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Can you record DVD chapters on DVD-R media?


Jim Murray

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The manual for my Panasonic DVD recorder says you can, but when I try it the chapters aren't visible.

I called Panasonic who advised that you must use DVD-RAM media, but couldn't explain why exactly. I can't see the logic myself, having said that I'm not sure how chapters are written on a DVD, does it need re-recordable media?

Asking the question since I've got tons of tapes, etc to archive and chapters would be really handy.
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if I understand correctly; then I think the answer is probably no.

tape to dvd on home systems usually has to be done in realtime: ie 1:! copy and record.

in which case your dvd recorder would need to allow you to set up all the chapters and menu system before you recorded anything then you could record your tape where you wanted etc.

my old dvd recorder certainly didn't allow that to happen.

 

in all honesty if you have a good amount of tapes then invest in a vhs to usb player from Amazon (between £10 without software or £40 with)

convert your tapes to pc. then create your dvd with menu and chapters and burn it off.

not only will you have the ability to edit out any rough bits of video, but youll also have far more control over your chapters and menu system.

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far as im aware dvd-ram doesn't give any new features in the writing or creation of disk content per se...just on how it is written and can be accessed.

its written in blocks similar to hdd units and memory sticks as opposed to the spiral pattern of a standard dvd-r etc

they don't need finalisation and they can be written without specific software etc

none of which means they have extra features when writing to them in the form of how they can be structured or the content laid out..that would still be based on your device.

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in all honesty if you have a good amount of tapes then invest in a vhs to usb player from Amazon (between £10 without software or £40 with)

convert your tapes to pc. then create your dvd with menu and chapters and burn it off.

not only will you have the ability to edit out any rough bits of video, but youll also have far more control over your chapters and menu system.

 

That is a really good idea - I may go down that route, although the DVD recorder would be handy for recording whole tapes and movies etc. Someone told me that commercially made DVD media is pressed rather than burned, so they can use DVD-R type media, but on a home system, does it burn the chapter bookmarks at the end or during the burn? My recorder has 2 options - 5 minute chapters, or an auto setting, which detects periods of silence.

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yes commercial dvd and blu rays etc are pressed from a glass master; before being coated in various layers of plactics for protection etc that process is still very similar to how vinyl records are made.

standard dvd recorders burn in a spiral from the centre out to the rim of the dvd. so they are read in reverse to how the needle moves on a record player....from middle to outer edge. I don't know where in that spiral certain data would be stored depending on its type: ie your chapter markers.

I do know that that spiral effect is what causes the pauses and loading times of the menu system and chapters on a dvd....the laser having to move across the disk to locate required data etc

dvd -ram disc supposedly alleviate a lot of that movement because they are written to in blocks; so data access is faster and more logical

 

auto chaptering is very poor in most cases; you will get a far far better result with self edited chapters and menu systems

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