Can't make playable DVD?

Toadstool

Can Videopad make DVDs that will play on an ordinary DVD player through a TV set? After editing, I've been going to "export DVD movie" then "DVD movie disc". This makes DVDs that will play on the computer, but at lower quality / resolution than Preview, but when I put the disc in my TV's DVD player I get "disc error, please eject the disc, playback feature may not be available on this disc". What's going wrong?

borate

When exporting as a movie, click the ENCODING button and change the video setting from its default to the other choice. Then burn. Will that play on your TV machine?

Toadstool

Can't find an ENCODING button. I can get "choose settings" which gives a choice of NTSC or PAL, with NTSC set as default - is this the one you mean?

I'm in the UK, if that makes any difference - & my TV & VCR/DVD player is a bit ancient ..

borate

My mistake. I should have looked. DVD ENCODER options appear only with the DVD|DATA disc choice. Chances are, a data disc won't play on the TV machine.

Are you certain that you're burning the correct format for the TV machine - NTSC or PAL? If NTSC it normally won't play on a PAL deck, and vice versa.

Another approach: try creating a Video file, then burning it with Express Burn.

Toadstool

Hi - I was using NTSC but I'll try PAL - which a bit of internet browsing suggests what may be what an older DVD player / TV needs. If that doesn't work I'll try Express Burn or something like that. But one of the attractions for me of Videopad is that it looks like you can bypass the "save video" step & go direct from editing to burning. With Windows Movie Maker after editing a movie, I had to save a movie file (an overnight job with a movie of an hour plus) before I could burn it (another overnight job) ...

c_major_2

Also please check the DVD player's manual and make sure it supports the disc (DVD R+/-, DVD RW+/- etc.).

Toadstool

Hi c-major: the DVD player manual says it takes "DVD video". Yesterday I saved a VP project (approx. 45 minutes) as a "video file" (from within VP) & left it to burn a DVD overnight using Express Burn. This morning it just says it "failed". The disc was DVD+R.

c_major_2

Could you please answer a few questions:

What's the version of VideoPad are you using?

If it's not the latest version have you tried the latest version (v4.45)?

What's the DVD player's brand and model?

Which Windows version are you using?

Toadstool

It's videopad 4.45 - only installed a week or so ago. The DVD player is a Funai DBVR-5500 (quite old, VCR & DVD player). My desktop computer is Windows 7 & my laptop (brand new) is Windows 10 - I've tried both but it makes no difference to DVDs, although editing in VP is easier in Windows 10.

On the desktop (Win7), I burned another DVD overnight, trying PAL instead of NTSC. But when I put it in the DVD player I get the same message: "playback feature not available ..."

It still plays my old DVD+R discs, burned in the past with Windows Movie Maker / DVD Maker. But that software is now unreliable on Win7 & apparently not available for Win10, which is why I'm experimenting with Videopad. VP has far more features & seems attractive, but I can't sort out how to make DVDs!

c_major_2

Thanks for the information.

The other user also reported similar issue. She's sending the DVD to us by mail. I'm still waiting for receiving the DVD to further investigate the issue.

One thing you can try though is export to ISO image from VP. And then use Windows build in burner to burn it on the disc (right click the ISO file in File Explorer and then select Burn disc image). So we know if the issue is causing by the burner code.

Toadstool

Sorry, I don't understand - can't find "export to ISO image" in VP, though Express Burn has "create ISO" from a disc and "write ISO image to a disc". My Windows 7 computer has the old Windows DVD Maker - is that what you mean by Windows built in burner? This laptop (Win10) doesn't seem to have a built in burner. I've been trying to use Express Burn to burn DVDs but it always comes up with "DVD Authoring failed".

borate

Toadstool wrote:

Sorry, I don't understand - can't find "export to ISO image" in VP, though Express Burn has "create ISO" from a disc and "write ISO image to a disc."

While exporting, In the CHOOSE DISC SETTINGS screen click the small arrow to the right of the "Burner" window (that lists your DVD burner). A box will drop down. Click on IMAGE FILE.

My Windows 7 computer has the old Windows DVD Maker - is that what you mean by Windows built in burner? This laptop (Win10) doesn't seem to have a built in burner. I've been trying to use Express Burn to burn DVDs but it always comes up with "DVD Authoring failed."

http://windows.micro...indows-explorer

Toadstool

Thanks - found that, now trying to create the image file. It says it estimates it'll take 2 & a half hours ... I'll let you know.

That link you've given me goes to a page that says "applies to Windows 7", not 10 though. Does Win 10 have a built-in DVD burner?

borate

Toadstool wrote:

That link you've given me goes to a page that says "applies to Windows 7", not 10 though. Does Win 10 have a built-in DVD burner?

No. That was a Win 10 'improvement.' :angry:

c_major_2

Windows 10 does have built-in DVD burner.

borate

Indeed, but it burns data. Unless a file conversion is made, that may not work on the standalone player that Toadstool referenced.

Two links explain the process and limitations. Here's an extract from the first...

"Note! if you want to burn video files like avi, mp4, wmv, etc... to DVD, then you must know that this disc will only play on computers and DVD players that support these video formats. If you wish to burn them on a DVD that can be played on every DVD player, then you need to convert the video files to DVD format first.

Note! if you want to burn audio files like mp3 and wma to CD, then you must know that this disc will only play on computers and CD/DVD players that support these audio formats. If you wish to burn them on a CD that can be played on every CD/DVD player, then you need to convert the files to the .cda audio format first."

http://www.easytechg...windows-10.html

https://www.youtube....h?v=g523WJIwyKI

Express Burn from NCH may be your best alternative.

c_major_2

Unless a file conversion is made, that may not work on the standalone player that Toadstool referenced.

That's what I'm investigating. VP suppose to generate valid files for standalone players when you choose export to DVD/Blu-ray Movie Disc.

Toadstool

Well, I tried burning a DVD from the Image file as per borate's instructions. The 1st time it said "failed", though it turns out the TS files were on the disc. Tried again & got "disc image has been successfully burned to disc", but my DVD player still won't play it: says "playback feature may not be available on this disc".

C-major, where did you find that menu you've posted above? After editing in videopad I can save my home-made vids as .wmv files - do they count as "DVD format"? Should that Windows 10 feature (if I can find it) be able to burn a DVD with "playback feature" from them?

Toadstool

Ah, just found that "Mount" menu that C-major posted: it comes up when I right-click on the ISO file which my laptop CD/DVD drive says is "ready to be written to the disc". But I've already tried writing that to a disc & got "disc image has been successfully burned to disc" (which my standalone DVD player responds to with "playback feature may not be available on this disc").

But is "burn disc image" the same thing as actually burning a DVD?

The old Windows Movie Maker (on Windows 7) used to make WMV files which the old Windows DVD Maker (also Windows 7) burned perfectly playable (on my standalone DVD player) DVDs from. So I'm assuming WMV files are DVD compatible. The problem seems to be either with videopad or with Windows 10.

borate

There is justifiable confusion over the term "DVD" - a Digital Versatile Disc. It is media - as are tape recordings or records.

Most any file type can be burned AS DATA to a DVD, which will play on computers and some standalone players.

However, in order to work dependably with standalone players the format must be compatible.

For files that are playable on standalone machines the encoding to be burned to a DVD disc is MPEG2. This is a "movie" disk in Videopad terms. (Folders on the DVD will be VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS.)

This may help understand the various formats and applications.