burning copy protected dvds

Up until today, I had believed there was only 1 God,
now I know there are really 3!!!

Our Lord Almighty
Scuba Pete &
Big Orange

GO GUYS.......

 

Did I hear someone looking for a Boo-Boo meister Pete? LOL

Someone way back in this thread mentioned Imation as a less than desirable brand. Look again, that is one of the brands manufactured by Ricoh and is one of the better brands unless they change manufacturers. That is what happened to Memorex. They switched so much no one knows what they're buying. Some of their media was made by major companies that make media for other brand names. [bold]A lot of good media is made for different brands by the same manufacturers.[/bold] An example is Ricoh. Maxell, Imation, Verbatim, and RiData, are just some of the brands produced by Ricoh.
Memorex used to use Ricoh, but they switched. So, it is easy to see why the mixed reports on Memorex. Some people could have gotten the good media while others may have gotten the questionable stuff.
_X_X_X_X_X_[small][bold]'brobear'[/bold]



I was an earth-rim walker, a lurker at the threshold of the abyss. - Grendel -

[bold]Et tu, Brute![/bold][/small]

 

On the question of ripping speeds, lets all get on the same playing field first. I've noticed people using terms to mean different things. Like a rip took 2 hours; meaning the recording took 2 hours. That could be confusing. Usually "rip" means the decryption process or decrypting and storing to the HD. Encoding or transcoding is the process of taking the decrypted/ripped file and sizing (compressing) it to fit the target disk. "Burning" is the process of recording the encoded (shrunk/compressed) files to disk. So there you have Rip + Encode + Burn; which are the basic steps involved in a backup.

Several things are involved in rip time. With DVD Decrypter a favorite of mine, or DVD Shrink, the rip process depends on disc size, DVD 5 or 9, and how large the Video_TS file is. As with most things the CPU and RAM have to be taken into account along with the amount of system resources free to accomplish the task. With some Decrypters and programs, the decryption is almost instantaneous as with AnyDVD (a background decrypter) used with a transcoder program such as DVDCopy2. From short DVD 5 to large movies on DVD 9, my rip times vary from about 10 to 25 minutes, unless I use AnyDVD to record on the fly (best to be done with a fast cpu and lots of RAM).

Encoding is usually the time consuming process and varies due to system resources, the application used and the settings. I've done encodes in 20 min or less for full length movies on some programs and several hours for others. One of my favorite encoders is RB/CCE and it takes a few hours to encode a movie. However the results are astounding and the time involved is worth it.

Burning is relatively fast. 4X is usually about 15 minutes. The faster burners can beat that time, but 4X is a good speed because fewer errors occur at the lower writing speed and the media being less expensive is a plus.

So weigh the variables when you go to talking about speed when making DVD backups and try to make sure you're using the terms to mean the same thing when talking about the process. I've been at it a while and I still get confused at times.

 

[bold]Did I hear someone looking for a Boo-Boo meister Pete? LOL [/bold]

hmmm.....I believe that'd be me, (according to my wife) LOL ;>)

 

I had no problem burning dvds as of today. when i am in the BACKUP stage of DVDSHRINK and i select my "folder or temporary files" i do not have enough space. ScubaPete said 4260MB is the recommended file size in the "Prefrences" in DVDSHRINK option. that was no problem before. Now when i select my temporary folder every folder i pick has 3992MB. DVDSHRINK wont let me continue cuz there is not enough space..Help please

 

How large is your hard drive and how much free space is left on the drive?

 

This is so cool! I made my second backup today.
This time I hit standby on my cable modem,
paused my antivirus,
cleaned the DVD first (I thought I'd read that contact lens solution is ok to use - hope that's true)
and I UNchecked the low priority option in DVDShrink.

This movie encoded in like 10 minutes versus the last one was two hours! Granted, this file was only 2.5 GB, but logic leads me to believe a 4GB movie will take around 20 minutes then. The average burn rate (is that the right phrase?) was 5400kb/s.

[bold]This is SO COOL!!! THANK YOU!![/bold]

This is a somewhat unrelated question: Can you use permanant markers (i.e. "Sharpies") to write on the top side of DVD?

 

The permanent Sharpie is one of the best ways to ID discs; no out of balance labels or deterioration problems down the rode. For the terminology look at my previous post. I got a bit confused when I read what you wrote. For cleaning discs, a mild solution of vinegar and distilled water works great. (It also works good for cleaning windows and glasses.) Then just dry and polish the disk with a soft lint free cloth (old tshirts work fine). That contact cleaner is a bit pricier than vinegar and water.

 

Yes, contac solution would be pretty spendy on a regular basis wouldn't it! I didn't have any rubbing alcohol on hand and I never even thought of vinigar & water, thanks!

Btw, it really was the encoding that only took 10 minutes; I was amazed! And then the burning I never did have a problem with so I guess I didn't need to put that in there. I can see where that sounded strange, I sort of put two thoughts into one. Sorry

 

The vinegar and water is what you get for ammonia free glass cleaner in the nice spray bottles. It's a whole lot cheaper to just mix your own. The plus is that it has a better scent than the alcohol you mention and isn't as damaging to surfaces.

That 10 min rip you mention is about par for a small file. Don't get upset if you see that climb to 20 to 25 min for a large capacity DVD with large files.

 

That's why I'm so happy... 20-25 minutes will be great compared to the two hours the very first one took.

I really appreciate all the help and guidance I found here; thanks

 

Hey there Brobear, is that really you ???

You haven't been around for awhile there good guy, It's been a bit since I listed Imitation BUT a bit of Imitation is still made by CMC (dye type unknown) as is our Memorex, Verbatim (not the stuff I listed) and Phillips (some of which is made by Mitsubishi). Speaking of Mitsubishi, they make Memorex (in the 25-spindle pack only) as well as some a lot of the stuff we like. Memorex still has 90% of their stuff listed by me as crap.

As they say, "The players may change but the game is the game." And to think it was once limited to walnut shells - or maybe not (Lol)

Brings to mind another saying, "If Wishes were Horses then Beggars would be Kings."

A great thought BUT Newbies must be accepted as what they are, Newbies. IMHO, tis pure folly to try to teach Newbies the correct terminology PRIOR to giving them help. When they say that their "Ripping" takes them a couple of hours, I know what they mean and will forgo the lecture on incorrect terminology and answer their questions.

When someone knows the difference between Rendering, Ripping, Encoding and Burning then I'll send them to the Advanced Forum.

That being said, May I have your permission to use your explanation for future times when a Newbie asks the difference between the different parts of the process ? It was such a good explanation I would really hate for it to go to waste (Lol)

And your point is that there is no other way to clean a disc ?

Brobear, I know you didn't mean that -Of course there are a thousand different ways and some may wish a choice no matter what - it's not ours to wonder why -

(Glad you stopped by,


Wcombs9,

PLEASE go back to my guide on the first page, that target number was too low, a revised number is in the updated guide -


Cheers,

Pete

BTW, Big "O", you're still doing a most excellent job -


_X_X_X_X_X_[small]
The “old man” Pete (ö¿ô)
Compaq 8000, Pent IV CPU 2.84GHz, 1024MB RAM, 520GB HD.
Pioneer 107, 8X R/W , Nec R/W ND-1300A, JLMS DVD ROM.
128MB GeForce4 TI 4200, O/S XP[/small]

 

Pete
Feel free to use the description, it became public property as soon as it hit the forum. You're right when beginners say things in context, we can usually figure out what they mean. However, when they start giving times on different aspects of recording and they conflict, then we have confusion. That's why I gave the brief description to get the beginners started in understanding what they're saying, instead of trying to sound like some old "burners".

As far as cleaners go, a soft cloth and water or a soft cloth will suffice to do the job. Anything that will remove the smudges and not damage the disc surface is acceptable. I was just handing out the glass cleaner formula because vinegar and water are commonly found items that are not damaging to most surfaces. It's even something of a bio friendly cleaner and does a better than average job. I'm sure most folks know the many ways to clean a surface. Heck, they can spit on it if they want to or even pour beer on it; however the latter would be a real waste. LOL

Pete, I guess I should have been more specific on Imation media. Imation +R is good, Imation -R is questionable. I always use +R so I sometimes overlook pointing out the -R. Guess I should be more careful as you should be in lumping an entire brand as bad or good because of one segment of their offering. The +R Imation are manufactured by Ricoh unless things have changed recently. CMC is the manufacturer for the -R Imation media. I didn't notice your mentioning Ricoh as a manufacturer and brand. They are one of the better disks along with MCC, TY, and Ritek. Those 4 manufacturers produce most of the quality media we recommend.

The set up at Imation is similar to that of Memorex until this past year. For a long time Memorex was selling +R Ricoh and -R CMC. Then Memorex started using CMC for both +R and -R. That's how you get the reports of good and bad media with Memorex in the past. It was hard to keep up with what they were selling when. Then one runs into different stock of particular offerings, such as a spindle of media by one manufacturer and jewel cases by another. It's just when the media comes down the supply system as well as who is currently manufacturing for the brand. I got a bulk shipment of Memorex pancakes by Ricoh. Then I purchased a small spindle and found CMC. That was when I stopped purchasing Memorex. At that time CMC had started supplying + and -R media and Ricoh was out of the Memorex picture except for old stock. Ritek even made some media for Memorex. It's just such a gamble that Memorex is questionable for the prices they normally ask.

Media and who manufactured it and who sold it is confusing and sometimes misleading.

Reminds me of the time I said buying media can be like a crapshoot. Appears we've finally started to agree on this subject Pete. So the best we can do is name a brand that has been consistent. We should also try to remember what they were consistent at because brands sell different manufacturers' merchandise and in the case of media the + and -R often have different manufacture codes; i.e. Ritek branded -R is Ritek, but the Ritek-Ridata +R is a Ricoh. (I hear Ritek and Ricoh are sister companies now.) The point being that long dissertations on good and bad are confusing. Unless it's brought up I just say +R in Verbatim, Maxell, Imation, RiData and Ricoh are safe bets for getting Ricoh manufactured media. (With Verbatim one has the likelihood of getting MCC or TY which are as good or better than Ricoh.) Ritek branded is the best bet for a consistant -R. I don't do much -R so I don't keep up with those brands and manufacturers off the top of my head.

Where is that list of yours Pete? I'd like to take a peek so I'll know more on the media subject.


_X_X_X_X_X_[small][bold]'brobear'[/bold]



I was an earth-rim walker, a lurker at the threshold of the abyss. - Grendel -

[bold]Et tu, Brute![/bold][/small]

 

Many thanks ScubaPete;
I have been very succesfull backing up several of my movies thanks to your precise and funny way of explaining the backup mystery..

 

We all agree that Pete is the "Newbie Renaissance Man". His work with beginners is exemplary.
Had enough yet? Have a good evening Pete.

 

i am having a problem with buring dvds with nero. I used X video Converter to convert my files to .vob files. and that worked great but now i am stuck because i dont kno who program to use to combime all the files into one. I used Ifoedit and after 7% an error comes up to many frames droped. SO if anyone can tell me what to do i would be very happy

 

NVE(NeroVisionExpress) will let you combine the files, create chapters, and then create a menu, and then burn to disc. It comes in the Nero Ultra 6 suite.

BTW, NVE will also convert the files for you eliminating the need for another program such as X video converter :>)

 

Newbie here. Tried to read through most of the threads. Sorry if this is a repeat. I originally was using DVDXCOPY Platinum, but was having "Error writing DVD - Please see log file" errors. Saw Scuba Pete's suggestions on DVD Shrink and decided to give it a try. I had little problem using it and burned a backup using it and Nero (I received Nero OEM 5 Bundle when I bought my DVD Burner - Toshiba 5272). It plays fine on my PC, but my DVD Player won't play it. Never had this problem with DVDXCOPY. So I'm not sure what I did wrong? Any suggestions?

 

I have over 500 movies all labled with the reliable and trusty Sharpie.

 

ScubaPete! BigOrange! Flip! Help, guys! The image-making process has now degenerated into an unbelievable crawl! Before, it used to take about 20 minutes to copy to my hard disk, now it's almost 3 hours!

At first I thought that I was working with movies that were unique in some way, but now I realise that regardless of the source disc, it has simply become a VEEEERRRYY slow process.

I even disabled a lot in the System Configuration Utility (Start, Run, msconfig) to free up system resources but that was clearly not the problem.

Please help me out here, guys. I'll buy pizza and beer.