Copying DVD's

[ckat916]

I'm using DVDFAB to copy a few disc and I noticed the data (if you look at the write shiny side) is less than the original. It plays the same and has the same length of video but was little surprised?

Normal?

[Kerry56]

DVDFab has the capability to compress the video. Are you using compression or doing straight copies?

[ckat916]

No, I used DVD Copy and I don't think I compressed?

[jman98]

Not enough information to make any definitive statements here. Unfortunately you are yet another new member who thinks the less you tell us, the more helpful it is.

Some DVDs use a type of bad sector copy protection that will make the source DVD appear larger than it really is.

You may have copied the movie only.

It's rare, but I've seen a few DVDs with junk VOBs in them that are NEVER referenced and they seem to exist only to pad out the DVD to make it use a dual layer disc.

[ckat916]

Less information from a new member? WOW, you're helpful! Post count doesn't make me a NOOB, I was a member starting in 2001 but after learning I haven't been back.

I'm using DVDFAB>DVD Copy to copy DVD's, all set to default. DVD Copy is not Movie Only. I'm actually copying a homemade movie. I was just curious if others had experienced differences in data seen on the disc when copying. If I had copied Movie Only, I would have answered my own question.

No worries, as a "new member" I decided to use DVD Decrypter

[Baldrick]

For homemade movies can you just use imgburn to copy the disc. You shouln't need any ripper.

[Cornucopia]

If you are copying a homemade movie, why use DVD Decrypter, DVDFab, etc AT ALL?

Just open the disc in Explorer, grab the folder contents and copy+paste them to a folder on your harddrive. Simple! And I guarantee they will be the same size (the only way they wouldn't is if it couln't read the disc because of damage/corruption, but you would clearly know this from what Explorer would grive at you when it had difficulty copying).

****************

...Wait a minute...

How did you determine the data was less?
A) By explorer's report of filesizes?
or
B) By looking at the change in the shading on the 2 burned discs?

If it's the latter, that's easy! - Compliant DVDs are supposed to pad their burning out to at least the 1GB mark (to make it clear to those old DUMB early DVD players that were primarily based on physical sector reading, as opposed to filesystem reading).
The same DVD can be burned that way, or the less compliant way which might only go out to the length of the short title (say, for example, 600MB). Modern players, and PC software, can gracefully accommodate non-compliant burns, so many lesser-programmed applications don't enforce this extra burning section.

I'll bet: original disc is from DVD-camcorder (which is compliant), so burns out to 1GB. Copy (which is smaller than 1GB) was burned with software (probably NOT IMGBurn) that forgot/ignored burning out to 1GB. This is basically a non-issue anymore.

Scott

[ckat916]

If you are copying a homemade movie, why use DVD Decrypter, DVDFab, etc AT ALL?

Just open the disc in Explorer, grab the folder contents and copy+paste them to a folder on your harddrive. Simple! And I guarantee they will be the same size (the only way they wouldn't is if it couln't read the disc because of damage/corruption, but you would clearly know this from what Explorer would grive at you when it had difficulty copying).

****************

...Wait a minute...

How did you determine the data was less?
A) By explorer's report of filesizes?
or
B) By looking at the change in the shading on the 2 burned discs?

If it's the latter, that's easy! - Compliant DVDs are supposed to pad their burning out to at least the 1GB mark (to make it clear to those old DUMB early DVD players that were primarily based on physical sector reading, as opposed to filesystem reading).
The same DVD can be burned that way, or the less compliant way which might only go out to the length of the short title (say, for example, 600MB). Modern players, and PC software, can gracefully accommodate non-compliant burns, so many lesser-programmed applications don't enforce this extra burning section.

I'll bet: original disc is from DVD-camcorder (which is compliant), so burns out to 1GB. Copy (which is smaller than 1GB) was burned with software (probably NOT IMGBurn) that forgot/ignored burning out to 1GB. This is basically a non-issue anymore.

Scott

Thanks Scott that explains a lot!!!