Made a mistake a week or two before I knew about afterdawn.com and purchased 1 Click DVD Copy. You have to download an encrypter from the internet that runs in your start up window so they will not be responsible, very annoying. When I attempted to play the finished product a "dirty disc" error appeared on the screen. I later cleaned the disc and it worked if I pushed the advance button. Now I just use the Decrypter and then shrink and burn it with the softwear that came with my burner. Nero - Nero Recode 2. Works great everytime and costs nothing. I removed 1 Click DVD Copy from my machine but they will not credit my account. Basically if you have a burner, you only need Decrypter and the softwear that came with your burner. A few may also need the Shrink program.
Most commercial software requires a seperate ripper. Obiously you can get a free ripper to use with Recode or 1-click. The disc error sounds like a bad burn, possibly even media. I own 1-click and although I don't use it anymore I burned many dvds succesfully before using other software.
Media makes a world of difference, it is a major player in DVD backups - a Short lesson for them that doesn't know - Memorex is an excellent example as DVD media goes, 90% of Memorex, made by CMC, is sub-standard as far as DVD backups are concerned, figures as high as 50% coasters have been reported (One member bought a stack of 50 and got 23 good burns.), not what I would call an impressive record. Memorex made a name for itself with their magnetic tapes (VHS and audio cassettes) and have been living off it ever since. There are 4 different companies that manufacture Memorex DVD's BTW and product quality varies widely as you might imagine. Only 10% of the Memorex out there, those are discs manufactured by Mitsubishi in the 25 pack spindle , and they're the exception – they are the good ones. It's easy to see now why the quality of a big-named company can’t be trusted - “ Who’s making your Memorex tonight ?” Is it just Memorex ? No ! I just used Memorex as an example, Princo, Orange Pack, Great AZO and most "store" discs aren’t all that suitable as a DVD backup media – that’s why we are specific in the type of media we are recommending. 1. * Cheap media freezes, skips, pixelats and may refuse to be recognized by both burners and players :-( Besides "Freezing", "skips" many times you’ll get a “Cyclic Redundancy error” or an "I/O error". This message can mean that your discs are scratched or dirty, it can also mean that your burner won’t accept your “cheap” media :-( Another problem which, “Pops up” is a “*Power Calibration Error”. This can stop you right in your tracks and most often is caused by, Yep, you guessed it, inexpensive media. *A “Power Calibration Error” can also be attributed to the Optical Components of a DVD Writer, though this isn’t usually the case. Orange Pack, Princo, Great AZO and 90% of Memorex plus many others are just not that good for DVD burning. Those same discs however, are quite good for your MP3 music, picture archives, Spread sheets and Data..Even DataSafe G04’s made by Ritek have been reported as an inferior quality media and are evoking that “Oh no, I shouldn’t have gotten those.” What we are suggesting is to download this DVD Identifier to find out who manufactured your DVD and if it's a decent quality. http://dvd.identifier.cdfreaks.com/ Once you have your disc identified, click the "More information" icon and see what information you're given. if you're not sure of the quality, come on back and we'll check it out for you - 2. A good grade, Hi-quality media is needed for DVD reproduction ! RiData, Sony, TDK, "Branded" Ritek G04's or "Branded" Verbatim Data Life, Verbatim DataLife plus, Taiyo Yuden's and generally, almost any discs manufactured by Mitsubishi or RICOH are excellent bets. Among the better discs we're looking for, any media boasting "Advanced Metal AZO" - BUT it must say "METAL" AZO !, this indicates a superior dye and dye application on a good composite disc, while they are sometimes a bit "pricey" they are just the type of media we're looking for to do our DVD backups, Prices online from Meritline.com OR Newegg.com have gotten Ritek G04 starting at about a $ .45 (USD) a disc – For DVD backups, purchasing inexpensive media or even average media is a gamble, some people win BUT the majority lose, they lose varying amounts true but, they still lose :-( Using good grade media can guarantee you one thing to an absolute certainty; it surely cannot hurt. In an effort to clear the air, when I speak of "Cheap" or "Inexpensive" media, I'm not referring to the price you pay at the counter - I'm referring to poor quality control used during manufacturing and the quality of the dye, dye application or composite type used. I'm not saying it won't burn - Some may burn, some may not. It's quality is inconsistent, meaning it's not dependable. To make matters worse, many times the discs that you do burn may play in your PC BUT your standalone player may not accept them – what good then is a backup DVD that cannot be watched on a DVD player ? When I say "Branded," that means that when you pick up a disc in your hand, it says "Ritek" or "RiData" on the disc itself. The monetary cost of the media we recommend many times is cheaper than what you are purchasing now. We like to verify our information prior to recommending things. There are certain things we look at. For instance, when their dye and dye application are listed as unknown, this almost guarantees us they are using whatever they can get at a cheap price. Companies that use quality materials like to BRAG about it, naming names and staying with quality manufacturers who produce their media. Using DVD identifier and MediaMatch can help you find out a lot about what you're using. Purchasing your DVD media online can insure that you're getting quality merchandise at a good price. Shopping wisely will save you time, aggravation and money. In addition, the life of a backup made on an "el cheapo" disc[/i]is questionable. We all know that data, music and video backups on CD's and DVD's will last forever, well, if not forever for at least 100 yrs or so - That's what we've read and I believed and that's why we backup our treasures to disc, so that they'll be safe. "BLAaaaT" (the bone chilling sound of an emergency air horn), Wrong, Dead Wrong ! Don't throw the originals away, you may very well need them. Your video camera tapes and family picture CD's and DVD's, may not be there the next time you want to look at them. "Point of fact," inferior discs have a tendency to "Break down]" in time. In a very short time, we're talking disc can breakdown in less than a single year, in as little as 6 to 8 months. This article was written about CD discs but DVD discs are exactly the same. I was miss-informed and this opened my eyes. Perhaps you'll find it as important as I did. http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/story.jsp?story=513486 My personal observations on this subject - I have had about 40 backups that have refused to play after being stored for a year or more. I test all of my backups when they are burnt to be very sure that there are no problems. "In the Golden, Olden times," before I knew any better, the Memorex, Maxell and professional "Store Brand" discs (and any thing that was on sale) was what used before I switched to Ritek and Verbatim. It is the poor quality stuff that I have been experiencing my trouble with. I noticed that backup DVD's I had refused to play in my standalone player and on my PC. VOB files wouldn't play either and other discs that I backed up about the same time would "Freeze" part way through the movie. After switching to Verbatim and Ritek's, mostly the Ritek's because the price was right, I've not had 1 go "Flat" in over 1 ½ years. I still have some backups about 90 of them done on the "cheap stuff" and, as time wears on I lose a few more as I attempt to check them. I say to you, why did a backup play fine in "01"and "02" then "fail" in "03 ?? Some that were done in "01" never made it till "02" (it took me some time to learn, lol) and others done about the same time and "Failed" time, we're talking disc can breakdown in less than a single year, in as little as 6 to 8 months. This article was written about CD discs but DVD discs are exactly the same. I was miss-informed and this opened my eyes. Perhaps you'll find it as important as I did. http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/story.jsp?story=513486 My personal observations on this subject - I have had about 40 backups that have refused to play after being stored for a year or more. I test all of my backups when they are burnt to be very sure that there are no problems. "In the Golden, Olden times," before I knew any better, the Memorex, Maxell and professional "Store Brand" discs (and any thing that was on sale) was what used before I switched to Ritek and Verbatim. It is the poor quality stuff that I have been experiencing my trouble with. I noticed that backup DVD's I had refused to play in my standalone player and on my PC. VOB files wouldn't play either and other discs that I backed up about the same time would "Freeze" part way through the movie. After switching to Verbatim and Ritek's, mostly the Ritek's because the price was right, I've not had 1 go "Flat" in over 1 ½ years. I still have some backups about 90 of them done on the "cheap stuff" and, as time wears on I lose a few more as I attempt to check them. I say to you, why did a backup play fine in "01"and "02" then "fail" in "03 ?? Some that were done in "01" never made it till "02" (it took me some time to learn, lol) and others done about the same time and "Failed" in "04"? Most of my backups from around December of "02" were done on the "good Stuff" and they still work fine today - not a single failure ! What about now ? Well in a very short time when the calender changes to 2005, I'm going to run the rest of them through. It's been too long and I don't want to run the risks that I've lost an original OR one has been borrowed and never returned (like that's never happened, Huh ?). I want my discs back and 005 is the year - Don't go through what I did, protect your investment. Cheers, Pete
Good question. I use 1-Click and love it. It's not technologically-challenging, so if someone is looking for a complex program...this isn't it.
No matter what proggy you use, good DVD media is still something that has to be looked into. BTW, There are differences in the quality of backups from different proggys. The most talked about ones here are DVD Decrypter and DVD Shrink. Both are FREE and don't requiire an engineering degree to use. After setup (done by a child in minutes) it requires just 3 clicks to backup a DVD. Not at all hard by any standards. Give it a try sometimes - (about 1/2 of the way down the page - http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/2/74599 Cheers on this Christmas eve, Pete
Pete, I read your experience and i would like to share mine. Although i have yet to buy Riteks (as that seems what everyone here recommends) I recently tried Verbatim disks, (+RWs, said "Advanced Metal AZO Dye" on case) just because I remembered reading about that here, so, i purchased a 5-pack (don't remember price, if i find it again, i'll update the post) and burned 5 of my little brother's (he is 5) DVD movies, everyone burned flawlessly Compare that to my "Memorex" experence, I purchased a 10-pack of there +RWs for a few reasons, one they where on sale, and two, I thought they were high-quality media, I couldn't have been more wrong. In that 10-pack, of +RWs I got only 3 good burns!!! Thats a bad record and i haven't bought from them sense.
Thank you Pop_Smith, Your storiy is one of hundreds in this forum. You see as I do so many Newbies "sold" on $.17ea media as the best around and they refuse to accept that the problem is their media. They continually post asking for help but refusing to listen when we say it's the discs. We could reduce so very many threads if they weren't so thick-headed. All we can do is to just keep chipping away at the wall they put up. I so wish they would at the very least try some decent media - They know sooo much that's wrong - (Lol) Happy New Year man - Pete
Well, I for one have been terribly disappointed in the entire DVD backup experience. I started perusing this forum around Feb of this year and purchased my 4x multiformat DVD burner in March. Since then, I have YET to make a perfect DVD backup without any problems. It has gotten so as I do not even care about it anymore (and that is a shame). Every DVD backup I make I get pixelation, video skip, sometimes after one or the other I get some sound sync problems. Why waste my money on trying this and that when NOTHING works. I use anydvd to decode, and I have used every program recommended in this forum and still I get the same results. I have used elby's cloneDVD, DVDShrink, Intervideo DVD Copy and it does not matter. Now I am not so naive as to think the problem is with the programs....all of them can not be bad because so many folks talk about how good they are. Then I read this post and Pete talking about how media can be the main cause and I thought AhHA! I am using those cheap "cheap" memorex discs and paying through the nose for them to boot. I bet THAT is my problem. I took this thread to heart and just KNEW I had found my problems. I purchased Ridata branded G04 white printable disks from meritline.com. I used the program on this thread to verify the disks as RitekG04 and on the hub is written in white letters "Ridata". It was not easy to cut through the mystery either. There are Ritek G04s (which does not seem to be branded) and then there are Ridata G04's (which DO seem to be branded) not that I know the difference as they come from the same company. But I purchased BRANDED Ridata G04. They came shrinkwrapped in red plastic and was loose (no cake box) except a hard top and bottom. Burned well. Faster than any DVD I had experienced before. Burned 4x as far as I can tell because it did so in just under 15 mins. I can tell the dye is deeper and more rich than the cheap Memorex I have. I was expecting great things. I purchased, I burned, I played in my GoVideo set top player and .........same thing. Pixelation, video skip, voice sync off. From what I can tell, these Ridata could be just another fancy name for Memorex. I see no difference in them. Now, I am bummed out again. How can folks claim to get near perfect DVD Backups when I can not. Disheartend, because I thought for sure I had found my problem and the cure. Now I have 150 DVDs that seem to be just alike. Dennis
You have used multiple Programs and Disc types. What kind of burner are you using. I use Necs with good results and Plextors and Pioneers do very well. The recorder may not be up to the task. You might play on a different DVD player also. Some players don't get along with some media. I would also try some Verbatim Azo metal dye just to be sure about the media.
I use an Iomega multiformat DVD Burner, and my DVD player is a GoVideo combo which is a good three years old now. I have thought about purchasing a really cheap DVD player that specifically states it plays DVD-R, OR I have really been interested in the GoVideo combo DVD player and DVD+R recorder so as to make it easier to record TV Programs, however, as I am unemployed at the moment, price is always a consideration. Dennis
To be honest here, its not just me that has these same problems. My friend had an LG burner and a different brand of DVD player in his den than I do. He has the same problems as I am having. Video Skip, pixelation etc. The ONLY thing we have in common were those cheap Memorex DVD-Rs are the programs we use. He uses the same DVD copy programs I use cause I recommended them to him and I got my info here. I thought the discs were going to be the answer. In the past, when I made a DVD backup and I had a proble on my player, he could not play them either. Dennis
Hey there Dennis, I'm sorry you haven't been having such great luck, maybe we can do a little better, OK ? Let's begin by using 1 DVD RW. That way, if a burn isn't perfect, we didn't lose a disc. For starters, we want to use those RiData discs, not the Memorex. Later on we'll see if we can't "baby" those "cheapo" Memorex through a burn so you haven't lost 2X, once by buying them and the second time as a coaster. For now, let's check your burners taste for media. Use this Compatibility site to see what to feed your "Old man" burner. http://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers.php Look up your player and see what discs it likes. As for a cheap player, I have a Cyber-Home ($39.99 everywhere) and it plays everything including a pepperoni pizza, if the cheese isn't too thick - It's an excellent buy. For right now, if the disc we burn plays on our PC, that should be good enough - depending on your PC - What are your PC's specs ? Next, let's use this guide of mine to edit and burn a backup. We now we can go from start to finish with just 2 programs (checkbook not necessary) and they are DVD Shrink and DVD Decrypter - Come on and get your FREE DVD Shrink, right here ~ ~> http://www.dvdshrink.org/ Now, over here in isle 5, get your FREE DVD Decrypter here ~ ~> http://www.dvddecrypter.com/ "How good is it ?" you ask ?It's so good that you might want to PRINT IT OUT NOW ! (Easier to follow, don't you know ? NOW, IS EVERYBODY READY ??? GOOD - First, you should create a folder for your DVD backup before hand. This is the place on your HD where DVD Shrink will work on your movie files and DVD Decrypter can pick them up there to burn'em to disc. Try to put it someplace where you won't forget it - i.e. C:\All DVD work\ Sleeping Beauty Kills Bill, needs Anger Management Now open up DVD Decrypter - and under "Mode", select "ISO" then "Write" - under "Source" you may leave that blank as DVD Decrypter will find the location that DVD Shrink put your ISO image in all by itself. Select your "Destination" as your Burner - and make sure that the box that says "Verify" is un-ticked (This last one will cut down on false DVD Decrypter errors). Do that now. OK, feel free to close DVD Decrypter now because when DVD Shrink is finished it will open DVD Decrypter by itself. Let's go get one of your favorite DVD's and make a copy of it so should something unforeseen happen, like a waterspout hit the Mojave Desert and claim the original you'll have a backup of it. Now you can place your original DVD in your DVD-ROM drive and a DVD blank in your burner's drive (If you have two drives). If you only have the one drive, put your original in that drive now. When the time comes for you to put in your blank in either the drive door will open OR a message will appear. As for your DVD media, PLEASE USE; TDK, Ritek G04, "Branded" RiData, Verbatim "DataLife", Verbatim DataLife "Plus", Phillips, Sony , media boasting "Advanced Metal AZO", Taiyo Yuden's and generally, almost any discs manufactured by Mitsubishi are excellent bets. Other media could cause unnecessary errors. Only the very best media should be used for DVD Video backups. Remember that RW discs will probably not play in older standalone players. But I suggest that you use your RW now until you get comfortable with the backup process. That way we won't be creating any "Coasters" during our trial period Now is defiantly not the time to put your, "Look how much money I saved on these." cheap stuff in.. Using quality media plays a major role in successful DVD burning. Certain "Name Brands" should not be trusted. If you're not sure, ask here before you buy. Now, into DVD Shrink we go, let's "click" "Edit", then "click" "Preferences" on this page we're going to select "DVD Target Size" as "Custom" and set the size between "4300MB" to "4360". - We do this to make sure that we don't burn to the very edge of the disc. When using poorer quality disc we may have to go lower still as the dye toward the edge many times is uneven or absent. Then, under the "File I/O" tab "UN-tick" "Enable burning with Nero" then "click" "OK". Let's do that now ! Now let's burn a DVD, OK ? Kweel ! Alright then, let's open DVD Shrink and "click' "Open Disk". We'll have to wait anywhere from 30-seconds to a minute for DVD Shrink to analyze (rip) your DVD. If you wish, we can edit your movie now. To trim some unnecessary items from your movie, you can "un-tick" some extra audio you don't want like the foreign audio streams, i.e. Klingon, Solarian Cluster Mush OR Eastern Himalayan Yak language selections or the Director's comments (also known as Outer Mongolian). I usually keep the 5:1 audio as that's your Dolby Surround Sound. All the rest I uncheck. This will result in your DVD requiring less compression and therefore providing you with a better quality picture. If you would like, as I do, to get rid of all the extras and trailers thus compressing your movie as little as possible (giving you the very best quality picture), click "Re-author" then, under "Main Movie" select "Title 1" If there are additional choices, look at the time and select the title with the longest time as that is usually the main attraction. "Click" and drag the "Title 1" from the right-hand side of the screen to the left-hand side, under the "DVD Structure" (DVD) and release it there. Additional editing may be done by using the "Start" \ "Finish" controls to the right of the "DVD Compilation" heading on the left-hand side of the Re-author window. Bingo, Bango, you are done editing, giving you the least compression (best quality), backup possible. Now select "Backup" to get ready to finish. NOTE: If you want a "Full backup", that's everything on the original disc on your backup. We need to be sure that the "Full Disc" icon is depressed. Don't try to cheer it up and don't worry, it likes being "depressed". There's no problem in doing a "Full backup" as long as we don't see any "Red" on the size bar at the top of your window. If you should see some "Red" on the size bar, simply "Un-tick" any foreign languages, i.e. Klingon, Solarian Mush-mouth, Director's comments or DTS sound boxes until the "Red" disappears. Actually you can "Un-tick" those things anyway, it'll lessen the compression on your backup. (a good thing With no "Red" visible on the size bar we just let the "Automatic" (Default) settings alone. Since we are editing our DVD, DO NOT TOUCH THE "FULL DISC" BUTTON. Clicking the "Full Disc" button will erase our editing work and reset DVD Shrink to do a full backup. It's now time to select Backup". Take just a second and under "Target Device" go to "Select backup target " once there, select "ISO Image File and burn with DVD Decrypter". Now, under "Quality Settings", if it's SPEED you're after, "un-tick" the box which says, "Perform deep analysis" and "un-tick" the box for "Compress the video with high quality adaptive error compensation". This will give you an acceptable DVD backup. If it's QUALITY you're after and have some extra time to spend, "tick" Perform deep analysis before backup to improve quality" AND "tick" "Compress video with high quality adaptive error compensation." There you may adjust quality enhancements. Practicing with the settings can produce even better end products. For a no-frills DVD's like "There's something about Mary" I like Extra Smooth BUT for DVD's with a lot of special effects, I use the Extra Sharp setting. That's for me, you'll have to decide what you like If all the boxes are "grayed out" that's OK, it means your DVD is small enough that little will be lost from the original. Good, now click "OK." Finally, where it says "Select target image file", browse till you find your created folder for your backup, C:\All DVD Work\Sleeping Beauty Kills Bill, needs Anger Management and click "Save". That's it ! Click "OK" and enjoy a peaceful cup of tea. DVD Shrink will work it's little heart out, obeying your commands and putting a copy of your work on your HD while instructing DVD Decrypter to toast your DVD to your waiting disc to a rich, golden "Done".. - Believe it or not, that was as hard as it ever gets - We'll not have to mess with our settings again I KNOW you won't go anywhere near that PC while it's working cause we don't want to mess up our backup this late in the game do we ? Tell me now, . . . . Wasn't that finer than frog hair ? Slicker than a slimy, slithery, Southern, three-toed Sloth ? When it's finished, give it a spin then tell me how it went - Cheers, Pete I want to see how this goes before we do anything else - )
This is a definite recommendation to anyone new (or even just uncomfortable) with DVD burning, in that pack of Memorex i bought, i used one of the 3 good burned disks and rewrote (just to see if it really worked) a few movies over about a week, this boosted my confidence and i now use Verbatim +/-R disks as they are cheaper then RWs.
well, i have had lots of problems with memorex dvd+r's. i used dvd identifier to check out this new 100pk sony dvd+r's and they are also made by Ricoh. i was a little disappointed at first but i have burned about 40 of the 100 and i have had no problems at all.
Thanks Pete. It may take me a couple days to get all of the testing done, so bear with me. I can tell you that the website you gave me does not have my Iomega super DVD writer listed. Now sure what you meant to "see what kind of disks it likes" but its a multiformat writer so I can use DVD+-R/RW as well as CD+-R/RWs. My Computer system is a Athlon 1G procesor with 256k of ram. I have 240 Gigs of HD. I have been working with computers for 20 years, just new to DVD burning. In my naivity, I just thought anydvd and clonedvd2 would "just work" but I was wrong. When I get these tests done, I will get back to you in this thread, however, I do not think my DVD player will play RWs. Dennis
