Creating DVD files for someone else to burn?

flicktease wrote on 4/3/2003, 12:55 AM
I don't have a DVD burner & am unlikely to have one until the prices come down more. I have a friend that has a DVD burner. Is there any way to transport my data to his house so that he can burn the disk. I know that I could encode it on my machine & burn it to CR-R/W & then give him the disks.

Would there be any problem for him loading several CD's full of MPEG2 data so as to reconstruct my one large project. Am I correct in assuming that if I were to try this that I couldn't create chapters before I burned my disk?

Comments

RBartlett wrote on 4/3/2003, 4:05 AM
You should use some backup software to prepare the CDs.
Alternatively add the files to a big-file compatible compressor that supports split-volume multiple files.

You'll have the exact environment at the DVD burner end once restored, chapters menus et al. However you will need to be sure that you are truly burning this data into a DVD-video format structure on your friends burner. Check with RW media first.

If you are doing this a lot, a couple of $5 IDE chassis might be a good idea, if your friend is accomodating to have this imposed on his chassis. Some folk are maxing out their DSL/cable agreements by using their broaderband internet connections to network this data to friends or duplication houses, for infrequent runs.
riredale wrote on 4/3/2003, 11:13 AM
First author your DVD on your PC either as a VIDEO_TS folder or as an image. Then go to ZdNet.com and find a freeware program called "Slice32" in the downloads section. This utility can take any single file up to 4GB in size and slice it up into smaller chunks, which can then be burned onto CD-RW.

An alternative would be to simply take your hard drive over to the other PC. This would be especially easy if you installed a "caddy" type of enclosure on the two PCs. Just turn the PC off, unlock the front of the caddy, and slide the whole unit out.

The third, and best solution, is to keep an eye out for cheap DVD burners. I bought a state-of-the-art 4X burner (Cendyne/Pioneer) two months ago for just $150 after rebates. It can be done.
Paul_Holmes wrote on 4/9/2003, 9:04 PM
I often create MPEG2 files that are 20 to 30 minutes long, too big for CDs, but I don't want to waste a whole DVD to back it up. So I went looking for Slice32 and they want a subscription fee at ZDNet now. Did a little searching for a freeware utility and found the following: Split Files Shell Extension.

Really neat. After it's installed you open Explorer, right-click on the file you want to split and tell it how many chunks you want and where. Later to rejoin the files you just go into Explorer, double-click on one of the chunks it created and "sews" the file back together again.

I'd much rather save my 1.2 gig mpg file to 2 CDs for 50 cents than spend 3.50 on a DVD.