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Mac DVDs working on some Windows computers intermittently
I posted this on the DVD Studio Pro forum some days ago but wanted to get a more technical explanation of this problem if possible. Pardon me if you feel like this is the wrong forum for me to post this:
I have had a number of problems with clients saying they cannot play the DVDs I send to them on some, not all, of their Windows computers. I am aware of the mp2 drivers not being available on non-premium versions of Windows. However I sometimes get reports of no audio and sometimes it all works all the sudden. I usually encourage clients not to use Windows Media Player, but all of this work-around stuff does not bolster confidence.
Is there something that Mac burned DVDs have lacking or is different that effects this? I typically burn the DVDs in Toast and on DVD+Rs. Is there a recommendation that my clients not just copy the DVDs I send, having direct copies replicated, but is there another way of replicating that will guarantee no trouble with Windows machines? One guy said to send DVD-Rs.
So why does this happen? Is there a solution?
Greg Ondera
http://www.Plexus.tv
http://www.SurgeonToday.org -
12 Replies
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A DVD is a DVD. It’s a spec format. That said, cheap blanks or possibly the DVD+R is the culprit. I have never used anything but a DVD-R. It is, or used to be at least, the more widely supported format. But it seems like any computer in the last few years shouldn’t have a problem with burned DVDs of any type.
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So back a couple of years I switched to DVD+Rs because I was getting reports of problems with DVD-Rs in Windows computers. What makes the difference and should I be sending masters for clients to replicate in DVD-Rs?
Greg Ondera
http://www.Plexus.tv
http://www.SurgeonToday.org -
Goggle is your friend. But it looks like DVD-R was first and +R added some burning features to make things like finalizing more efficient, but not every vendor supported it. Not sure if that means playback or just burning. MacOS didnt’ support burning +R for 5 years or so. Even though the superdrive supported it functionally. Why aren’t you using build and format in DVD SP instead of Toast?
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I used DVD Studio Pro for Build and then burn in Toast by way of encouragement from a Lynda instruction. I sometimes build and burn in Studio Pro. I guess I’ll go back to burning -Rs. But don’t replicators burn what they want, either -Rs or +Rs from either DVD master?
Greg Ondera
http://www.Plexus.tv
http://www.SurgeonToday.org -
I want reiterate the two points Bret has made.
1) DVD-R should be used for burning.
2) DVD media varies greatly, and most pros order Taiyo Yuden, because they simply never generate returns.
3) Finally, a long time ago I found that Toast creates DVDs that are hit and miss. Compressor and DVDSP is really the way to do the job if you want to insure it\’s done right the first time.
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor/Colorist
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles
https://www.drwfilms.comPOST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™
A forum host of Creative COW’s Business & Marketing and Apple Final Cut Pro forums. Formerly host of the Apple Final Cut Basics, Indie Film & Documentary, and Film History & Appreciations forums.
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Wow. Seems like I was doing several wrong things. Thanks tremendously for this. I vaguely remember there was a time when Windows couldn’t see DVD-Rs(do I remember that correctly?), so I got in the +R habit.
Greg Ondera
http://www.Plexus.tv
http://www.SurgeonToday.org -
What David says. I always use Taiyo Yuden DVD-R’s and never have a problem. Haven’t burned a coaster in a long time.
TomE=MC2+/-2db
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[Greg Ondera] “Wow. Seems like I was doing several wrong things.”
As I’ve told you before Greg, most here, myself included, don’t have terrific surgical skills. So there you have it, there’s a lot to learn in this lifetime, and no one knows it all.
[Greg Ondera] “I vaguely remember there was a time when Windows couldn’t see DVD-Rs(do I remember that correctly?), so I got in the +R habit.”
The quality control of most DVD media was not good in the early days, and there may have been a time when DVD+R offered a minor benefit, but they are seldom used anymore, except perhaps in some DVD recorders that automatically produce menus.
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor/Colorist
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles
https://www.drwfilms.comPOST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™
A forum host of Creative COW’s Business & Marketing and Apple Final Cut Pro forums. Formerly host of the Apple Final Cut Basics, Indie Film & Documentary, and Film History & Appreciations forums.
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One would hope they use whatever you tell them to. Don’t you pick a price point and stock or something like that? I never have to use replicators. My clients do I guess.
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Thanks, David. I appreciate it. And as for surgical skills, some of us are just “cut” out for it!
Greg Ondera
http://www.Plexus.tv
http://www.SurgeonToday.org
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