ok,i have an external dvd+rw drive thats connected by usb 2.0 . i have dvdXcopy which i bought last year so its not the ripper free version. My problem is, when i put a dvd into my reading drive and then put a disk into my external dvd drive and use dvdXcopy to burn when the program is done the disk wont play on any device. when i put it in my computer it makes weird staticy noises and when i try to play it my comp freezes until i take it out. please help.i used both khypermedia dvd+r and memorex dvd+r's. thanks
Hi there ny002ll, Welcome to the Club, Both of the media you mentioned are rated as either Poor OR "I wonder if this would fly better overhand or underhand ?" (lol) Here's a start, Memorex is a good example as media goes, figures as high as 50% coasters have been reported (One member bought a stack of 50 and got 23 good burns.), not what I would call an impressive record. 4 different companies manufacture Memorex BTW and the quality varies widely as you might imagine. Easy to see now why the quality of a big-named company can't be trusted - "Who's making your Memorex tonight ?" 1. * Cheap media freezes, skips, stutters, pixelats, partially jams, may be rejected and lest we forget, our old standby, giving you the old just, refuses to be recognized routine :-( Besides "Freezing", "skips" and pixelations, many times you'll get a "Cyclic Redundancy error" or an "I/O error". This message can mean that your discs are scratched or dirty, it can also mean that your burner won't accept your "cheap" media :-( Another problem which "pops up" is a "*Power Calibration Error". This can stop you right in your tracks and most often is caused by, Yep, you guessed it, inexpensive media. *A "Power Calibration Error" can also be attributed to the Optical Components of a DVD Writer, though this isn't usually the case. Trying to shut down your software and ejecting your DVD then restarting your program and re-inserting the same media recently cleaned has been known to help. Inexpensive media or even average media is great for text, Data, Spreadsheets, .Jpg and .Gif pictures and is good even for MP3 music BUT for DVD backups - BLAaaaaaT! It SUCKTH in an extremely Big-th way ! 2. A good grade media is needed for DVD reproduction ! "Branded" Ritek G04's or Branded Verbatim are what we're looking for OR any media boasting "Advanced Metal AZO.", this indicates a superior dye application, while they are sometimes a bit "pricey" they are acceptable. Prices online from Meritline.com have gotten Ritek G04 down below a dollar a disc - Question - If you make coasters out of 3 cheap or even average discs and good copies from 3 Branded Verbatim discs or 3 "Branded" Ritek G04 discs - which ones then will you say are too expensive ? The 3 "Cheapo's with no movie backup OR, the 3 recommended discs with a perfect backup on each disc ? Bear in mind, Memorex, Fuji, Sony, TDK, Orange Pack and others are quite good for your MP3 music, picture archives, Spread sheets, Data and your text backups and archives, they just don't work well for DVD backups. Even DataSafe G04's made by Ritek have been reported as inferior quality and are evoking that "Oh no, I shouldn't have gotten those." Remember, for DVD backups, purchasing inexpensive media or even average media is a gamble, some people win, the majority of people lose, varying amounts but, they still lose :-( Let's try the right media for the job - just buy a 5 pack of what we recommend that will settle it once and for all - Don't cheat though, buy the EXACT media we recommended - Using good grade media can guarantee you one thing to an absolute certainty; it surely cannot hurt. BTW, In an effort to clear the air, when I speak of "Cheap" or "Inexpensive" media, I'm not referring to the price you pay at the counter - I'm referring to the way the manufacturer's cut the corners during the manufacture of the discs and the quality control used during manufacturing. And when I say "Branded" that means that when you pick up a disc in your hand, it says "Ritek" or "Verbatim" on the disc itself. The cost of the media we recommend many times is cheaper than that you are buying now. Once you're straightened out there start checking DVD XCopy's "Black List" - http://dvdxcopy.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/49908 If you're STILL having trouble, come back and we'll give ya some more ideas ) Cheers, Pete
thanks pete, another thing is that my dvd burner is an internal that was put in an external casing and could it be my burner or something. its an i/o magic 8x dual. when i put a disk in the drive and click on it it says not acsesible. but then it says i have to format the disk so it will work then after i format the disk i may clcik the drive to see what the disk has on it. any help here would be greatly appreicated as well. Justin
Justin, The only disc you might have to format is an RW. An RW may not play in any standalone player - they like single write media as a rule - Second, I suggest, if you can to reduce the size to about 4300MB or a little less especially if you're not going to switch to a proper media (that still may not help). and Last - All burners are the same - whether it's an internal or external - I have a Nec that was an external and now is an internal. It makes no never mind – If I were you, I’d save my Memorex for backing up Programs or your HD, MP3 files even – get some correct media if you want to have DVDs to watch next month or next year – One thing I haven't addressed is the life of a backup made on an "el cheapo" disc. We all know that data, music and video backed up on CD’s and DVD’s will last forever, well, if not forever for at least 100 yrs or so – that’s what we’ve read and that’s why we backup our treasures to disc, so that they’ll be safe. “BLAaaaT” (the bone chilling sound of an emergency air horn), wrong, dead wrong, hang you’re your video camera tapes and family pictures, “Point of fact,” inferior discs have a tendency to "Break down" in time. In a very short time, we’re talking disc breakdown in less than a single year, as little as 6 to 8 months. Important, please read - http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/story.jsp?story=513486 My personal observations on this subject - I have had 25 to 30 backups that have refused to play after being stored for a year or more. I test all of my backups when they are burnt to be totally sure that there are no problems. "In the Golden, Olden times," before I knew any better, the Maxell and TDK discs (and any thing that was on sale) was what I used to use before I switched to Ritek and Verbatim, it is the cheap stuff that I have been experiencing trouble with. I noticed that backup DVD's I had been using refused to play in my standalone player and on my PC. VOB files wouldn't play either and other discs that I backed up about the same time would "Jam" part way through the movie. After switching to Verbatim and Ritek s, mostly the Ritek's because the price was right, I've not had 1 go "Flat" in almost 2 years. I still have some backups done on the cheap stuff and as time wears on I lose a few more as I attempt to check them. I say to you, why did a backup play fine in "01"and "02" then "fail" in "03 ?? Some that were done in "01" never made it till "02" and others done about the same time and "Failed" in "04"? All of the backups from "02" and "03", done on the "good Stuff" work fine today - not a single failure ! As always, you have a choice - Cheers, Pete
thanks pete, since i like having someone directly to talk to about this and you seem to know lots and your very kind for helping me when no one else would could i have your email address incase i have anymore questions or could i have a aim screename or something. i am not going to use it for spamming or rediculous things as that. it would be very much appreciated. as always, thank you pete. _justin
Justin, We do this as a hobby, to attempt to help others, I really don't wish to have it intrude into my email - There are plenty of others here if I'm not around - When you have other questions, post them here - I'm sure you understand ) Cheers, Pete
