Suggestions for *good* burning prgm Vista and/or XP

[phkhgh]

Hi, wife got new laptop. Has no DVD burning app except Vista's built in. Very limited.

Have Nero 7 on a desktop, and could switch it to the laptop - then get something else for the desktop (XP). But I use the desktop burner more. So, prefer to find burning prgm *truly* compatible w/ Vista for the laptop.

Doesn't have to be free, but if I'm gonna pay, it's gotta work RIGHT in Vista. Remember, wife has to use it.;)

Also need it to handle large files for DVD - at least 4 GB or more, for backing up HDD image files (split). Windows' burning util will handle just copying a CD & simple jobs.

Most of the free ones have VERY little / poor documentation (or none).
Have tried so far:
ImgBurn - couldn't get it to burn large files;

Infra Recorder - pretty much same

CDBurnerXP 4.0.013 - looks great, decent help files & forum. Lots of crashes, errors running in Vista. Don't know - maybe not ready for prime time in Vista?

Thanks for suggestions. (reminder - wife is not a geek!)

[George Hallam]

well there is a Nero 8 released not to long ago i cant comment on it as i have not got it but i suppose it will be very compatible with vista

http://www.nero.com/enu/nero8-info.html

Optimized for Windows Vista™

[Sylvander]

Just found the FREE DVD Flick (http://beginwithsoftware.com/videoguides/dvd-flick-guide.html) and have been trying it out.
Burned 13 small videos [to a CD-RW disk] on how to install an optical drive and that worked just fine. :)
The sequence of events need to complete the process seems very simple and logical once you get over the initial absence of familiarity.
The configurations to be completed by the user [in "Project Settings"] are quite illuminating.
e.g. In "General" you choose the size/type of disk you intend to burn.
In "Video" you choose PAL or NTSC for the "Target Format".
In "Burning" you choose to "Create ISO Image", "Burn project to disk", "Automatically erase disk if re-writable", "Delete ISO image after burning", and choose which optical burner to use.

The program automatically uses imgburn.exe to burn the project and I found that worked without fault.
The instructions say to [open the prog and] set the burn speed [4x?] suited to the disks to be burned [then close down the prog and that sets that speed as the default].
It automatically erased the CD-RW, then wrote the image.
As configured , it verified the burn [opens & closes the tray before doing so], then closed the program, and opened the tray.

JOB DONE as I was typing this. :D

Used the FREE portable version of VLC Media Player Portable (http://portableapps.com/apps/music_video/vlc_portable) to play the contents of the [B]X:\VIDEO_TS folder on the disk.
Good player this. :)

[Sylvander]

Also trying out Ashampoo Burning Studio 6 (http://www2.ashampoo.com/webcache/html/1/product_2_0710_.htm).

This looks really nice, and has a nice way presenting options to the user [see snapshots below].

Great program, EXCEPT...
It seems it cannot burn a disk from the HUGE range of file types that DVD Flick can burn.
And DVD Flick makes it so simple to choose the type of disk to burn. It's just a configuration setting [as shown in screenshot 3].
.

[phkhgh]

Thanks Sylv,
To clarify, I'm talking about burning large data files, not video, etc. And being able to create ISO / UDF, bootable CD/DVD, etc.

Is the graphic from Burning Studio?
I found a "free" d/l of "B.S." 7.1, but haven't installed it.

Is DVD Flick mostly for multi-media stuff and not so much for data?

[Sylvander]

"I'm talking about burning large data files"
See screenshot 1 from Ashampoo.

"And being able to create ISO / UDF, bootable CD/DVD, etc."
See screenshot 2 from Ashampoo.

"Is the graphic from Burning Studio?"
Post #4, screenshots 1 & 2 are indeed so.

"Is DVD Flick mostly for multi-media stuff and not so much for data?"
Yes, it only compiles/burns video projects to optical disk.

[Paul Komski]

Also need it to handle large files for DVD - at least 4 GB or more, for backing up HDD image files (split).This can be done with BiNG or Image For DOS directly from their own boot CD or floppy. No vista compatiblity needed since vista is not directly accessed. This would limit such burning to images. A Knoppix CD also has k3b (http://paulski.com/zpages.php?id=1912#top3) burning software on board but you need a second optical drive to go this route since one will be commandeered by Knoppix itself.