Noob at DVD copying

[BerkshireMike]

(First-time poster - please be kind )

Headline is I don't understand what to do when I'm told that, to burn a disk, I need media that is 40GB.

Longtime Windows user, 2-year delighted convert to the Mac ecosystem, and little experience with video in either universe. I'm utterly flummoxed by what seems to be a simple task that I'm probably overcomplicating: My pastor asked me if I knew anybody who could copy the DVD he has of his dad's funeral. (It was made by the funeral home.) Thinking this HAS to be a cinch on the Mac, I assured him I'd handle it.

I've got a MBP with 8GB, 500GB HD, and Lion. Here's what I've done:

1) I tried using Disk Utility and making an image of the TS_Video folder, but got in input/output error regarding file permissions.

2) Thinking my problem was that somehow I had a commercially protected DVD, I looked into DVD ripping software here and elsewhere, and decided I needed to buy MacX DVD Ripper Pro.

3) Installed MDRP, and used its "Copy DVD" feature. It took TEN HOURS to do this.

4) I looked at the file sizes in the TS_Video folders on the DVD and the copy MDRP created, and they look the same.

5) When I used Disk Utility to try to burn the copy to disk, it seemed ready to do the burn but told me I'd need something like 40GB.

6) I looked at the file sizes on the DVD again, and they seem to add up to the same 40GB or so. How can that be, on what looks to be a standard DVD? I know I'm missing at least one thing that's basic here, and maybe LOTS of things.

My pastor wants to give these copies to his family for Christmas, and I sure don't want to disappoint him. Can somebody please help me with what I need to do?

Thanks in advance, and apologies for the noob request.

 

[ftaok]

There's no way possible for that DVD to have 40 GB of data. Macs don't come with BluRay drives (I'm assuming you didn't install your own) and DVDs can hold either 8.5 or 4.7 GB.

OK, so to answer your question, I'm gonna lay out a step by step.

1. Download DVDFab (it's what I use on the PC side; now available for Mac). It's free to use, but if you use the DVD Copy portion, it'll start a timed trial (usually a couple of weeks).

2. Install DVDFab

3. Start DVDFab and select DVDCopy.

4. On the left colum, select Full Disc.

5. Insert the DVD of the funeral.

6. Make sure you set up the Source and Target drives correctly. The Source will be the DVD of the funeral. The Target will be the DVD drive (you'll need to swap the discs).

6a. Alternatively, you can set the Target as your Hard Drive and burn a copy off the Hard Drive. (useful if you want to burn later)

7. When the app prompts you, put in a blank DVD and you're on your way.

NOTE - if the original DVD uses over 4.7GB (dual layered), DVDFab can burn a compressed copy onto single layered DVD. Set the output to DVD5

 

[BerkshireMike]

Trying DVD Fab

OK, I tried exactly as you suggested. In the "analyze DVD" step (first task), I get a "process failed" message, "unable to assess video quality".

Thoughts?

 

[b-rad g]

I use RipIt to rip the movie from the disc and then use Handbrake to encode it for iTunes. Then use Identify to tag it with info and artwork.

 

[ftaok]

OK, I tried exactly as you suggested. In the "analyze DVD" step (first task), I get a "process failed" message, "unable to assess video quality".

Thoughts?

Is there something special about this particular DVD? Have you tried playing it on the Mac? How about on a regular DVD player?

Does the DVD mount in Finder? Is so, select it and do a Get Info (Command-I). What does it say?

I wonder how this particular DVD was created. I was thinking that perhaps the DVD wasn't "finalized" in the camcorder, but those DVDs tend to be the small 3" ones. They don't work on Macs since they'll jam the slot loading mechanism.

Perhaps they created these DVDs using a standalone DVD recorder and didn't "finalize" the disc.

I'm just guessing here, but I think the problem is likely to be the DVD itself.

Do you have a Windows PC to fall back upon? Try using DVDFab for Windows.

 

[BerkshireMike]

(Correction to my earlier post, for any DVD Fab for Mac gurus out there: The error message was "error 102()", not "error 1020" as I first thought.)

The DVD plays perfectly in my Mac. It's pretty simple, a roughly 9-minute slide show with music, that repeats automatically once a "play video" menu pick is selected on the main screen.

It does appear in Finder, and the info I can display is:
Kind: Volume
Created: June 8, 2011 9:28 PM
Modified: June 8, 2011 9:28 PM
Format: Universal Disk Format (UDF)
Capacity: 551.9 MB
Available: Zero Bytes
Used: 551,892,992 bytes (551.9 MB on disk)

"Shared folder" is not checked.

Is there a way to tell if the disk was finalized, i.e., what if I try to write to it?

I don't readily have a Windows PC to use (I could resurrect my old Vaio if absolutely necessary), but I do have WinXP under VMWare Fusion 3.x, that I use for Quicken & QuickBooks on the MBP. I'll give that a try.

Thanks for your help thus far. Any further insights are much appreciated!

 

[CylonGlitch]

I use RipIt to rip the movie from the disc and then use Handbrake to encode it for iTunes. Then use Identify to tag it with info and artwork.

Sorry I snickered. Not sure how much artwork there is of the funeral.

----------

The DVD plays perfectly in my Mac. It's pretty simple, a roughly 9-minute slide show with music, that repeats automatically once a "play video" menu pick is selected on the main screen.

This is quite interesting. I have DVDFab for Windows and RipIt for mac; between the two of these I've never not been able to copy a DVD. But I create an image first and not a direct copy.

I'm wondering if the looping is causing problems for the applications because it doesn't know where to start and end. I am guessing this is NOT copy protected, if that's the case couldn't you just pull the entire contents of the disk off onto your hard drive (drag everything from the mounted disk to a folder on your desktop). Once copied over use DVD player and point it to that folder and it should play. Then, to burn it, just put in a blank DVD and drag the contents to it and click burn. Should work if there is no copy protection.

 

[BerkshireMike]

Finder THINKS it's 40GB when copying to desktop

It gets curiouser and curiouser: I tried copying the TS_Video folder from the mounted DVD to the desktop, and it immediately gave me a progress indication of "xxx MB of 40.xGB". It also said it's trying to copy something like 387 items. So it has some indicator that adds to 40GB, which jives with what my image generated by Mac DVD Ripper Pro.

But after a few seconds the copy operation failed, with this error message:
"The Finder can’t complete the operation because some data in “VTS_01_1.VOB” can’t be read or written. (Error code -36)"

Does this indicate that there is copy protection, or that there's some issue elsewhere? (I am intrigued that the many files in the TS_video folder do look like they add up to something like 40GB.)

 

[ftaok]

It gets curiouser and curiouser: I tried copying the TS_Video folder from the mounted DVD to the desktop, and it immediately gave me a progress indication of "xxx MB of 40.xGB". It also said it's trying to copy something like 387 items. So it has some indicator that adds to 40GB, which jives with what my image generated by Mac DVD Ripper Pro.

But after a few seconds the copy operation failed, with this error message:
"The Finder can’t complete the operation because some data in “VTS_01_1.VOB” can’t be read or written. (Error code -36)"

Does this indicate that there is copy protection, or that there's some issue elsewhere? (I am intrigued that the many files in the TS_video folder do look like they add up to something like 40GB.)

My guess is that the DVD structure is not normal and throwing off the various apps.

Here's what I would try. Make a folder on your desktop called "FUNERAL" or whatever you want. Inside of it, make a folder called VIDEO_TS. Open the DVD and go to the VIDEO_TS folder of the DVD. Copy each file individually into the VIDEO_TS folder you created.

You may want to show invisible files (not sure how to do that on a Mac), if they're present.

ft

 

[b-rad g]

WOW!!!!! Totally missed the part about the funeral!!!

@CylonGlitch: I just busted out laughing when I read that and reread the OP!

 

[chiefpavvy]

Are you using Mac DVDRipper Pro? Never had any issues with it, best ripper of the bunch for Mac. DVDFab for Mac may be better, but it just came out and I haven't had a chance to play with it.

The funeral home may well have employed a copy-protection scheme to prevent you from making your own copies of the disc - I bet they'd be happy to sell you a copy or two...

 

[BerkshireMike]

I decided I've about run out of time today, and (swallowing my technical pride) called the funeral home to ask if they'd make me some more copies. Talked with the guy who made the original, and he of course acknowledged that it's copy-protected.

He pointed out that they normally charge for each copy, but in this case (for a pastor who probably sends them a fair amount of business, I'm thinking!) he'd make a few more, gratis.

Sigh. Still not sure why Mac DVD Ripper Pro didn't work, but once I get my hands on one of the new DVDs I'll try it again. May very well be that, as ftaok suggested, the problem is with the specific DVD medium itself.

Many thanks to each of you who took the time to suggest workarounds. I really appreciate the help. (AND I appreciate the humor involved in considering the "artwork" of a funeral-related DVD!!)

Happy Holidays,
Mike

PS - If I do figure out what the problem is, I'll post it here in case it helps somebody else later on.

 

[ftaok]

I decided I've about run out of time today, and (swallowing my technical pride) called the funeral home to ask if they'd make me some more copies. Talked with the guy who made the original, and he of course acknowledged that it's copy-protected.

If this is indeed the case, then this local funeral home has a better copy protection scheme than the big boys. I've not run into any commercial DVD that DVDFab wasn't able to rip.

Please do update this thread with further information if you get it. Thanks.

 

[wafa1230]

what is a noob??im needing to know what a noob is. sum1 called me that during a weed smoking session and i didn't wanna sound stu[pid so i didn't ask.

 

[CylonGlitch]

what is a noob??im needing to know what a noob is. sum1 called me that during a weed smoking session and i didn't wanna sound stu[pid so i didn't ask.

Noob = A new body (person). Someone who hasn't done that specific task before. If you're a noob typically it's an insult because you're either acting stupid or acting foolish like someone who has never done it before.

 

[dynaflash]

Many "consumer" dvd authoring programs create wonky dvd structures. iDvd was one of many. I'd give a handbrake nightly a try on this one https://build.handbrake.fr/view/Nightlies/ Its worth a try. In my experience if it can be played in a normal dvd player, the hb nightly can probably decode it. That said HB won't copy the dvd to make more dvd's. But can convert it over to an mp4 or an mkv.

dtox is what I'd try on mac to copy the dvd if thats your wish.