dvd/bluray burning software

[ampersand]

sorry for another techie thread.

my laptop is playing silly buggers when playing films i've downloaded. the files are fine as i went back to check and it skipped at different parts the second time.

so i need to burn them to dvd or bluray discs so i can watch them on a standalone player. whats the easiest and best one to use which is free and legal? i'll go down the torrent nero route if i have to but i'd rather not.

[Gre]

Imgburn is good & simple. (Assuming you're on windows)

edit; not completely sure whether you'd need a program to create .ISO's, or whatever the blu-ray equivalent is. I can't remember off-hand what I use for that I'm afraid.

Double edit; networking your house and using a box you can connect to your TV is the way forward btw. I haven't burnt a disk in I don't know how long

Edited October 20, 2010 by Gre

[ampersand]

thanks for that.

it must be the speed of my computer or something though. cos that was happening when i used to play bluray discs on it. the video wouldn struggle to keep up with the audio.

i only said bluray though cos the videos are hd. assuming i burn these to a dvd (what size are dvd's -knowledge fail), will they still play in hd if i play through a bluray player with an hd telly?

[Paul ™]

networking your house and using a box you can connect to your TV is the way forward btw. I haven't burnt a disk in I don't know how long

[ampersand]

but how much do these things cost?

[sifi]

Is your DVD divx compatible? Mine is, cost about forty quid two years ago. Can get five or six films on a disc, avi format.

[ampersand]

Is your DVD divx compatible? Mine is, cost about forty quid two years ago. Can get five or six films on a disc, avi format.

[sifi]

A disc holds 4.4 gb.

Go install the divx software from divx.com, and follow the on screen instructions. You'll need a free cd writing software too.

[Gre]

Does sound like your computer - mine tends to struggle with 1920x1080 ones.

Single-layer DVDs are 4.7Gb, Double-layer 9.4Gb. You need a compatible burner though (my laptop is 3 1/2 years old & has a dual-layer burner). All Blu-ray players will work with dual-layer DVDs I would think, its been standard for retail DVDs for years.

I may be wrong here (hopefully someone more techy can confirm), but if you burn the files directly to disc, without making an ISO (or whatever the blu-ray equivalent it), your player will need to be compatible with the DivX or MKV or whatever file it is you've got.

[windy_miller]

A DVD is 4Gb. Dual layer is 8Gb.

Are you trying to convert the avi file to a "proper" DVD (that you can play in any bog-standard DVD player), or are you just trying to copy the file onto it and then getting your blue ray player to play the file?

You won't be able to convert a HD avi file to a proper DVD unless you downscale it to SD first.

[windy_miller]

BTW, InfraRecorder is a good, free (open source) disc burning program

http://infrarecorder.org/

[windy_miller]

A disc holds 4.4 gb.

Go install the divx software from divx.com, and follow the on screen instructions. You'll need a free cd writing software too.

[RABun]

I have an 8gb pen drive i can plug into the blu-ray player that works. don't know if you could do that?

[ampersand]

A DVD is 4Gb. Dual layer is 8Gb.

Are you trying to convert the avi file to a "proper" DVD (that you can play in any bog-standard DVD player), or are you just trying to copy the file onto it and then getting your blue ray player to play the file?

You won't be able to convert a HD avi file to a proper DVD unless you downscale it to SD first.

[windy_miller]

i'm trying to basically have it on a disc that is able to just be played on my bluray player. so that it actually works from start to finish without working. which i didn't think would be able to be done with an hd file.

i downloaded toy story 3 in sd and that works perfect from the file.

and to think, my mum thinks i know what i'm talking about when it comes to computers.

[ampersand]

I have an 8gb pen drive i can plug into the blu-ray player that works. don't know if you could do that?

[ampersand]

If an SD video works from a file, I would guess that a HD one would too. Just burn the file on to a DVD and stick it in your blue ray player.

[windy_miller]

yeah but as gre says, my computer obviously struggles with some aspect of the bigger file or bitrate or whatever the hell he said.

yeah that's what i was planning on doing before everyone confused me but rabun's sounds a plan if that works. cheapest option

[RABun]

actually yeah, that would probably work best! will it work the same with an external drive though, cos that's what its on at the minute....hmmm. don't have a usb pen.

[ampersand]

Ah I thought you meant a separate blu-ray player plugged into your telly.

Just re-download an SD version of the video. Otherwise you're going to have to convert it to SD which is complicated and takes ages.

[RABun]

fingers crossed then. can't believe it could be so simple.

didn't think a girl would give me the best advice

[windy_miller]

OK so now I'm completely confused. Are you still trying to play this through your laptop (but burned to a DVD or through a USB stick), or do you have a proper Blu-Ray play hooked up to your TV?

[ampersand]

OK so now I'm completely confused. Are you still trying to play this through your laptop (but burned to a DVD or through a USB stick), or do you have a proper Blu-Ray play hooked up to your TV?

[Paul ™]

didn't think a girl would give me the best advice cheapest option

[ampersand]

that is the best advice though. i'm skint and i want to watch these films before payday. if i can get the same results for free, then it's the best advice. fingers crossed.