Finalizing DVDs/CDs

Ice Hellion · n00b Joined: 09 Mar 2004 Posts: 42

I have friends who borrow my store bought DVDs and return them completely unusable. Scratched, torn, scraped, broken in half, chipped, anything you can name, I've seen it on my paid for DVDs. I'm getting really tired of buying DVDs over and over again because my asshole friends can't keep their shit under control. So I started backing up all my DVDs awhile ago. Come to find, when I backed them up, the program I was using wasn't finalizing the DVDs so they won't play on a standalone DVD player. Is there any way (Linux or Windows) that I could possibly finalize those DVDs so I don't have to reburn all of them again? Rather expensive if I have to reburn 40 DVDs. I know, theoretically, you should be able to write like...a 1kb text file to the DVD and then be able to finalize it. However, I'm using Nero to try and finalize them and it won't let me write to a DVD-R a second time, finalized or not. I know this isn't really the forum for this kind of thing, but its the only place I could think of to come. Again, I have a Windows based system and a Gentoo based system so whatever program that can help me, I'll have access to both OS's. Thanks to whoever can answer this question for me.

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2005 10:59 am Post subject:

Ice Hellion,

If you were doing backups - the disks should have been finalised. The only reason DVD writing software won't add to what you already have is because the disks are finalised. DVD-R can be appended to if its not closed.

Its more likely that you have the reflectivity problem. a DVD-R (single layer) disk has about the same reflectivity as a dual layer 'pressed' DVD. Some DVD players get confused by this. There are lots of compatibility issues between recordable DVD media and DVD players. this is just one.

Fiddling with the 'book type' field can help but you can't change it on a burned DVD-R
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

Ice Hellion · n00b Joined: 09 Mar 2004 Posts: 42

Yes, you are right. They SHOULD have been finalized, but I was burning in DVDShrink and it either did not finalize or, more likely, they are experiencing the problem you are describing. I have already reburnt some of the DVDs again with Nero Burning ROM, making sure that the "Finalize" button was checked. These seem to work perfectly fine in a standalone DVD player. Guess I'll just burn all the DVDs again. Thanks for your help NeddySeagoon.