which DVD should I replicate??

P

powerdog

Veteran
I finished a video project and created a DVD (using DVDSP and Toast) that was initially approved. I tested in in 3 DVD players: my set-top Panny, and both VLC media player and Windows Media Player on a PC. Worked fine in all of them. Worked for client, too.

Then the client wanted to change one small thing in the closing credits. I exported, built, formatted, burned, etc. and the new DVD played fine in the set-top and VLC, but in WMP the audio was about twice normal speed. Went back and checked the older DVD, and it still played normally. Built, formatted, and burned two more disks, same problem.

I've already advised her to be safe and settle for replicating the older disk (the change wasn't essential). Would you agree, or hope it's just the one copy of WMP I'm using?
 
First up, I'd never trust any computer's DVD player to judge a DVDs compatability, never ever, ever, never!

Did you delete the original build, or just over write it?

Did you trash the DVDSP Overlay files in the build, or did they get burned to the disk? They should be trashed, not included on the disk.

But if it plays on set top players fine, I'd not worry about it. Computer DVD players, especially WMP, are not to be trusted to play DVDs properly at all. I've had major problems playing store bought DVDs in WMP on PCs. I don't know any PC user who uses it for DVDs.
 
Ben, scary as it might be I know a lot that use WMP to play DVDs. They are all laptop users. I am slowly trying to convert them away from that, but some are stubborn and thing WMP is the next sliced bread (them not me).

Another test I would try, is if you can get access to one, test the DVD in a really really cheap and dumpy DVD player. If it will play okay in one of those then you should be okay. I certainly second Ben's warnings of trusting computer software players, and especially WMP.
 
WMP DVD playback is the worst ! If you MUST play a DVD in a PC , use a 3rd party player, atleast convert them to that.
 
It didn't involve animal sacrifice, fortunately. Just on a hunch, I switched the Compressor settings from High Qual, 60 minute MPEG-2 (which I'd customized a bit) to the standard setting for HQ, 120 minute, MPEG-2. Didn't see any difference in the video quality. Maybe the 60 minute setting is more foreign to WMP?
 
I've heard that you should make your files Read only before putting them on the disk that will master for replication. A DLT tape automatically makes anything read-only that is written to it. I've not tried it though, but that's what it said in a replication quote that I got.
 
Read Only has no effect on anything. I've sent DVD-Rs to DiskMakers and had reall nice duplications done.
 
I've had nothing but VERY possitive experiences with them.

The only negative I had was just recently. My LAST "school graduation" (I hope I never do another wedding or school event as long as I live, the past two years without them have been great), sent them off to get 200 copies from DiskMakers. Got them back. One parent called claiming that she and almost 15 other parents couldn't play the disk on their DVD players. She said several things that made me suspect of the "end user error" syndrome, begining with the fact that it took her six months to contact me about the problem after delivery. And that she claimed they all brought their copies to her house to check! Yep, if one won't play on your DVD player, don't try another DVD player, try them all on yours, IDIOT! Sorry, this woman got under my skin.

She asked if they could get a good, proven working copy from me and duplicate for themselves. I was nervous about it, but agreed. Told here to come pick it up (I keep a few extras of everything I send out to clients, just in case). She said she'd be by within a week. It's been almost three months now and I never heard from her. I suspect my lecture about DVD compatiability, computer DVD players, etc, got her to try it on someone else's player and it worked. I bet she and her family have a brand new DVD player in their Den right now! Please note, I do not normally lecture my clients sternly, but she had just lectured me about how she is an attorny. Want really good customer service, tell a Klansman you're Jewish, from New York, and you're looking for your buddies in the black neighborhood! Well, in my case, tell a divorced guy you're a lawyer, NOT a good idea. The only thing lower than lawyers to me are, well, Klansmen. And Louisiana State Troopers, who are mostly Klan members anyway.

Willie Nelson for President!!!!!!

Back to the original point. That was the only case, and seeing as how I ain't heard from the lawyer ***** in three months, I think they figured out their own user error. So DiskMakers is still in my very good graces.
 
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I'd be curious how often she used her old DVD player for other DVDs, and how often she had problems with them. Did you happen to ask? (Not that she'd necessarily tell the truth!)
 
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