Any reason NOT to buy a DVD burner now?

[CaesarX]

I'm thinking of picking up one of those 200-dollar DVD burners this winter. With 50-packs of blank DVDs selling for just $35USD, there seems to be no reason to wait. Of course, better technology is on the way, but how much will it cost? The upcoming DVD players will surely cost at least double, right? Not to mention the new blanks? What i need to know is whether there is any reason NOT to do this?

 

[UglyCasanova]

You should save your money, that's why. 🙂

 

[BatmanNate]

Lack of standardization.

EDIT: Dparker, I like your sig. 😀

 

[fatbaby]

where are 50 pack spindles of dvds being sold for $35?

Well there are so many formats out there right now and the newer ones that use all the format are coming around the corner....so why not wait a few more months?

 

[loup garou]

1. They will get cheaper.
2. They will get faster.
3. One standard will prevail (maybe).
4. Media will get cheaper.
5. Burning software will get better and more user friendly (in regards to copying DVD Video discs).
6. Dual layer writing (thx for reminding me JellyBaby).

 

[JellyBaby]

There are still two standards although I understand the "-" flavor is winning but only slightly. If you buy a drive now you will be buying another shortly but isn't that always true with technology? Current models only write to one side but the DVD movies you buy in stores have twice the capacity. Those are the drives you really want. And of course the DVD standard makes room for nearly 20 GB per disc but that's way off in the future.

 

[Sluggo]

Originally posted by: werk
1. They will get cheaper.
2. They will get faster.
3. One standard will prevail (maybe).
4. Media will get cheaper.
5. Burning software will get better and more user friendly (in regards to copying DVD Video discs).

Exactly, in 12-18 months they will be free after rebate, just like CD burners.

 

[optoman]

Originally posted by: Sluggo

Originally posted by: werk
1. They will get cheaper.
2. They will get faster.
3. One standard will prevail (maybe).
4. Media will get cheaper.
5. Burning software will get better and more user friendly (in regards to copying DVD Video discs).

Exactly, in 12-18 months they will be free after rebate, just like CD burners.

 

[gopunk]

you can't make exact copies of movies

 

[LongCoolMother]

Originally posted by: gopunk
you can't make exact copies of movies

you cant?! sure you can! ohhhh. i know, because most dvds are dual layered, and the discs and burnered are only single-layered so far.

its okay, you can burn PS2 and Xbox games. i know, because ive done it a couple of times. just got to use the right media and everything.

 

[CaesarX]

Originally posted by: gopunk
you can't make exact copies of movies

I don't see why not. Each DVD movie is made up of a number (usually 5-7) of 1GB .VOB files. Half can be stored on one disk and half on the other. The .VOB files would first have to be copied onto the HD, and then burned on DVD. But it can be done, though you'll have to put in a disk half-way through.

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: CaesarX

Originally posted by: gopunk
you can't make exact copies of movies

I don't see why not. Each DVD movie is made up of a number (usually 5-7) of 1GB .VOB files. Half can be stored on one disk and half on the other. The .VOB files would first have to be copied onto the HD, and then burned on DVD. But it can be done, though you'll have to put in a disk half-way through.

that's what i mean... it's dumb like that. who the hell wants to switch discs in the middle of a movie....

 

[TNTrulez]

Originally posted by: gopunk

Originally posted by: CaesarX

Originally posted by: gopunk
you can't make exact copies of movies

I don't see why not. Each DVD movie is made up of a number (usually 5-7) of 1GB .VOB files. Half can be stored on one disk and half on the other. The .VOB files would first have to be copied onto the HD, and then burned on DVD. But it can be done, though you'll have to put in a disk half-way through.

that's what i mean... it's dumb like that. who the hell wants to switch discs in the middle of a movie....

*cough*LOTR extended edition *cough*

 

[Sluggo]

Originally posted by: gopunk

Originally posted by: CaesarX

Originally posted by: gopunk
you can't make exact copies of movies

I don't see why not. Each DVD movie is made up of a number (usually 5-7) of 1GB .VOB files. Half can be stored on one disk and half on the other. The .VOB files would first have to be copied onto the HD, and then burned on DVD. But it can be done, though you'll have to put in a disk half-way through.

that's what i mean... it's dumb like that. who the hell wants to switch discs in the middle of a movie....

I have Goodfellas on DVD and have to turn the disc over halfway through the movie, irritating as can be.

 

[arod]

The internet is a wonderful thing.... you can get dvd images already reduced so they will fit on a single layered dvdr 🙂

They remove the crap for them like extra audio tracks and some of the special features but its still very nice and you can get movies long before they even come out on DVD.

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: arod
The internet is a wonderful thing.... you can get dvd images already reduced so they will fit on a single layered dvdr 🙂

They remove the crap for them like extra audio tracks and some of the special features but its still very nice and you can get movies long before they even come out on DVD.

hmm interesting. but then there isn't much point to dvd other than the improved image + sound quality. i just wish they would come out with a consumer dual layer dvd recorder. then i'll get one.

 

[John]

Originally posted by: JellyBaby
There are still two standards although I understand the "-" flavor is winning but only slightly. If you buy a drive now you will be buying another shortly but isn't that always true with technology? Current models only write to one side but the DVD movies you buy in stores have twice the capacity. Those are the drives you really want. And of course the DVD standard makes room for nearly 20 GB per disc but that's way off in the future.

The Sony A500 combines both +&- technology in a single drive. 🙂

 

[arod]

Originally posted by: gopunk

Originally posted by: arod
The internet is a wonderful thing.... you can get dvd images already reduced so they will fit on a single layered dvdr 🙂

They remove the crap for them like extra audio tracks and some of the special features but its still very nice and you can get movies long before they even come out on DVD.

hmm interesting. but then there isn't much point to dvd other than the improved image + sound quality. i just wish they would come out with a consumer dual layer dvd recorder. then i'll get one.

Well you do get the DVD at 1/20th of the price..... Ill lose the special features on some discs for saving that kind of money.

 

[Hamburgerpimp]

I recently bought a Toshiba DVDRW. You free up a drive bay, as well since it's a DVDrom, DVDrw and CDrw. I back up all my DVDs with it!🙂

 

[Smolek]

Unless you ABSOLUTELY need it dont buy it because of all the above mentioned reasons

 

[NokiaDude]

BECAUSE THEY'RE TOO SLOW!!! 45 min too burn 4.5GB!!!

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: LongCoolMother

Originally posted by: gopunk
you can't make exact copies of movies

you cant?! sure you can! ohhhh. i know, because most dvds are dual layered, and the discs and burnered are only single-layered so far.

its okay, you can burn PS2 and Xbox games. i know, because ive done it a couple of times. just got to use the right media and everything.

LCM is right on 2 accounts. First, of course, there's the size issue. But there's also the issue of the CSS key; the DVD group was ahead of us on this.😉 Consumer DVD burners and DVD-R's don't have the ability to burn/hold a CSS key. As such, you can copy it in such a way to get the VOBs, but the DVD will be lacking the all-important key to decypt the movies. You'd need to DeCSS them first before burning them, which in turn would either require a rip->HD->burn method, or decryption in real time. Neither option is as pretty as the rip->burn we're used to with CD's.

 

[CaesarX]

Originally posted by: ViRGE

Originally posted by: LongCoolMother

Originally posted by: gopunk
you can't make exact copies of movies

you cant?! sure you can! ohhhh. i know, because most dvds are dual layered, and the discs and burnered are only single-layered so far.

its okay, you can burn PS2 and Xbox games. i know, because ive done it a couple of times. just got to use the right media and everything.

LCM is right on 2 accounts. First, of course, there's the size issue. But there's also the issue of the CSS key; the DVD group was ahead of us on this.😉 Consumer DVD burners and DVD-R's don't have the ability to burn/hold a CSS key. As such, you can copy it in such a way to get the VOBs, but the DVD will be lacking the all-important key to decypt the movies. You'd need to DeCSS them first before burning them, which in turn would either require a rip->HD->burn method, or decryption in real time. Neither option is as pretty as the rip->burn we're used to with CD's.

Right, but this is only true for set-top DVD players right? I use my computer for DVDs, so this shouldn't be a problem, am i correct?

 

[ViRGE]

As far as I know, the computer will have the same problem. Without the key, it can't decrypt the VOB files through its normal player. I haven't tried DeCSSing a VOB file that doesn't have a key, but if I remember my DVD encryption rules correctly, you must have the key at some point to decrypt the data.

Edit: Just double-checked it, can't play the keyless files. I'd bet you can't rip them either

 

[Doggiedog]

A 2.4X burn rate doesn't really make me want to buy one. It's like the medieval days of CD-RWs when going from 2x to 4x was something. I'll wait til they are 8x.