Which to burn: .BIN or .MDS file?

[FalvinP]

I’m working on a project to duplicate 42 dvds for my sister. She transferred her family home movies from vhs tape to the dvds. I don’t know how she did it.

 

Since ImgBurn can't copy discs directly, I needed to create an iso image from the disk and then make three copies of the iso file.

 

I’m not always able to make an iso file of the disk. When I go to create the file, an error message appears that says in part:

 

“ISO is not an appropriate container format for the current disc and regardless of what you select for the file extension, I will not create a true (MODEL1/2048) ISO image!

 

The file will be created with a ‘.bin’ extension instead.”

 

I just checked something. My sister used two types of discs…. dvd-r and dvd+rw. As far as I can tell, an iso file can be created with the dvd+rw discs, but not the dvd-r discs.

 

After the file creation, when I look at the files list there are two files listed with the name I assigned to it. The first one is a bin file with no icon for it and the other file is an mds file that has an icon.

 

Which file should I click on to burn the copies, bin or mds? I initially chose the mds format for the first few, but then I thought I’d better get some advice. The discs play on my computer and in an older dvd player hooked to an old tv. I’m using verbatim dvd-r discs for the burn.

 

Thank you for your help.

[dbminter]

It is most likely the fault of the process used to copy the home videos to DVD. My Panasonic stand alone DVD recorder I use to copy tapes and TV to DVD does the same thing. It only creates BIN files from the discs.

 

 

What you can do is use ImgBurn's Build mode and drag and drop the VIDEO_TS folder from these discs into a build job. Then, create the disc which will be a standard playing DVD in an ISO/MDS format. If there are any files in the disc root directory or any other folders, be sure to drag and drop them, too, to be safe.

 

 

If the disc is not a DVD video disc, you can do the same steps above, dragging and dropping all the files and folders into a build job and then create it.

[ianymaty]

As far as I know all DVD recorders make multisession DVD's that's why it can't go to ISO.

 

If you want ISO do as dbminter recommend.

[FalvinP]

Thank you for your reply. Are you saying that what I've done so far will not work, namely, burning a disc from the mds file?

As I said before, they appear to work on both my computer and in an older dvd player. You said that using the build mode would create a "standard playing DVD in an ISO/MDS format." Haven't I already created the mds format?

 

Both types of discs (dvd+rw and dvd-r) both have only two folders in the disc's root directory...... Video_RM and Video_TS. I'm sure I'll have little problem using the build mode if I have to.

 

Also, like I said I can create an iso file from the dvd+rw discs, but not the dvd-r discs. You said your machine created bin files for (what I implied from your post) all discs. Any clue why this would be?

 

I'm new to using Imgburn. Thank you for your help.

 

In previewing my post, I just noticed a further reply. As far as I can tell, the dvd+rw would be multi session discs and the dvd-r, by their non-rewritable nature, would be single session only. My question still stands..... Will what I've done so far work? I can easily use the build mode from now on.

 

Again, thank you both for your kind responses.

[dbminter]

If you're getting files in ISO/MDS format, then, I don't see what the problem is. I thought you were getting BIN/CUE files out of trying to read the discs to file format.

 

 

As for all stand alone recorders recording in multisession format, that may be true now. But, the oldest Panasonic I had apparently didn't do that as I never came across a BIN/CUE read until I tried reading them.

[LIGHTNING UK!]

Could you do me a favour and copy + paste all the disc info from the panel on the right when in Read mode with a problem DVD in the drive?

 

*and by 'problem' I mean one that defaults to saving as a BIN file.

 

The more the merrier (if you want to post another one too db )

[FalvinP]

Thanks again for the reply. As per my original post, when I can't get an ISO file, the program creates two files, a BIN file and an MDS file. I'm burning three copies each, using the mds file.

 

Sorry if I don't know enough to ask the right questions. From what I gather from your post, ISO and MDS files are interchangeable as far as burning to a disc is concerned. So my question still stands.... should I continue to burn discs uning the mds file when the program won't let me create an ISO file? I don't care if I use the ISO file format as long as the disc copy is successful.

 

Thanks again.

[FalvinP]

I just saw the newest reply.

 

Here is the right column from the disc info. I had to clear the error message before I could copy the info.

 

 

LITE-ON DVDRW LH-20A1L BL05 (ATA)

Current Profile: DVD-R

 

Disc Information:

Status: Complete

State of Last Session: Complete

Erasable: No

Sessions: 1

Sectors: 2,284,368

Size: 4,678,385,664 bytes

Time: 507:40:18 (MM:SS:FF)

 

Thanks again.

 

TOC Information:

Session 1... (LBA: 0)

-> Track 01 (Mode 1, LBA: 0 - 2284367)

-> LeadOut (LBA: 2284368)

 

Track Information:

Session 1...

-> Track 01 (LTSA: 0, LTS: 15872, LRA: 15871)

-> Track 02 (LTSA: 15888, LTS: 2268448, LRA: 2284335)

-> Track 03 (LTSA: 2284352, LTS: 16, LRA: 2284367)

 

Pre-recorded Information:

Manufacturer ID: RITEKF1

 

Recording Management Area Information:

FUNAI L6396025389BOK+- DVD-RW DD-DRA

 

Physical Format Information (Last Recorded):

Disc ID: 0@P-!-00

Book Type: DVD-R

Part Version: 5

Disc Size: 120mm

Maximum Read Rate: Not Specified

Number of Layers: 1

Track Path: Parallel Track Path (PTP)

Linear Density: 0.267 um/bit

Track Density: 0.74 um/track

First Physical Sector of Data Area: 196,608

Last Physical Sector of Data Area: 2,480,975

Last Physical Sector in Layer 0: 0

[dbminter]

Sorry, I caused a bit of confusion there. I had forgotten MDS files were created for BIN files, too. I always thought those type of discs made BIN/CUE files instead of ISO/MDS.

 

 

Near as I can remember, even if you opened the MDS file for burning, the BIN file won't burn properly. I can't say this for sure though, as I can't remember ever actually trying to burn one to a rewritable disc and see. My memory SAYS I did that and the resulting disc didn't play properly. But, I can't be sure.

[LIGHTNING UK!]

Ah yes, that's it... you end up with multiple tracks on the disc.

 

I'd always use Build mode to take a copy of discs like that. You'll end up with a cleaner copy.

[FalvinP]

Thanks for the reply dbminter. I don't know where the idea that I'm using rewritable discs comes from. In my first post I said that I was using dvd-r discs for the project, although you may have missed it (second to last sentence of the post.) Several discs that I'm coppying are dvd+rw, from which I can make an ISO file. It's the dvd-r discs from which I have to create the BIN and MDS file. Unless I'm mistaken, your reply, in the second paragraph, intimated that I was using a rewritable disc for the burns. Does this make any difference?

 

Thanks again.

[dbminter]

No, I never meant to imply anything that you were using rewritable discs. I had said I thought I had tried writing a BIN file to a rewritable disc. That's what I meant.

 

 

The type of disc you're reading from has on bearing on what file type the disc is read to, as far as I know. Only the contents on that disc would matter because it would depend on what created that disc. If a stand alone DVD recorder made it, it may have that Video_RM folder you mentioned. Because I can't think of anything that would create a Video_RM folder. If that's the case, that is most likely is what is causing a BIN file to be read instead of an ISO.

 

 

If you discover during a read it's reading multiple tracks and you know it's a DVD video disc that plays in a standard DVD player, stop reading the disc and use the Build mode steps I mentioned earlier to drag and drop the VIDEO_TS and any other folders and files to a Build job and create then burn that created image.

[FalvinP]

I just texted my sister and she said that the dvds were made with a stand alone vhs/dvd machine that has dubbing capabilities.

 

How can I tell if multiple tracks are being read during a read? I imagine it shows up somehow in the log window.

 

Thanks

[dbminter]

It will show in the log window something like Reading Track 01 of X, if memory serves me correctly. If it's reading any tracks off of a DVD video disc, it will read it to a BIN file.