Are images necessary?

[alexgui]

I am quite new to this and hoping in some help to clarify a doubt I have.

I have read several DVD "back-up" guides and almost all of them end by recommending to create an image (for instance with imgtool or other equivalent tools and then burn it using Nero, DVD Decrypter or others.

My question is: why is it necessary to go this extra step of generating an image? I have tried to copy the whole VIDEO_TS directory from my hard disk to a DVD and it works just fine. What am I missing?

Regards,
Alex

[setarip]

"What am I missing?"

Nothing at all. If you have decent burning software that handles DVD-video structure properly, there is no need to perform the extra step of creating an image file...


(The guides you've read are probably within the realm of, "You can do this using only freeware")

[alexgui]

Originally posted by setarip
"What am I missing?"

Nothing at all. If you have decent burning software that handles DVD-video structure properly, there is no need to perform the extra step of creating an image file...


(The guides you've read are probably within the realm of, "You can do this using only freeware")

Thanks setarip. I don't want to abuse of your kindness but I would like to fully understand your statement. I am using the software that came with the DVD drive (CDnow). I am just telling the software to create a Data disc and copying the "VIDEO_TS" directory and all the files included to the disc. I expected the software just to copy the files there bit after bit and nothing else. When you say "handles DVD-video structure properly" does it mean that CDnow somehow finds out that those files are part of a DVD video and writes them in a different way? And how would that differ from just storing datafiles on a DVD?

Thanks you again for any help. If you prefer you can also just point me to where I can read more about this issue.

Regards,
Alex

[setarip]

"I am using the software that came with the DVD drive (CDnow). I am just telling the software to create a Data disc and copying the "VIDEO_TS" directory and all the files included to the disc."

I'm not personally familiar with the "CDNow" software, so I can only say that you're doing nothing wrong in asking it to burn the "VIDEO_TS" folder to DVD (although, as a cautionary measure, you should also create an empty "AUDIO_TS" folder for burning to the same DVD at the same time). As to whether "CDNow", in the "Data DVD" mode will generate the proper environment, I'd suggest you try burning a REWRITABLE DVD as your first experiment.

Does the "CDNow" software also have a "DVD-Video" mode as an option? If so, that's the one you should use...

[alexgui]

In CDNow the interface is a kind of Wizard in 3 steps. First you choose between a Music Disk, a Data Disk or a 1:1 copy. Then you add files and folders and finally it burns whatever media you inserted in the drive (either a CD or a DVD). If there isn'e enough space on the media for the files that have to be copied a message is displayed.

Therefore I suppose that CDNow does not have any special knowledge of DVD-video versus DVD data and my conclusion was that in fact there is no difference between the two formats.

I have tried to burn a DVD this way and it works in the DVD player. I tried also a rewritable DVD but it didn't work (I think commercial DVD players are not able to read rewritable DVD no matter how they have been written).

Do you know for sure if there is a difference between the two formats (DVD video and DVD data) and what that is?

Regards,
Alex

P.S. The program's name is RecordNow and not CDNow. Apologies.

[setarip]

1) "I have tried to burn a DVD this way and it works in the DVD player."

Then you know that your burning software and your procedures are okay


2) "I tried also a rewritable DVD but it didn't work (I think commercial DVD players are not able to read rewritable DVD no matter how they have been written)."

There is no single universal statement taht you can apply to standalone DVD players. Some cannot play any kind of burned DVDs. Some will only play DVD-Rs and DVD-R/Ws. Others will only play DVD+Rs and DVD+R/Ws. Some will play virtually anything tha you stick in them...

[alexgui]

You quite right about that.

Well at this moment I am really just trying to understand (in technical details) the difference between a DVD containg data and one containing video files.

Thanks for your help so far. Very much appreciated.

Alex.