Commonsense cures

I've written this post as I've seen many people asking similar questions - and I've had similar headaches myself. OK, I can't tell you how to solve every backup problem but I can show you how to spot where the problem is. This should either lead you directly to the solution or at least give you enough info so that a discussion group can help more easily. My guide isn't elegant, nor does it cover everything but it may give you a helping hand. I use DVD decryptor and DVD shrink. Why? They are free, popular (so lots of discussion groups) and regularly updated. You can use your own burner software if you choose.

1. Play the movie from DVD. If it doesn't play clean the disk and try again. Obvious. If it still doesn't work get yourself another viewer program. If still no joy you have a driver of hardware fault. Update you OS and check your manufacturer for bug-free drivers. You may also a confict (check your interrupts).
2. OK, the disk play. Now run DVD decryptor to copy the DVD to a hard disk folder. Play the movie from the folder. If it doesn't play update DVD decryptor. If it still doesn't work ctrl+alt+del and kill every application not essential to this task. If still not joy you at least know it lies with the DVD decryptor program.
3. Delete the folder and decrypt again. Why? Some viewers modify the folder/files which could cause problems. It is easy to spot what has changed when you know your apps do this.
4. Run DVD shrink. Again play from a folder. If it doesn't play this is where the problem lies. Try and correct the problem as in 2.
5. Do 3 again.
6. OK if you have got this far you problem lies with either your disks or your burner setup. Burn a few disks and see whether you get problems.
7. Buy a different brand of DVDs. Use +Rs as they tend to work in more machines. Pay as much as you can (no guarentee of quality but it is more likely). Burn your disk (you can use DVD decryptor to do this so long as you set shrink to make an iso). If you get problems all the time it is likely to be your burner that is at fault. If you lose maybe only 10% of your burns it could be the media. If anyone knows how to objectively test the quality of your media I'd be very interested.
8. OK, your media seems fine but your burns still don't work. Tricky! Again update your software (OS, apps, drivers). Sometimes going back to an older, more stable set of drivers can do the trick. Kill all you unnecessary apps. Is your writer external USB? If so it could be the USB interface. Unplug all your USB devices (safely) except your drive. Kill all apps that use USB.
9. Try and burn data onto a DVD (i.e. files and folders not a movie). Does it work? If not your drive is the problem (inc. drivers, burner software).

Best of luck.......

 

.....except you don't need to use Decrypter with DVD Shrink - that is where your problem lies. To backup a movie to disc it's best to use DVD Shrink on it's own. You don't need to check whether a movie plays after ripping it if you are going to burn to disc. Shrink will do everything including burning with Nero in one go. 'My guide isn't elegant' had me chuckling quite a-lot...good try.

 

Cheers for the followup. I just wrote it on-the-fly (as you can tell) while I was trying to solve my problems. I'd tried using shrink on it's own but sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. It might have just been the disks I used but decryptor has worked every time so far. In writing the post I was just trying to bridge the gap (rather poorly) for folks who have just bought a burner and start to get get backup failures. As a newbie you don't really know if it is a problem with the DVD you are trying to backup, the hardware, the drivers, the backup software or the DVD media. In my own case it turned out to be my USB mouse interfering with my USB burner. I'd seen a lot of posts suggesting that it was simply media failure - in the end I had to go through those steps until I had figured out the problem. Once I now know my system works I can use the quicker routes to backup DVDs.
P.S. I'll try and write more clearly in future (after this post anyway).

 

No problem. I don't envy you having a USB burner - are you using a laptop?

 

As real newbee, I believe, you have made some very valid points here Geordie Si,

Untill by pure chance, I got meself involved with with this dvd thing; a few/day/nights/lifes'?' ago.

My prime intrest was English and writing, and living within ones imagined (?) cyber life.

However the reality's of this subject, focus "whut's really going on?"

And where trolly folk, could just upset a writer; 'tis a different situation, and I'm with Bro the Bear. Lol

A long-winded Bump

 

Diskmania. Yes I got the USB burner for my laptop. I've since solved the problems but now that I've cut down on the coffee I should be able to make my thoughts clear ;-)

I was getting failed burns. The movie was exiting after the first title page. When I washed the failed disk through DVD decryptor I got lots of I/O errors.
According to the Microsoft knowledgebase article (261461):

"There is no USB mechanism to reserve bulk transfer bandwidth. Other USB devices that are present, including network adapters, reduce the bandwidth that is available to the CD-R/RW drive, which results in buffer underruns during the write (burn) process."

Although this was written for CD burners I suspect that the same thing holds true of DVDs also. There is also a problem with STALL commands sent by applications (covered in a different article) which can lead to similar USB problems.

The upshot is that you end up with errors in the DVD and it simply won't play. Clearly some disks will work and some won't - it depends where the errors are. It can look very much like a media quality problem. I've seen lots of posts of I/O error problems from people with USB burners and maybe USB interference is to blame.

Still not short but perhaps more clear.

Simon.