 1.7 for Mac
Universal Binary!

as a free download, not $19.

when I ask how long does take, I don't mean how long for computer take, I mean how long for you to set this all up.

Curious what about, extras: bonus clips, you've got let say: bonus clips, behind the scenes, photo gallery, the main movie: where do all these things go? how do you know where they are going if you have to use 2 DVD's to burn? thanks.

I said MPEG Streamclip is free but you also need the Apple Quicktime MPEG2 component which sells for about $20.

You're trying to make this harder than it needs to be. If you want to keep everything from a commercial DVD then either copy it to DL media or use an application such as Popcorn 2 or Toast 7 to compress it to fit a single-layer DVD.

If you want to put it on two discs there is no way to keep the original menu system so how do you plan to access those special features without creating (authoring) a new menu for each disc? That's what Toast 6 or 7 can do. You only need Toast 7 for what I've described if you want to use it to extract MPEGs by chapters instead of using MPEG Streamclip to divide the MPEGs in half.

As for my time to split a movie in half with MPEG Streamclip, I'd say it takes about 30 seconds to mark each cut. The rest of the time is for the Mac to write the file. It then takes me less than five minutes to set everything up for burning in Toast.

[kevs]

Fro;
But compressing to single layer would be great, but wont you then have a crappy looking DVD? that's what I'm getting now at SP from DVD player to DVD REcorder on home units.

What you are saying about menu system is new info for me, hence, it is quite complex then going from 1 to 2 DVD's maybe more hassle than it's worth. unfortunately. great info appreciate it. Sounds like only simple solution, easy fast solution is using dual layer disc. they are just so dang overpriced still.

5 min. fine in it's a very important project. But for just casually burning a bunch of disc -- 5-10 disc. to much really.

[albloom]

Fro;
But compressing to single layer would be great, but wont you then have a crappy looking DVD? that's what I'm getting now at SP from DVD player to DVD REcorder on home units.

Toast7's compression algorithm is quite good. I do tend to go to a DL (double layer) DVD+R
for a really super movie (or a really big one like King Kong), but for the most part I use
single-layer DVD-R. It's economics. Good DVD-Rs run $0.50, and DLs can run $3.00 (US).

Try a comparison. If you can't see the difference, save $2.50 a pop.

[Frobozz]

The compression used by Toast 7, Popcorn and others is not the same thing as recording a DVD at a lower bit rate setting. It "requantizes" the video rather than re-encoding it. I can't really explain the difference but requantizing results in better quality. Where you might see some problems is in action movies where compression artifacts may be noticeable.

Your concern for how much time this takes is puzzling to me. How many do you plan to do? Since you already own the original copy you only need to make copies of those you think might get damaged by the kids or that you plan to take with you on a trip. Why do you want to copy the special features when you can watch those from the original disc?

If you are considering making copies of DVDs you rent or borrow from friends, I think you'll soon get weary of this because you'll rarely go back and play them again. If it is a movie you really want to have in your library, it's worth paying for and having at full quality.

Do take a good look at Popcorn 2. It is terrific not only at copying unencrypted DVDs, but you can select specific titles from a DVD and export it to other playback formats. That makes more sense to me than making duplicate DVDs (except for those the kids handle).

[terryj]

Why do you want to copy the special features when you can watch those from the original disc?

If you are considering making copies of DVDs you rent or borrow from friends, I think you'll soon get weary of this because you'll rarely go back and play them again. If it is a movie you really want to have in your library, it's worth paying for and having at full quality.

And, original factory copies of movies can be had for as little as $5,
which in many areas is the same cost as RENTING the thing.
The only difference is, yeah YOU DON'T GET IT WHEN IT COMES OUT
ON NEW MOVIE TUESDAY, you may have to wait 4 weeks for it to hit
Previously Viewed Shelves, but hey, you already waited the six months
it took them to get it to DVD, what's another month?


Places to get good PVT discs are:

Movie Gallery, often sells 4 for $20, or often ( like every 3 months) has the $5 red dot sale.
--you have to get on the mailing list of a local B&M store, but then you get notified of sales.
(my hands down favorite)

Blockbuster and Hollywood, with their 3 for $25/2 for $12 deals.

Hastings Entrtainment Store, often has 4 for $25, or buy 1 get one for a penny (1¢),
and usually the movies are $9.99 in the B1,G141¢ sales
(my second favorite, youoften also find tv dvd sets here also)

Your local Pawn Shop Chain, which often buys/loans on loss leader wall mart stuff,
and re-sales them for $3-$5 a pop, depending on condition of case/popularity
of movie. We have here First Cash Pawn, and SuperPawn as two Pawn shop chains
that regualry sell like new or close to like new DVDs for as little as $3 a dvd.
worth checking--I got the first Blade ( the 2 disc version, not the NLPS 1 disc at wal-mart)
for $4! and not a scratch on either disc.

YMMV, but USED DVD/PVT DVD market is exploding, and while rental chains and online
rental revenue is cooling down, this new secondary market is heating up.

I can't vouch for it, but I also hear Gamestop, and Wherehouse Music sometimes have
good deals on PVT also.

[kevs]

abloom good tip, try the comparison. you are right about price, I think it's out of whack for now. BTW, do I need Toast 7 or is 6 ok.

Fro: is Popcorn better than Toast? I have Toast 6 now, but am willing to get popcorn or upgrade Toast if it's important to.
I like making quick duplicates, thats just me. In fact I would love to just use a duplicator, but I've been told here that there is no way to know the size of your original -- there is no software utility to show that? if there was I could at least "see" that oh, this is can fit to single, that one needs double or compression. Fro, does the compression you are discussion bother you, it's not as bad as what I see when going from a DVD player do another DVD REcorder at LP speed ? -- i.e. horrible look.

[Frobozz]

kevs, I think it will be helpful if you go to the Roxio site and read the description for Popcorn 2. Since you already have Toast 6 and are mostly interested in copying DVDs, then Popcorn 2 seems to me the most sensible addition rather than upgrading to Toast 7. If you wanted to create video DVDs from something other than existing MPEG files then Toast 7 blows away Toast 6. If you split the MPEGs with Streamclip like I mentioned earlier, Toast 6 will do the same as 7 for authoring the new DVD from those MPEGs.

When using Popcorn it will tell you what percentage, if any, compression is required. It also will tell you whether the resulting quality will be excellent, good or fair. When it is excellent you'll have difficulty telling the difference from the original. It isn't at all like seeing a DVD recorded in LP or SP mode with a standalone recorder. You always can choose Save as Disc Image instead of burning the DVD with Popcorn. Mount the disc image to play and inspect it with DVD Player. If you like what you see you can use the image file setting in Popcorn to burn your video DVD.

As for knowing the size of the original you can choose Get Info in the Finder for the VIDEO_TS folder. Any amount greater than 4.38 GB won't fit a single-layer DVD. You also could look at the VTS title sets inside the VIDEO_TS. Any title set that adds up to more than 4.38 GB is a movie that would need compression to fit single-layer media if you were to have Popcorn create a movie-only DVD. Typically the commercial DVDs are encoded at a high-enough bit rate that will require either DL media or compression for duplicating.

Let's say there is a 3-hour long movie on TV I want to record with my Pioneer 510 standalone DVD recorder. Rather than use a lousy mode that fits 3-hours to a disc, I can use a much better setting that fits 1-1/2 hours each to two discs. Then I can extract the MPEGs from each of those 1-1/2 hour discs using one of the applications mentioned earlier. Toast then can create a video DVD disc image file containing both those MPEGs. Popcorn 2 (or Toast 7) can then requantize that image file to burn to a single-layer disc. I now have a 3-hour movie on a single-layer disc that looks far superior to what the standalone recorder would have created. (Or I could burn the two MPEGs to DL media without requantization and have even better picture quality). I actually do this with my standalone recorder and Toast 7. My standalone recorder has a built-in hard drive so it is simple to record at high quality and divide the movies to fit multiple discs which I then copy to my Mac for further work.

[kevs]

thanks Fro, did not know that popcorn was a roxio product.

finder get info: you do this on the DVD that pops up on desktop or in popcorn? that's cool you can spotcheck that thanks.

So excellent quality compression is fine. other than that you would not compress to one dvd.

what DL media stand for?

if you have a standalone with HD recorder -- which I'm thinking of getting, do you have to get the computer involved? can't you just sit on your couch and fill up a DVD, and then fill up the 2nd one--from the recorders HD? thanks great info.

[lawnman]

Double Layer = DL

[Frobozz]

So excellent quality compression is fine. other than that you would not compress to one dvd.

Pretty much so. The larger your TV and the greater action in the movie the more likely you'll notice some artifacts appear as the compression increases.

what DL media stand for?

Dual layer.

if you have a standalone with HD recorder -- which I'm thinking of getting, do you have to get the computer involved? can't you just sit on your couch and fill up a DVD, and then fill up the 2nd one--from the recorders HD? thanks great info.

Yep, the DVD recorder will do it all. Mostly I involve the Mac when I want to do more with menus than the basic ones created by the standalone recorder. But unlike the new Pioneer recorders my old 510 doesn't do very well after 2 hours per DVD so I take advantage of the requantization for shows that go longer than that. Pioneer improved the MPEG encoder for the 633 (and soon 640) so that wouldn't be an issue with them.

[albloom]

abloom good tip, try the comparison. you are right about price, I think it's out of whack for now. BTW, do I need Toast 7 or is 6 ok.

You need Toast7, which incorporates Popcorn1 (including its compression). With Toast6
you need a pre-compression app (DVD2oneX -- called DTOX by the in crowd --seems to
be the gold standard). I have DTOX1 but don't use it much. DTOX2 incorporates burning
which obviates the need for Toast.

Toast7, in turn, obviated the need for Popcorn (Anyone want a copy cheap?). Then Roxio
added some features to make Popcorn2 attractive as a standalone.

[kevs]

thanks abloom,if you were in my shoes, what would you do (get toast 7 or DTOx2), thanks.

thanks again Fro, is the new Pioneer 640 out now? You know I still can't get a definitve answer if it will have a DV link in.

[albloom]

I vote for Toast 7.

DTOX can be a tad daunting.

[lawnman]

Get both. I have DTOX1&2, Popcorn1&2,Toast7.

You will find that you will use them both.

[kevs]

BTW:
I'm thinking of getting a Recorder with HD. Do you have record to the HD in real time, while watching (or) can the HD on a recorder, do a high speed copy of a whole movie, extras and all, like a duplicator or computer can? ie put it all in one place and then requantitized it back to a single DVD --thanks! (if it can, then maybe don't need to use computer)

[Frobozz]

A DVD recorder can not copy a commercial DVD because of the copy protection. The Pioneer DVD recorders do have a feature where they can high-speed duplicate non-encrypted DVDs, but that only works with single-layer discs.

[kevs]

fro:
so, I'm asking, with a movie that has no copy protection, that is say, 2 1/2 hours with extras, then the Pioneer with Hard disc, does not have a feature to copy the movie in whole to HD and then back to DVD-r making a perfect clone, albiet with some compression?

[Frobozz]

fro:
so, I'm asking, with a movie that has no copy protection, that is say, 2 1/2 hours with extras, then the Pioneer with Hard disc, does not have a feature to copy the movie in whole to HD and then back to DVD-r making a perfect clone, albiet with some compression?

It can duplicate a single-layer DVD (menus and all) at high speed without any compression. It also can record the movie from a single- or dual-layer DVD to the HDD in real time. If you choose the latter you can set any of 32 different bit rates for making the file larger or smaller than the original. This naturally elimimates copying existing menus. Each special feature must be copied as an individual title. You're not going to find many video DVDs that have extras and require compression to fit single-layer discs that aren't copy protected, so this is a situation you're unlikely to encounter. What you've been asking about is better done on a computer.

[FulciLives]

You don't have to fork over for Toast 7, I downloaded it of Limewire.

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