How can i backup VCDs and DVDs to DVDR using Imac Superdrive

[zia101]

Is there a simple way of doing this please, i have loads of Simpsons episodes on vcd i would love to transfer onto one DVDr.

Is this possible? What would i need to do please?

I have DVDBackUp that i use to back up a DVD to my hard drive. Is there a way to then transfer to DVDr?

Thanks

[AntnyMD]

Nothing simple is ever fun.



You'll need a DVD-Video authoring application to transfer your VCDs to DVD. Furthermore, the DVD spec is more stringent than the VCD spec. If your Simpsons episodes weren't encoded with transfer to DVD in mind, your videos may be stuck on VCD if you don't want to re-encode them.

Let's say your Simpsons eps are nearly DVD ready. You'll have to convert the 44.1kHz MPEG1 audio to 48kHz MPEG1 audio or 48kHz Dolby Digital 2.0. You can also use an uncompressed 48kHz audio stream. I have yet to find a Mac app that will convert MPEG1 audio from a VCD to any other format. I couldn't even get Quicktime Pro to do it. I had to use TMPGEnc within the VirtualPC environment. Even then, the audio and video were no longer in sync.

Lets say your audio is converted properly and remains in sync. Your DVD-Video authoring app will need to accept your video. MPEG1 video is a part of the DVD spec, but DVD Studio Pro, the app I use, mishandles MPEG1 video (the sound plays but there is no picture). Furthermore, if your MPEG1 video was encoded without closing the GOPs, the video will be rejected outright.

Lets say everything works as it should, and your DVD-Video authoring app accepts your MPEG1 video. You'll need Toast Titanium to burn your project to DVD.



You can directly back up a DVD to DVD-R by using DVDBackup and Toast. The total size of your original DVD has to be 4.3 gb or less (not 4.7 gb as stated on your media). Larger DVDs cannot be copied 1:1. You'll have to rip out the movie, then strip it of unwanted audio streams, then re-author.

[Ross]

AntnyMD: You explained this very well. FYI, just for fun
iTunes will accept you mpeg1 layer2 audio & export as mp3, then you can convert to other formats. SoundApp does it all.

[AntnyMD]

Thanks for that tip! I'm good with converting my MPEG1 video to MPEG2 video (via M.Pack) but I wanted to convert my audio also without having to use VirtualPC, which I'm growing to loathe.

What is this other app you mention? This one's new to me!