[FatBastard]

I'm creating small shows on DVD. I'm wondering if I keep a burned version of the DVD will I be able to do some kinda disk copy or simple duplicate in order to burn additional copies in the future. I was told that I couldn't duplicate them like this.

Problem is I'm trying to find the best way to back-up and archive an iMovie project that has been mastered to DVD. I've collected the iMovie document and the media folder, burned them to a DVD with Toast as files not as a playable DVD. When I go to retrieve the project from the DVD, the project is no longer recognized by iMovie.

[KeyLimePi]

I've never tried it but I was under the impression that Toast would let you copy a DVD as long as it isn't encoded. So, homemade DVDs should be copy-able.

Anyone else have any experience with this?

[nuckin futs]

in this same forum, do a search on DVDBackup.
that sounds like what you're looking for.

[FatBastard]

FYI
I've decided against duplicating my DVDs for a back-up library. Instead I'm backing up the iMovie project folder (includes the project file and media folder), disk label and iDVD file only. The size is considerably smaller. At that point all I have to do is restore the files to my main drive re-export the iMovie project to iDVD and burn. Thanks for the input and I hope this will help others.

[Eug]

To back up a non-encrypted DVD, all you need is Toast. In fact if you have a lot of hard drive space, it's ideal, since you can just make a .toast image of it and leave it on your hard drive. You can make an additional copy of the DVD whenever you want straight from the disc image. Furthermore, you can even mount the Toast image if you want and run it off the hard drive.

Actually, I recommend using .toast files as an intermediate for all DVD backups. When I've tried doing direct DVD-R to DVD-R backups (ie. from my iBook's combo drive to an external DVD-R burner) I get problems. If my source disk is dirty or something that will cause a coaster. With .toast files you already know you have a working source disk so you don't waste those $5 blanks.

Hmmm... I wonder if you could use Disk Copy to do it. I haven't tried Disk Copy yet for this purpose.

P.S. My DVD FAQ has now been updated in case anybody is interested. (It doesn't really apply to this particular thread though.)

[cwasko]

I was helping a friend of mine last night. He has a GigaBook with a SuperDrive in it. He is into making independant movies and needs to submit his work to the various film festivals, etc. Anyhow, we were attempting to duplicate a DVD we made using iDVD. I plopped the DVD into his computer and imaged it using Toast. I then used the Toast image to burn it back to a DVD. However, right at the end, Toast gave me some weird 'Sense' error and the DVD was rendered useless. I then used Apple's Disc Copy to make a DVD/CD Master image and then burned that to a DVD. Well, it burned and everything, but DVD players do not recognize it. The computer recognizes it as a Data volume and will not 'play' the DVD (unless I point DVD player right to the TS_VIDEO folder). So, my question is, what the heck is wrong with Toast? Was is bad media and should have I tried again? Also, why wouldn't Apple's Disc Copy not copy/write the image in the correct format? Or am I missuing it somehow?

[Eug]

Toast works fine.

What I've done in the past is simply copied the VIDEO_TS folder from the original DVD over to the hard drive and then just burned a new DVD using that.

[cwasko]

Originally posted by Eug:
Toast works fine.

What I've done in the past is simply copied the VIDEO_TS folder from the original DVD over to the hard drive and then just burned a new DVD using that.

Huh. Well, I'll give it another shot this week. We didn't want to waste discs, so when we got the error from Toast, we tried other methods. We ended up just making 'duplicates' using the original iDVD project. I just wanted try to do it an easier way. Could it be possible that Toast doesn't like the SuperDrive that is in the PB?

[edit]I just noticed you have the same PB, I'm assuming that you haven't had any problems with it?[/edit]

[iamnotmad]

You can just use disc copy in utilities. Make image from device - then burn image. Toast is not necessary.

[cwasko]

Originally posted by iamnotmad:
You can just use disc copy in utilities. Make image from device - then burn image. Toast is not necessary.

I did that. The DVD did not play in a typical DVD player. Infact, the computer would not recognize it as a DVD either. When I opened the DVD player and clicked the play button it said 'not authorized'. However, the original, but still 'home grown' DVD works as expected in typical DVD players and in the computer. But, the computer would read the 'duplicate', it would mount and I could view the file system; but it just did not act like a DVD. The only way I could get eh DVD player on the computer to read the DVD was to use the otpion called 'Open VIDEO_TS Folder' from the 'File' menu. This is obvioulsy not a solution to the problem, as the DVD should work by simply hittinn the 'Play' button, and it did not.

[Eug]

Originally posted by cwasko:
Huh. Well, I'll give it another shot this week. We didn't want to waste discs, so when we got the error from Toast, we tried other methods. We ended up just making 'duplicates' using the original iDVD project. I just wanted try to do it an easier way. Could it be possible that Toast doesn't like the SuperDrive that is in the PB?

[edit]I just noticed you have the same PB, I'm assuming that you haven't had any problems with it?[/edit]

Well, this DVD-R wasting thing would not be an issue, if the drive would simply burn DVD-RW for testing. My main beef with the PB is that it does NOT burn DVD-RW (or DVD-RAM).

I do have an external DVD-RAM burner, but using DVD-RAM for testing DVD-R backups is not ideal, since only a few DVD players can read DVD Video on DVD-RAM, and a DVD-RAM disc holds slightly less than a DVD-R.

Also, my other two beefs:

1) Loud fan
2) Dead trackpad on wake. (Happens rarely but it's annoying nonetheless.)

[iamnotmad]

Originally posted by cwasko:
I did that. The DVD did not play in a typical DVD player. Infact, the computer would not recognize it as a DVD either. When I opened the DVD player and clicked the play button it said 'not authorized'. However, the original, but still 'home grown' DVD works as expected in typical DVD players and in the computer. But, the computer would read the 'duplicate', it would mount and I could view the file system; but it just did not act like a DVD. The only way I could get eh DVD player on the computer to read the DVD was to use the otpion called 'Open VIDEO_TS Folder' from the 'File' menu. This is obvioulsy not a solution to the problem, as the DVD should work by simply hittinn the 'Play' button, and it did not.

huh, bummer. I have used this method to copy data dvd's, not video dvds. I knew it would copy it, but had no idea it would not work as a video dvd once copied. Sorry for the bum advice.

[cwasko]

Originally posted by iamnotmad:
huh, bummer. I have used this method to copy data dvd's, not video dvds. I knew it would copy it, but had no idea it would not work as a video dvd once copied. Sorry for the bum advice.

Actualy, I'm not so sure it is 'bum', after reading your post again. I did the 'DVD/CD master' option. I don't think I tried the Device Copy. I'll give that a wack as well.

[cwasko]

Originally posted by Eug:
Well, this DVD-R wasting thing would not be an issue, if the drive would simply burn DVD-RW for testing. My main beef with the PB is that it does NOT burn DVD-RW (or DVD-RAM).

Yea, I'm bumemd out as well. I have the 17" on order and they knocked the specs of the drive down from what they initialy were. I'm not going to be doing huge amounts of burning DVDs, but having a 2X sure would have been nice. Also, RWs would rock since most of the burning I'm going to be doing is for backup purposes.

But, back on topic. I'll try Toast again and a different way with the Disc Copy. Hes not using the Apple media, but something he found for a bargain $1.50 a disc.

[Eug]

1) The DVD master will NOT work. It burns an HFS+ disc, not a DVD-compliant UDF disc.

2) The make image from device option should work for DVD, but I don't think I've tried it yet.

3) Cheap DVD-R is just that: cheap. False economy IMO, since so many of the discs of certain batches simply end up as coasters.

[cwasko]

Originally posted by Eug:
1) The DVD master will NOT work. It burns an HFS+ disc, not a DVD-compliant UDF disc.

2) The make image from device option should work for DVD, but I don't think I've tried it yet.

3) Cheap DVD-R is just that: cheap. False economy IMO, since so many of the discs of certain batches simply end up as coasters.

Yea, the more I think about it, the more I obviously should have did a device copy.

The benefit of the cheap media is if you are performing the wrong actions, at least you're not wasting good media . Personaly, I stay far away from cheap media - but my friend is one of those 'deal' hunters. You could probably sell him anything if it was a 'good price'.

[FatBastard]

Originally posted by iamnotmad:
You can just use disc copy in utilities. Make image from device - then burn image. Toast is not necessary.

This works for me. Thanks so much IAMNOTMAD. It's so simple and effective for backing up my original Video DVDs.

[normr]

This software to duplicate DVD's on a PC is available, is there anything like it on the Mac?


http://store.yahoo.com/purplus/dvdxcopspecp.html

[carnagex2000]

For Mac OSX, and its free/shareware (although it worth it donate)
http://homepage.mac.com/kaicherry/index2.html