Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Question On DVD Burners

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Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 06-14-2004, 09:24 PM:

Am considering buying a DVD burner and and know little about them and was looking for opinions on whats the best route to follow. I'll be replacing a CD burner with the DVD burner in my computer. Also, whats the best software to use to create and burn DVD's or will that come with the burner?

Thanks for your input!

Mark

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 06-14-2004, 09:33 PM:

I dumped my Pioneer (AO-5,6?) in favor of a Plextor PX-708A. Love it!

While sorta pricey, I use DVDit! from Sonic for authoring. Also really like it.

As a side note: The absolute BEST software for DVD playback on a computer is InterVideo's WinDVD5. Again, pricey, but FLAWLESS play without any artifacts or staggering. [Smile]

>>> Phil

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 06-14-2004, 09:39 PM:

Pioneer DVR-A07, Nero Burning ROM. End of discussion. [Big Grin]

Unless you want something that edits DVD video and writes it to a DVD, then pick some other software.

Pioneer drives kick ass and that Sonic shit is just that if you want to do any authoring other than extremely basic stuff.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 06-14-2004, 09:45 PM:

Hate to disagree Adam (not really), but I HATE Nero. It's a POS wannabe prg that polutes the whole computer and is NOT intuitive to use. I didn't even bother loading it on this computer. WAY over-priced for what ya get.

Also, Pioneer "USED" to be good, but there are much better solutions out there now.

(Let's see. Which is better? The Apple II or the Atari 800? Or perhaps the Coleco?)

>>> Phil

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 06-14-2004, 10:36 PM:

I use Nero, Adaptec, and DVD X Copy Platinum, depending which computer I use. The one that seems to be the most troublesome is Adaptec for some reason. Made lots of coasters... [Big Grin]

In my biggest machine, I have the Plextor PX-712A. It was a pricey drive, but I am totally happy with it.

However, I have stepped in a trap with disks. The DVD-R disk can be read with a DVD player, DVD Rom drive, DVD-r for aGeneral Drive/recorder, DVD-RW Drive/recorder, and DVD+RW Drive/Recorder. But, it is worthless to write from a DVD Player and a DVD-ROM Drive,(kind of a no-brainer anyway) and it will not write with a DVD+RW Drive/Recorder. But it will be capable of writing in a DVD-R for General Drive/recorder, DVD-RAM/-R Drive and a DVD-RW Drive/recorder.

Make sure you get the right style disk to use with your drive.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 06-15-2004, 12:06 AM:

A07, DVD Studio Pro 3 and Toast 5 (or 6) kills any other option possible. [av=v]

On Windows, Nero is easy to use and the best there is. It is not bloatware like Philliam insinuates. Phil, are you sure you and Brad are not the same person? "I can't figure it out! You mean I might have to use the FILE drop down menu for something?" [Smile]

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 06-15-2004, 01:26 AM:

I don't know what you're talking about, Phil. Nero is pretty much drag and drop for data discs (or video discs that have been prepped to the hard drive) and I've yet to make a coaster with it for either data or video since they added video disc functionality to it. I'm running 5.5.xx with an A03, waiting patiently for the dual-layer drives/media to become available.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-15-2004, 02:44 PM:

Ditto to Joe and Adam. Sonic's software is crap, although I will agree Plextor makes awful good burners, the Pioneer is the best for DVD work.

Posted by Rob Butler (Member # 2274) on 06-15-2004, 04:28 PM:

I gotta agree with Phil, the Plextor PX-708A is fast as hell, the software it comes with is pretty good as well. I still haven't bought any dvd copying software yet, I still believe that with enough time spent between me and Google, I'll find something for free.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 06-15-2004, 05:02 PM:

Mr. Ass Itches said:

quote: Joe Redifer
Phil, are you sure you and Brad are not the same person?

JFC Joe! You KNOW damn well that although Brad *thinks* he is smarter than me, I am much better looking. Thus PROVING he and me are indeed two different individuals.

It's really a shame that you, Brad, and Adam don't know WTF yous are talkin' 'bout!

All you cheap asses (assi ?) need to stop using the "bundled" progs and spend some $$$ and get the REAL thing! You will then be "converted" and know Heaven.

>>> Phil

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 06-15-2004, 05:03 PM:

Steer clear of Adobe Encore if you're contemplating it for DVD authoring. Although it looks like an attractively positioned product (i.e. at a price point halfway between the bundled stuff which comes with burners and the professional packages which cost four figures), Encore is a bug-ridden, crash-prone pile of shite, even with the patch installed.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 06-15-2004, 05:09 PM:

Bundled programs? What are you talking about? All the cool kids pirate! [Smile]

[av=d]

DVD Studio Pro 1.5 for the Mac is still the best authoring program (but not burning). It beats DVDSP 2 and only DVDSP 3 comes close.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-15-2004, 07:31 PM:

Too late Leo. I already tried Encore and it does indeed cause the computer to crash constantly.

I had enough and just bought a G5. It's definitely the way to go.

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 06-16-2004, 12:37 AM:

That was just the f*ed up XP install you had, Brad. I've yet to have Encore crash. You're just pissed it doesn't run under W2K.

It does, however, not give any indication to how it will order the program chain on the final disc. [Roll Eyes]

The workaround is to not assemble the final program in Encore, but output a single edited program from Premiere and then add any chapter points and menus with Encore and burn it.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 06-16-2004, 01:35 AM:

Thanks for the tip, Adam - I'll give it a try. The workaround I'd be using thusfar was to output an image file from Encore and then burn it as an HFS using Nero, since, after you put the patch in, 99% of the crashes seem to happen during the final burning process.

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 06-16-2004, 01:56 AM:

Mark and the rest of you fellows, I thought I would try an experiment with this DVD burning thing. One of my DVD's was starting to show DVD Rot, so I wanted to make a backup copy. I just did that, and it turned out, as far as I can tell, perfect!

I used DVD Xcopy by Studio 1-2-3, with a HP DVD300i writer. I also used the Hewlett-Packard HP DVD+R disk. Those disks were about $1.40 a pop, and I am sure you can find them at a better price, but at least they have a 5 year warrenty on them.

I wonder if the reason some of you guys had your progream crash was because the DVD disk player was set for "autoplay" like my WINDVD player was. They tangled rear ends with each other and caused the computer to lock up. So I went through the back door, made sure the correct drive was selected for the Xcopy Program, and then really backdoored it. I stuffed the disk in the drive, let the computer and WINDVD find it. When it did, I promptly cancelled it. At that time, I brought up Xcopy, and it found the disk by itself. When the big green button lit, I started the process. About 30 minutes later, it asked for the media and I stuffed it in the drive. About 35 minutes later, the end result was perfect.

I am playing the disk right now on the other screen, glitch free with AOL and FT multitasking on modem dial-up with Mcafee running in the background. That's asking alot to be asking for a whimpy 933 mhz machine, but I am very pleased with how nice it runs. (Windows 2000 Pro Platform)

Mark, when you get into what you want to do, just get a leading brand DVD+R disk and you should be very happy with what you produce. [beer]

Posted by Ron Lacheur (Member # 1126) on 06-16-2004, 02:22 AM:

If your dvd player supports +R media that's good, but if your not too sure try -R media first. There are less compatibility issues with them.

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 06-16-2004, 02:53 AM:

Oh? I must have ate up a 5-pack of the DVD-R disks trying to make up a DVD backup. The DVD+R does in all of them.

The DVD-R works great for data....but that was about it.

That's why I scratched my head so much on this issue. I went to my computer GURU and assured me the DVD+R was the way to go if I wanted to fry DVD's, as long as I had a DVD+R/RW drive. It looks like he was correct on that one. I was told the DVD-R will burn in a DVD+R/RW machine.

I don't have any DVD-R drives as such, so I guess it depends what you have. That is a catch-22. Make sure you know what kind of drive you have before you buy the disks. Otherwise, you'll waste money like I did.

I thought I might have been doing something wrong, but from what I can determine after I talked to the Guru, I was not. I simply blindly baught the wrong style disks.

Posted by Jeff Taylor (Member # 443) on 06-16-2004, 03:37 PM:

I use a Panasonic HS80 hard drive/DVD-R burner for home movies and TV shows, and a Pioneer outboard burner with my laptop for minor production duties, captures, and the like. I've used 321's X-Copy, XPoint, and DVDExtreme without problems, and also the bundled Sonic and Nero stuff. Honestly, I can't say I have a favorite among them--each has strong and weak points, but they all work.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 06-20-2004, 01:22 PM:

I went with the Plextor 708. Its been really nice so far. I have not yet bought any high end DVD authoring software. Am just using the Roxio DVD builder that comes bundled with the drive. So far things have been totally reliable using Sony DVD+R blanks and no crashes what so ever but the image seems a little grainy and a tad brighter than the original looks so I will eventually get something else to do this chore.

Mark

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 06-20-2004, 02:27 PM:

DVD+R is what your Plextor wants. I don't think DVD-R disks will work. The DVD-R blank won't in my Plextor PX-712A.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 06-20-2004, 04:40 PM:

The Plextor specs state that it is a DVD+- R/RW but I've only tried the DVD + disks and high speed CD blanks which also work just fine.
Mark

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 06-20-2004, 05:06 PM:

Give the DVD-R disks a try. You have noting to lose.

The model you may have might work with them if the specs say it will. I wish mine did. [Smile]