VR Mode Conversion (Not like the others, please read)

[somody]

I've been having a really big problem recently. I just got a Pioneer DVD Recorder (DVR-RT401) and I've been taping a whole bunch of really important stuff onto Sony DVD-RW discs. Unfortunately, I didn't know too much about the system and I recorded it all onto the default VR mode. This mode is unrecognised by my other Toshiba DVD player (SD-1800). I've read every single guide out there on the Internet, and they all say the same thing: that I have to download another program and import, reauthor, and burn it again. This is all good and well, but every time I try to do anything in one of those programs, it says that it "could not find in the specified folder a file necessary to add a DVD". There is no VIDEO_TS folder on my DVDs and so it can't find the movies. I want to keep all my recordings. Is there any way to convert it without losing my data? When I do so, should the VR mode DVD be finalised or not? (By the way, there is no hard disk drive on my DVD Recorder.)

[Scorpion King]

Finalizing a disk means that you can no longer add, edit, or delete, video clips from it. The disk would then be the final product. Since many people edit out commercials, etc, with the dvd recorder they need the ability to keep the disk open until they are finished. This also allows a disk to be taken out between recording sessions and video later added to the disk until it's full I suppose. When full you would simply finalize it so it will play in other dvd players and on our computer. Un-finalized it is in VR (+VR) format and will not play in DVD-Video format players. That seems to be the problem here.

Since your recorder can play them ok as is, then I'd say to 'finalize' those disks and they should then be readable on your computer and other players as well.

Good luck.

[somody]

Actually, that's not what I was asking. VR mode discs can't be read on a computer normally. Is there anyone here who knows what I'm talking about in my first post?

[anzimike]

1. make sure discs are finalized
2. you need udf reader on your computer, try google or this;

http://ww2.nero.com/nero6/enu/InCD_4_Reader.html

Several author programs can recognized VRO files written in VR format, like TMPGEnc Author, most ulead products, and I think dvd-lab. Isobuster pro version can also extract the files. You will probably have to re-author to VIDEO-TS format and re-burn on a computer for better compatability.
Best of luck

[TripleTransAm]

Actually, that's not what I was asking. VR mode discs can't be read on a computer normally. Is there anyone here who knows what I'm talking about in my first post?

I have no difficulty getting my VR-mode DVD-RWs read into my PC... I regularly dump material off my Pioneer 520H to take over to my PC so I can put together a nicer-looking final product (the built-in menus on the 520H suck several species of small furry animals). TMPGenc's DVD author 2.0 will even give me the choice of reading the DVD-RW contents onto my hard drive (to speed up editting) and will leave everything there in MPG format, allowing me to go back and reuse this material if necessary.

So in short, yes VR mode discs can be read on computer, even when not finalized.

[masochrist]

What programs are you using to read these discs. I have occasional problems getting VR mode discs to be recognized at all. I found recording one title at a time on +RW discs works everytime. If I put a second title on it my pc doesn't see the disc. If I use -R or+R its hit or miss. I use dvd decrypter and dvd shrink.

[Frobozz]

I do not finalize my VR-mode discs before using Toast 7 to extract the MPEGs to my Mac's hard drive. It should be a simple process as long as you are using an application that can read the video from a VR-mode disc. There is no loss of quality because there is no re-encoding.

[hech54]

Actually, that's not what I was asking. VR mode discs can't be read on a computer normally. Is there anyone here who knows what I'm talking about in my first post?

Since your recorder can play them ok as is, then I'd say to 'finalize' those disks and they should then be readable on your computer and other players as well.

[somody]

Wow, lots of answers. Unfortunately, I have InCD and I've tried using TMPGenc DVD Author 2.0, and that's what gives the error message that I wrote in the first post. *sigh*, I'm screwed, aren't I?

[Jeremiah58]

Is there any way to convert it without losing my data?

Yes, of course.
To do that, you have to copy the content of your VR mode disc to your hard drive.
You have to understand that there will be no VIDEO_TS folder if you record in VR mode.
I had a similar problem before:
https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=300171&highlight=
So, you have to finalize your discs, then you should be able to see DVD_RTAV folder when
you put a disc in DVD rom in your PC. Open this folder and you should see a .VRO file.
Now just copy that file to your hard drive and rename it - change the extension to mpeg.
This mpeg you can import in any DVD authoring program.
If, for any reason, Windows do not see anything on your disc, download and use Isobuster.
Post back if you encounter troubles.

[LCSHG]

somody

I believe that many of the replies have addresed a solution
Take a look at this link [which is from this site]

http://www.burnworld.com/dvd/primer/dvdvr.htm
Especially
Limitations for VR Format
VR should be able to read and convert on a PC with the proper software
If you don't convert You will need to play the disks on the Pioneer or replace the Toshiba with a player that can read VR.

[Frobozz]

These are the only reasons I can think of for why you are not able to extract the MPEGs from the VR-mode discs:

1) Your computer has an older DVD drive that can't recognize a VR-mode disc. (Try updating its firmware).

2) You aren't using an application that is capable of recognizing and extracting video from VR-mode discs.

3) You do have the right software but aren't using it properly for this purpose.

4) Possibly your operating system is missing something that allows the disc to be recognized.

5) A specific DVD-RW disc has an error that stops the application from completing the extraction. (I've seen this happen).

Finalizing a VR-mode disc is unnecessary and has nothing to do with the ability to extract its contents on a computer. Finalizing is only necessary with Video-mode discs.

[somody]

Jeremiah58 solved my problem. IsoBuster is the greatest program ever invented! I can extract the .VRO file using it. How do I use this file to author a DVD, in DVDShrink or something or other?

[Seeker47]

Wow, lots of answers. Unfortunately, I have InCD and I've tried using TMPGenc DVD Author 2.0, and that's what gives the error message that I wrote in the first post. *sigh*, I'm screwed, aren't I?

Not unless one of the factors mentioned in the post above applies.
I have copied many VR content on -RW disks (some finalized, most not) to regular -R, on the computer, using the Nero 6 suite. So that should be another alternative. The -R copies are like any other -Rs. (I think Nero probably finalizes them automatically, but I'm not positive about that.) All I can say is that they play on the variety of players I've taken them to.

[Jeremiah58]

How do I use this file to author a DVD?

Maybe you can start with DVDAuthorgui (freeware).
The full list of DVD authoring programs:
https://www.videohelp.com/tools?s=2#2
If you have Nero, you can use Nero Vision Express. Maybe a TDA (shareware).
Now you will have to start readin and learning how to use DVD authoring tools. It's fun!