[ValVashon]

Hi all-

Old to Mac's, new to the DVD burning thing (just got a 1.83 17" iMac).

I have a DVD burned in Europe that I need to make a copy of. It won't play in either of my connect-to-a-TV DVD players.

I made a copy using disk copy, same results.

I did a bit of searching and found Mac The Ripper; I ripped it to the hard drive and stripped out all the regions but #1 (1-8 were checked). I think it's already in NTSC but I'll double check.

(EDIT: The original is in PAL @ 720x576; the disk copy [see above] is NTSC @ 720x480. I used the PAL original with Mac The Ripper. I'll make another copy to the hard drive with Mac The Ripper and the NTSC copy to produce a region 1 copy, but then what?).

I now have the info from the DVD on my hard drive; the folder has the same name as the original disk and the space used is the same (3.6 GB or something). I made one attempt to make a copy using the "Burn Folder" thing but it produced a disc that still would not play in either DVD player or the computer. The disc has the name I gave to the burn folder and then has the name of the original disc on a folder inside. Do I just pull the AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS folders onto a blank disc and then burn it using the finder (and not the burn folder)?

I don't need or want to iMovie or iDVD it; I just want to make a copy that will play on DVD players.

Thanks-

Val

[Uncle Skeleton]

It has to have 3 things: the right file system, the right codec, and the right video standard (PAL vs NTSC). The file system has to be UDF (DVD-ROM) ( <-- That's what it's called in Toast). The codec has to be MPEG-2 (or MPEG-1), but your's probably is. Then you have to find out what video standard your player is (undoubtedly NTSC), and make sure your video fits it. NTSC is 720x480, 29.976 frames/second. You might as well make it region zero (no restriction), as region codes are only bad, never good.

Even if you get everything right, your DVD player may or may not like the brand of blank media you use. Also double check that it supports your +R/-R choice.

This comment doesn't make sense: "EDIT: The original is in PAL @ 720x576; the disk copy [see above] is NTSC @ 720x480."

Disk Copy can't change between PAL and NTSC.

[ValVashon]

I could post screenshots if you don't believe me, but that's what DVD Player says when I do the "disc info" thing. The original is PAL and the copy shows up as NTSC.

Mac The Ripper can't seem to rip the "NTSC" copy but DVD Player can play it, just like the original.

Any solution that doesn't involve buying additional software, like Toast? I'd like to do it on the cheap with whatever came with the iMac (or freeware/shareware).

Both DVD players can play DVD-R discs; I made one of something else at work (a TV station) with our standalone DVD burner.

PAL to NTSC converters anybody? Or do I need to rent a region free DVD player (from Scarecrow Video), play it into the computer via some hardware thing and record it analog?

Then what?

Why does Monaco have to host the Amatuer Theatre Festival?

Val

[k_munic]

a NTSC dvd-standalone player can NOT play PALdisks (PAL player do play NTSC...)
and: Finder can NOT burn VIDEO_TS folders into the correct udf-format of videoDVD ...
and: video standard conversion is no trivia task, LOTS of computation
and. region code/"lock" is NOT video standards...

so, where to begin...?
to copy a non-copy-protected videoDVD without 3rd party apps, follow these advices
How to copy previously-burned DVD-R video discs

MTR can set the region code to zill/all areas.. but does NOT do a video standard conversion..

if you like to switch that, you need
* to rip the dvd into an editable format... there are shareware tools as DVDxDV, a free tool called Streamclip, which needs for 20$ the mp2 plug-in from Apple, and probably (no hands on here) all' mighty ffmpegx allows a mp2>>dv conversion..
* you then get the free tool JES Deinterlacer, choose conversion
* finally use a videoDVD author/encoder (as iDVD......) to create a new, region code free, NTSC videoDVD...

[ValVashon]

Thanks for all the help. I am an engineer at a TV station, so I am familiar with some of this stuff, such as how regions are not formats.

I think I'll start by searching for DVDxDV and go from there.

I'll keep posting as this progresses.

Val

[k_munic]

Originally Posted by ValVashon 

Thanks for all the help. I am an engineer at a TV station, so I am familiar with some of this stuff, such as how regions are not formats....

oops ...

sorry for boring you with the basics..
but people often mix these things up ...

happy converting ..