DVD Ripping/Editing/Burning tutorial - NEWBIES READ!

[lecher]

This information was culled over a span of the past 5 years, and began when I first began hearing about VCDs and the possibility of digitizing video. My first DVD was authored on a $5K external recorder, and blanks cost roughly $16/each. Yes, I've been tinkering with video THAT LONG. I've read every tutorial and run numerous tests myself, and so I am now handing you what cost me months of time and thousands of dollars. Use the information well.

1.) "Ripping" a DVD
If all you want to do is copy a DVD, the safest and most foolproof method is NOT to use DVD Ripper, DVD Shrink or any other program which processes a file. It's so easy it's mindnumbing; use WIndows Explorer (or the Mac/Linux alternative). Yes, simply copy the VIDEO_TS folder off your DVD and onto your local hard drive by doing a "Copy/Paste". You can collectively smack your foreheads for thinking it was more complicated than that.

2.) "Burning" a DVD
I use Nero exclusively. Let's face it, we're ALL pirates. Justify it how you will, but owning a live recording which was not specifically approved for your use by a member of a band or their record label is owning a "bootleg", and ALL bootlegs are illegal. So don't feel like you've crossed a line by going to a torrent site and picking up a copy of Nero, although it's such a great program I suggest you purchase it legitimately after you've used it a while.

Simply open a new "DVD Video" project (NOT a "Copy DVD" or any other variation), drag-and-drop the VIDEO_TS folder from your hard drive into the left window and hit the button that looks like a match ("Burn"). You're done.

3.) "Re-Authoring" a DVD
Sometimes you get a DVD that's made from a standalone with no chapters, sometimes the author was a hack, and sometimes you download 6 DVDs with 2 songs each and want to make your own compilation. Whatever your reason, I encourage using DVD Decryptor. You can rip specific VOBs, Chapters and whatever, but just make sure you set them to demultiplex to seperate files. This makes life a lot easier. If you're ripping PAL and want to convert to NTSC, NEVER use TMPGEnc! It has no idea what to do with the additional 4fps and instead just copies the 24th frame 4 times. This creates a horrendous looking stutter and should be avoided at all costs. Instead, use your favorite method (mentioned above) to obtain a copy of Canopus ProCoder 2.0 to do the conversion. You will be AMAZED at the results; on a 61" TV I can see no noticeable difference in picture quality between the original PAL and converted NTSC versions, except the NTSC version is in proper 4:3 aspect for North American TVs.

As for authoring software, TMPGEnc DVD Author is a decent piece of software for the extreme novice. However, I use ReelDVD to create my discs, which allows greater freedom to place menu buttons, introduction videos and even create "easter eggs". The menus can be linked any way you like, and you can add text and images anywhere you like on them. I highly suggest finding a copy and playing with it, I now only use TMPG if I just need to make a quick DVD and don't care about the presentation quality.

If you have any questions about anything above, send them to [email protected]
I will try to put together a complete tutorial with images to display the steps in the next few days.

[Unidecker]

OMG ASL WTF BRAUH u paid way to much for your muffler you shoulda called MAACO heh anyways nero sucks an tempgenc is NOT the app to do your authoring with if u think it is good luck to you.... i do not condone or approve of either good day


ps : GO HEAT! welcome to D.WADE COUNTY

[davidsss]

I'm just really confused about this.

I have a pile of clips which I want to burn to a DVD (I have Nero Vision Express which came with the computer) and I want to create a menu where the main menu divides into 2 sections each of which has a few clips each. Now Nero help tells me that I can have 2 volumes on the dvd which is what I want - it just doesn't tell me how I do this. Whenever I try and do this by creating chapters I can only create chapters within each clip - I don't want that I want to create 2 sections on the disc, each with a few clips within.

I tried the TMPGenc authoring programme but it didn't like the avi files, nor did it like the properties of the mpg files I have (this disc is a mix of both). Now I could encode them with their encoding programme but the trial version of TMPGenc author 2 leaves a watermark in the menus so that's out.

I looked up ReelDVD but the price is ridiculous for a home user who might only do this half a dozen times and I couldn't find a trial version anyway.

Is there a relatively easy burning programme which will take avi and mpg files, burn them to a dvd and allow me to set up a hierarchical menu for a decent price? This is very frustrating. Would a full version of Nero do this?

Thanks
DS

[viewAskewser]

Nero comes with a program to author dvds called Nero Vision, but it's very limited as far as menu options. That's actualy why I'm in this forum. I'm trying to get a better idea on how to create a more elaborate menu, actually a less elaborate menu. With Nero Vision you have to have a picture or video next to each menu option. I'm trying to make a menu with a tracklist, and I feel like the menu would look ridiculous with a picture next to each song name.

[davidsss]

I know what you mean. I recently downloaded ULead DVD Movie Maker, a demo version which lasts 30 days. Not bad but the results aren't exactly what I'm looking for. I have seen a few people suggest Sony DVD Architect but it seems very expensive given I won't be authoring many DVDs. I just want something reasonably priced which gives me good control over the menus. Nero just doesn't cut it on this score as far as I'm concerned.

DS

[RetroDude83]

Originally Posted by davidsss

Is there a relatively easy burning programme which will take avi and mpg files, burn them to a dvd and allow me to set up a hierarchical menu for a decent price? This is very frustrating. Would a full version of Nero do this?

why would you want to convert avi or mpeg onto DVD? burn it as a VCD or SVCD, you can play them on your dvd player too(well if it's one of the last few years). the quality of avi and mpeg is prior to vidoes in VOB, therefore there's no need converting it to dvd as you won't get it any better, so a blank cd-r will do.

[davidsss]

I understand what you're saying but I just find DVDs more convenient. I don't know much about the relative quality of formats but then again some of the stuff I'm burning is not great quality anyway - I just downloaded the complete Patrick Troughton Doctor Who and a lot of it is reconstructed because it doesn't exist any more. The download is in avi format so I'm converting it for convenience more than anything else. Also, given that DVDs are a similar cost to CDs I can't see much point converting to VCD (actually I think I get DVDs cheaper as I get the Japanese made CDs for just over an Aussie dollar as I want them with a jewel case and the DVDs are just under an Aussie dollar, although the CDs may well take more as the format is smaller).

On the DVD authoring I am having a look at DVD Architect at the moment although it does seem a bit expensive, it does seem very good. I'll try a few out before I buy.

DS

[RetroDude83]

when you burn your mpeg/avis you can just burn them onto cd(data cd) without converting to anything, lots of dvd players will read the files as they are also.

if you just wanna have this on dvd for convenience, again, you can just burn it onto DVD(like a data DVD, with mpeg and avi files, i think some dvd players will play this as well, just an idea, not sure though) so you don't have to convert to VOB, which will surely expand the file size of the video without any remarkable change on it in quality.

[davidsss]

It seems my dvd player won't play avi's so I might as well make a dvd as converting to mpeg makes files pretty much as big anyway. Such is life, at least dvd's are cheap, I buy the Sony ones which I can get at less than $AU1.

DS

[datdork]

Originally Posted by lecher

owning a live recording which was not specifically approved for your use by a member of a band or their record label is owning a "bootleg", and ALL bootlegs are illegal.

not true at all. unless $$ changed hands. only state I think it's actually against the law to stealth is New York.

[Aimee Wilbury]

Hello, I am new here I just downloaded a 13-GB torrent, a 3-set DVD. And I open up the folders (Disc1, Disc2, etc) And I see a RAR file (with an ISO file inside) and a bunch of other files with extension *.r** (** being numbers.) Do I burn the ISO? I have not too many DVDs and don't want to waste them! (Call me noob..)

Thanks for help in advance.

[diggrd]

Originally Posted by Aimee Wilbury

Hello, I am new here I just downloaded a 13-GB torrent, a 3-set DVD. And I open up the folders (Disc1, Disc2, etc) And I see a RAR file (with an ISO file inside) and a bunch of other files with extension *.r** (** being numbers.) Do I burn the ISO? I have not too many DVDs and don't want to waste them! (Call me noob..)

Thanks for help in advance.

I'm pretty sure you didn't DL that from here , what show is it? You can burn the iso in most burn apps or extract it with isobuster or cdroller or mount it with deamon or M$ VcdControl

[pats4life2003]

alright...biggest noob question ever

So...I downloaded a Torrent on here for a 2 disc dvd

how do Watch it? with what video player??

and Nero is the best way to burn it?

[saltman]

try vlc to view it on your computer. http://www.videolan.org/

use whatever burning program you have to burn with.

[pats4life2003]

i have that, but i can't use the menu and i can't skip chapters...hahah noob here