#1 Burning Software

We downloaded latest version of StaBurn SDK and found various critical problems:

1) Although we choosed DVD-Video profile in our test application and in your VideoBurner.exe example, it seems that DVD disc doesn't has special flag that points that it's DVD-Video disc. I hear that DVD drive works with noise as with DVD-Data discs. Pure DVD-Video discs created in Nero 7, ProShow Gold, Ulead DVD MovieFactory play ideally quietly.

2) Erasing of DVD-/+RW discs works extremally slowely. Of course you offer full and quick methods. But even quick method works in 5 times more slower than in Nero 7.

3) Data of files in DVD-Video discs is 0. For example WinNavigator shows 1601 year

4) Can we adjust size of memory buffer for caching during recording. For example Nero 7 creates about 100 MB buffer in the memory.

5) We clear DVD-/+RW disc using StarBurn_CdvdBurnerGrabber_Blank function. How to determine after clearing (ERASE_TYPE_BLANK_DISC_FAST) that disc is clear now?
I check disc status:
case DiscInformation.m__UCHAR__DiscStatus of
DISC_STATUS_INCOMPLETE, DISC_STATUS_COMPLETE:
begin
// Need be cleared
end;
end;
But it still returns DISC_STATUS_INCOMPLETE even after clearing of a disc.

1) This is NOT DVD-Video flag. It's so-called BOOK TYPE. It allows single recorded media to report itself as DVD-ROM and not as DVD-R or DVD+R. We really don't change this flag and don't allow people to change it. Actually would not be a big problem to add this stuff. Nobody ever cared. You're the first one.

2) Nero does not re-format media. They only write small amount of data. We do initiate full reformat. That's why there's a difference. This is more a question of taste... I would not say either Nero or StarBurn does wrong. Just different approaches.

3) You mean "date" and not "data", right? It's for ISO9660 part only I think (nobody cares about it). Can you take f.e. IsoBuster and verify this stuff? Would appreciate this!

4) You cannot change buffer size during recording. You can pass amount of data would be used for cache during device object creation process.

5) No! +RW/-RAM/formatted -RW would be INCOMPLETE always. you need to GetTrackInformation( ...) for TRACK_NUMBER_INVISIBLE and if the disc is blank it would be zero (0 LBA). That's right way.

Thank you for the answers!

1) I really don't know enough about all internal flags of DVD discs. Please give us ability to create true DVD-Video discs. These discs always works in 1x speed mode in the drive ideally quietly. You can try how it works creating DVD-Video disc in Nero 7 and you'll hear what I means.

When we may expect appearing of this feature in your SDK? We would like to order StarBurn SDK. But this moment is critical for us.

When I created DVD-Video disc in Nero 7, Ulad DVD MF, ProShow Gold I get ideally quietly working disc. If I create DVD-Video disc with your SDK I gets disc working on full speed of DVD-ROM drive with high noise as all usual DVD-Data discs.

2) Yes, I understand, but the fact that Nero 7, ProShow Gold, or another DVD burning SDK clears RW discs in times faster. It's really necessary to realize fast erasing.

3) Sorry, I talked about date problem. I used your example (VideoBurner.exe) in I tried with my code, choosed DVD-Video profile, added VIDEO_TS folder, burned RW disc, and date of all files were 1970 year as FAR shows. Windows Explorer doesn't display date at all. I never seen such problem ever before.

4 and 5) OK, I've understood!

With best regards,

1) Hold on... Did you burn in single session or in multi session mode? Sample by default burns multisession disc to do it faster (no padding, faster lead-out burn etc). Most (if not all) of the burners do set book type automatically for single session discs.

Can you change TRUE to FALSE for IsNextSession allowed, rebuild and try again? And send us burning log. Thanks!



2) We would not re-work erase in any case... Too many things to change, do not want to re-test everything on all the drives. Too deep changes - too risky.

3) Not a big deal actually. Could be done in a day.

BTW, what kind of license type are you interested in?

1) Thanks, I'll try your advice IsNextSession on Monday! But it would be wonderful if you also could check for this situation. It consider this a key moment in creation of fully DVD-Video compatible disc.

2) I suppose it's also important to do it at least in the future. All known programs support really fast erasing.

We plan to buy 1 developer license (for shareware products), because only one our programmer work on DVD maker product for our software package.

p.s. Are you already support recording HD-DVD/Blue-Ray discs or it's a subject of future issues?

1) Since our created disc fully pass PHILIPS DVD-Video Verifier - I'm not scared we create non-compatible media. It's simply not true. Back to your rotation speed issue - I cannot reproduce this one here.

2) I can not guarantee this now. Already told WHY.

I think you understand your final product should be shareware as well, right?

I just checked I did exactly as you said - no multisessions.

It's a fact that recorded disc works not as pure DVD-Video discs, commercial movie discs or written in other programs (Nero 7, Ulead DVD MF, ProShow Gold, etc.).

Probably you can't reproduce this problem with noise because you have Nero DriveSpeed or your DVD-ROM drive also searchs for VIDEO_TS folder. I tried on other drivers and your disc worked quietly.

But on DVD-RW NEC 3520A recorded DVD-R discs work with not acceptable noise. So it seems that this DVD-ROM detects DVD-Video only when SPECIAL flag specified.

I believe that you as professional able to find reason of this problem with noise.

Unfortunately we can't order SDK while this problem not solved.

If be honest we tried another SDK and they also have two problems I've described - incorrect date and noisy work of recorded DVD-Video discs. But it means only that they didn't follow all standards. Although they erases discs very quickly.

Yes, our product is pure shareware.

If you did not recompile the sample DVDVideoTrackAtOnceFromTreeEx (did you use it?) it does burn multisession DVD by default. Doing faster lead-out write, no padding etc. I've kindly asked you to provide me with the burning log. Did you send it? I see nothing in the e-mail.

Book type is very easy to check. Run Nero, and force it in extended options (where you select drive you'll burn to) to set book type to DVD-ROM. This settings would be GLOBAL (not only for current application but even after it would be closed). BTW, can you use Nero to check RECORDED disc book type? Is it the same for StarBurn (others) and Nero-recorded media?

I've checked 3550 on a fresh machine - nothing from what you said.

Thanks!

I was not fully right concerning noise. I again tested with RW discs - createdin your SDK works noisly, recorded in Ulead/ProShow/Nero7 - quietly.
But recorded *DVD-R* dics in *any program* work equally noisly. So I presume that it's not your problem. Although commercial DVD movies always work quietly in PC DVD drive.

Please say me when you will fix bug with date of recorded files? It's only one unresolved problem at this moment.

I also would be grateful you if you could say me how to create DVD-Video disc with additionally recordered other files? Say EXE files, HTML pages. I know that pure DVD-Video shouldn't contain such files, but many latest commercial DVD movies contains HTML pages, autorun.inf. Also Ulead and ProShow gold allows to write user files.
Please recommend us how to better write such disc with your SDK.

Thanks in advance,

1) Again, you did not send any logs so I cannot tell with 100% possibility what you're doing... Could be multi- Vs. single-session issue only as RW media cannot have book type changed.

2) Already put it into schedule. Planned for next minor update.

3) Use manual DVD-Video tree creation (DVDVideoTrackAtOnceFromTree is a sample). And add files to whenever you want. However keep in mind - only VIDEO_TS content would be added to ISO9660 part of the bridge file system (UDF part would cover ALL off the content). You've already mentioned why - compatibility...

How soon this update will released? We going to buy your SDK if this bug will fixed.

Please drop me a message to info@rocketdivision.com and we'll talk about checking pre-release version. Thanks!