Computer help forum: How do I write files onto a DVD-R?

You should already have some type of burning software installed such as EZCD Creator or Nero or somesuch...

If you are planning to write to the DVD as movie files so you can view them in your dvd player or on your computer using Windows Media Player as your DVD viewer, then you would open the burning software and create a DVD movie type of file.

If you only want to burn those files as data to a DVD in order to save them as files only, you would open the burner program and set it as a DATA disk instead. You won't be able to view the movies from that cd, but you will have them saved as files only, but you would still be able to view them from your desktop by clicking them and having Media Player or whatever you use open up and play them on your desktop window instead.

I normally burn my movies to a dvd type cd so that I can play them in my dvd player in the livingroom, then burn the file(s) again as a DATA cd (you can get a number of movies onto the cd that way) so I always have the files, and then I delete the files from my harddrive. If I ever need to make a new copy of a movie because my cd has gone bad, I bring out the DATA cd, copy that movie back to my harddrive, and then burn a new movie DVD from that file on the harddrive again.

TONI

I also only get one actual movie on one media disk.......I meant that if you have several movies on your harddrive, you can put a number of them onto one 4.7GB dvd media as DATA files only. This way you can bring that file back to your harddrive should your actual burned movie cd fail later on. The DATA cd is strictly to preserve the original .avi or .mpg FILE as a backup.

TONI

Please repost your question as a new topic on the main page of the forum. When you do so, please explain clear what you're trying to do.. You mix the terms CD and DVD incorrectly.. Are you actually trying to burn a DVD to a CD or are you trying to burn a DVD movie to a DVD-R disc?

Some other things to be considered though...

In addition, where did you get the "Step Up" movie? Since it sounds like a recently released copyrighted movie, did you download it from the internet? Attempt to copy it from a commmercial DVD?

If the movie is a copyrighted movie, our forum policies against piracy prevent us from helping you make illegal copies of such movies. In addition, if you have a recent version of Nero, it will eventually prevent you from making a copy of the commercially copyrighted DVD.

Hope this helps.

Grif

Depends on both the burner and the disk if 1x, 2x, 4x, 8x or 16x is feasible. Trust your burning program and choose what it proposes. If it fails, half it.

Kees

I have no less than 2 methods.

1. Use CDBurnerXP to make an .ISO of the DVD to your hard disk, then use CDBurnerXP to write that .ISO to your blank DVD-R media.

2. Use DVDSHRINK (use google.com to find these programs) to duplicate that DVD. It won't bother to shrink it since it will just fit fine.

Bob

if you mean it burned ok and would not play in a DVD player, you have to use DVD-R media to be able to watch it on a DVD player. Also all you have to do is copy the DVD to your hard drive...put it in my documents/my movies..make a new folder in my documents first if there isn't one already there. Take the borrowed DVD out of the computer and it will be safe.. Then use roxio to burn to DVD-R by brousing to the my movie folder. hope this helps.

Found with google, not much to write about here since it has pages on how to use it.

Toni, I have a Philips DVP 5980 that is able to playback DivX and other similar files on my TV screen. A few months ago I made several disks with DIVX files (3-4 such movie files would fit on each disk as data) but cannot recall what software I used to make them. They played perfectly on the DVP. Now, I put data files on the same kind of DVD+R disk and when I try to play it, the player says: UNKNOWN DISK. Do you know what's going on? If I put in one of the old disks it plays perfectly.

If I can share how I write DVD-R, maybe we can find something you can use?

1. CDBurnerXP.

Since Windows XP doesn't natively have DVD file recording capability, I use a free piece of software from http://www.cdburnerxp.se/

With this, you can record this files to DVD-R. If I were you, I'd practice with a DVD-R/W disk.

-> Does not make a VIDEO DVD.

2. Ulead and other Video DVD creation software.

DVD is not strictly a video media. DVD stands for Digital Versatile Disc, but http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html#1.1 shows that I could be wrong about the acronym. But it doesn't matter.

To make a video DVD, you need to use DVD video creation software. My DVD recorders came with Ulead, MyDVD and other so those will do nicely. Since such is too specific to your software, I'm going to simply write that you use that software to create a DVD that plays in your DVD player on the TV.

Bob

You could use that. But be sure it lets you write the movie in a format that can be read wherever you want to read it (PC, Mac, stand-alone DVD-player).

If you tell what software you have, what's the format of the video files and where you want to view it, somebody might be able to give a more specific advice.

Kees

I already answered your question above. But let me share what else you should type at google.

DVD FLICK

I think you meant DATA DVD. CDBURNERXP does data DVDs just fine. I won't duplicate how to use said title here.
Bob

Spend some cash on Roxio 7 or Nero 6. I love the Nero. Ain't much it won't do. I've used it to backup extensive files, make movie discs, slide shows, etc.
Got mine in a bundle with my DVD burner. Cool stuff!

Re: "I have dvd-rom and cd writer drives. My question is 'can I burn to a dvd', if not, what do I need to do, or purchase?"

DVD-ROM, ROM means Read Only Memory. You can't expect to write on Read Only. To write you need a DVD-Writer or a DVD-R/W (Read/Writer).
Of the writers there are 2 basic types - and +, and there are some more expensive types that can do both.

A CD and A DVD do look alike. But they are vastly different. A DVD has 5 to 20 times more capacity than a CD. Essentially it is sort of "finer groves" (not actually groves, but the idea is similar).

Right now you can get, from TigerDirect.com, a "Famous Brand" 16x4x16x Dual Layer DVDRW Drive for $50 ($70 - $20 rebate). The deal expires 12/31. Click here

I have a Dell Inspiron 1150 laptop. I would like to know if there is a program I can purchase to download in my pc to copy video files,(eg. off downloaded videos on RealPlayer),onto a DVD disc? My operation System is Windows Xp Service Pack 2. Model Intel(R), 4CPU 2.80 GHz, 2.80mGHz, 512MB of Ram. Hard Drives - only DVD/CD-ROM Drives. It only reads DVD's, but will write CD'S. So what I understand it does not come eqipped with internally to write videos.I have had this laptop for almost 4 yrs, and it has served me well, but I would like to be able to copy some videos for teaching purposes for our group at the church. A friend of mine has this capability on their pc so they have given me Dvd's they have copied off their files and I use them on my pc. I would like to do the same without having to buy another computer. Can you help me. One would think in this day of technology this would be possible. I would appreciate your help.