Strange problem: empty AUDIO_TS file/plays in dvd video players, but not computers

[eg464646]

After scouring forums for answers and spending hours of problem solving to no avail, I've resorted to hoping that someone might reply to this post with some helpful tips (or even the answer!). Here's the problem:

For weeks I have been burning DVDs just fine-- shrinking with DVD shrink, then burning with my nero trial. After the nero trial expired I used several other burning trial software because the sonic software on my computer has a glitch and I've lost the installation cds. ANYWAY, everything has been going smoothly and I haven't messed around with any of the settings to my knowledge when, all of the sudden, I noticed that DVDs I was attempting to burn one day weren't playing on my computer. I burned (or tried to burn) 3 DVDs and performed my routine test where I stick them back in my computer just to be sure that they run properly. None of them worked, and upon investigating I found they had only burned as data files. I was frustrated and kept trying to problem solve, trying to burn more movies. Then I got the crazy idea to stick them in my DVD video player to test rather than back into my computer. Strangely, they all played! I tried playing them this time in a different computer.... they would not play, and again just appeared as data files. WHY WOULD THEY PLAY IN A DVD MOVIE PLAYER AND NOT IN COMPUTERS?? This baffles me as usually people have the opposite trouble (burned movies that work on their computer but not in fickle video players). And I've always taken care to make sure I was burning them in video dvd mode rather than data dvd mode. ALSO, here's a possible clue to the problem: I noticed that prior to this trouble DVDSHRINK backed-up my movies with files in both the AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS folders. NOW, DVDShrink is only putting files in the VIDEO_TS folder and the AUDIO_TS is just an empty file folder. HOW/WHY did this happen?

Anyone have suggestions/insight?

[r0lZ]

Welcome to the forum!

DVDShrink doesn't put files in AUDIO_TS. For a DVD-Video, this folder should normally exists, but it must be empty.

What program are you using to rip or modify the original DVD? Only DVDShrink?

IMO, you should use ImgBurn to burn your DVDs. It is excellent, and free.

[eg464646]

Thanks for the suggestions... I haven't used ImgBurn before, but I'll check it out. I was burning with Cheetah DVD burner most recently, but now have Sonic up and running again-- Incidentally, do you know anything about Sonic? I've been burning using Sonic's DATA mode and strangely... yes, the DVDs have been playing completely normally in the dvd players but not in my computers! I am completely stumped. The last time I attempted to play one of the recently burned DVDs in my computer, it wouldnt play and mentioned something about unknown extention (which for most of the individual files, the extention was .vob)

I have only been using DVDShrink to modify the originial DvDs.

[SvT]

Stupid question.....

Have you tried playing an older backup you made with your computer ?

This way we can be sure the problem is not your playback software !

[r0lZ]

I don't know Sonic, nor Cheetah DVD burner, but trust me. (I wrote the first DL-DVD compliant burner, as part of PgcEdit.) There are very few DVD burners able to do a good job, because the IFO files must be modified, and the files layered on disc in a very particular way. Most programs burn the files in data mode, without taking care of all requirements. Some recent players (notably most DivX compatible players) are able to read those badly burned DVDs, as they read them like a computer, but a real DVD-Standard compliant player will certainly fail. ImgBurn is currently the best burner (but it cannot burn audio CDs yet.)

Maybe you have not installed a DVD player on your PC, or it is not correctly installed. Try installing MPC (Media Player Classic) or VLC (Video Lan.) Maybe also the original DVD has not been ripped, converted or modified correctly. This is why it is important to know exactly which programs you have used, and not only the program to burn the DVD. You haven't replied to that question.

Last thing to note: the extension of the big DVD-Video files is not .vob but .VOB. Case matters!

[blutach]

but it cannot burn audio CDs yet.
This is being worked on :)

Regards

[r0lZ]

Great! :)

[Taurus]

This is being worked on :)

Regards

This would be wonderful!
So one can trash all other burning software to the recycle bin :rolleyes:

[LIGHTNING UK!]

It will/can currently read them to an image and then burn them back again (i.e. from a bin/cue type of thing).

Hopefully custom compilations will come at a later date, along with support for burning audio discs from mp3 or whatever.

'Wav' files are already supported as part of bin/cue burning.

[r0lZ]

Wonderful, LUK!

BTW, will ImgBurn support custom pauses between tracks in compilation mode? Currently, I keep Ner0 v6 on my HDD only because it supports this important feature.

[LIGHTNING UK!]

I don't see why not. It's possible within the cue file and the compilation would probably just wrap that code.

*That is of course assuming your 'pause' is what I know as a pre/postgap.

[r0lZ]

Yep, it's the gap.

The problem is probably not in the burn itself, but in the GUI. Very few programs have support to specify individually the gap durations, and most programs can only burn in track mode with 2 secs gaps, or in disc at once, without any gap at all. It must be possible to specify the duration of the pre-gap of each track (except the first one) individually, in all modes except ISO.

Also, I know that some burners support only 2 secs gaps (like my old Pioneer), but some (like my NEC) can support any duration. It's something to take into account in the GUI.