Some backup philosophy about PGCedit and Imgburn

[ux-3]

I would just like to present a thought here, which is changing my backup habbits. It is not meant as universal truth and I am not on a crusade to reform others. Comments are welcome.

The last few days, I have spend some time creating a few backups, after ebay and amazon delivered. After enjoying myself playing with a few new (to me previously unknown) programms, I made a vow to myself. I will no longer bother to economize on disc space. For now, there will only be two basic routes to back up:

Route 1: Using a one click tool to backup the "movie only" to DVD5. The choice would be between Recode2 and dvd2dvdr, depending on the compression needed.

Route 2: Simply create a 1:0.999 copy on DVD+R DL, making it as quick to launch as PGCedit permits me to do in a few minutes. Then burn with imgburn and be done.

If I consider the time and efford that it takes to make a nice reduction to DVD5, including some menues, and if I then compare the difference in media price, I just can't be bothered any longer.

Yes, I enjoyed working on SVCDs, miniDVDs, encoding matrices, gigarec SVCDs, upper and lower fields etc. but I will try to avoid the temptation to play with such things from now on. I just noticed how easily one gets carried away with all the options one has.

I am very thankfull to the people who created the few programms I have been using in the past and those I will be using in the future.

Please don't get my wrong, I do not suggest anyone should cut the fun they are having. I just realize that one can get easily carried away in this.

I would appreciate any comments on my intended backup model or other (differing) friendly oppinions.

Greetings,
ux-3

[r0lZ]

Personally, I prefer to reduce the main movie a bit, and remove unnecessary stuff to make my backup on a DVD-5. Most of the time, the movie fits on a single layer DVD with minimal compression (or even no compression at all), and I can keep the menushrinked menus, too.

I prefer the single layer backups for reliability reasons. A DL-DVD is difficult to burn and to read, especially if your laser is a little bit tired. Also, seems the DL-DVDs are more subject to degradation than SL-DVDs. (A single layer backup is reliable during approx 5 or 6 years, but a DL only during 3 or 4 years!)

Also, here, the price of a DL DVD is very high! In Belgium, the taxes are very expensive on DL DVDs, because they include a provision for the authors, but, in the other hand, it is perfectly legal to copy a rent DVD. (I haven't understood yet why the DL DVDs taxes are so high. After all, copying a movie on a SL or a DL DVD is exactly the same thing, from the copyright point of view.)

Of course, if the movie is really long (say, more than 2 hours) or requires a high bitrate, I prefer to copy it on a DL-DVD (unless there is an intermission in the middle of the movie, which makes it possible to cut it easily.)

[jm1647]

I also like to get rid of the junk on a DVD, most have previews, trailers and all kinda stuff on them that I do not wish to keep on the backup. I also MenuShrink my menus.

If I ever have to do a DA\AEC with shrink and it's gonna take a long time I just let it run while I'm sleeping.

[Surf]

Time's of the essence <<< how true!

Personally I just don't see the justification of involving Rebuilder to re-encode the move just to fit into a DVD5. Using VOBblanker & PGCedit I can span any dual-layered movie into 2 disks! The price of the disks being affordable as it is. Please, I'm not knocking Rebuilder.

So far my old faithful, Pioneer 107D single burner just chugs along, won't get into dual layer till it goes.

One disk backup method: use VOBBlanker to work on the menu, trimming all unnecessary PGCs. Then use PGCedit, create NEW DVD, import VTS, import MENU, then re-align all commands. Finally use RECODE, then back to PGCedit/IMGburn.

Two disk: use VOBblanker to blank half the movie, insert a VOB which says "please insert disk 2". Also search and destroy all annoying warnings. Then use PGCedit to hide chapter pages/buttons. This is the most efficient method of a beautiful backup...