Author Topic: DVD questions... (Read 527 times)

Nilsen · « **on:** December 25, 2003, 02:54:16 PM »

Im about to order a dvd setup for my "old" laptop

btw, see this :

http://www.hitechcreations.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=104538

and i have a few questions.

Is dvd just Mpeg2 format? Can i just convert any clip i have to mpeg2 and make it work on my dvd player thats connected to my tv ?

Any good and free software to convert clips of diff formats to mpeg2 (if that is the correct format) ?

Pfunk · « **Reply #1 on:** December 25, 2003, 03:38:08 PM »

If your laptop does not have either USB2 or Firewire dont even bother, most if not all external dvd burners require that you have at least one of the two. You can however buy a PCMCIA USB2 or Firewire card, then it "should" work

Pfunk · « **Reply #2 on:** December 25, 2003, 03:40:40 PM »

Depending on the company the burner should come with software that allows you to make DVD's with video that will work in your standalone.

Nilsen · « **Reply #3 on:** December 25, 2003, 04:33:45 PM »

Thx pfunk.

Im getting an external firewire dvd cabinet, dvd recorder and firewire cardbus pcmcia.

http://www.hitechcreations.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=104538

SLO · « **Reply #4 on:** December 25, 2003, 04:34:15 PM »

DVD's use .CUE(info file) and .BIN(image file)

too convert....use IsoBuster....its a fantastic tool for converting.....if you have kazaa it will take you 2 minutes to get it.

about your DVD player to TV.....it really depends on your setup

Windows Media players plays most formats now.....

maybe a few things you will need to get though.....such as CODECS.....these will help Windows media player to play such files(.Bin)

I use only 1....its a codec package.....called SLD...very easy too get on the NET.

hope it helps:aok

Nilsen · « **Reply #5 on:** December 25, 2003, 05:03:23 PM »

Thx SLO

I have SLD and getting IsoBuster later.

Mostly im gonna burn movies from a DVI camera and some clips in alot of diff formats that ive gotten on kazaa etc

How about resolutions etc....?

Lets say i wanna convert 10 clips of different resolutions on one dvd, will that cause problems, or will the DVD player sort it out?

Any max or minimum recomended resolutions? will the software that makes the dvd sort that out for me?

Thx for all the help, im close to ordering it.

Nashwan · « **Reply #6 on:** December 25, 2003, 05:29:21 PM »

I'm not sure about the NEC 1300A. It had a reputation for being picky with disks not long ago, but new firmware might have fixed that.

http://www.dvdrhelp.com has a large user maintained database of writers, what disks they are compatible with, desktop players and what format they are compatible with, and tutorials on capturing, editing and converting video clips to dvd.

Vulcan · « **Reply #7 on:** December 26, 2003, 06:05:14 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by SLO
DVD's use .CUE(info file) and .BIN(image file)

Ummm no they don't. .cue and .bin are a proprietery binary image file format (usually of a CD). IE if someone takes a snapshot of CD it is in a .bin/.cue file format. Its also used (more rarely) for the same thing with DVDs.

Video files on DVDs are usually .vob format.

Windows media player does NOT play .bin files, this are a binary image of a CD/DVD. As such they include the file system structure and confuse the crap out of media player.

Nilsen if you want some reasonable authoring software try WinDVD Creator, its reasonable. Or for a complete suite try the Ulead products (mediastudio pro). Both are easy to use and do all the resolution conversion etc for you.

Nashwan I use the NEC1100A, its lovely drive (couldn't see the use for -R/RW). I've heard LOTS of feedback that cheap DVDs are the main cause of problems with all DVD burners.

Nilsen · « **Reply #8 on:** December 26, 2003, 06:31:12 AM »

Thc Vulcan, ive also heard that the main culprit is usually cheap, low qulaity empty dvd's.

Ill se if i can find the software you suggested to.

I downloaded IsoBuster, and it looks like some sort of recovery program.

Vulcan · « **Reply #9 on:** December 26, 2003, 06:41:36 AM »

ISOBuster basically lets you extract individual files or add files into a CD image.

For example, if I downloaded a CD-Image of a warez cd that say had a whole pile of Adobe programs on it normally I'd have to burn the CD then copy off what I wanted from the written CD. Isobuster lets me explore the .bin file and take out only the stuff I want (without burning a CD).

Oh, and if you want to copy DVD's the XcopyExpress from 321Studios is pretty damn good

Nilsen · « **Reply #10 on:** December 26, 2003, 06:55:33 AM »

Thx, its good that its legal to make copies of my dvd's....as backup incase they get destroyed

SLO · « **Reply #11 on:** December 26, 2003, 07:39:33 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Vulcan

Windows media player does NOT play .bin files, this are a binary image of a CD/DVD. As such they include the file system structure and confuse the crap out of media player.

explain then how come I just watched TimeLine, ROTK, Bad Santa, Last Samurai, Looney Tunes etc etc all in .Bin format in Windows Media.

how come i can get a .bin file and 5 minutes later have it formated in MPEG just like he asked.....by using IsoBuster.

and yes i was wrong....Bin .Cue are for CD's....sorry nilson....fugged up on that 1.

Nilsen · « **Reply #12 on:** December 26, 2003, 07:57:17 AM »

np SLO

Nashwan · « **Reply #13 on:** December 26, 2003, 08:42:08 AM »

Quote

Nashwan I use the NEC1100A, its lovely drive (couldn't see the use for -R/RW). I've heard LOTS of feedback that cheap DVDs are the main cause of problems with all DVD burners.

Definately. It's nice to be able to use cheap DVDs though. I just wish any DVD blank would work in any DVD drive. Perhaps they'll get it right when dual layer writeable drives come out next Spring.

Nilsen · « **Reply #14 on:** December 26, 2003, 09:21:42 AM »

Any tips on good brands of empty dvd -r and -rw discs?

There are so many to chose from, and it seems that price does not always mater that much.