[Solved] Having problems burning a dvd

[Mokles]

Hi,

 

Somebody videod our son's wedding and I'm trying to make some copies, I've got the file on my computer but when I try to add the file when requested in Windows dvd maker nothing happens. :confused:

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Thanks:)

[Plastic Nev]

Hi Mokles,

It may well be in a format that isn't recognised, what is at the end of the file title, is it MOV, AVI, or something different?

 

You may have to convert it to a different format as the Windows DVD maker does need the file to be in a DVD type format any way.

 

I use the free version of AVC download it from here,

 

http://www.any-video-converter.com/products/for_video_free/

 

Make sure you click for the free version download, not the ultimate version.

Check and make sure there are no other unwanted things during installation, (I was asked if I wanted "Real Player" so removed the tick last time I updated it) then once installed and opened choose the file output type from the drop down menu on the top right, in your case you need to scroll down and select DVD PAL, Next is to click the small cog shaped icon, again top right, and select the folder you wish the converted file to go into. (Otherwise it creates its own folder which may be hard to find later)

 

then find the file you want and set it to "convert now"

 

The converted file should then work with Windows DVD maker.

 

Nev.

[Mokles]

Hi Nev,

 

Well, here's the thing, there are several different types of file, .BUP, .IFO, .VOB. If I convert them all individually, will it still work?

 

Mokles

[Plastic Nev]

Hi, in theory converting all to DVD format should work. I am wrong, see the next post please.

 

However as an experiment I tried a video, converted it, sent it to Windows DVD burner, where it accepted everything and commenced, however, a window came up saying "Encoding" Please wait. it got as far as 3.7% and hasn't moved since, I do know encoding can take some time, but it has been stuck at that for more than two hours. Whether there is something wrong with my version of Windows DVD maker as yet not sure.

So, I will next look into a different DVD burning solution as it is not something I have done much of in the past, always kept the file on the computer or uploaded to Youtube.

The few times I have burned video was actually to a CD as a Video CD, the video's involved were never that large to warrant DVD sizes.

However I will give my system another hour or so before closing and looking for other means to create DVD's.

 

We both seem to be stuck here, so if nothing happens to my set up in another hour or so, I will look into using a different DVD burning software.

 

Nev.

[Plastic Nev]

I will make another post in case you have seen the above.

 

It turns out I was mistaken, Windows DVD maker appears to not work with the DVD format, I tried again with success with my video in the AVI format.

From the specification for Windows DVD maker it will handle quite a few formats and burn them to a blank, however the format of your video is .VOB which it cannot handle, the other format additions you mention are only small information files so you can ignore them, just use the AVC (Any Video Converter) as I mentioned to convert the whole file to AVI, or WMV format first, Windows DVD maker should then work with that.

 

Just in case you aren't sure if you are using the Windows DVD maker correctly, there is a full explanation here :-

 

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/54090-windows-dvd-maker-how-use.html

 

Nev.

[Mokles]

Hi,

 

Thanks for all your work. I've downloaded the converter and it's currently doing it's stuff. I'll let you know how I get on. :)

[Mokles]

:clap2: It worked!

 

Thank you Nev.

:)

[KenB]

Nice one Nev http://www.smileyvault.com/albums/userpics/13828/thumbs_up_smiley.gif

[Plastic Nev]

Thanks for the feed back and glad it worked OK.

Just to put the icing on the cake as it were, three years back a rather large big wheel came to my town, and decided it would be nice to get a video of it going round with all the lights on, so here is the video that is also now on a DVD disk. it isn't that exciting as I only took the video from the ground. Now wishing I had bee riding it.

 

 

Nev.

[Mokles]

After feeling pretty chuffed last night at making the first copy, today has been somewhat of a trial. Windows dvd maker takes about an hour to burn a disc - and that's when it's successful. I started about 6 hours ago and so far have only managed one successful copy (hopefully the second is almost done). I've only got another 12 to do! Anybody got any suggestions for speeding things up?

[Plastic Nev]

A couple of things I need to ask, first is how big is each video file after conversion to WMV format, are they larger than 700MB?

Secondly, do they have to be able to be played on a DVD player at some point or will they only ever be played using any form of computer with a disk drive?

 

If larger than 700MB after conversion, they will have to go on a DVD disk.

 

If they do need to be playable on a DVD player, then in the DVD format is best.

 

However, if less than the 700MB and the requirement to play on a stand alone player doesn't apply, they can be made into VCD, or Video Compact Disks, using ordinary CD-R disks.

Some, but not all earlier DVD players can handle VCD disks any way, so that may be another option for you. However they will still have to be converted from that original format to either AVI or WMV.

 

If all the individual files are fairly small they could all be edited together into one full video using Windows Movie maker, the file output from that is always in WMV format, and the good thing is that Windows Movie Maker is a free download from Microsoft.

 

Let us know if needing a bit more help or information.

 

Nev.

[Mokles]

None of the files are 700Mb but they're in the AVI format not WMV. The largest file is 320Mb. As the discs will be going to different people they need to be able to be played on DVD players as well as PCs.

 

Do you think I should convert the original files to WMV and try Windows Movie Maker?

 

By the way, the copy I was making when I posted my last message didn't work either. It was 99% done and then I got a message to say it couldn't burn the disc and something about making sure the burner was connected:confused:

[Plastic Nev]

Hi, first check your installed programs as being Microsofts own they sometimes included Windows Movie maker. If you have the full Windows Live package installed it will be somewhere in that.

If not, it can be downloaded from here :-

 

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-live/movie-maker#t1=overview

 

If you haven't used a video editor at all before there is a short video tutorial you can watch here :-

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZZij3NNyVg

 

There is quite a lot of stuff in the video you won't be needing to bother with, however he does give a Microsoft address at the end of it for further information.

 

If you have already converted all the video to AVI, it doesn't matter, Windows Movie maker will work with that, though I think it may be able to handle the video in its original format any way. No harm in trying it.

 

Now here is the handy bit that I had forgotten about, once you have stitched say a couple of the video's together, you can send them directly to burn a DVD, though I suspect it will link directly to Windows DVD maker. You will see a brief mention of burning to DVD at the end of the tutorial.

If going to a DVD disk, you can actually join quite a few together as the capacity of them is much bigger than a CD disk.

 

As far as the message about that failure you had where it asked you to check if the burner was connected after a previously successful burn, it may sound daft but it may require a reboot of the computer to reset things.

 

I have looked up problems with the Windows DVD maker, and there are quite a lot of different things reported across many help forums and looks to be a bit of a nightmare. So if you were contemplating making a few hundred DVD's a week, it would prompt you to go and buy Nero or some other Pro third party DVD burning software.

However, as this is a sort of one off I won't recommend that and lets see what we can do or struggle along with the free stuff.

 

Nev.

[Mokles]

Thanks Nev,

 

I've downloaded movie maker and will give it a go tomorrow. Watch this space!

[Mokles]

I thought I'd try and burn another dvd this morning seeing as the computer had been re-started - it got stuck at something like 82.9%.

 

The movie maker is easy enough to use but the 'scene selection' which was on the original dvd would need to be done again and I really don't have the time. I don't understand why the burner is so unreliable. Could it be something to do with discs I'm using? They're +R.

[paulc]

Hi Mokles

as you have the BUP IFO VOB files on your computer which are the files that are on a DVD

all you need to do is burn them to disc. download imgburn form here http://www.filehippo.com/download_imgburn/

then have a look at this page http://www.afterdawn.com/guides/archive/how_to_copy_dvd_with_dvd_shrink_page_5.cfm

you only need to do the first three steps then click burn

it will say you have not named the film but just close that if you do not need it and let it burn to disk

hope it helps

Paul

[RandyL]

If you do install imgburn be sure to deselect additional programs that will want to install alongside imgburn. If I remember right there are two different times when you will have to deselect those programs.

[Mokles]

Thanks Paul.

 

I'll give it a go tomorrow, just a couple of questions. On the guide it says to change the Booktype for R+ dvd's. Presumably I need to do this as I'm using R+, but how do I find out what my manufacturer is?

 

Randy, thanks for that tip too. :)

[Mokles]

Just wanted to let you know that ImgBurn has done the job.

 

I've been churning out dvds all afternoon and only have 2 left to do!

 

Thank you all for your input. :)

[Plastic Nev]

Hi, Paul beat me to it as I would have suggested ImgBurn as the next, though I wasn't looking forward to the explanation as I didn't know about the instruction page that Paul linked to, so thanks to PaulC for that. We all learn something new don't we.

It is all a bit of new territory for me too as I normally send video up to youtube if I wish others to view it, I only ever burned VCD's in the past as my friends DVD player would handle them.

The final thing is check that at least one of the disks burned with ImgBurn does actually play in a DVD player, if it does you got the settings right and all should be fine.

 

And finally thanks must go to PaulC for jumping in at the right moment.

 

Nev.

[Mokles]

Thanks Nev,

 

I checked the first disk in my dvd player and it was fine. They're all done now so I can get back to our Christmas preps. which have been on hold whilst I was trying to sort this out.

 

I offered to make the copies for our son as he and his wife want to give them to relatives at Christmas and they were both too busy to do it and had never done it before. I have a combi dvd with a hard drive and planned on copying the dvd to the hard drive from where I could have made copies, but the format wasn't compatible, hence my resort to making them on the pc.

 

So they are all parcelled up now ready to post to my son tomorrow. It's all down to Royal Mail now.

[RandyL]

I have a combi dvd with a hard drive

I have one of those too and love it. :)

 

There are two possibilities for compatability issues using those.

1. The disks need to be finalized or they may not play on other players and computers.

2. The units are usually region specific. This means disks made may not work on players sold in another country.

 

Anyway I'm glad everything is working.

[Plastic Nev]

AHHRG, I wish I had known you had a combi, you could have converted to AVI, and it may have worked then.

At least we got there in the end and I also learned a little more.

 

Nev.