Problem with pixel/freeze-up about 5 mins. after start

[Blumphf]

I'm using DvdDecrypter and DvdShrink (latest versions) to make the back-ups on my HD, then after using Nero to make burns, Ive noticed that very soon after the start of a movie (somewhere between 3 to 7 minutes), my image starts to break-up then totally locks. It's happened on most of the copies Ive made, but not all (I'd say about 10 of 15 have this problem while the other 5 are fine).

I made a switch to CloneDVD2 and tried two of the same files...and the problem occurred in exactly the same spots with the copies I made with it!

Could this be an error with the DeCrypter or Shrink program?

[Baldrick]

PLEASE post dvd backup problems in our dvd to dvd forum. Moving you.

Maybe a media problem. Are you getting same playback problem if you play the backup on your computer also?

[Blumphf]

Sorry I was in the wrong topic...

Yes, I get freeze also when I play the copy on my computer's drive...

I have tried 3 different brands (Sony for the first 20 or so, Memorex and Maxell since) of Dvd+R's (the drive won't burn Dvd-Rs) for burns and they get the same freeze at the same spot in the playback...

I've had this same problem crop up from time to time on store bought prerecorded disks so it must be a semi-common problem...I could live with it if it happened a small percentage of the time, but getting only 7 good disks out of 30 attempts is ridiculous!

[Blumphf]

Hey, just an update--

Based on some of the advice I gleamed from reading through the posts here, I dumped DvdDecrypter and Nero and installed DVDFabDecrypter and ImgBurn and they solved the problem!

A big, comprehensive thanks to all those who provided the links in the chain, so to speak, on these boards to give me the info I needed to work this out...

[Blumphf]

Well, I spoke too soon. The first 2 dvd's I burned after installing DVDFabDecrypt and ImgBurn (the "success" I thought I had achieved int the previous post) did have no problems at all, but on the next 3 the freeze was back again...

The only thing I could think of was that there was too much total data in the .iso files, so I went back and used Shrink to lower the size of the file to around 3.800kb's and then built the file again and tried another burn. All this did was move the freeze to about 30 seconds later into the movie.

I'm at my wits end here. Any suggestions?

[cyflyer]

How old is your burner, and how much use has it had ? Most drives will burn dvd-r's and dvd+r's exept for very old ones. So this tells us your burner is getting on in years. Also, your symptoms are typical of what I've experienced lately with a dying burner. No four different medias will do exactly the same problem, at the same point.

[Blumphf]

Burner isn't that old--it's an HP DvdWriter 840b that came with the HP media center system I got in Nov. of 05. Since then, I've burned about a hundred CDs and no Dvds at all (until this week).

Actually, I was starting to question if it might be a shoddy burner myself, since like you said, I found it doubtful that 3 different brands of Dvds would give me these results. Thing is, I've never had a bad result with CD burning, but I know Dvds are handling a lot more storage. ImgBurn is at least giving me some good copies, whereas Nero was only about 1 out of 5 were without the freeze.

[oldandinthe way]

Have you updated the firmware on your DVDwriter?

Most of the media to be had in the mass market was introduced after November of 2005. You drive is unlikely to have proper write stategies for these disks and may be burning improperly.

Get out to HPs website and find out just how out of date you are.

In my opinion drives and media are most frequently the cause of burning problems, and software issues are far rarer.

[Blumphf]

There was an update available for my writer, so I ran it, then went through the process from the beginning for one of the discs I had this problem with: copied it, shrunk it, and burned it again...

And the problem is still there. It froze exactly in the same spot the previous one did before the patch.

All that's really left to do now is replace the whole drive, isn't it? So much for making back some money from copying and reselling my dvd movies...