can you burn dvds onto your computer so that it will save it and convert to a dvd file and copy it onto a dvd-r disc can you do that?
what software or hareware should i use?
The first place you should look when you start fresh in the Forum , is at the TAB up there that says GUIDES ! You will find most of your questions answered by people that took time to make those guides. Then if you are having difficulties, post your question giving details so people in the place can help you --
Dont want to sound off at people that are new to this , but this way there will not be as many repetitions of post similar to yours !
Caution!!! Do not be overwelmed by all the information that you may incounter when you research the issue at hand.
There are so many different options that you could choose, but first I recommend you take some time to read through the guides that are available on this site, as well as visiting the "Free" Download section on this site.
I will give my brief pointers, but keep in mind that many other people may do things totally different than I do.
First off, make sure you have all the hardware requirements, such as lots of Ram!, Large Hard drive, etc.
Once you have all your programs in place, make sure everything is up to date, including the firmware of your DVD Burner (Check Manufacturers website), and any software updates for your programs.
**I personally started off by using DVD Shrink and DVD Decrypter (Free Downloads), and using Nero to burn the DVD. Later, I have used other programs when needed, but still use the above mentioned most of the time.**
For example, DVD Shrink will create files on your hard drive, reduced in size/quality so that you can open Nero to burn/back up the files onto you blank DVD. Read though the guides or search through the forums here to get optimum settings for the programs used.
And really there isn't much more to it than that. Once you do it a few times, it is pretty straight forward.
But there are just a few simple rules to remember. ...Hope I don't forget any :(
- Slow and steady is always good. Try not to burn at more than 4x speed. More speed could mean more errors/skips.
- ALWAYS use good media. I personally use Verbatim, and am very happy with it. DO NOT BUY CHEAP MEDIA. I learned the hard way.
- try to use the "Custom Ratio" in DVD Shrink to bring the overall file size below 4300. Some people have issues when you burn to close to the edge of the DVD.
- Try reseaching "Booktyping" on this site. While the -R DVD's are suppose to be compatable with most dvd players (Not for mine), if you use +R DVD's, you can set your DVD Burner to "BookType" which converts the +R disc into a DVD-ROM... which makes your player think it is playing an original disc, not a back up copy. Once again, check the manufacturers website to see if your DVD Burner is capible of doing this.
- DO NOT USE PAPER LABELS!!! Once again I learned the hard way. I purchased a LightScribe DVD Burner, and am very pleased with the results. The other options are to use the "Printable" DVD's with a compatable Printer, or use a sharpie. Sharpie marker is the cheaper solution, with no side effects, but do not look very pleasing. When you apply the Paper Labels, it is possible that it will not be perfectly centered, and depending on your players sensitifity, may cause skipping.
I appoligize for the lengthly post, but I just wish that someone had informed me about some of these issues when I first started "Backing Up" DVD's. I hope this makes things a little easier. Hope I didn't leave anything out.
Thanks a lot for the positive comments. I'm glad it prooved to be of useful information.
After only finding this website a month or two ago, there was a lot of trial and error to go through before that.
This site is awesome.
