Recaro

Just wondered what model you've got? If you recommend it?

Where did you get it from?

one other thing, whats the difference betweem DVD-R and DVD+R?

NickAdams

iTrader: (5)

Pioneer A03 for me.Tis a minus R format drive (Think the current models are the A05 and 105 drives)
Sony do a dual format DVD-R & DVD+R drive.Bit more expensive but might be worth considering if you wanna cover your ***.....

Nick

bigsinky

yep sony dru 500. upgraded firmware for x4 compatibility. super piece of kit coz it does both sides of the fence.

got one of the 1st 30 units to come into the country last november for £199. price has now gone thru the roof coz of supply and demand. i have seen these on ebay for 349 quid.

using stomp recordnow max as i was finding that nero version5.5.10 produced dvd-r were not reading on either my chipped sammy 709 or my cyberhome.

cheers

big sinky

P1 Enthusiast

DVD-R was the 1st format, it doesnt handle video and needs royalty payments. It does not support video data.

DVD+R is a newer format with most manufacturers supporting, it has better copying due to a CD type 'smart burn' and also supports video data.

They seem unable to pick a single format. Only use branded disks though due to quality being paramount.

Has anyone got one and successfully used them to 'back up' their own movies? Very tempted but unsure about whether it would be as easy as 'backing up' a CD?

Geezer

I have a Ricoh MP5125A (DVD+RW/R) and I have successfully 'backed up' one of my DVD movies, and it plays just finr on my standalone DVD player

Geezer

bigsinky

@P1

backing up movies aint as simple as it sounds unless you have the Audio and Video TS folders already on your pc ready to burn. i am using alot of software atm including DVD decrypter, TMPEG, Scenarist, Cinemacraft encoder, DVD2AVI, pulldown, IFOedit, DVDx, and a few other ones besides. i have found doom9.net to be a great resource for progs, codecs etc. email me off line if u need anything.

cheers

big sinky

Geezer

I found quite the opposite. Just used DVD Decrypter to put an ISO of the movie on my hard disk, then just burnt it out to DVD, et voila!!! It really was that straight forward, menus and everything included.

Geezer

bigsinky

@stevebt

yhm

cheers

big sinky

bigsinky

@geezer

try doing that with a movie that is longer than about 2.5 hours. if you have a disc (especially region2) then there is a load of crap that you can strip out of the disc(like 14 other different language tracks + subtitles)this means you could stick both a DD5.1 and a DTS soundtrack on the one disc if you compress enough. no it aint as simple as it sounds. try putting a downloaded avi or divx file into dvd format just a tad more work that needs to be done. you need to ensure that audio and video r synched properly, you have to convert the .wav file from an avi file into dd format, you have to ensure that the bitrate for the video is high enuf of else in fast moving parts of the movie you is gonna get major break up. these are just a few of the probs in *cough* backing up various discs. dont get me wrong i am new to this game myself and am finding that there is a helluva lot more to copying dvds than first meets the eye.

PS if i have sounded very patronising and sanctimonious (sp) then i apologise. if i can help you in anyway just give me a call.

cheers

big sinky

P1 Enthusiast

Ok guys before i start emailling you all about this;

a) Gonna wait on 8x writer.

b) What can i put in my PC to help with this all? Bigger HD? Two HD? Raid controller? Lots of DDR? I ask cause just about to build my PC.

bigsinky

well i am running and overclocked xp 2000 with 1 gig of pc2700. i have 2 x 80 gig wd caviar 7200 rpm drives with 8 meg cache oh and a ti4600 video card. having said that TMPEG can still take its time when re-encoding a movie. can never have enuf memory or HD space. helps if u have a hacked DVD rom as well.

cheers

big sinky

P1 Enthusiast

Define hacked DVD rom? Multi region hacked one? If so how can i have it done or where can i get one from?

Was gonna get a Lite On DVD RoM.

bigsinky

i bought a bog standard DABS value x16 DVD rom for about 30 quid. when i looked at the case it was just a rebadged drive that was easily hackable to multiregion. there are a few programs out there that will tell u if your drive is hackable(hardware/firmware) as well as the software alternative (they just reset the number of times you change region back to 5 or so) dont spend loadsa dosh on a upmarket drive coz from what ive seen the all have the same stock parts in em, matsu****a internals in most of em IIRC.

cheers

big sinky

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

lots of ram is a good help as when you are doing other things the computer will still work quickly, minimum of 120 gig drives as they take no filling once you work your way thru films

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

you need more than dvd decrypter to back up all dvds , try the godfather with just dvd decrypter and youll see a different story,

i would hang on as i think there is an 8x dvd writer due out shortly you cant be that desperate for a writer

edited to say bigsinky thats a lot of software your using if you need any help email me

[Edited by stevebt - 2/10/2003 8:57:12 PM]