How To Burn A DVD
While many of us know that DVDs and Digital Video Discs are the same thing, the majority of us may not know that DVDs can be copied or even have files and other important information recorded on them. Burning DVDs is like burning compact discs (CDs) but there are some differences and important tips to know. You can find more information about burning DVDs below.
There are many different kinds of DVDs, and knowing what kind you would like to copy is important before making the decision to burn. The process used to burn DVDs usually depends on the kind of DVD, but, the three most common tasks associated with DVDs are: Burning Data DVDs, Storing Multimedia Files on a DVD, and burning Commercial DVDs. We’ll take a look at these three methods below.
Burning Data to DVDs
The easiest way to burn DVDs is by copying everyday normal data. This includes ordinary files like documents, spreadsheets, and database files and is the easiest method because no special decryption software or regionally specific encoding is needed. Any computer with a DVD drive will easily play these burned DVDs.
It is a good idea to download some of the multiple free DVD burning programs available to test them out. You may also want to check out commercial DVD burning software available for purchase. Most newly purchased computers already come with a DVD burner and burning software installed and ready to use. All you have to do is start the DVD burning software, make sure to select DATA DVD as the type of DVD to be burned and then follow the prompts. A full length DVD contains around 4.7GB of data and can be burned in around 20 minutes with an average DVD burner. Higher speed DVD burners will be able to burn your data much more quickly.
Burning Multimedia Files to DVDs
While the process of burning audio and video (multimedia) files to a DVD is basically the same as burning data DVDs, multimedia DVDs require additional thought before copying. This is because you will most likely want to add some extra features when burning a precious wedding video or converting old VHS tapes to a friendlier and longer lasting format.
The DVD authoring tools available today make burning multimedia DVDs with a professional touch a breeze. Convenient features like Chapters (to skip to a specific section of longer videos), Menu pages (perfect for a wedding video), and Titles (to index multiple TV shows or videos already stored on your computer) gives everyone the ability to burn polished DVDs easily. Subtitles that you create yourself can even be added by some DVD burning software and Digital Rights Management (DRM) may also be available. DRM allows you to create commercial grade videos that are tough for others to easily copy to another DVD.
Burning Commercial DVDs
Burning copies of commercial DVDs is one of the primary uses of DVD burners and is enjoyed by many people who own them. While it may not be illegal to burn copyrighted material for your own use, in most areas of the world it is illegal to make copies of commercial DVDs to sell or give away to others. You can still burn copyrighted material, including commercial DVDs, if the burned copy is for personal use. Some uses may include creating a DVD archive or backup, or having an extra copy available for use in the computer.
A commercial DVD can be copied by many tools, but decoding software specifically designed to remove (”crack”) digital rights management will be needed in addition to a regular DVD burner and DVD burning software. Besides copying the commercial DVD’s data and decoding any digital rights management, it is also important to note that most of the time, you will need to shrink the file first.
The majority of commercial DVDs hold between 7 and 8.4GB worth of data and are known as dual layer DVDs. A normal blank DVD will hold 4.7GB of data, which means the larger amount of data on a commercial DVD needs to be compressed before it will fit on a blank DVD. After a commercial DVD has been cracked and the files compressed, ordinary DVD burning software can be used to burn the new DVD. Simply start your favorite DVD burning program, and then follow the prompts.
Since the process of copying commercial DVDs can seem daunting to someone doing it for the first time, several companies have developed suites of DVD copying programs that simplify the process. These software tools will usually crack and decode the DVD, compress the files to a size small enough to fit on a blank DVD, and can even add extra features before burning everything onto a normal DVD.
Now that you know how to burn DVDs, you’re well on your way to burning your first one. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular DVD burning software available on the market today.
How to Burn a DVD with Nero
Nero is one of the many popular DVD burning software you’ll find around. It is part of the Nero Suite of applications and works mainly on Windows operating systems. However, you’ll also find Linux based versions of this software. This CD/DVD burning software is easy enough to use for those who aren’t that computer savvy.
Here’s a general walk through on how to burn a DVD with Nero Burning ROM. Of course there are different versions of this software. However, the steps are generally still the same no matter what version you use. You may just find the version you’re using to be just slightly different.
Starting Up Nero
Launch the software by clicking on its icon or navigating from the Start Menu. Remember not Nero StartSmart but Nero, which you may call the main program. You will begin with the ‘New Compilation’ window. In case it doesn’t start with this window then launch it from under the ‘File’ menu.
New Compilation Window
The next step is to set your options in the ‘New Compilation’ window. Select DVD on the drop down on the top left corner. On the pane on left, scroll to and select ‘DVD-Video’. This will pull up six tabs on the pane on the right.
Under the ISO tab set file name length to 11 and set the character set to ISO 9660. Under the ‘Label’ tab, enter the name you want for your disc. Under the ‘Misc’ tab check all the boxes you find there. Finally, under the ‘Burn’ tab, place a check on ‘Write’. You are now ready to click ‘New’ on the top right of this window.
Compilation Screen
The next phase will show you the compilation screen. You now have a window with two File Browser panes on the right and a couple of panes with your DVD title on the left. Go over the File Browser section and locate the video you want to burn. You’ll find the names of each file on the right hand panes and windows. You may highlight and select multiple files to burn in this window.
Right click the files you want to burn and select ‘Copy to Compilation’ on the window that comes up. You’ll now find those titles on the windows/panes on the left. The next step on how to burn a DVD with Nero Burning ROM is the actual burning of your video.
Start Burning
The last phase will have you insert a blank disc into your drive. Select the appropriate drive on the top right drop down menu if you have more than one optical drive. A window will pop up giving you the option to choose the writing speed. Set the write speed no faster than 8x, however, 4x is the recommended speed. Now click ‘Burn’ on the top right corner of this window and you’ll have a new window that pops up to show you the disc’s progress.
How to Burn a DVD with DVD Flick
If you are going to burn DVDs with DVD Flick make sure that you have met the system requirements. Although it is a reliable program, a slow system can drag down its performance.
At the very least you need a Pentium 4, 128 of RAM and about 70 MB of free space. It can run on Windows 200, XP and Vista. If you have the system specs, you can proceed. Start the software and choose new project.
Adding and Editing the Titles
Choose the files that you want to include. Supported file formats include MPG, MOV, RM, WMV, MP4 and many more.
The tabs allow you to modify several elements. In the “Create chapters every” option, enter the desired number (5 to 120 minutes). In the video sources section you’ll see codes and aspect ratios. Also included are frame sizes, frame rates and frames per second. Because you can add audio tracks and subtitles here, it becomes easier to burn DVDs with DVD Flick.
Changing Project Settings
The Project button can be found near the topmost area of the screen. There are lots of options but the most important are those in the General and Video tabs.
Click General, where you will see the Target Size. The default is DVD 5, good for a 4.3 GB disc. If you are going to use discs with different formats, choose the appropriate ones. The Target Format will depend on the format supported by the movie player in your area. In America it is NTSC while in Asia and Africa it is PAL. If your player can handle multiple formats, you can use that encoding option too.
The other important step before you start to burn DVDs with DVD Flick is to choose the Encoding Profile in the Video section. Choose between Fast, Normal and Best. The higher the quality you want, the longer it will take.
Pick the Destination
This can be found at the bottom of the screen. Choose a drive with plenty of available space. More space helps hasten encoding / burning.
Burning Options
Go to Project Settings and place a check next to “burn project to disc”. Ensure that you select the right drive. If the blank disc is in drive E for example, choose drive E. If you prefer to make an ISO, enable the “Create ISO” image option. Add a disc label too. Save the project. Click “Create DVD”. The time it takes to burn DVDs with DVD Flick will depend on the options and the length of the film.
Other Advanced Options
The above mentioned process will suit most users. However if you want to tweak the settings some more, here are the other options. If you have a DVD+RW, place a check on the erase disc option.
The writing speed used is set to the fastest. With some discs this may cause problems. To lower it, go to Device and pick a lower speed level in the “Write Speed” section.
Basically, that is all you need to learn to burn DVDs with DVD Flick. If you pick the right options, getting that high quality video is only minutes away.
How to Burn a DVD with AVS Video Converter
AVS Video Converter is a video conversion software that converts between different video formats. Some of the key video formats this software supports are AVI – inclusive of DivX and XviD, DV AVI, DVD, VOB, MP4, WMV, 3GP, Quick Time, 3G2, MPEG 1 and MPEG 2, MPG, DAT, SVCD and VCD, ASF, FLV and Real Video among others.
It also has a suite of various tools that you could use. You can add audio and video effects, make still pictures of your favorite scenes, and extract audio tracks. This software also allows you to burn a downloaded movie into a DVD disc. This prompts the question of how to burn a DVD with AVS Video Converter. We’ll go over the steps on how you can do just that.
Step One: Install your software.
Your first step is to download and install AVS Video Converter. That is if you don’t have it already installed on your computer. After downloading, you may run the executable file. An installation wizard will guide you through the whole installation process.
Step Two: Select your input video
Once you have the software installed, launch it to begin. Select the video you want to convert. Click on the ‘Browse’ button on your screen. You’ll find that to the right of the ‘Input File Name’ box. Navigate to where your video is saved on your computer, select it, and then click ‘Open’.
Step Three: Choose your conversion parameters
Next, click on the ‘To DVD’ button on the menu on the top, also known as the main panel. You’ll be shown different disc types in a list under ‘Profile’. Choose the appropriate disc type you want from the drop down menu.
In this stage, you will be allowed to add or remove movie files to the queue. You can even arrange the sequence of the files to be burned onto a disc.
Step Four: Choosing your output path
Click the ‘Browse’ button to the right of ‘Output File Name’. Navigate to the location on your computer where you want your converted file to be located.
Step Five: Customize your new video
You also have the option to add a DVD menu, like a regular DVD movie you buy. You may also add effects on your menu screen. You may also divide your movie into several chapters.
Step Six: Convert and Burn
Once you have all that done, the next step is to begin converting your selected videos. To do this, click on the ‘Convert Now’ button at the bottom of the window. After converting your videos to DVD format insert a blank disc so you can start burning. Select the burn speed and put a check on ‘Verify disc’. Click ‘Start burning’ to begin burning your DVD movie.