Hi, I'm completely new to DVD back-up, I haven't actually bought a burner yet, and I'm sorry if this question is too general for the forum. I'm using a Pentium 4 running Windows XP, I'm looking at either an I/O Magic or Hewlett Packard external burner, and for playback I use a JVC XV-521 and a Sony Playstation 2. My question is, given this set-up, are there any particular compatability concerns I should be aware of? I understand that IFOEdit is a fairly integral piece of software for DVD back-up, yet I've read that it doesn't run on Windows XP. Is this going to affect quality, or longevity, or seriously limit what I will be able to do? Also, I have never actually seen a 1:1 single layer copy - is the quality identical? Thank you, Stephen
If you are completely new to DVD backup I would, personally, forget IFOedit (and yes it does run on XP, I use it). Take a look at DVD shrink, it's free & easy to use and produces good results on the majority of titles run through it. There is a Shrink guide on this forum for you to follow. For good compatibility with your standalone players I would recommend using Ritek (branded) or verbatim DVD-r. They are both tried & tested & come highly recommended on this forum. Is there any particular reason why you are going for an external burner rather than an internal one?. If you have the room in your case, I would buy a Pioneer 107 or Plextor DVD burner. I can't advise on the external you listed because I have no experience with it. Yes. (But I am here to be proved wrong, if someone can explain otherwise.)
Thank you very much - I actually did download DVD Shrink, but wasn't certain whether IFOedit was necessary as well - though I see now that they basically do the same thing. My reason for buying an external player is that the cost doesn't seem too bad (200-250$ Canadian) for an item that could be used on different systems (i.e. the next computer I buy) and could have any necessary maintenance done on it without taking the entire system in (it's a shared computer). But I'm not so sure anymore, because I've heard very good things about Plextor and Pioneer and Sony internal models. Thank you very much for the model and media recommendations - I will check them out immediately. Thank you very much again, Stephen
