VS9 Trouble importing from DVD

steve_ss · Post by **steve_ss** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 10:57 pm

Wow frustrating. I previously had no problems importing from DVDs I made of old VHS tapes. In fact one of the reasons I purchased VS9 was its reliability in capturing from DVD.
Something seems to have changed in just the last couple of weeks. When I attempt to import from DVD it seems to go OK, quick green status line, then it shows title 0 with a number of chapters. When i click on title I get an hour glass for a while then a message "unspecified error". After I click on the OK and click on title again it is red checked and ready to import. All information is listed but there is nothing in the preview window. After I click import it begins then stops after only 10% +/- and gives me the "unspecified error" again. After clicking OK it asks whether I want to "close import DVD and save already imported temp file".
On occasion after I reboot, defrag, delete all temp files, it will go normally with correct preview and looks good until about 80%, then I get the "unspecified error" again.
Then with subsequent attempts I get all the afore mentioned problems.
Thanks for taking time to read this. Any suggestions?

2Dogs · Post by **2Dogs** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 11:32 pm

Check that there's enough space on your hard drive - in VS9 preferences, make sure it points to a working folder with enough room for the import.

Mind you, if there isn't enough room on the drive, Windows should give you a warning about low disk space, but it's something you might check.

steve_ss · Post by **steve_ss** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 1:38 am

Thanks 2dogs,
I think there is plenty of hardrive space.
I reinstalled VS9. No help.
I tried importing a commercial DVD. It worked.
Sometimes when I insert my home video DVD it opens in Media player and sometimes it dose not. The light blinks for a while then goes solid and it shows no data when I click on that drive.
Could there be a problem with my DVD player (Toshiba CD/DVRW SDR5372V)? Like I said before, it worked fine until recently.

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 2:59 am

steve_ss · Post by **steve_ss** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 5:14 am

Thanks maddrummer3301.
I think you are on the right track. I attempted to copy the files from DVD to hard drive as you suggested. On the first attempt "cannot read from the source file or disc". Second attempt with different disc started out well, then at about 7 min left "cannot copy, data error (cyclic redundancy check)"
Prior to these attempts I used a Scotch laser lens cleaner (a hail Mary).
Now what? Should I look for a different CD/DVR?
I tried the disc in another computer with no success.
I tried it again in my computer and got to 2 min remaining
Any suggestion?

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 5:29 am

Post by **lancecarr** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 1:22 pm

Do you happen to have a copy of Nero Recode on your computer?
If so I accidentally found a function that it can perform that may help.
For some reason unknown to me Recode is VERY forgiving of data errors on DVDs. You can try placing the disc in the DVD tray of the computer and open Recode. Recode's purpose is actually to...well...recode! Generally by that it performs similar to DVD shrink, reducing a DVD file structure that is too big for a disc down to 4.7 gig or less. It will even read unfinalised DVDs form DVD cams.
It may detect the data on the DVD and the file structure and give you the choice of recoding. If the source disc is 4.7 gig and you choose to recode to a 4.7gig disc it tricks the program into recoding at 100% so effectively all it is doing is copying but it has correction facilities built-in. It will create a folder in your "My Documents" folder called "Recode." Inside that will be the full IFO, BUP,VOB file structure of the original DVD. Just rename the folder to VIDEO_TS then try to import from that...worth a try!

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 2:05 pm

If you do have damage to the disc, try using this DVD Repair Kit. I had a disc that had some bad scratches and, of course, would not play. It took several go-rounds with this machine, but I finally got it playable so I could make a copy.

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 2:28 pm

Post by **lancecarr** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 3:04 pm

Yes well I'd like to say the various functions of Nero piqued my interest so thereupon I entered into a series of exhaustive tests regarding all its features and capabilities...but...it was sheer dumb luck.
I sold a DVD cam then later found an unfinalised disc. After trying everything to crack the damn thing I relented and paid to unlock the full features of Isobuster. Nice program and of course it extracted the vobs for me as MPEGs.
About a day later (still stewing over paying) I was doodling around and stumbled across Recode. Gave it a spin to satisfy my curiosity and lo and behold it simply copied the disc over to the hard drive without breaking a sweat. From there it was a matter of renaming the folder to VIDEO_TS and importing from VS.
It is probably so robust because I think the guy that originally wrote DVDShrink took a job at Ahead (Nero) and wrote Recode for them.

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 3:19 pm

steve_ss · Post by **steve_ss** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 5:22 pm

Thanks everyone.
I'm not sure it is the disc that is damaged. It occasianaly comes up correctly in the preview window and will import up to about 80% before the error message. I can view the entire disc in windows media player. A number of discs that I have recorded work the same way, they are virtually new.
It sounds like Nero Recode might help my reader but I would like to avoid the addtional steps. By the way my discs are about 4 GB.
Should I bother trying a new CD/DVRW? . Mine is a Toshiba CD/DVRW SDR5372V

2Dogs · Post by **2Dogs** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 7:32 pm

steve_ss wrote:Should I bother trying a new CD/DVRW? . Mine is a Toshiba CD/DVRW SDR5372V

Not sure what part of the world you are in Steve, but here in NTSC land burners are dirt cheap. Newegg.com have an offer on a multi-format Samsung 18x lightscribe enabled burner for about $38 inc shipping. Even if you don't mess with lightscribe disks, it's pretty tempting.

steve_ss · Post by **steve_ss** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 7:52 pm

I'm in the USA. Not too concerned about the cost (under $100 anyway), just the likeliness of a different unit solving my problems. If a new unit is recommended, which has the best record of reading different DVDs?

2Dogs · Post by **2Dogs** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 8:14 pm

Just check out the NewEgg.com site and read the user reviews if you like. I think that Samsung is a pretty good name, and the spec of the unit I mentioned shows quicker CD and DVD access times than many others, plus it is 18x rather than the more usual 16x. It's also multi-format, reading and writing to all forms of DVD, including, if I remember rightly, writing to DVD-RAM at 12x, substantially faster than many other units. DVD-RAM disks allow you to just drag and drop files onto the drive icon to copy them, which some people find useful.

The icing on the Samsung cake is that it also has lightscribe - so if you buy lightscribe disks and download appropriate software, you can burn your own labels. I prefer to use cheap disks and a sharpie myself.

And just in case you were wondering.....no, I don't work for Samsung!