View Profile
View Forum Posts
Private Message
I have a bunch of family movies that I burned to DVDs using a deck type tape to DVD copier a long long time ago. So now I am trying to rip the files from the DVDs that that deck made to my PC so that I can save them and distribute them to family easier.
Apparently the last DVD I was in the process of adding to, and I never finished it and closed/finalized it. The deck is long since gone so I can't put the disk in and close it the right way.
When I put the disc in my PC it shows nothing in Windows Explorer. Looks like a blank disc. When I open BurnAware it shows files in disc info but it cannot close the disc or extract the files from it.
So is there any way for me to get these movie files off of this disc without the original deck? Is there a way to close/finalize it so it will be seen like all the other disks, or at least is there some software or something that will rip the files off of the disk even though it is not finalized?
Any help is greatly appreciated. They are family movies so I can't get them again or from anywhere else. The original tapes are gone too.
+ Reply to Thread
Results 1 to 29 of 29
-
-
ISOBuster or ISOPuzzle, but neither is free. I've used ISOBuster before and it has a demo mode, but usually it's worthless in demo mode and in the end you probably will have to just buy it and gamble that it will work. If your disc was really completely copied but not finalized it should work to get the contents off it, but if the disc copying was botched, like aborted in the middle, then you won't be able to do anything about that.
Years ago we heard a rumor of Nero supposedly being able to close a non-closed DVD, but nobody ever verified that it really worked. I tried the suggested method and it most definitely did not work on the DVD I had to test with. So if someone comes back later and posts about using Nero, don't hold your breath. -
There is an option in DVDDecrypter to CLOSE a Track, Session or Disc, but I've never heard of it working.....ever.
-
I've used IsoBuster trial to get video from an unfinalized disk recorded on a standalone DVD recorder.
-
ISOBuster's paid version should be able recover the video for you by itself with less effort on your part, but perform steps one and 2 below using the free version before buying to find out if it can see data on the disc before buying it.Originally Posted by xSentinel
I have a bunch of family movies that I burned to DVDs using a deck type tape to DVD copier a long long time ago. So now I am trying to rip the files from the DVDs that that deck made to my PC so that I can save them and distribute them to family easier.
Apparently the last DVD I was in the process of adding to, and I never finished it and closed/finalized it. The deck is long since gone so I can't put the disk in and close it the right way.
When I put the disc in my PC it shows nothing in Windows Explorer. Looks like a blank disc. When I open BurnAware it shows files in disc info but it cannot close the disc or extract the files from it.
So is there any way for me to get these movie files off of this disc without the original deck? Is there a way to close/finalize it so it will be seen like all the other disks, or at least is there some software or something that will rip the files off of the disk even though it is not finalized?
Any help is greatly appreciated. They are family movies so I can't get them again or from anywhere else. The original tapes are gone too.
The recovery method below using the free version of ISOBuster, plus Mpg2Cut2 (free) or Womble MPEG-VCR (a $19 MPEG-2 editor) worked for me. There may be other editors that can be used, if you want to experiment.
1. Open ISOBuster
2. Select DVD drive (If you can see "Track 01" in the left hand pane, it can recover at least some of your data)
3. Open Options menu
4. Select "Image File"
5. Select "ISO/BIN/TAO" Tab
6. Uncheck both boxes
7. Close dialog window
8. Right click on "Track 01" in left-hand pane
9. Select "Extract Track 01"
10. Select "Extract User Data (*.tao, *.iso, *.wav)"
11. Choose where you want to save the data. (It will copy everything it can find as one big .tao file, which is a type of disc image)
12. Rename the .tao file to .VOB.
13. Open Mpg2Cut2 or MPEG-VCR and drag the VOB file to it. Click through any error messages.
14. Edit the VOB file to separate into individual videos as clips.
15. Re-author the clips into a new DVD using DVD authoring software. AVStoDVD is easy to use if you only need a basic menu. -
I would second usually_quite's ISOBuster suggestion.
Also, whether DVDDecrypter or ISOBuster or any other app, I would strongly recommend NOT closing the disc if it is not done with the original recording app+burner/device. It could complicate or even ruin subsequent rip attempts (raw sector data transfer should still be possible, but UGH!!).
Since ISOBuster can do extraction on unfinalized/unclosed discs, it is safer to try that option FIRST.
ScottLast edited by Cornucopia; 22nd Oct 2014 at 15:44.
-
I was hoping that I was wrong but by the replies it looks like I was right
The disk was not ruined or crashed while writing or anything like that. I just never finished it. This is what I used to do. I had a tape (8mm) camera. I would record a bit. Then plug the camera in to the DVD deck and pop in the current DVD that I was recording to that was not finalized yet. Copy over the new film bit and then when the disc was full I would finalize it.
Unfortunately I eventually bought an SD card camera and stopped using the old tape one. I never realized that the last DVD I was working on was never finalized. Now I brought out all the old pre-SD card DVDs that I had to rip them so I could have all the old movies together with the new ones and I found this one that was never closed. So the files that were recorded to it were recorded fine. It did not crash or anything during write. The singular problem is that the disc was never closed. I'm sure that if I still had that deck component and it worked I could put this disc in and click finalize and I would be good to go.
sambat & usually_quiet,
Thanks for that info. I will try that if I can do it for free. There is no sense buying a program that I am only going to use once. I only have one DVD with this problem. -
As Jman98 mentioned Nero can recover files off un-finalized DVD's, but there are 2 caveat, the DVD has to have been recorded in DVD-VR mode and you need a program that can natively read DVD-VR structures. Nerovision can import from those discs, but you have to re-create the menus. Another program I know can read DVD-VR is TAW, but I suspect any program that's meant to edit DVD camcorder video would do too.
-
I have no idea what mode the console recorded the DVD in. It was a Sony if that helps. I probably have the model # somewhere but I doubt if that would say anything. But if someone happens to know what mode Sony DVD consoles use to create DVDs. If they even make these things anymore. DO they even still make tape to DVD burner deck consoles? Most all cameras now record right to SD cards, no?
-
-
You can try to check the disc with Nero Infotool (free) or try Nero Video (15 day trial).
-
-
Good Luck.Originally Posted by xSentinel
-
Looks like ISOBuster installs adware/toolbars or some crap if I install it. Further it looks like if I install it all I will be able to do is to see if it sees anything. If it does then I will have to pay $40 to enable it to actually retrieve the files. I'm not sure I want to spend $40 just to do this once so the jury is still out on that one.
However, on the ISOBuster page here there is an alternative called CD Roller. That also costs money but it has a 14 day free evaluation period. Does anyone know if the software is fully functional during that evaluation period? If so then I can use it once for the one DVD I have. I mean I only want to use it once. This is the last DVD I have and I'm not going to burn any more DVDs. Seems a waste to have to shuck out $40 for a one time thing? -
It only installs "crap" if you let it.
Like many shareware apps these days, the installers they use have been going through some changes, leaving developers few choices. They can either get freeware ones (limited options & compatibility) or payware ones (they're absorbing the cost of the installer, but giving you freeware?), or adware ones. So most are adware ones.
Luckily very few of them are of the pushy, make-you-take-this-extra-crap, no-alternative variety. Most have toolbar stuff, etc as a default, but if you just choose "custom" install, you can easily get the option to not install that extra stuff and just bypass it on the way to installing what you wanted.
I purchased ISOBuster years ago and was glad I did, as I have ended up using it more than I thought I ever would. But I might have more need for it based on what I do, so YMMV. You need to ask yourself, "is the material I need off of there worth $40?". If you need it, it's not a waste of time.
CDRoller might be an option. It seems to be going down the same road that ISOBuster is; it's just way behind in terms of features & reliability.
Scott -
You can download old versions of ISOBuster without the adware from VideoHelp's page for the software. Look under "More download options:". I have 2.8.5.Originally Posted by xSentinel
-
Thank you both. Very good info.
But still even if it does install crap it will still only tell me if it can do anything. In the end in order to actually do anything I will have to pay for it. I'll probably try CD Roller first and see if it works. If not then I may have to do ISOBuster. Unless I'm wrong and the download of ISOBuster does actually do something. -
Hmmm... I posted actual instructions describing how I recently recovered data from several unfinalized DVDs using the free trial version of ISOBuster 2.8.5, which you can still download from VideoHelp and use. If you bought ISOBuster, it would be able to do much more than the trial version (which I used) does.Originally Posted by xSentinel
If those instructions are too hard to follow then I suggest that you take the plunge and download the trial of CDRoller and find out what it can do. If I knew, I'd tell you but I have no reason to try it myself, having already found a method that works pretty well.Last edited by usually_quiet; 24th Oct 2014 at 15:44.
-
Yes, that still works, and I posted simplified instructions in this thread too (#5). It turns out that Mpg2Cut2 and MPEG-VCR can open .tao files from ISOBuster files without demultiplexing if they are renamed to VOB.Originally Posted by sambat
[Edit]I did forget something. Some DVD recorders create a track for each recording session and in that case, someone might have to process more than one track to recover all the video that is on the disc.
It doesn't seem like too much trouble to go to if someone only needs to recover the data from one DVD and is reluctant to part with $40.Last edited by usually_quiet; 24th Oct 2014 at 19:00.
-
usually_quiet,
My apologies. I misunderstood your post. I thought you were saying that I can download the trial version and only see if there are files that are recoverable. Then if there are pay for the full version and follow your instructions to recover them. Upon re-reading it I see that what you were posting were actual instructions on how to do it using the free version.
Thanks. I will try that first. -
OK, I finally have the time and stuff needed to attempt this today. But I have one more question before I begin.
usually_quiet,
In your instructions you said that you use/used version 2.8.5. Is there a reason for that? Which version do you suggest I use/try? Just wondering if there was a reason that you use 2.8.5 instead of the newest version. -
I mentioned version 2.8.5 only because it is the most recent version of ISOBuster that I have used to recover video from an unfinalized DVD, and because I knew for certain that it did not contain adware. The UI for latest version of ISOBuster may be organized the same way and the software may work just as well, but I have not used it and so can't say that for certain. ...plus you wouild have to be careful during the installation process if you want to avoid installing adware.Originally Posted by xSentinel
-
OK, worked great! No problems at all. I followed your directions and it worked like a charm. Exactly the way I wanted it. Each track was saved separately as a .tao. All I had to do was to rename them to .vob and VLC can see and play them.
Which leads me to my last question... Do I have to use the Mpg2cut2? I mean the way they were on the disk they were each a separate movie clip recorded at once. ISOBuster recovered each track separately so there were 5 tracks on the disk that were originally 5 movie clips and it recovered them as 5 .vob files. Is there any reason that I just can't leave them like that and save them like that? -
Try to Import using Nero Burning Rom 10 or higher. Select continue Multisession disk, select refresh compilation when importing session (make sure those boxes are checked marked). when imported close the session (finalize the disk). Rip the disk to hard drive. open ripped file into Nero vision. Export to Mpeg2 (dvd)...it worked for me. I had a dvd burned on Sony dvd recorder that I never finalized.Originally Posted by jman98
-
The .tao file's structure probably isn't exactly the same as a VOB file, just close enough that it can be played by some media players that can play VOB files. ...and VOB files aren't really intended to be played outside of a DVD file and folder structure. You will need to author a DVD with AVStoDVD or some other authoring program to create that structure.Originally Posted by xSentinel
AVStoDVD could successfully import a tao file renamed to VOB when I tried it. In my case, AVStoDVD saw three audio tracks when there was really just one, but did select the only real AC3 file automatically. Your mileage may vary.
If you want to just keep your recovered videos as media files, I suggest that you use Mpg2Cut2 to create a .mpg file from the VOB file. All you need to do is select the entire video as your clip and save it. -
Sounds good. Will do.
Thank you very much for all your help. Family memories are saved and safe. Very much appreciated. -
Not planning on burning them back to DVDs so I don't think I need any authoring software.
I am planning on keeping them as digital files that I can send to family or just save/archive for later. So to the end I tried taking one of the .vob files and using Avidemux and mpg2cut2 to save it as something other than vob. With Avidemux it saved it by default as .avi and the file size was slightly smaller. Then I changed it to mpeg-PS. It saved as an mpeg and it took slightly longer and file size was a little bit bigger but still slightly smaller than the vob.
Then I used Mpg2cut2 and it saved it as an mpeg also and file size was exactly the same size as original vob file.
Any idea which is better or why the differences? All resulting files appeared the same to the naked eye that I can see. -
The file from Mpg2cut2 will have the best quality. Mpg2cut2 cannot re-encode. It merely copies the video and audio from the selected clips to a different container so they will be exactly the same as the original.Originally Posted by xSentinel
I don't use AVIDemux, but it sounds like it may be re-encoding the original MPEG-2 video to XVid in a AVI container in the first instance, and MPEG-2 in a mpeg/mpg container in the second instance. Re-encoding can provide smaller files, but with some loss of the original quality because re-encoding is not lossless in either case.
Quote
