Toast 8 Won't Copy My DVD+RW Discs Where Toast 7 Does

[Minerva]

I'm running Mac OS X 10.4.8 on a Quicksilver (2002) G4 with 1.5GB of RAM...

 

Here's my workflow:

 

I burn a DVD+RW disc from my set-top DVD recorder (LiteOn 5045) and then without finalizing the disc, I put the disc in my Pioneer DVR-108 (FireWire) and use Toast's "Copy" function to make a new DVD image from the DVD+RW disc. Then I burn from the disk image onto a DVD-R while the DVD+RW disc gets erased and re-used over and over again.

 

It works perfectly in Toast 7 and Popcorn 1.0.2.

 

Toast 8 saves an empty 608k disk image file. Well... not completely empty. It contains VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders and two files... a 6k VIDEO_TS.BUP and a 6k VIDEO_TS.IFO file. When Toast attempts to mount this image file, it reports an error that the Video_TS folder cannot be compressed, but then proceeds to mount the useless disk image anyway.

 

I also tried using a finalized DVD+R disc for my source material. Toast 8 has exactly the same problem with the +R disc. This does NOT appear to be a bad-media-related issue.

 

Let's be clear -- it works EVERY TIME with Toast 7. No matter what speed I encode at. No matter whether I record to a DVD+RW or a DVD+R (finalized). It just works.

 

But Toast 8 makes the same useless 608k disk image EVERY TIME. It always fails.

 

On a whim, I just tried Toast 8 on an old Sawtooth. 'Same problem.

 

It's clear that this is not a problem with my setup or workflow -- it's the software.

 

I'm in the middle of converting my VHS library to DVD and this bug in Toast 8 is a particularly annoying thing to happen. I don't mind using Toast 7 for the job, but I mind paying a hefty upgrade price for a product that doesn't work.

 

Is there a fix for this bug in Toast 8 or am I stuck using Toast 7 for the foreseeable future?

[Minerva]

Do you have Fit-to-DVD compression turned on in Toast 8? If so turn it off and try it. I have a feeling that could be cauing the problem.

 

 

That's IT!!

 

That's the bug!!

 

Thank you!

 

I had fit-to-DVD compression checked. With it un-checked, Toast 8 will make an image from the disc.

 

I should point out that I always have fit-to-disc compression on in Toast 7 and Popcorn because it allows me to select just the main title and not the ugly menu that my set-top recorder always adds to a disc. So it's still a really annoying inconvenience. (It never has to actually recompress because the video always fits on one DVD, so the only purpose of having that box checked is to exclude the menu.)

 

But at least I now have a workaround that doesn't cost me a lot of extra time.

 

Attention Roxio/Sonic... I expect this bug to be FIXED in Toast 8.0.1.

[freshburn]

DVD VR disc are not standard DVD-VIDEO. This may have worked in Toast 7 and Popcorn 1, but it was never meant to and my guess is it is more luck than anything. DVD VR disc should be extracted using the Toast Media browser and DVD format.

 

You don't have to have a menu, that was just and example. If you open the media browser with the disc in, you can extract the main title and burn a new disc with no menu.

 

It is the same thing you are doing now in copy format with the Fit-to-DVD options, just different steps.

[John at Roxio]

I happen to respect freshburn's opinion and let me reply to your points.

1) DVD VR is not standard DVD format and thus cant be treated exactly like a DVD can be treated. The fact that there are various DVD burners making DVD's in different ways sort of makes this a non-standard and thus there is no simple way to deal with it in every case. We would just make all the folks with the other burners as displeased as you appear to be.

2) If you dont want to use that process that is ok with me. You are more then welcome to your opinion.

3) It isnt a bug, this is simply the way it works.

[freshburn]

Well, Toast 8 has Popcorn 2 and the compression engine has changed. Mostly like it just isn't supported and Popcorn 2 also does the same thing. DVD VR disc should be extracted using the media browser and Video format. Then you can add any menu you like to the disc and make complications with other discs.

[Minerva]

DVD VR disc are not standard DVD-VIDEO.

 

VR is one of many standards for DVD video.

 

Some manufacturers of DVD recorders did not adhere to the standard. That does not make VR in and of itself non-standard.

 

 

This may have worked in Toast 7 and Popcorn 1, but it was never meant to...

 

I didn't realize that you decided such things.

 

Are you the owner of the company?

 

If so, then act responsibly and fix it so it works again.

 

 

DVD VR disc should be extracted using the Toast Media browser and DVD format.

 

That's insanely stupid. Toast 8 requires that the video be remuxed in order to import it that way. There's no need for the extra step and the extra 20 minutes is a ridiculous waste of my time.

 

If your theory is correct and it's not a bug then it's one of the stupidest "features" that I have ever seen in my life. What great advertising that makes: "Buy our product: It doesn't do the job as well as any other product on the market including every other product that we've ever made, BUT WE'LL STILL CHARGE YOU FOR IT!"

 

 

It is the same thing you are doing now in copy format with the Fit-to-DVD options, just different steps.

 

You are completely wrong. You obviously haven't tried it and you haven't read my earlier posts.

 

Toast 8 remuxes the video when I import it through the media browser. That wastes a HUGE amount of time.

 

If they've really crippled the software that way, it's utterly contemptible. It makes no sense that they'd sabotage their product like that.

 

I'm giving Roxio the benefit of the doubt when I say that it must be a BUG.

 

Whether they actually DID cripple the software deliberately or not, I'm stuck using Toast 7 or Popcorn whenever time is an issue -- which is most of the time. So Toast 8 has lost much of its value to me.

 

...And dude, a piece of friendly advice: If you don't work for Roxio, don't be such a suck up apologist for them. They screwed up. If they're a good company, they'll fix it.

[freshburn]

It won't every change, I suggest you keep using Toast 7.

[Minerva]

Well, Toast 8 has Popcorn 2 and the compression engine has changed. Mostly like it just isn't supported and Popcorn 2 also does the same thing. DVD VR disc should be extracted using the media browser and Video format. Then you can add any menu you like to the disc and make complications with other discs.

 

 

But I'm not trying to rip it. I'm trying to copy the main title. I'm not trying to add a custom menu. I just want the main title duplicated to another disc.

 

This has always worked in Roxio's products before.

 

Toast 8 gives every appearance of working as Toast 7 and Popcorn do -- it goes through the motions of copying the video and then does not do so.

 

Ripping the video first is the most amazingly stupid and time-wasting kludge.

 

This is a bug. I don't know why you are making excuses for them. It's a bug.

 

It's a BIG bug that they should not have overlooked in a shipping product.

[Minerva]

It won't every change, I suggest you keep using Toast 7.

 

I have been using Toast 7. I've been forced to. Toast 7 does the job. Toast 8 does not.

 

What authority do you have to suggest that Roxio does not care about fixing gross and easily corrected bugs such as this one?

[tsantee]

Interesting. My standalone recorder doesn't create +R or +RW discs so I can't try this out.

 

Instead of creating the disc image using the copy window have you tried using the Media Browser to extract the MPEG video from the DVD+RW, dragging it from the browser to the Video window? That's how I transfer my standalone recorder's videos (either unfinalized VR-mode DVD-RW or finalized video mode discs).

[Minerva]

Instead of creating the disc image using the copy window have you tried using the Media Browser...

 

That worked, and thank you for the suggestion, BUT it's an untenable solution for my project.

 

Steps taken: Run Toast. Open Media Browser Window. Select DVD as source in the Browser window. Select the DVD's icon in the Browser window...

 

Toast displays a progress bar and proceeds to scan the disc for about 10 minutes, after which the video shows up as MPEG video in the DVD composition window. Then I give the disc and the movie a name and when I go to save a disk image, it re-multiplexes the video, which takes another 5-10 minutes. Finally, it writes the disk image, but for some reason it takes an extra 3-4 minutes to create the image vs. making the image directly from the +RW.

 

Making a disk image from the source as I've been doing with Toast 7 takes about 3-5 minutes.

 

Doing it using the Media Browser takes more than 6 times longer than the way I've been doing it. It makes no sense to do it that way when Toast 7 does it 6 times faster and without the extra steps.

 

A workaround that will add 100 hours of sitting on my butt watching a progress bar is not a feasible solution. I have 300 VHS tapes to go through!

 

When I asked for a fix, I meant a way to kick Toast 8 so it works as it's supposed to -- to work as well as Toast 7 and Popcorn and Toast 6 did before it.

[gesplus]

Is there any advantage to using Toast 8 instead of Toast 7 for this particular project?

[Minerva]

Is there any advantage to using Toast 8 instead of Toast 7 for this particular project?

 

 

I've been using Toast 8 for other things as well. It would be nice not to have to switch to Toast 7 or Popcorn when I'm already running Toast 8... and it's very annoying that a major upgrade can't do such a simple task that's so easily accomplished by its predecessors.

[freshburn]

Do you have Fit-to-DVD compression turned on in Toast 8? If so turn it off and try it. I have a feeling that could be cauing the problem.