Gateway is where I bought my computer. Below is what Gateway has to say about the best DVD writeable drive that is compatable with my computer. What writeabel DVD drive can I get that is as good or better than the one Gateway says to get? I want to clone movies. I have a CD that I clone music. What I suggest is that you purchase an external DVD burner drive on to your computer. The Pacific Digital 8x8 External USB 2.0 DVD+/-CDRW Burner is the most compatible drive for your computer. This drive has a USB 2.0 connector that complies with your computer's USB connector. I also have Nero. What else do I need?
External dvd-rw drives are not my cut of tea. Internal is the way to go,if you got the open slot in your case.Even pulling out a cd drive for the dvd-rw drive would still be the better option.Dvd-rw drives can do both cd and dvd burning. But if external is only option,get a quality dvd-rw drive like benq 1620/1640/Lite-on/or plextor and place it in an external enclosure to use as an external burner. Try newegg.com for these drives and an external enclosure. All but the plextors can be had for well under $50 including fed ex. I'd imagine enclosures may run between $20-$30? What else! Nero cannot pull of encryptions,so you'll need other programs.Try the free ones like dvd shrink and dvd decrypter.Quality programs! Cloning dvds? Original dvds come in 2 sizes, dvd-5 are the smaller ones,and dvd-9 are the huge ones. Nero cannot compress dvd-9 to dvd-5,but nero recode2 can,but not pull off encryption. This is where dvd shrink comes in.It compresses those dvd-9 movies so you can fit them onto standard single layer 4.7 g blank discs.You can also cut out some other stuff on them to reduce compression. It's a very nice free program and is a must.Since you got nero,dvd shrink can automatically pull it up to autoburn with no extra steps. Dvd decrypter: Has 2 ripping functions,and also a burn engine. File mode is for the dvd-9 movies.It places an ISO on your hard drive,then open up dvd shrink,locate that ISO/compress it/and burn with either nero or dvd decrypter.Dvd decrypter is a more powerful ripper. Those dvd-5's don't need compressed: You can use dvd decrypter in Mode ISO read-sends those files to hard drive/and the Mode ISO write-Locate the MDS file and burn. Very easy program for non-compression. Backing up those dvd-9 movies to Dual Layer media: Dvd decrypter in Mode iso read and write,again no compression.You can also use dvd shrink,but it takes longer and nero has a problem with the layer break.Nero7 is suppose to take care of that. Now dvd shrink and dvd decrypter are no longer being updated. Another program called anydvd by slysoft will help these programs rip the newer encryptions. It's a background ripper,so no extra steps are required. This is a very nice ripper for both cd and dvd ripping. It can also be used with nero on noncompressed backups on the fly.It's riskier,but capable if you have the quality burner and media. Quality Media? Oh yea, the most critical part of backing up dvds is the media.The cheap stuff can cause major headaches. Not only trying to get it to burn,but those stand alone players will have a harder time playing them. Using the quality media like taiyo yuden and verbatim,along with a 4x burn speed can take care of a lot of issues. Try dvd decrypter and dvd shrink. Dvd shrink will handle 90% of those original dvd ripping and then you can auto burn with your nero. The newer sony arccos encryption will give shrink problems,so dvd decryptor will be needed.Anydvd also is very handy. Here's some great guides for dvd shrink and dvd decrypter : http://home.comcast.net/~bbmayo/index.html
WOW!!!!! All of this is hard to grasp. It will probably be very easy, but for now it's like I have a load that is too large for me. Can we take it one step at a time and sort of walk me through it. Is burning as much trouble as it seems to be? I thought a program likd Nero or Cloner II, which I also have would do most all of burning. There is no problem with the media. That seems to be all I really understand right now. First I need is what?...Second would be: and so forth. Are you willing to walk me thorugh all this step by step. I'll type it out as I understand it so I can look back on your steps. Let me know please. Thank you! Tom
WOW!!!!! All of this is hard to grasp. It will probably be very easy, but for now it's like I have a load that is too large for me. Can we take it one step at a time and sort of walk me through it. Is burning as much trouble as it seems to be? I thought a program likd Nero or Cloner II, which I also have would do most all of burning. There is no problem with the media. That seems to be all I really understand right now. First I need is what?...Second would be: and so forth. Are you willing to walk me thorugh all this step by step. I'll type it out as I understand it so I can look back on your steps. Let me know please. OH, I don't have another slot for a internat drive. I checked with Gateway. I have to use a external. There is no way around it. Can you tell me where I can get a CD/DVD readers and write the both? That way I can take out the CD reader and writer and the DVD reader? But really, Gateway said an external is the way to go for me and my machine. Help!!!!!!! Thank you! Tom
When it comes to dvd backing up, the main thing is quality. Quality burner,Quality media,and Quality programs. Just because you see the word quality,doesn't mean you have to pay more for it. Those free programs I posted are very good quality programs.After I get done using dvd shrink and nero,those backups look near original and they play everywhere that I put those backups in. Dvd shrink and nero is a very good combination for my on both my pcs. It's even nicer on dual drives. 3 or 4 clicks and bam,process starts: Dvd shrink rips and encodes to hd/nero automatically burns them. Dvd burning is more extreme compared to cd burning. Placing 7-8 gigs onto a blank 4.38 gb disc is excruciating.That's where quality comes in. Now when you get the backup process done,then you have the issue of stand alone players that may not play your backups. That's where the quality burners and media again come into play.I've got 5 pc burners and they all vary as to which players will recognize which burners backups. Many things can occur when it comes to dvd ripping and burning,so keep posted to AD and learn as much as you can. The members here can save you time/aggravation/and money. I don't know if I can walk you through it.Give those guides from bbmayo a good looking over.Use the search function to find most of your answers. You may also want to check out scubapete's guides. Last week I wanted to burn some full hub printable cds and forgot how to do it! LOL Took a few minutes to remember.
I read your thread (I guess that's what you call it), this stuff is confusing a the dickens!!!! I declare, it is like reading or listening to someone speak a foreign language. I thought the programs, like Nero, did everything. By the way, I downloaded the rip program and the one that condenses the 4.8GB to something. BUT...I have no idea in the world how to use them. Are they used with Nero, and if so, how and when???? Where do I start and when do I use the programs, and how. You said to look for the AD, and again, I have no idea what you mean. I'm sorry for being so stupid, I hate being that way, maybe that is why the forum is here. For dummies like me. I tell you what. I really appreciate your help, even though I'm confused, as I thought DVD burning would be a whole lots simpler. Hang in there. I guess I meant walk me through it cause I don't understand anything.
