burning videos

[karenr]

Me again :)
I've burned a video onto a cd-rw and it plays well in the dvd player. Now I want to burn another onto the same disc, but I get a "disc is not empty. Do you want to erase it first?" Well, of course not...I want to retain what's already there. I understood I could drag-and-drop or copy/paste on windows explorer, but all I get is, insert a blank disc.
Any ideas welcome. You've been helpful so far :)

[Paul Komski]

Please tell us what software are you using or whether you are using the onboard burning package that comes with WinXP. With the latter you DragNDrop onto the relevant drive letter in Explorer and this should create a list of files ready to burn. When you are ready to burn Right Click in the RightHand pane and choose "Write these files to CD".

If you can format for "packet writing" (eg using InCD with Nero) you can then use the CD as if it were a large floppy diskette.

[karenr]

Nero and I've tried both InCD and Express. I've got v.6 (OEM). Thing is, I can burn the first one either way, but it's when I try to add a 2nd video that I have the problem - it wants to erase the disc before writing.

[Paul Komski]

What specifically are you burning. Digital or analogue. Files or tracks. Etc.

I'm not up to speed with video stuff but possibly you can only burn multisession data or audio and not video or supervideo, etc.

There are bound to be peeps who know definitively.

Some FAQs at http://www.cdrfaq.org/faq02.html#S2-5

[karenr]

as you can tell. I compiled a video using photo files and audio files and saved it as a video file, then burned it using InCD. As per my last thread on here, I burned it thru Nero as they convert it to mpeg which can then play in the dvd player. Everything looked good. Then I decided to add another video to the same cd-rw, as the first was only 5 mins. But I get a box saying the disc is not empty...do you want to erase it first? If I say no, it aborts the burn; if I say yes, it goes ahead and erases what's already there then burns the new one. This is a multi-session cd-rw so don't understand this.

[ErnieK]

Karen
You have more than likely finalised the disk when you burnt it. (No furhter witing possible until you format it again.

Would it not be easier to copy the original video back onto the computer, then format the CD-RW disk. After doing this burn the disk again with both desired videos.

[Paul Komski]

then burned it using InCD
Me now confused. Easily done. InCD (packet writing) is not done in sessions as such - it just makes the CD behave like a giant floppy onto which you would only be able to place data files through explorer - as with a floppy.

Using Nero to convert things directly in not using the usual packet writing method. With the full Nero Burning ROM one can select an Image Recorder (rather than a physical drive) and use this to make compilations that you would burn at a later stage. I dont think the OEM bundles usually come with this - just coming with Nero Express.

[bassman]

Although your disc is multi-session, Nero may not be closing the session automaticly. When you burn the first video, be sure it is set to "Close session". With this done, if there is enough room left on the disk, you will be able to add anohter session.
A five minute video compiled of pics and audio probably wont use 650 Mgb (capacity of a CD), but a second one might. Have you checked the functioning size of these videos prior to recording?

[karenr]

So if I understand correctly, I can't use InCD to burn mpegs. Right? I'm OK with that. I was able to burn 2 videos onto one cdr but couldn't play it in the dvd player. I believe (?) I may have burned that one using a combo of jpegs and tifs and that may be the problem with playing? My dvd player wants jpegs, not tifs. That's why I tried to do it on a cdrw first (cheap, I know). You're right about size...my first video is only about 5 mins and the 2nd was shorter, as I'm just practicing right now. I doubt I'd ever make a video long enough to fill a disc so want to have more than one on the same. So back to the drawing board...I'll use NeroVision Express on a cdr and see what happens. I'll let you know, and thanks again :)

[Sylvander]

"So if I understand correctly, I can't use InCD to burn mpegs. Right?"
Wrong!
You can burn ANY kind of file using packet-writing software [like InCD].
Best to use CD-RW disks and treat it like a giant fast floppy or a small slow HDD.
The problem is that once the disk has been burned it can only be read on a PC. Each disk has on it the means to install the UDF reader to any PC that doesn't have packet writing software installed. Once the reader is installed to a PC all such disks can be read.

"2 videos onto one cdr but couldn't play it in the dvd player."
Is it possible to record VIDEO's onto CD's? And does a home DVD player play CD's?

NOTES MADE ON "EASY CD CREATOR"
1. Only the 1st closed session of a CD-R can be played on a normal home or car CD player.
2. CD-RW disks can only be played on PC's [not on home CD players].

DATA CD's
Can be written in one of two formats.
a. CD-ROM (mode 1): used when only 1 session is planned/used.
b. CD-ROM XA (mode 2): if more than 1 session is to be used [multiple sessions]. XA means "Extended Architecture" which adds better audio & video capabilities, and should be used for MULTIMEDIA APPLICATIONS.

MIXED MODE
Can be played on a modern home CD player, but is not recommended. First track is CD-ROM or CD-ROM XA, later tracks are audio. All this in one session.

CD EXTRA
1st session has audio tracks.
2nd session has data in CD-ROM XA format. Multi-session CD-ROM drive required to read these. Start as for mixed mode then go to "File | CD layout properties | Data Settings | CD extra | ok".

[karenr]

"cdrw's can only be read on a PC" - False: I made a video cd on a cdrw which played beautifully in my dvd player.
"can you record videos onto cd?" Yes - I did it (see above)
" Easy CD Creator" : Don't even mention that program! I have a large stack of ruined cd's from that program.

[Paul Komski]

Is Video CD compatible with DVD?
http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html#2.4.5

There is I think some confusion going on about "video files" (avi, mpg, etc) and using these on a PC (as data files played by say Media Player) and the creation of a VCD by burning the track using software such as Nero. Only the latter could be played on a commercial DVD player - that is if the player and the VCD were compatible. Such a player would not be able to deal with a data CD containing straightforward "video files".

There are a number of topics on "Making your own VCD" at http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-one-category.tcl?topic=Video%20CD&category=Making%20your%20own%20VCDs and which I think could be useful in helping with understanding.

So if I am sort of on the right track, I think that you are starting off by copying mpg files (as straightforward pc files) onto CDRW but then attempting to do something different to the same disk by using Nero to burn a VCD. Since the packet writing InCD format would not be appropriate, Nero prompts you to start over by erasing the disk.

[John0904]

So if I understand correctly, I can't use InCD to burn mpegs. Right? I'm OK with that. I was able to burn 2 videos onto one cdr but couldn't play it in the dvd player.
If I understand that right, you can burn any file onto a formatted InCD, but that disc will not play on a standard DVD player.
Simply because the standard DVD player doesn't understand a formatted InCD disc.

Even if you used that disc in another computer that didn't have InCD installed, the computer couldn't access the disc.

[Paul Komski]

Simply because the standard DVD player doesn't understand a formatted InCD disc.
True - and that's more or less what I was alluding to/fumbling towards. From the link I posted, no other "data-based" CD would work either. With the right software, such "data-based" CDs should usually work in a PC's CD-ROM drive. That assumes the drive can read the media at all and that, in some instances, the media has been closed so that its TOC is made accessible/readable.

However, one needs to make a Video CD to have about a 2-in-3 chance of a DVD player being capable of playing it; (and with CDRW being probably more successful than CDR media). The same Video CD (once again with appropriate software) should always work in a PC's DVD-ROM drive.

PS
Re-reading some of the FAQs it becomes clearer why DVD-players (which usually utilise mpeg-2) should be able to cope with the earler mpeg-1 of Video CDs, as long as the makers made them "backwards compatible"; the majority did so.

[Sylvander]

"Even if you used that disk in another computer that didn't have InCD installed, the computer couldn't access the disk."
Not so.
As I said earlier:
"Each disk has on it the means to install the UDF reader to any PC that doesn't have packet writing software installed. Once the reader is installed to a PC all such disks can be read."
I've been doing this a lot recently. Moving files from my older to newer PC. Writing them to a CD-RW disk using "DirectCD" then reading the disk in the other PC [which doesn't have "DirectCD installed]. The 1st thing that happens is that a window comes up saying the UDF reader is needed to read the disk and do I want to install it from the disk. Answer yes and it only takes some seconds to install and the disk can then be read. This would happen on any PC that didn't have the packet writing software installed.

[karenr]

I'm not just burning files onto a disc. I created 2 photo videos (vcd) using 2 different programs just to test. One was Photo Story 3 by Windows, the other NeroExpressVision. These I saved on the hard drive as video files. Then I burned those video files onto a cdrw. Well, at least I burned one, played it in the dvd player just fine. Then decided to add the other as the disc wasn't anywhere near full. That was when I got the window saying "disc is not empty. Do you want to erase it first?", and that's what it did - erased the previous video and burned the new one.

[Paul Komski]

I just got the Nero 6 (OEM bundle) along with a DVD burner so have been playing with it. I don't think there is any way for NeroVisionExpress to create multisession Video CDs with it. It always prompts to erase if there is anything (InCD or Audio or Data) already on the disk.

The best I think you can do is to save the project when you burn and keep the original files in the same place. Then when you want to add new files to it first load the saved settings and add the new file(s) to the compilation and then erase/burn the new project from scratch - saving the settings once again if you want to be able to "recompile" in the future.

[Natural]

I need help with something...is anyone in here?

[Natural]

are you there paul?

[karenr]

Hi Paul. I think you have the answer. It's no big deal to burn a 2nd time as you outlined, so I think that's the way to go. Thanks a heap for all your help.
Until my next problem, adios