DVD Random (MD5, Text file, Data Disc Questions)

[TheMamba]

Originally Posted by thisistoto

So burning an image isnt the same as burning the files right?

What Ted said.

They're the same. The ISO image is just a nice neat package to deal with rather then multiple files and/or folders.

Bad thing about ISO is that older PC operating systems don't like large file sizes and can't handle them well, if at all. If you're running XP you should be fine.

[thisistoto]

YEa but this is for a trade though, so its pretty important that it runs on a regular dvd player? right? or am i just totally getting the wrong idea here



(thanks so much for the help btw)

[Ted]

If it's a "true" trade, you won't have a copy of it after the trade. You'll be trading what you have for something that they have - no need to burn, in this case. If you're copying it though, a data disc would be the best way. That way, they can burn it themselves and be guaranteed to get the end product they desire. They'll also be able to trade/seed/whatever those data files without loss to quality. A disc burned for viewing or listening (a video or audio disc) will lose quality when it's ripped the next time (and with each susequent generation). That's why we have the rules on specifying the generation for discs in the lineage.

[TheMamba]

If it were me getting the trade, I'd rather get a data disc over an ISO.

[bigtyke66]

Originally Posted by Ted

...

You can also burn the individual files for a DVD as data. That is, they'll be stored as regular files - just like on your HD, but you won't be able to watch the DVD when the files are burned as data.

I'm not sure that's strictly true for a Mac. I burn Video_TS folders using the Data DVD-ROM (UDM) selection on Toast,. These play just dandy both on my stand-alone player (NAD) and my computer. In fact, if I use any of the Toast video selections these don't work for a downloaded Video_TS folders. I'm probably out of depth a bit here, but aren't I burning a "data disc" using this method?

I think U2Lynne mentioned in another post about using ISO disc images on the mac for copying DVDs. Now all I need is to find out how to create a DVD ISO image on my Mac!

[gsmyth79]

Originally Posted by bigtyke66

I think U2Lynne mentioned in another post about using ISO disc images on the mac for copying DVDs. Now all I need is to find out how to create a DVD ISO image on my Mac!

Burning DVD-ROM(UDF) is different than a regular data disc because of the way it is formatted by Toast. That is a perfectly acceptable way of trading (it's how I do it).

Edited to say, when I copy DVDs on my Mac, I make an md5 off the disc, drag the VIDEO_TS to my HD, make an md5 of the copied files and compare the 2. It works pretty much every time.

The only reason you would need to make an image is of you're having trouble burning (edited from copying) your VIDEO_TS using DVD-ROM(UDF). Lynne's DVD burning FAQ for Mac is here:
http://u2lynne.sandsmuseum.com/burning.html#anchor10

[U2Lynne]

On a Mac, if you burn a DVD-ROM (UDF), it will play just fine on a computer or standalone player.

Usually, when I copy a DVD for someone, I do the whole "make an md5 or the disc, copy the VIDEO_TS folder to the hard drive, verify it with the md5, and then burn using Toast" thingie. However, there have been a couple of times where I have reeived DVDs that play just fine, however, I can't see the contents of the VIDEO_TS folder. So, the only way to copy those is to make an iso and then burn from the iso.

[thisistoto]

wow, so much more has just come into my realm with trading dvd's.

[thisistoto]

and doesnt a DVD+R count as a data disc?

[thisistoto]

another question: I have a dvd i got in a trade (coventry) and im able to play the dvd fine in my regular dvd player but it doesnt read AT ALL on my computer (i have 2 dvd drives, one just dvd-r and the other is a burner +R +rw etc). All it says is that there is a blank disc in the drive. What gives?

[thisistoto]

the original disc i have as a video_ts folder in it, so i can just copy it straight to my hard drive right? I dont have to use any fancy pants program?

[4candles]

From a technical point of view, there is a big difference between burning an image file and burning the files contained in a VIDEO_TS folder, but fortunately most burning software makes this difference transparent.

An image file is simply a copy of ALL the data on the DVD - starting from the first sector, and continuing until the last.

In addition to the actual contents of the files on the DVD, other information such as the filenames, timestamps, locations of the different parts of the files on the disc etc are stored on the DVD. How this information is stored, and how the actual files are arranged on the disc, is dependent upon which "filesystem" is used when burning the DVD. A DVD-Video compliant DVD must use a specific type of "UDF" filesystem and the files must be arranged in a specific order on the disc in order for hardware players to play it.

If you do what most people do and simply copy the contents of the VIDEO_TS folder to your hard disk, and then create a new DVD containing those files, then an image file of the new DVD will NOT be identical to an image file of the original DVD - different software will create the filesystem slightly differently.

This is where problems can happen - if your software doesn't produce the filesystem in a DVD-Video compliant manner (or you don't tick the right boxes), then the DVD may not play in all hardware DVD players. Fortunately, the most common burning software (Nero on Windows and Toast on the Mac) seem to do the right thing automatically, even if you tell the software to author a "data DVD".

But not all software does, and there is some burning software that doesn't even have an option to burn a DVD-Video compliant DVD from a VIDEO_TS folder.

If you want an EXACT one-to-one copy of a DVD, then the only way to do it is to create an image file from the DVD, and then burn that image file back to another DVD. In this case, the burning software doesn't need to arrange the files in a filesystem - the image file is just burned directly to the sectors on the DVD.

But in practice, it doesn't matter - assuming your burning software creates the disc image compliantly.

[dirtfloorcracker]

OK I have a question somewhat related to all this...

I have been downloading DVD shows here for a few months now and storing them on my HD. (Thanks to all, this site rocks!) I also burn the files to DVD using Nero so I can watch them on my standalone player or computer. Do I need to keep the original files I downloaded if I plan on seeding or trading them in the future or can I just re-extract them from my burned DVDs with a program like DVD shrink? Basically Im wondering if I extract files from the DVD's Ive burned, will those files will be the same as what I originally downloaded.

Along those same lines, Ive noticed If I open one of the DVD's Ive burned using Nero to play on my standalone, I can see the VIDEO_TS folder. Could I just drag that to my HD to make a copy? I know some folks touched on this already in this thread, but it didnt make complete sense.

Thanks in advance for any help, I Have gotten so much amazing DVD from this site and I just want to know how to correctly give back to the community!

[gsmyth79]

Originally Posted by dirtfloorcracker

OK I have a question somewhat related to all this...

I have been downloading DVD shows here for a few months now and storing them on my HD. (Thanks to all, this site rocks!) I also burn the files to DVD using Nero so I can watch them on my standalone player or computer. Do I need to keep the original files I downloaded if I plan on seeding or trading them in the future or can I just re-extract them from my burned DVDs with a program like DVD shrink? Basically Im wondering if I extract files from the DVD's Ive burned, will those files will be the same as what I originally downloaded.

For me, it's all about md5s. You get md5s of the files you download. After I burn the disc I remake an md5 of the VIDEO_TS contents that I burned and visually compare that with the md5 of the downloaded files. If they're the same then you're all set. When I want to make a copy I drag the VIDEO_TS onto my HD, remake the md5 and reckeck it. If it's the same, again you're all good. I recheck the md5s again after I burn the disc for someone to make sure it burned correctly as well. It's a lot of md5 making but it works for me and doesn't take that much time.

[thisistoto]

And you can use shorten to check and make the md5's right?