DVD Burn Validation?

2G wrote on 11/9/2007, 12:28 PM
I would love to use DVDA for the burning step as well as all the other steps in DVD creation. But from what I can tell, the burn operation in DVDA has no capability of doing a validation after burn. I've been using Nero for burning. In any typical burn scenario, I almost always end up with one or two DVDs that fail validation. That's fine when I use Nero... I KNOW it's bad, pitch it, and burn another one.

Now one could argue that the percentage of fallout could go up or down based on the quality of raw stock. But I doubt it will ever go to zero. And I just don't want to risk sending a bad DVD to the customer simply because the burning program (i.e. DVDA) could not do a validation step.

Am I missing something? Is there a way to make DVDA go back and validate a burn? Does everybody that burns with DVDA simply cross their fingers and blindly assume that every DVD copy that was burned was 100% successfully? Or should I just forget using DVDA for burning?

Thanks.

Jerry

Comments

Ethan Winer wrote on 11/9/2007, 1:22 PM
The easiest way to verify a burned DVD is to use the FC (File Compare) command. Compare the rendered files DVDA creates in the VIDEO_TS folder on your hard drive with the files in the same folder on the burned DVD. I just got 500 DVDs back from Disc Masters, and that's how I confirmed the duplicated DVDs are identical to the master I sent them.

FC is run from a command prompt. Yell if you need help with the syntax.

--Ethan
MPM wrote on 11/9/2007, 2:14 PM
FWIW there are a few alternatives for those who dislike the Command/DOS window... MS has WinDiff, and searching you'll probably find a dozen other utilities.

If you're getting failed verification using *your* burner, personally I'd check the blanks, buy a new burner, something. Burning at <= 8X using Nero I can't remember burning a bad disc -- except for 1 batch of bad, cheap-o discs I had no business buying. That's not to say every disc played on every player -- that's why I like Verbatim.

That said, I've read many times, and tend to agree based on experience, that if you are going to have a problem with video DVD playback verifying the files will not do much to stop it. Verifying a disc just says *your* burner can read the files it burned, and didn't make any errors. By far the majority of problems encountered are with some other drive not being able to read the files correctly. FWIW look up the stats for your burner, and use the best media for that burner. If you want more data check out Nero Speed.

As far as burning from DVDA... Totally FWIW... I could grill a sandwich using the hot pad on the coffee maker, but I don't. I could burn discs I guess from DVDA -- I'm really not sure having never tried -- but I prefer DVD authoring software for authoring, burning software for burning. If specialization didn't matter I'd author the DVDs in Nero and save the $.
Ethan Winer wrote on 11/10/2007, 8:37 AM
> Verifying a disc just says *your* burner can read the files it burned, and didn't make any errors. <

That's a great point. I went through this recently where I burned a bunch of 16x TDK blank media at 8x because I thought I saw a glitch on my consumer DVD player once when I burned at 16x. All of the DVDs burned at 8x played perfectly on my DVD player, and on two other DVD players I tried! But NOT ONE on them could be read on any computer DVD drive I tried. What a sorry situation!

In the end I went to Disc Makers and bought a run of glass mastered DVDs. :->)

--Ethan
MPM wrote on 11/10/2007, 1:34 PM
Ethan, a few years back DV mag (DV.com) ran an evaluation of disc compatibility in all sorts of players -- the results were nothing short of dismal IMHO... The individual DVD player & burner reports at videohelp.com really drive home the point, although not complete or scientific or anything -- just reports users have contributed. VSO has a useful database, but the last report on it was 8/06: http://www.vso-software.fr/articles/burning-stats2/best-burners-dvd-writers-and-media-dvd-blank-disc.php

Long story short going to Disc Makers was probably the best decision. ;?P
Ethan Winer wrote on 11/13/2007, 11:42 AM
Thanks for the link. Good info on that site. Yes, dismal is the right word.

--Ethan