Question about DVD burners.

[ConanRulesNBC]

I just got a new computer for Christmas and it comes with Power2Go DVD maker and Windows 7 DVD Maker. I was wondering if any of you know or have opinions on which one is better to use to burn better quality DVDs?

[Meticode]

Originally Posted by ConanRulesNBC

I just got a new computer for Christmas and it comes with Power2Go DVD maker and Windows 7 DVD Maker. I was wondering if any of you know or have opinions on which one is better to use to burn better quality DVDs?

My recommendation is ImgBurn. It can build it's own image files from a DVD folder.

Also I would recommend AnyDVD for ripping DVDs from the DVD (it cracks the most up-to-date copyright protections) and also DVD Shrink 3.2 which lets you delete and keep stuff you want on the DVD. For instance retail DVDs are dual layer (8.54GB) and you'll probably be using a DVD-/+R (4.5GB) to burn it on. So that means usually if you try to keep all the main menus and stuff and other language it has to reduce the quality of the move by compressing it from 100% all the way down to 50%. Usually this depends on the length of the DVD. An example is Avatar. The movie is over 2.5 hours long and DVD Shrink will compress it down to 50%-ish for it to fit the movie as well as all the main menus and everything on the DVD-/+R. Another thing DVD Shrink lets you do is get rid of all the extra audio, subtitles and menus selections. This leaves more room for video quality to be higher or even 100%. So when you pop your DVD into your DVD player there will be no menus, copyright warnings or anything, it'll just start playing the movie automatically and you can skip through chapters.

So again...

ImgBurn - free - Will let you build and burn DVD images onto a disc, also can burn CDs with this software too.

AnyDVD - trial - Will rip the extract DVD onto your hard-drive into a folder. You can only get this has a trial version for 21 days, but if you look up NovaKiller 1.8 you can keep resetting the 21 day trial over and over with NovaKiller.

DVD Shrink - free - Will take the DVD folder you made on you hard-drive with AnyDVD and let you compress it into a image file (.iso).

...personally these are the only three programs I use to rip DVDs or burn them. I rip Netflix DVDs like clockwork. I get my DVD in the mail, rip it in 30 minutes onto my hard-drive, put it back in the mail, then rip the DVD from my hard-drive to a blank DVD.

[ConanRulesNBC]

Thank you!

What about just downloading videos from youtube and putting them on DVD?

I usually just copy the link of the youtube video and download the FLV format on keep-tube and then convert it to MPEG-II and on my old computer I had Sonic and it worked really well for that. But now I only have Windows 7 Maker and Power2Go. But I'm looking into those suggestions you just listed.

[Meticode]

Originally Posted by ConanRulesNBC

Thank you!

What about just downloading videos from youtube and putting them on DVD?

I usually just copy the link of the youtube video and download the FLV format on keep-tube and then convert it to MPEG-II and on my old computer I had Sonic and it worked really well for that. But now I only have Windows 7 Maker and Power2Go. But I'm looking into those suggestions you just listed.

I have a couple questions before I answer that.

With you wanting to burn MPEG2 files onto a DVD, do you want to watch them on a regular DVD player hooked up to a TV? Or just be able to watch them on your PC?

[ConanRulesNBC]

I want to watch them on my TV. Is it bad? I mean I've watched the DVDs on my TV and the quality isn't great but isn't terrible either. Which would be better to watch on TV?

[Jello]

Use a site like keephd.com to download the HD media.

[bdreason]

DVD's are so 2010.

[joe]

Originally Posted by Meticode

I have a couple questions before I answer that.

With you wanting to burn MPEG2 files onto a DVD, do you want to watch them on a regular DVD player hooked up to a TV? Or just be able to watch them on your PC?

Hey Meticode, you seem knowledgeable about this so I'll give it a crack.. You know anything about DVD Recorders? I've recorded some old VHS movies/ video game footage onto DVD through a DVD Recorder - I want to put it onto the computer and edit it with MovieMaker, but I'm not sure how to convert the files/maximize the video quality. If you can answer good looks

[Meticode]

Originally Posted by joe

Hey Meticode, you seem knowledgeable about this so I'll give it a crack.. You know anything about DVD Recorders? I've recorded some old VHS movies/ video game footage onto DVD through a DVD Recorder - I want to put it onto the computer and edit it with MovieMaker, but I'm not sure how to convert the files/maximize the video quality. If you can answer good looks

Well first you'll need a DVD ripper. DVD Shrink should work just fine. That'll make the DVD into a .iso image file. Then you'll have to download a convert that will convert the DVD to a format MovieMaker can work with. Usually this is .avi or .wmv or .mpeg or something along those lines. My suggestion is to Google "DVD to avi" and you should get plenty of returns to help you.