Should I Load InstantCopy 8??? [Archive]

Imperial Zeppelin

1st October 2003, 11:44

Learned Colleagues:

Gone through the threads and I don't think this has been answered yet so bear with me...

I've been using Pinnacle Studio products for 3 years now and the mantra there is always NEVER load a new version of something, since it's bug city. With Studio 8 I waited for 2 updates before I finally loaded it. It's still an exterminator's wet dream, but I get it to work with only a few workarounds and it still doesn't do everything they say it should.

I'm happy with InstantCopy 7, but have the 8 CD in my grubby hands. So here's the question, "Should I load InstantCopy8 or will I regret it?"

Thanks,
Zep

mrbass

1st October 2003, 21:37

If your hesitant...I'd say wait for update1 ...no clue when it'll be out.

Richk50

1st October 2003, 21:44

If your happy with 7, why bother with 8?

Scarpad

1st October 2003, 23:11

I'm in the same boat just got version 8 in a huge box. I'm intrigued by the new features and the ability to copy to VCD but i think I'm gonna wait. Version 7 is just working pretty good for me, I'll hold off and see what the first patch brings

Imperial Zeppelin

2nd October 2003, 11:08

Well I "ghosted" my drive and loaded IC8. For the first test I used it to copy a backed-up video DVD-RW to another DVD-RW. It got 97% of the way through and locked up.

I restored my ghost image and I'm using 7. I'll wait for the first update.

Yes, I too was intrigued by the huge size of the box, but in this case, size surely doesn't matter.

Someday Pinnacle will stop using customers for beta testers...

Zep

geffroman

2nd October 2003, 12:36

Someday Pinnacle will stop using customers for beta testers...

NO they won't...

Richk50

2nd October 2003, 13:01

"Well I "ghosted" my drive and loaded IC8. For the first test I used it to copy a backed-up video DVD-RW to another DVD-RW. It got 97% of the way through and locked up."

Please let us know what type of brand of recorder and media you were using.

Scarpad

2nd October 2003, 13:27

Does IC8 Upgrade the version 7 already on the Drive or does it do a whole new install.

Imperial Zeppelin

2nd October 2003, 13:55

RichK50: Media was TDK 2X DVD-RW on my Pioneer (Cendyne with latest Pioneer frimware) 105...

Scarpad: After I directed it to the directory where I had IC7 installed, it installed over 7. I was too lazy to do the uninstall and install route. Maybe that will give you better luck.

Since the speed increase in rendering as at the expense of quality, I'll bide my time for the next update before I reload.

Can anyone tell me if the current "high quality" rendering algorithm is the same as IC7? If that's the case, there is absolutely no reason for me to upgrade...

Zep

Scarpad

2nd October 2003, 14:19

I'm waiting a bit to install IC8.

But my questions would be:

How much quality does the high speed sacrifice?
How Does the virtual drive option work for previewing the disk?
How does the encode to VCD option work

Probably what I'm interested in the most

Lazza

2nd October 2003, 15:21

Well I was hesitant at first to upgrade, well that lasted all of 10 minutes! lol :D

I installed IC8 on my 2nd system first about a month or so ago now and the results were so good it went straight on my main system. I'm not saying it's perfect because it's not, hey it is made by Pinnacle after all. :p But compared to IC7 it is just so much better in every department and thanks to MackemX's great little reg files & ICHSE it really is by far the best option for quality for me other than using the CCE methods.

Fast mode = IMHO awful results, avoid. And it ain't that fast anyway if speed is your need. And I've had a few probs with subtitles too even when not selected.

Virtual drive not used, far too many on my system as it is. :D

VCD Encoding, surely for a one click tool Eazy VCD would still be a better option. Or if SVCD's are your bag then DVD2SVCD & CCE to encode.

Overall it's great software which I'm sure will be improved when an update is available.

Scarpad

2nd October 2003, 15:59

Well I'm not sure if it's worth the upgrade from your suggestions. The quality of IC7 right now is excellent, I'm getting very close to the desired size, if the speed increase yeilds awful results, and VCD and Virtual drives with the ability to check out the result , is not an option, then what are the benefits?

Lazza

2nd October 2003, 16:03

Well you have two options the high quality & fast.

The usual high quality encode is def better and the removal of streams is better too.

jfcarbel

2nd October 2003, 17:09

Does it write to a VIDEO_TS folder or is it still using a PDI image file?

Lazza

2nd October 2003, 17:26

Originally posted by jfcarbel
Does it write to a VIDEO_TS folder or is it still using a PDI image file?
Still to a .pdi image .... BUT ..... this is to change. MackemX contacted Pinnacle about having the option to output straight to a VIDEO_TS folder and have agreed to impliment this into the prog. Maybe we shall see this in the first update when released?

KYUSS

3rd October 2003, 12:17

nyplayer

3rd October 2003, 16:07

Tip on having both IC7 and IC8 working on same system.

1. Install IC8 this will remove IC7
2. Install IC7
3. IC8 installation will remain intact all that's left to do is create a short cut for IC8. IC8 can be found in the c:\programs\pinnacle folder.
4. You can access IC7 in start programs.

mrbass

3rd October 2003, 20:57

Originally posted by Lazza
Still to a .pdi image .... BUT ..... this is to change. MackemX contacted Pinnacle about having the option to output straight to a VIDEO_TS folder and have agreed to impliment this into the prog. Maybe we shall see this in the first update when released?

what is neat is before you had to pdi2iso to preview it or rename .pdi01 and appened .vob but that would not allow navigation just movie quality.

Now with IC8 it has a virtual drive like daemon tools. It can't mount .iso (in my testing even though it lists .iso as a format) Anyway after you make your .pdi the virtual drive is automatically kicked in and you can test out your dvd with powerdvd, burn with another dvd burning app, etc.

When you wish to delete your files you'd think you would go in to InstantImage (or whatever it's called) and umount it. Most of the time for me it doesn't show up as mounted, even though it is). So the easiest way is to right click and EJECT in windows explorer then you'll be able to delete your .pdi files.

geffroman

3rd October 2003, 21:32

Originally posted by mrbass

Now with IC8 it has a virtual drive like daemon tools.

You have the option to NOT install Pinnacle's Instant Drive. I recommend staying away from it. It can cause NERO to have problems requiring you to uninstall IC 8 and Nero... then you must reinstall IC 8 and Nero in that order.

It is just Pinnacle buggy and not the best tool for drive mounting anyway. I don't want a company as flakey as Pinnacle jacking with my operating system at ALL...!

mrbass

3rd October 2003, 21:59

I'm trying myself to move to burning everything with DVDDecrypter. Last 8 or so burns I used that imgtoolclassic to convert to .iso my dvdshrink files. Even with pinnacle with that virtual drive I'll use .pdi to burn with dvddecrypter. I didn't before burn .pdi straight because I wanted to test the dvd first.

I still can't figure IC8 out though. Sometimes the output is very close on and others is outta this world.

Imperial Zeppelin

3rd October 2003, 22:18

I'm with you mrbass...DVDDecrypter has become my burning program of choice now that you can burn PDIs directly. Before that I also did the PDITools thing and used Prassi, which has been coaster free for me for almost 2 years. Now the only time I use Prassi is if I do things "the old fashioned way," the DVDDecrypter, DVD2AVI, VAPI, CCE & DVDMaestro process that I save for the longer projects like LOTR: The Two Towers.

I'm sticking with IC7 for now. Still getting good results and with the settings I'm using if I set the output to 4.40 GB I'm usually within 100 MB of a full disc. Last night I was only 50 MB smaller than the actual disc size; it don't get any better than that.

As a note to you Pinnacle Studio8 users out there, determining disc size has never been a core competency at Pinnacle. I've gotten DVDs from Studio8 that had 200 - 400 free MBs of space even though the program was compressing the video files and not giving me 100% quality. Seems that these people have a tough time adding 1 plus 1.

My $0.02...

Zep

Lazza

3rd October 2003, 23:12

Well in case you guys did not know the latest release news.....

Daemon Tools 3.41 was launched today and guess what little present it offered IC7/8 users? :D

Yep.......... ability to now mount .pdi images !!!!!!!! :cool: :cool: :cool:

Great feature and just what the doctor ordered! :D

monomer

4th October 2003, 01:41

Originally posted by geffroman
You have the option to NOT install Pinnacle's Instant Drive. I recommend staying away from it. It can cause NERO to have problems requiring you to uninstall IC 8 and Nero... then you must reinstall IC 8 and Nero in that order.

It is just Pinnacle buggy and not the best tool for drive mounting anyway. I don't want a company as flakey as Pinnacle jacking with my operating system at ALL...!

Actually, when I first installed IC8, I installed the virtual drive also but then I got to thinking about it and decided to uninstall it because I have Daemon Tools already on my system. So I uninstalled IC8 et al. and re-installed just IC8 alone (sans the virtual drive). I also have Nero on my system and so far I've not experienced any problems burning. Are you sure Nero must be removed and then re-installed????

jzaman

4th October 2003, 05:49

Originally posted by monomer
Actually, when I first installed IC8, I installed the virtual drive also but then I got to thinking about it and decided to uninstall it because I have Daemon Tools already on my system. So I uninstalled IC8 et al. and re-installed just IC8 alone (sans the virtual drive). I also have Nero on my system and so far I've not experienced any problems burning. Are you sure Nero must be removed and then re-installed????

In add/remove modify the IC install by unselecting the virtual drive component. Three coasters in a row with Nero 6 and virtual drive enabled. Fixed after the virtual drive (vd?) uninstall.

mrbass

4th October 2003, 07:21

Originally posted by Lazza
Well in case you guys did not know the latest release news.....

Daemon Tools 3.41 was launched today and guess what little present it offered IC7/8 users? :D

Yep.......... ability to now mount .pdi images !!!!!!!! :cool: :cool: :cool:

Great feature and just what the doctor ordered! :D

wow thanks for the tip....I didn't know. Sweet now no need to install that InstantDrive (instantcopy virtual drive thingie)

Lazza

4th October 2003, 08:31

Yep, the two things I wanted for presents after IC7 was launched was DVD decrypter being able to burn .pdi files and Daemon to mount them.

Took a little time for the second wish to get granted but well worth the long wait. :)

lrosado

4th October 2003, 14:15

I tried to mount .pdi with the new daemon tools and it didn't mount it, said invalid ads or something to that effect. Wont mount.

KYUSS

4th October 2003, 22:37

Originally posted by lrosado
I tried to mount .pdi with the new daemon tools and it didn't mount it, said invalid ads or something to that effect. Wont mount.

yep same here

invalid ADR or something

same error message as last release of daemon?

^Smoochie

5th October 2003, 06:27

It's not a problem with daemon-tools. It's a problem with the .pdi files. Pinnacle doesn't even follow their own specs when it comes to outputting the .pdi header. Daemon-tools, on the other hand, does. Check out the daemon-tools forum, it is all explained there.

mrbass

5th October 2003, 08:13

well that sucks
http://www.daemon-tools.cc/portal/viewtopic.php?t=1514
guess it's back to pdi2iso or risk using that instantdrive.

KungFuCow

5th October 2003, 08:57

You can use Alcohol 120% (and probably Daemon Tools) by creating an MDS file with DVD Decrypter and mounting that. Takes like 10 seconds to do.

Demi9OD

5th October 2003, 21:16

My computer randomly rebooted about 20% into an encode using AnyDVD as a reader. I'll still to Instant Copy 7 for now :-/.

geffroman

6th October 2003, 15:44

Originally posted by monomer
Are you sure Nero must be removed and then re-installed????

In my case YES... It is apparantly a known issue found in BETA testing and reported here by MACKEMX when I asked about my problem... As with all issues they don't always plague all users...

If you are not writing coasters with NERO at this time I wouldn't worry about it...