Burning DVDs, CDs

[ghost2]

My technical knowledge is limited. Basically, I learn things on my own and hope I don't break anything in the process. Lately I've been trying to figure out how to burn DVDs. Is this process supposed to be some really easy thing that everyone else "gets" yet perpetually manages to elude me?

Now, I can't do this on my nine-year-old home computer, because she's hopelessly outdated. But one computer at the local college has a DVD writer attached. So far I've figured out how to burn CDs. I managed to actually copy a DVD that works perfectly well in my DVD player. But I cannot work out how to burn my own DVD. I've downloaded files and tried to burn them but failed. I'm not even sure if the computer currently contains any programs that allow for DVD burning. If it does, I haven't been able to decipher the instructions. Besides that, I've downloaded roughly 20 free programs that proved useless.

After spending four afternoons trying, I've more or less given up.

Comments

[yumemisama.livejournal.com]

The problem you are probably having is that the files you get off of BitTorrent and so forth are not actually in DVD-video format. They're 'ripped' off a DVD, which involves copying the video file and converting it to some more computer-friendly format (DVD-video files don't squish very well for uploading/downloading). DVD movies are encoded on the disc in a format called MPEG-2; most of the stuff you get on the internet is actually in MPEG-4 (also called Indeo or Divx, which are the names of two of the most popular sets of specs used to encode them). In order to take files you download and turn them into a DVD that works on a real DVD player, you need software that will A) convert the video back and B) slap a menu on the sucker, because at least a main menu is required by the official DVD specifications, and if there isn't one some players will kick up their heels and die before playing anything.

Unfortunately, I can't recommend any really good programs -- I take DVDs and make them into computer friendly video, full stop, and never bother trying to burn regular DVDs from them again. If the school computers don't already have those kinds of programs, they're not likely to let you install one either; most school computers are pretty well locked-down to prevent anyone from installing anything that might even think of screwing the computer up. If your computer was top-of-the-line nine years ago, it is technically possible to do all this at home, although it will take a looooooooong time to convert things. Like, days.

Software that can do the converting and burning is actually not that expensive. Look for "home movie" packages. Generally they will throw one at you pretty much for free if you buy a DVD±RW drive.

[ghost2.livejournal.com]

Thanks, that's exactly the sort of thing I needed to know but couldn't find explained in a comprehensible manner anywhere else. I did try a conversion program with a couple of my downloads but it took so long that I gave up. I just couldn't sit around the college for three hours or more waiting for a single file to convert, and still have to do other things with it after that.

So, looks like using the college computers is not a good option. At least I can burn CDs and copy DVDs there, though. I wouldn't even want to begin trying any of that on my home computer, since I had problems with her when I did things as simple as installing a new mouse and removing the speakers.

I hope to get a new computer towards the end of the year that can handle these jobs.