HELP! from Computer Gurus

[rmissbrook]

I have just installed an external DVD drive (because the drive on my computer only does CDs). I then burned a DVD using a free program I found on the web that I have been using successfully to burn CDs. I can see the files on the DVD. BUT the DVD will not play on my regular DVD player. Nor will it play back on the DVD drive I burned it on. What have I done wrong?

[BahamaBreeze]

Just curious on what OS you are using...XP, Vista or Win7?

[SharkOnLand]

You have to burn a special type of Video DVD to be able to play it back in a normal DVD player. Also some types of DVD media aren't universally accepted by all DVD players.

Look for a "video" or some such option, rather than a "data" or "file" option in the burning software.

What program were you using?

[BahamaBreeze]

Download VSO Video Inspector is a freeware and check your dvd with it. It will tell you, or should what the problem is.

http://www.afterdawn.com/software/cd_dv ... pector.cfm

[rmissbrook]

Just call me phrustrated. BTW I am running Windows XP.

So I finally figured out that I need to convert my video files (wma & flv) to dvd files. I googled for free software because I am not going to be doing this a lot. There were dozens of results. Last night I tried two. Tonight I tried another one (Express Burn from NCH Software) that claimed it would convert the files and then burn the CD. Super. It took about 3 hours for the Crossroad files to convert and about 15 minutes to burn the CD. At the end of the process it said there was an error on the disc that might or might not impact how it plays.

In checking the disc there are only two folders on it: audio_ts (with nothing in the folder) and video_ts with 5 files one of which looks like it is the Crossroads video.

However, when I put the disc in the DVD player I still got the message that the disc could not be played. And when I try to play the disc on the computer it does not recognize the file type and says I need a decoder.

I loaded the VSO Inspector and ran a scan of just the files. I have the following messge:

2010-08-28 00:06:48 Error Reading of "G:\VIDEO_TS\VTS_01_1.VOB" failed after 10 tries

I am wide open to suggestions. Thanks for your help.

[mommar]

I've had problems like that before..........then I found out that if I wanted to watch a DVD on my tv or computer I needed to use a
DVD + RW as opposed to any of these DVD+R, DVD+R DL, DVD-R, DVD-RW, or DVD-RAM? yet another suggestion, not really sure if a DVD + R or DVD + R DL would work, because apparently i tried the DVD +RW and it worked, so i've not tried any of the other + R ones ......I think my problem was in using the DVD - and not the DVD + .....good luck!

[rmissbrook]

Thank you for the info about the disc type. Purely by chance that is the type I am using.

So at the risk of beginning to sound like a whiney old broad, I was up until about 3:00 this morning and am still not successful.

I took a different track this time and loaded a conversion program and a separate burner program. The conversion program appears to have worked sort of. I asked that the files be converted to DVD and they came out MPEG. What's up with that.

The burner program did not get past the first track. There was an error message on track 1 and nothing got written to the disc.

I'm going back at it, but it would be a big help if you all would not mind sharing with me the programs you have used successfully. Thanks.

[mommar]

I've used NERO something or other..........it's on the other computer, installed with external dvd burner/package.

This computer has windows DVD maker, and a DVD MovieFactory from Corel, which is part of the Toshiba DVD package.

[rmissbrook]

SUCCESS!!!!

I finally found a conversion/burner program that I could make work.

[gunthermoose]

SUCCESS!!!!

I finally found a conversion/burner program that I could make work.

So Kay...Spill it..what worked?

[mommar]

HOORAY for KAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What Dave Said

[rmissbrook]

SUCCESS!!!!

I finally found a conversion/burner program that I could make work.

So Kay...Spill it..what worked?

It's a product by Sothink Software. Here's the link.
http://www.sothinkmedia.com/movie-dvd-maker/index.htm

It does both the conversion of almost any file format and then burns the DVD. I did the Crossroads show from the downloads that Sunlover sent out and it works beautifully.

The only con is that because the product is free there is a add between each segment. So since I did not know how to merge the 6 Crossroads segments into one big file, there would be a 10 second or so add before the segment played.

But it is really simple to use and has quite a few options if you are in to that stuff.