[filmerp]

When I started compressing a DVD using the disk copy feature on DVD2one, I had over 60Gigs of space left on my internal startup disk. When I was done, I had just over 8G. Tried directing the image to be saved on an external drive, but the program still uses the startup disk to run something I suppose, eventually using up every last k on it and quitting due to a lack of space on the startup disk. I have been unable to find a temp directory or cache to clear out-- anyone know where all this disk space is disappearing to?

[Fothb]

I think there's something wrong with DVD2OneX's "Create Image" functionality. I have had similar problems (but in my case the image should have been about 4GB and it was 8GB). Your image sounds huge if you've lost that much HD space.

Here's a few suggestions for you:

1. Don't use the "Create Image" feature. Instead, process the files without that option checked and you'll end up with a VIDEO_TS folder. Now download and install the DVD Imager program. Launch DVD Imager, and simply drag the VIDEO_TS folder to the DVD Imager dock icon. It works great (and it still uses the mkisofs tool like DVD2OneX does to create images).

2. To search for and eliminate those failed image files, check your Documents folder first. Then search for .img and .dmg image files. Then maybe install a program like WhatSize which will show you exactly which directories and files are taking up the most space on your system.

3. MacNN isn't always the best place for fast / accurate responses regarding DVD backups. If you ever fail to get a response here, check out the Mac specific forums over at DVDRHelp.com

Good luck to you!

Also, as a last resort - if you still can't get your image issue sorted out, you can always spend the money on Toast and it will handle the entire DVD mastering process for you. But I'd save that as a last resort seeing as so much of what it does is handled by freeware apps and Panther itself.

[bbales]

I haven't looked into this much at all, but will Toast handle compressing? In other words, if you've created the video file by using DVDbackup to create a backup on your hard drive, and it's bigger than 4.3 GB (or whatever), would Toast somehow be able to make it be able to fit on one DVD?

Just wondering...
And thanks for the links to that web site. Gave it a quick look and then bookmarked it.

I love these forums...

[Fothb]

Originally posted by bbales:
I haven't looked into this much at all, but will Toast handle compressing? In other words, if you've created the video file by using DVDbackup to create a backup on your hard drive, and it's bigger than 4.3 GB (or whatever), would Toast somehow be able to make it be able to fit on one DVD?

Just wondering...
And thanks for the links to that web site. Gave it a quick look and then bookmarked it.

I love these forums...

I don't believe Toast will handle that type of compression. It automates the process of creating the image and burning the DVD-R, but you'd still need another app to shrink the oversized original down to size. I like DVD2OneX for that task (probably because I use its "Join" feature so much with my anime - nothing is sweeter than compiling your own titles and having them default to Japenese instead of the English dubs) but others will also recommend other tools which I myself agree with from time to time; the right tool for the right job and all that.

I don't really see the need for Toast under Panther. You can decrypt/de-macrovision/de-region code a disc with DVDBackup, compress with DVD2OneX, create an image with DVD Imager, and burn that image with Panther's built in Disk Utility. That's the basics for straight copying/compiling. You'll end up playing around with YadeX, 0Sex, Handbrake, Extractor, 3ivx, Diva, Subtractor, etc. as well as all sorts of AC3 and M2V tools when you get into editing / MPEG4 compressing.

Toast does offer some rudimentary DVD menu creating features, but it's nothing compared to iDVD and the menus created with Sizzle are great for non iMovie generated movies. Toast also offers some backup functionality, but I think that the "Backup" tool that comes with .Mac works great for that type of stuff (it lets you back up to DVD, a harddrive, or your iDisk). Then of course there's Toast's CD burning, but with iTunes' audio CD creation and the Finder's data disc creation, it's just not as necessary as it once was. For the "advanced" burning features that Toast claims over Panther, I usually recommend a much cheaper alternative such as Burnz or Dragon Burn.

[bbales]

Thanks for the very helpful, straightforward post. I appreciate it.

[tr]

Originally posted by Fothb:

I don't really see the need for Toast under Panther...

in defense of toast ...

the main reason i use toast for burning files rather than the finder is that toast doesn't have to copy the data/create an image to burn. it's pain in the ass when you want to burn 4 gb of data to a DVD-R, and you have to wait for an image to be created before the burn can start

i also use toast for creating Video DVD's/VCD's from mpeg-2/mpeg-1 files (footage i've captured via ADS USB Instant DVD). i just drop the files into toast, and it burns and creates menus and chapter markers. i never really liked sizzle, always found it way too buggy (although i haven't tried the latest, .1, so we'll see how that goes). plus with sizzle, i gotta go that extra step and create an image, then burn that image to disc. yeah, i know, i'm lazy, but if you can do it in one app, why not?

i also use toast to burn ripped DVD VIDEO_TS folders, which i get via the DVDBackup-->DVD2One route. after i get my 4.4gb VIDEO_TS folder, i drop in in toast, burn as UDF.

while i agree that there are plenty of free/shareware alternatives out there for doing these things, i think this is a case of paying for convenience. i use toast's functions on a regular basis, and for me it is well worth it.

sorry, the above really has nothing to do with the original question

to adress that, i would try what has been suggested: instead of disc image, try VIDEO_TS folder. using up 50+gb for a disc image that's supposed to be 4.4gb is crazy. maybe try trashing it and reinstall?

tr

[bbales]

Hi -- actually I have toast. I use that, not the finder, by and large, for CDs and for backing up data to put on my laptop.

And I tried to burn a DVD last week and kept getting "not recognized format" messages. In the end, I used just the video_TS part. It worked, but believe me, there were no menus, no nothing! On the other hand, we got to finish watching a DVD we'd had to take back to the store but hadn't had time to complete. I'd never burned a DVD like that before, so it was kind of an experiment. Fortunately, it fit on one DVD -- I don't have the compression software to do it. (And probably won't pony up for it. I just know I'd be tempted to burn things I don't own.)

As for Toast and not being able to do it easily -- probably would have helped had I gotten the instructions out. I was being really lazy.

[filmerp]

Update-
the phantom disk space is still a mystery. Couldn't find anything in my documents folders and such. Even checked the folder size in every directory and couldn't find one that was using over 1GB of HD space. I figure I may have to reinstall Panther to recover my HD space, but don't want to run into this problem again with DVD2one! I take it no one else has experienced this issue??

[filmerp]

Update 2:
I ran WhatSize. Great tool, but I'm still baffled. The largest directory is my 3 Gig Apps and then it's my 1 Gig Library folder. Everything else is well under 1 Gig. Cleared out everything I could with Cache Out X and still only have 1.5 GB available on a 75 GB HD. Any other ideas before i wipe the entire thing?

[Fothb]

Originally posted by filmerp:
Update 2:
I ran WhatSize. Great tool, but I'm still baffled. The largest directory is my 3 Gig Apps and then it's my 1 Gig Library folder. Everything else is well under 1 Gig. Cleared out everything I could with Cache Out X and still only have 1.5 GB available on a 75 GB HD. Any other ideas before i wipe the entire thing?

Silly question: have you emptied the Trash?

Serious question: What does the commandline say? Launch Terminal and type in "df" and hit Enter. The very first line should have your total capacity, used space, and free space values in the first three columns.

[Uncle Skeleton]

it might be a memory leak (a big one). check /var/vm (in Finder, cmd-shift-g). but DON'T touch those files. Just restart to clear them out
look in /tmp too.

[filmerp]

Terminal:
Filesystem 512-blocks Used Avail Capacity Mounted on
/dev/disk0s9 156286104 153397432 2376672 98% /
devfs 191 191 0 100% /dev
fdesc 2 2 0 100% /dev
<volfs> 1024 1024 0 100% /.vol
automount -nsl [344] 0 0 0 100% /Network
automount -fstab [347] 0 0 0 100% /automount/Servers
automount -static [347] 0 0 0 100% /automount/static
/dev/disk1s2 7192 3784 3408 53% /Volumes/DVD_Imag

[filmerp]

HD/Volumes was the culprit! I found a 58 GB DVD image in there!!! Thanks for the tip, fothb!

[Fothb]

Originally posted by filmerp:
HD/Volumes was the culprit! I found a 58 GB DVD image in there!!! Thanks for the tip, fothb!

Phew! Finally. This was a strange one. Have fun making better use of all that newly freed up disk space!