saving pics to dvd's? NEW ?? AT BOTTOM...

[wheelerkidz3]

i'm trying to get all my pics organized, and i'd like to make a backup copy of them on dvd. how do you go about doing that? if i save them to a dvd, does it have to be like a movie? can you make a print from a picture saved on a dvd? i'd really like to clear off some stuff on my laptop, but i'm afraid to delete any pics until i know i have them stored safely. can anyone help me?

 

[squirrel]

I too have the same question.

My dad's friend said my IBM compatible has a program in it-Windows Movie Maker. I have an iBook, but it is too dated for my camera! So I have just started using the IBM!

I like the program and spent about 5 hours making my movie with pictures and movie clips. I have copied it to both a DVD disk and a CD-R disk, but can't find a DVD player that recognizes the program. Yes, it is saved to the disks! I can watch it on the computer, from the disk.

If anyone knows how to get it to work in a dvd player please post!

 

[Tigger By The Tail]

I too have the same question.

My dad's friend said my IBM compatible has a program in it-Windows Movie Maker. I have an iBook, but it is too dated for my camera! So I have just started using the IBM!

I like the program and spent about 5 hours making my movie with pictures and movie clips. I have copied it to both a DVD disk and a CD-R disk, but can't find a DVD player that recognizes the program. Yes, it is saved to the disks! I can watch it on the computer, from the disk.

If anyone knows how to get it to work in a dvd player please post!

You may need to finalize the disk to get it to play on the DVD player. Also, which format are you saving to.....DVD+R or DVD-R. Does your dvd recognize the format you are using?

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

You don't need to create a movie out of your pictures to save them to a DVD.

Most CD/DVD burning software has the option to create a 'data' disc (CD or DVD), and it just stores the files as files; just like they'd be on your hard drive.

Just check your CD/DVD burning software for the 'data disc' option.

 

[wheelerkidz3]

You don't need to create a movie out of your pictures to save them to a DVD.

Most CD/DVD burning software has the option to create a 'data' disc (CD or DVD), and it just stores the files as files; just like they'd be on your hard drive.

Just check your CD/DVD burning software for the 'data disc' option.

ok, my comp has sonic on it. i've used the data disc option to burn a cd, but does it work the same way for a dvd? do i just have to put a dvd in instead of a cd? or do i have to tell it i'm using a dvd? i'm so computer illiterate!! sorry for a probably basic question.

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

ok, my comp has sonic on it. i've used the data disc option to burn a cd, but does it work the same way for a dvd? do i just have to put a dvd in instead of a cd? or do i have to tell it i'm using a dvd? i'm so computer illiterate!! sorry for a probably basic question.

I'm not familiar with any Mac software/hardware, but the CD/DVD burning in my HP Pavilion PC seems to know the difference when I put in a CD or a DVD and automatically adjusts the space limitations (a CD is only 700-800M and a DVD is ~4G when used for data).

I'd just try putting in a blank DVD and see what happens when you choose the "data disk" option. If it can't determine the media automatically, there is probably a way to select it from a menu or a button, somewhere.

I'd be really surprised if a Mac can't tell the difference between a CD and a DVD....

 

[mabas9395]

ok, my comp has sonic on it. i've used the data disc option to burn a cd, but does it work the same way for a dvd? do i just have to put a dvd in instead of a cd? or do i have to tell it i'm using a dvd? i'm so computer illiterate!! sorry for a probably basic question.

Depending on how old your computer is, you may have one or two CD/DVD drives (slots). Newer ones have one drive slot that can read/write both CDs and DVDs and should know the difference. But my older computer has one drive for CD's and one drive for DVD's. If I try to put a DVD into the CD drive, it won't work.

My dad's friend said my IBM compatible has a program in it-Windows Movie Maker. I have an iBook, but it is too dated for my camera! So I have just started using the IBM!

I like the program and spent about 5 hours making my movie with pictures and movie clips. I have copied it to both a DVD disk and a CD-R disk, but can't find a DVD player that recognizes the program. Yes, it is saved to the disks! I can watch it on the computer, from the disk.

If anyone knows how to get it to work in a dvd player please post!

The file made by Windows Movie Maker (a .WMV I think) is not readable by DVD players, only computers. You will need to use some sort of software to make it playable on your TV. If you have a DVD burner, your computer might have come with the needed software. Mine came with trial software that expired 30 days after the first time I used it so I found something else.

Most of the time, this kind of software will be divided into "video editing" and "DVD authoring". Windows Movie Maker is a simple/free editor. You need the DVD creator or authoring software which will allow you to take the video file and add menu buttons and stuff. They are often bundled together in the same box nowadays. You can search this forum for the topic and see what people like to use. I use one of the Sony Vegas products and I love it, but it is not the most popular with average users. You should be able to find a good package for less than $80 that will do both editing and authoring, and the editor will give you a lot more features and functions than Windows Movie Maker. If you plan on making a lot of movies, you should consider one of the paid software packages, it will be worth it.

 

[GrillMouster]

Standard DVD-R and DVD+R are not archival. Several people who burned precious memories onto DVDs and CDs 5 or 10 years ago are discovering that those discs have deteriorated (not visibly), so their files are lost. Professional photographers use Archival Gold discs, available in both CD and DVD formats. They use a layer of 24 carat gold and are rated to last 100 years. They are more expensive than standard discs. Check out photo supply sites, Amazon, or Google "Archival Gold" to compare prices.

Before you delete the pics from your harddrive, double-check every file that you burn to the DVD is okay by opening each one from the disc.

You probably already know that there are two types of writable DVDs, DVD-R and DVD+R. Older writable DVD drives could only write to one of these formats. Drives from the last few years tend to be compatible with both formats. Older DVD players (the kind you connect to your TV to watch movies) are sometimes pickey about what format you use. There's a web site out there that lists nearly every make and model of DVD player and the disc formats they read.

May DVD players (set top) will have difficulty reading the files from a DVD if you the file names are long (I think over 32 characters) or if they have spaces or special characters other than underscores.

If you want to archive or print images from the DVD, don't save them as a movie, just save them as files, just as they are on your hard drive. Basically, you'll be making what's called a "data disc".

 

[wheelerkidz3]

thanks everyone! i went in and figured out how to do it...now i guess i should go get some of those gold dvd's? good thing we are taking a trip to the stores later tonite!

 

[wheelerkidz3]

ok, i was playing with a blank dvd i have here-not the gold kind, just a dvd-r. i got all the pics to load onto the dvd, but of course it won't play in the dvd player. is this how most of you leave it? or do you make a dvd so you are able to view it on tv? i can see that it copied all my files....so should i just leave it alone? is that all there is to do?

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

ok, i was playing with a blank dvd i have here-not the gold kind, just a dvd-r. i got all the pics to load onto the dvd, but of course it won't play in the dvd player. is this how most of you leave it?

Yes ... for me, at this time, the only use for my DVD burner is for file archiving; that is, making data disks.

or do you make a dvd so you are able to view it on tv?

You can do that if you want; lots of programs are available for turning digital pictures into DVD-viewable-on-your-TV "movies" complete with transition effects and sound/music. You can usually intersperse still images (in 'slide show' fashion) with video clips (if your camera takes video clips) to make any sort of production you want.

But, I'd never commit my pictures to such a production and then get rid of the originals!

i can see that it copied all my files....so should i just leave it alone? is that all there is to do?

Basically, if you just want to save your pictures, that's all there is to do.

You'll probably want to burn more than one copy so you can keep it safe somewhere other than your home.

I've read that you should consider re-archiving once-a-year, or so, to make sure that you don't lose tons of pictures in the event of an HD crash. Eventually, you'll probably have way more pictures than fit on one DVD ... but you can always use more than one disk.

 

[GrillMouster]

As long as your computer can open the files from the DVD, you're all set. It's a good idea to burn a second backup copy and keep it elsewhere, like a friend or relative's house or in a filing cabinet at work.

If you want a disc so that you can show your pictures as a slideshow using your DVD player, then I suggest that you burn another disc using a photoshow program that will create a slideshow movie. This is not suitable for archiving your pictures, because you can't pull out individual image files for printing, and the image quality decrease as images are are compressed to be part of the movie.

 

[AndrewWG]

ok, i was playing with a blank dvd i have here-not the gold kind, just a dvd-r. i got all the pics to load onto the dvd, but of course it won't play in the dvd player. is this how most of you leave it? or do you make a dvd so you are able to view it on tv? i can see that it copied all my files....so should i just leave it alone? is that all there is to do?

Is it possible that your DVD player is an older model? My DVD player (about 2 years old) can play DVD's with jpg's on them and it plays them like a slideshow automatically. No need to make a slideshow. No specisl programs other than Nero (my DVD burning software).

 

[GrillMouster]

Some older model DVD players will recognize one DVD format (-R or +R), but not the other.

 

[AndrewWG]

Some older model DVD players will recognize one DVD format (-R or +R), but not the other.

Yeah, how that you mention it, I think (I may be wrong) that the older players only recognize -R, not +R. Mine does both, but I made a DVD for a lady I know and her DVD player couldn't play it because it was a +R. When I made her a -R copy, it played fine.

 

[wheelerkidz3]

i just wanted to say thanks again for helping me out! now, i have one more question...LOL!!
if you burn the 2 copies for backup...do you erase them from your "my pictures" on your computer? or do you just leave them there? should i get rid of them to free up space?

 

[squirrel]

I have other DVD+R disks that I have used and they work no problem in both the newer DVD players I own.

Where would I find this DVD creator or authoring software? Online?

 

[AndrewWG]

i just wanted to say thanks again for helping me out! now, i have one more question...LOL!!
if you burn the 2 copies for backup...do you erase them from your "my pictures" on your computer? or do you just leave them there? should i get rid of them to free up space?

Do you need the space? If your hard drive is getting real low on space I would delete them or at least go through them and selectively delete the ones that aren't as special. Keep the ones that are special. I tend to shy away from deleting all of my pics.

Also, now that you have done a DVD backup, I would create a folder called something like "not backed up photos" and put all your new photos in sub folders in there. That way, you know that those ones are the ones that you need to put on DVD next. Once you put those on DVD, move them out of that folder and you are good to go for the next time.

 

[Groucho]

Any modern DVD player will read all forms of blank DVD as well as play back JPG photos and MP3 music stored on a DVD. This includes your basic $30-40 models. Some older ones would read -R but not +R, but those are very rare - generally, they'd read nothing or both. You'll probably find more difference in older players being picky about the brand of media and how fast it's burnt than if it's -R or +R.

There is nothing special about a CD or DVD itself that make it different, they are just places to store data. There are special formats for CD audio, DVD video, etc, but the discs themselves are just data storage. In other words, whatever you used to burn a CD of data should work for making a DVD of data - except that a DVD will hold ~7 times as much data.

I'm not too concerned about "archival" media as I'm sure that I'll be re-burning my good stuff before long, when BluRay burners and media (which holds about as much as 7-8 DVDs!) becomes cheap. After that, another format will probably come along.

I also have many CDs that I burnt over 10 years ago and very, very few have errors. They certainly can go bad over time but I think most of the talk is just FUD created by the companies to sell you expensive archival media.

Once your pictures have been backed up (ideally to two DVDs - they're dirt cheap, after all!), you can leave them on your PC as long as you have a good amount of free hard drive space. If you're not running out, there is no reason to delete them - it won't make your PC run any faster or slower.

 

[jfulcer]

Any modern DVD player will read all forms of blank DVD as well as play back JPG photos and MP3 music stored on a DVD. This includes your basic $30-40 models. Some older ones would read -R but not +R, but those are very rare - generally, they'd read nothing or both. You'll probably find more difference in older players being picky about the brand of media and how fast it's burnt than if it's -R or +R.

There is nothing special about a CD or DVD itself that make it different, they are just places to store data. There are special formats for CD audio, DVD video, etc, but the discs themselves are just data storage. In other words, whatever you used to burn a CD of data should work for making a DVD of data - except that a DVD will hold ~7 times as much data.

I'm not too concerned about "archival" media as I'm sure that I'll be re-burning my good stuff before long, when BluRay burners and media (which holds about as much as 7-8 DVDs!) becomes cheap. After that, another format will probably come along.

I also have many CDs that I burnt over 10 years ago and very, very few have errors. They certainly can go bad over time but I think most of the talk is just FUD created by the companies to sell you expensive archival media.

Once your pictures have been backed up (ideally to two DVDs - they're dirt cheap, after all!), you can leave them on your PC as long as you have a good amount of free hard drive space. If you're not running out, there is no reason to delete them - it won't make your PC run any faster or slower.

I second all of this.