DVD Copying Problems

[Movie_Junkie]

I am having intermittent problems copying my DVD movie collection.

My computer setup is as follows:
Intel P4 3.4G, Windows XP Pro, 2GB RAM, 2 Sony DRU-710A drives each set as a master on different IDE channels. Each drive has DMA turned on. I also have two 250GB 7200 RPM WD drives. I just recently built this computer. Other than the required software for the hardware in the computer, and the DVD software, I have not installed any other programs yet.

I am using DVD Shrink 3.2.0.15, and Nero 6. This version of Nero came with the Sony drives. I am burning at 4X.

I have DVD Shrink copy the files to my second HD (not the system HD).

What happens is that I will sometimes get copies that have a scene that will freeze for a second or two (I do not know if there are additional scenes that freeze in the movie because I have always stopped it when the problem happens. The problem is there no matter if I play the copy in either of the two Sony drives or in a stand-alone player. I check the same location on the original movie (not a copy) but do not find the problem happening there. This problem may happen on my first burn, or after I have burned one or more discs that had no problems. For example yesterday I made backups of three of my DVDs and they all appeared to be OK. Today the first burn I did had the problem appear about 30 minutes into the movie. Another movie I had burned last week had the same problem happen about 25 seconds into the movie.

None of the movies have needed to be compressed nor were any files removed.

I am using RiTek G05 8X DVD-R discs.

I would appreciate any help or suggestions.

[cynthia]

To find out if it is in the burning process or in the playing process you have your problem - do this test;

Download www.dvdinfopro.com (freeware) insert one of your burned disc and selelct the option "Test your media for CRC read errors" - if you only get green dots you know that your burning is ok and it is the player that causes the problem. If you get any read dots - you know something else.

Also make sure you have the latest updates for your Nero. Version 6.6.0.1 is the latest. It's free to update. www.nero.com

Do you use labels?

[Movie_Junkie]

Thanks for your help.

I have downloaded DVDInfo as you suggested. I used it to check two of the problem discs and it showed that there were no CRC errors (all green) on both discs.

Should I assume that the problem is with the drive I burned the discs on? Is there a way to test it?

One thing I forgot to mention is that I also have an internal Zip 250 drive attached as a slave to the IDE channel that the Sony, which is being used for burning, is the master. I do not try to use the Zip drive (nor the computer) while the reading/copying process is going on.

[setarip]

"I have DVD Shrink copy the files to my second HD"

If you play the HARDRIVE copy on your PC, with a software DVD player (such as WinDVD or PowerDVD - "Play as DVD", NOT individual .VOBs), does it exhibit the same behaviour?

If it does, it would then seem that the problem is occurring during your use of DVD Shrink.

Make certain you have turned off all unnecessary programs (foreground and background) when converting...

[nwg]

You could also try burning at a slower speed.

[Movie_Junkie]

setarip: I did not think to try that. I have always just deleted the files after the burn. I will try that next time the problem happens.

nwg: While I did want to do that I was unable to lower the burn speed below 4X. When I click on "Backup", in DVDShrink, a box opens. When I go to the "Burn Settings" tab, in the box, the only speeds that are available to me are maximum, 4X, 6X and 8X. If you know of a way to lower the burn speed to either 1X or 2X please tell me how to do it.

[Movie_Junkie]

setarip: Thsi is VERY strange. I just used DVD Shrink to copy the files from one of the burned DVDs that has the problem. It was copied to my D drive. I used PowerDVD 6 to play the movie from the disc. The problem appeared in the same spot it it had appeared before. I then used PowerDVD to play the movie from the harddrive. There was no problem! I watched the area the problem had occured in a number of times to make nothing was missing or jumped over. I found no problems.

I have not yet tried the second disc but I wanted to post this to see if you might know what is going on. It appears to be a media incompatibility problem but if that is the case why do I get a successful burn?

[setarip]

"It appears to be a media incompatibility problem but if that is the case why do I get a successful burn?"

Because all of the data was successfully written to the DVD. Media incompatibility (to any degree) is a reference to players' inability to read properly from the media, not necessarily the total inability to read. It's now apparent that both of your Sony's and your standalone player (Just curious, Is it also a Sony?) are having difficulty reading portions of the disc, but manage to overcome it, hence the momentary "freezes". It's quite possible that another brand of player might completely "gag" on the disc and stop. In my experience, Sony players have a great capacity for overcoming read problems (On the downside, however, Sony players are sticklers for things such as VERY proper .IFO structure)...

The brand of media you are using is usually excellent. You might, as previously suggested by "nwg", try burning at a lower speed - 2X or 4X...

[cynthia]

A list of recommended media for your burner: http://sony.storagesupport.com/dvdrw...all040820.html

[Movie_Junkie]

"...your standalone player (Just curious, Is it also a Sony?)"

No, it is an old Pioneer Elite combo player (Laserdiscs, DVDs, CDs)

"You might, as previously suggested by "nwg", try burning at a lower speed - 2X or 4X..."

I did reply to the suggestion from nwg with the following: "I was unable to lower the burn speed below 4X. When I click on "Backup", in DVDShrink, a box opens. When I go to the "Burn Settings" tab, in the box, the only speeds that are available to me are maximum, 4X, 6X and 8X. If you know of a way to lower the burn speed to either 1X or 2X please tell me how to do it."

I have heard that Easy CD Creator does allow you to bring the burn speed down to 1X, and 2X. Do you know if that is true? If not, is there another alternative?

[Movie_Junkie]

Cynthia:

Thanks for the link. I am somewhat supprised that RiTek is not on the list. Maybe there is a problem with media compatibility.

Maybe I'll try some Sony, Taiyo Yuden or Verbatim. Has anyone here had any experiences with either of the three on a Sony DRU-710A drive?

I am also wondering if anyone else has had a media problem using the Ritek DVD-R discs with a Sony writer?

[cynthia]

Could try to burn with DVDDecrypter - you should be able to select write speed in that program.

[Movie_Junkie]

"Could try to burn with DVDDecrypter - you should be able to select write speed in that program."

I will see about getting that today and giving it a try. Thanks.

[cynthia]

Don't use the automatic burn with DVDShrink. Output the ISO to your hard disk and then use DVDDecrypter on its own.

[skyspirit]

I also have a sony DRU-710A DL and im experience exactly the same problems you are Movie-Junkie.
I am using RITEK G04 (4x) printable, i have burn around 5 DVD's and have the same problem with all of them. Scenes freeze for a second somewhere during the movie and this is happening several times along all movie.

Today i have burned using another kind of media, i have used TDK. I only had watched 30 minutes of the movie and didnt found anything. I will watch the rest of the movie today to see if i got any issue. ill report here after.

Movie_Junkie, if you test with other media and u find no problems, please let me know...its been a nightmare since i got this new drive.

my email: jlcostinha@halla.pt

thanks.