CDs/DVDs with scratches - Save DVD's by Capturing?

[abrogard]

I back up my son's kid's dvd's when I can but some of them just can't be read by software such as dvd decrypter because they are too scratched and worn.

But they play okay, in the dvd player and on the computer.

So I'm hoping I can find some video recording software that I can use to record them with. I realise I'll lose all the dvd features - menus, jumping back and forth, whatever, but at least I'll have the movie and that's what he'll mainly be interested in.

So I've been trying various things that are listed on various web pages about this but i've had no luck at all so far. Nothing seems to work.

Does anyone know if there's anything I can use to do this job?

regards,

ab

Try to rip them with free DVD Decrypter. It allows you to skip errors. The ripping process may take more time.

I've also heard about some weird techniques, such as using toothpaste. Haven't tried them, but you may try to find something about it.

But I don't think it is a good idea to screen capture them.

You may also try another DVD drive. Some of them deal better with scratches than others.

After re-reading polishing techniques with GOI polishing paste and toothpaste for saving files from scratched CDs and DVDs, I've came to conclusion that it is not the way I would like to use.

However there are a lot of programs that can recover CD and DVD data. Here are some of them:

IsoBuster Pro
The Ultimate CD and DVD data recovery tool! Rescue lost files from a bad or trashed CD or DVD! Save important documents, precious pictures from the family, your only system backup, ... IsoBuster can do it all ! IsoBuster features:
- Data recovery from CD and DVD.
- Better Error handling and several retry-mechanisms to aid you in getting the data anyway.
- The use of both generic and alternative ways to get to the data, get the best out of your CD/DVD-ROM drive.
- The use of secondary file-systems to get to the data and/or make use of file system data that might be
ignored or forgotten by popular OS.
- CDs stay 'readable' after problems (such as Buffer Under-run). Read from open sessions, ... .
- Read and Extraction of files, CD/DVD images, tracks and sessions from all optical media.
- Supports : CD-i, VCD, SVCD, CD-ROM, CD-ROM XA, CD-R, CD-RW, ...
- Supports : DVD-ROM, DVCD, DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW,...
- Scanning for lost UDF files and folders.
- Find lost data on CD or DVD created with drag and drop applications (e.g.
Direct CD, InCD, DLA, Instant-Write, Packet CD, ...).
- Find lost pictures created and saved to CD with Mavica, other digital cameras
or other devices with embedded UDF write functionality.
- Auto find extensions based on file content to try and give an appropriate name to an orphaned file. This built in file identifier assigns the proper extension to the file so that Windows applications can open the file.
Only needed for orphaned files without a name.
- Support for Direct CD compressed files. Decompression on the fly.
- Recover data from blanked or quick formatted DVD+RW media.
- Mpg (*.dat) Extraction and dat2mpg 'in one'.
- Enormous file system coverage and different ways to use them all (find the one suited best for your needs). - ISO9660,
Joliet, Romeo (Short File-names vs. Long File-names on mastered CDs)
- Big Endian (Motorola), Little Endian (Intel) (Windows vs. Unix, Mac and other systems' defaults) - UDF 1.02 (e.g DVDs), UDF 1.5 (e.g. Packet writing on CD-R and CD-RW), UDF 2.01, ...
- Rock Ridge (e.g. for Commodore users)
- Information and file system properties (must for FS developers)
- CD/DVD Surface scan to see if there are physical read errors.
- Check if all files and folders are readable without having to extract all data to HD.
- Single sector extraction. Extraction of CD/DVD parts, fit to your needs (Engineering purposes)
- Sector Viewer. Check a sector's content in IsoBuster's editor and print or save to HD.
- Compile (and edit, save, print) lists of all files that contain physical read errors.
- Compile lists of all files, including their Logical block address (ideal to find the
logical play order for mp3 CDs)
- CD-Text support from CD, *.PXI and *.CUE image files.
- Creation of image files (*.iso, *.bin, *.tao)
- Creation of cuesheet files (*.cue)
- Conversion of image files Handles opening of multi-file image files.
- Creation of multi-file image files or disc spanning to specified size
- Many other neat features the OS doesn't offer.
- Comprehensive help file - Supports an enormous range of image files (see further)
- ... On top of this, Isobuster interprets CD image files, such as: *.DAO (Duplicator), *.TAO (Duplicator), *.ISO (Nero, BlindRead, Creator), *.BIN (CDRWin), *.IMG (CloneCD), *.CCD (CloneCD) , *.CIF (Creator), *.FCD (Uncompressed), *.NRG (Nero), *.GCD (Prassi), *.P01 (Toast), *.C2D (WinOnCD), *.CUE (CDRWin), *.CDI (DiscJuggler), *.CD (CD-i OptImage),
*.GI (Prassi PrimoDVD), *.PXI (PlexTools), *.MDS (Alcohol), *.MDF (Alcohol).
- IsoBuster now features Language support for 40+ languages.
http://www.smart-projects.net

FinalData
FinalData is recognized as world-class and the NO.1 choice in aspects of simplicity, safety, speed and rate of recovery. It is the specialized recovery program that IT professionals utilize. FinalData can recover your fi les as long as the data has not been overwritten and the information still exists in your storage device. FinalData has often recovered what data recovery laboratories have given up on.
Many of the worlds largest companies are already using FinalData. Virtually every computer is vulnerable to data loss. The FinalData 2.0 family of products can be the difference between a potentially crippling disaster and a minor inconvenience. FinalData 2.0 empowers users with the ability to recover lost data on their own, and in private-whether the loss is due to , equipment problems, or intentional acts like virus attacks. All FinalData products are easy to use, work across a wide array of media, and do not require prior installation to be effective. The intuitive interface and powerful recovery algorithms give users the power to selectively choose what is recovered, as quickly as possible, and with a high degree of confidence that their data will soon be restored.
http://www.finaldata.com

CDRoller
CDRoller is a powerful, easy-to-use and low-cost toolset for CD/DVD data recovery.
Powerful: CDRoller finds, retrieves and copies the lost data from CDs and DVDs that seem to be inaccessible for Windows standard tools. While this does not include the disks that are physically damaged, the program will:
· Effectively retrieve the data off the discs created by "drag and drop" CD/DVD writing software, such as well-known Roxio (Adaptec) and Ahead Nero software packages, CeQuadrat's PacketCD, Instant Write, B's CLiP and others.
· Recover CD and DVD data created by standalone devices that record directly onto disks, including: Sony digital cameras, Hitachi, Panasonic and Sony DVD camcorders, personal DVD recorders, etc.
· Retrieve back up files from the discs recorded in the several stages (multisession discs).
· Include a built-in UDF Reader. There is no need to install a third-party software, for example Roxio (Adaptec) UDF Reader driver.
· Find and retrieve the lost files on UDF discs, including: ly deleted files, files on quick-formatted disc, files on incorrectly closed disc, etc.
· Identifies the lost files on ISO/Joliet discs with the damaged file system (volume descriptors, path tables and directories), using the raw data only.
· Simply retrieve data from scratched, damaged or defective discs.
· Extract tracks from audio CDs
· Test CD readability

Bad CD Repair
Bad CD Repair allows to copy files from bad CD or HDD. If your text or mp3 or any other type of file is corrupted then use Bad CD Repair to save it!
http://solidlabs.com/

BadCopy Pro (Shareware)
http://www.jufsoft.com/badcopy/

CD-R / DVD Diagnostic

If you wanna read about toothpaste and other stuff, here is a nice resource:

Remove Scratches from CD or DVD compact disc?, Part 2
http://www.infopackets.com/channels/...isc_part_2.htm

Brasso metal polisher, furniture polish and some other useful advices:

Remove Scratches from CD or DVD compact disc?, Part 3
http://www.infopackets.com/channels/...isc_part_3.htm

[abrogard]

Well thank you, Stream Recorder, you've done me proud. I've downloaded IsoBuster and will try it out. And the others.

As for toothpaste and stuff - we've a shop in town with a disk polisher that strips some surface away to get below scratches and scuff marks. They'll polish your disks for you with it, for a small fee. I've done that a few times. Improved things but didn't fix things so I don't bother with it any more.

As for DVDDecrypter, I use it all the time and it was the first thing I turned to but it just hangs for hours and hours trying to read them.

It is all of that made me think of just recording the movie as it played on my computer and have done with it all. Because that's all we need. And only for a while at that, how much longer is he (or his little brother) going to want to watch Thomas the Tank Engine or Teletubbies? Not too long, I hope.

Anyway... thanks... I'll let you know how i get on with those progs you've directed me to.

regards,

ab

Originally Posted by abrogard

I back up my son's kid's dvd's when I can but some of them just can't be read by software such as dvd decrypter because they are too scratched and worn.

But they play okay, in the dvd player and on the computer.

So I'm hoping I can find some video recording software that I can use to record them with. I realise I'll lose all the dvd features - menus, jumping back and forth, whatever, but at least I'll have the movie and that's what he'll mainly be interested in.

So I've been trying various things that are listed on various web pages about this but i've had no luck at all so far. Nothing seems to work.

Does anyone know if there's anything I can use to do this job?

regards,

ab

I recommend you to use magiciso to read CD or DVD with scratches. It works great for me.
http://www.magiciso.com/

[abrogard]

Thanks forkart (forkart?), I downloaded it (magiciso) and learned that it's only good for 300meg or somesuch in the trial. So I put it away. Incomplete trials turn me off. I very rarely come back to such software.

I've tried one or more of the other suggestions and don't now remember which, what or when. I do remember one of them wouldn't even read the drive - gave a couldn't read error and stopped. Seemed to have no better reading method than dvddecrypter or any of the 'normal' progs that I've been getting this problem with.

I'm back again to give it all another test. As I said, I've just looked at magiciso and I'll now check out the others.

FIRST I would really like to know what is the difference between my computer's dvd player/burner in player mode and the same instrument in 'ripper mode' that makes it able to play all these old dvd's but makes the 'ripper' software unable to rip??

That's the hub of the matter to my mind. What is going on there?

Even if I never, ever get any success copying these old dvd's I'd be a lot happier if I knew why it is that I can play them but the copiers can't copy them.

I just had a thought - maybe I should turn to streaming video copying software. Approach the problem from that end.

I'll keep the thread informed.

regards,

ab