Home vid Vob files won't import

[JackT]

I'm a newbie.
I have had a dv camera for a couple of years but no system for editing. I burnt all my home video footage straight to DVD using a cheap standalone DVD recorder. I now have a system for editing and have had no problem capturing straight from the camera, editing, and burning a successful DVD. What I am having problems with is retrieving video from the DVD's created with the stand alone recorder.

Initially I was able to import vob files from the DVD straight into Windows Vista Movie Maker, I even edited one and saved it to Hard drive as WMV. I then realised that because I wanted footage from several different DVD's I was going to have to have the vob files on my hard drive. Initially I was able to just drag and drop the vob files from the DVD to the Hard Drive. Then after several files this stopped working, PC just hung. Tried importing to movie maker again, just hung. I have tried using a couple of other programs to open and move the vob files. a couple worked at first and now don't.

The summary of this is that I am now unable to open or move vob files without the Computer hanging and needing to be restarted.

Any suggestions please

[Soopafresh]

I'm guessing either the media is going or your DVD burner is dying.

[JackT]

Does media 'go'? I guess if it is going, it'll work with one disc and not another, doesn't seem to work with any. I am planning to see if I can open the files on a friends computer to see if it is the Disc or the computer causing problems. Computer plays commercial DVD's OK so I'm expecting it to be some anomaly with the the disc or the way the burner writes to the disc. Still pursuing the problem.

[JackT]

Have now discovered that I can drag and drop vob files from a couple of discs that I burnt with a friends computer last year. they are also DVD+R the ones I'm having trouble with are -R.

Can anybody with experience tell me if this indicates anything? Will a standalone burner/recorder do anything differently in terms of .vob files to a PC. Does +R or -R mean anything in terms of whether or not I can move vob files.

[JackT]

Further to previous posts, I have now been able to access the vob files on my brothers PC and reburn them to data DVD and then I can access them on my PC.

He uses Linux, I'm using Windows, does this give anyone a clue as to whats going on and how I can access these files on my PC directly, failing this I'll just reburn them all on his computer

[guns1inger]

Media, if not stored correctly, does decline, but so do burners. If these discs are easily readable in other systems then your burner would be high on the list of suspects. You might start by cleaning it to see if that helps. Otherwise it may be replacement time.

You could also try scanning the suspect discs with DVD Info Pro or Nero CD/DVD Speed, however if the drive is playing up you won't be able to trust the findings.

Another factor : not all burners like all media equally. It may be that the discs you used originally just aren't compatible with your burner.