Help! Laserdisc to hard drive!

[Chip Gelmini]

OK so part one is complete: Dubbed off laserdisc to a DVD recorder with simple limited connection. Played back the DVD and confirmed this job is OK.

Now I am stuck on the next part:

Using Windows 10 on a Dell desktop.

DVD in drive.

Wondershare DVD ripper can not find the data.

Windows 10 file explorer directory shows desktop data only. NO DVD data.

What is my next step?

The goal is to rip to hard drive then edit in to my other trailer dvds which I run as opening program reels. aka TRAILER REELS.

[Nantawat Kittiwarakul]

Assuming the disc had been properly burned & finalized, and perfectly playable on normal standalone DVD player.

Had you tried any other DVD rip program? There are literally tons of these throughout the internet but a few that popped up in my mind for now are HandBrake, FormatFactory and Any Video Converter, to name a few.

[Chip Gelmini]

Thanks Nantawat you nailed it

I had forgotten about finalizing the data. I mention playing back and confirming the DVD status but that was also with the same DVD player that recorded the information so naturally it would play back in that one

as soon as I tried that DVD in another player that is when I had more of an idea of what the problem was and I have since corrected it I do have to try it tomorrow in the computer and will know for certain at that time

Thank you very much your information helped tremendously through this brain fart

[Chip Gelmini]

Tuesday Feb 2

I can confirm that everything is now good and working as expected!

[Nantawat Kittiwarakul]

Congrats on that!

The DVD recorder would be great for archiving analog content to digital format - if we still use DVD as the main medium.
Currently when archiving I'd go straight into my PC and work from there instead. My DVD recorder would only be used for time-shifting the tv program, which I infrequently used anyway.😟

[Ken Finch]

I have transferred a lot of cine film and analogue video to DVD but not tried Laserdiscs. I thought that they would be copyright protected! Unfortunately it appears DVD recorder are no longer being made and many PCs no longer have them built in. It is planned obsolescence. How much longer will we be able to replace our DVD players? Such is the "throw away " society we are all forced to use and how much of it is recyclable. What a waste. Ken Finch.

[Chip Gelmini]

Ken

As far as I know, Laserdisc could NOT be copy-protected. Perhaps you are thinking of Macrovision which was known to be put on VCR rental movies. I also think because LD did not have copyprotection - that was the reason among others that took DVD so long to appear in stores. Hollywood and studios were trying to come up with the proper disc format that could have been protected but they never did.

I could be wrong about this. Would be interesting to read what others know about it.

Now, I had a few kinks to work out trying all of this over the past week.

Basically, the dubbing from LD to DVD was straight forward. Simple and easy.
As I found out, the disc had to be finalized so it was compatible in other player drives. Once this was done, the next step could be done:

Now the DVD is in the computer drive and I'm about to RIP it.
This was straight forward and simple using software commands.
However, my chosen software (Wondershare licensed copy) had a problem with sound sync. It was way off. I couldn't figure it out.
Based on Mantawats advice, I tried freeware HANDSHAKE and whatever it did it did correct the sound sync.

The final step was on the computer running Windows 10 and the recent released Moviemaker Free for Win 10.
I edited each segment from various original laserdiscs and saved them as .WMV files on the hard drive.

So that is where I am right now.

The next step in coming days I will be picking these shorts and making my actual trailer reel DVD to put through the Panasonic projector on to my big screen.

I'll report back soon. This thread has become most interesting!

Thanks to all who have been commenting.

CG

[Nantawat Kittiwarakul]

Speaking about Macrovision/copy protection, that just reminded me one little dirty secret I accidently discovered a while back ago...


I almost always capture analog media straight to PC. The most convenient hardware for this workflow is a cheap miniDV camera - many of them does have av->dv function. This will convert any analog input signal into DV stream and feed into the PC via firewire connection.

While most DVD recorder will look for any Macrovision/copy protection in input signal and will refuse to record if found, most of that miniDV camcorder will simply ignore that and keep going. So yes you can digitize anything via that - literally. Tried that on some DVD with toughest copy-protect (failed to rip it with every single DVD-rip program I tried). Done it the brute force way - capturing analog (S-video) output from the DVD player. It works without a glitch, from the start right to the end.

I do not support pirating, but if you want to backup your DVD/VHS collection and all else process failed...

[Brian Fretwell]

I believe Macrovision protected VHS tapes could be copied to Beta format easily due to the difference in the Automatic Gain Control circuits so copying to miniDV seems to be possible due to the same reason.

[Ken Finch]

I discovered that the Editor I used to edit my analogue tapes, a Panasonic WJ-AVE5 also defeats Macrovision !!! My Sony mini DV cameras have analogue output sockets but not input. I use Nero start smart essentials on my PC to copy DVDs. Ken Finch.

[Chip Gelmini]

On the subject of piracy it is no big deal because what we do at home is our own business as long as it stays in our home it's not like we're making 1000 copies and selling them or sharing them with friends if it stays in your home why should it matter what kind of media you convert something else to

Look at all the data on YouTube that has been copied and posted has anyone ever gotten arrested and fined and sent to prison for that I really never heard of such a thing although some music can be taken down if the original author does in fact submit a protest

[Chip Gelmini]

Update on my dubbing from LD.

Today I made one of my regular trailer DVD discs. I inserted some of the laser dubs that were ripped and converted to .WMV files.

Upon quick testing with a SD DVD player all appears to be in good form.

Therefore; mission accomplished!

[Lee Mannering]

Before my most loved Laserdiscs left the building I put them to dual layer dvd for posterity to as it were live the moment once more which we still watch.
Likewise I've started archiving them to hard drive/ usb pen drive as backup.
Have 2K scans of some special films which I'm editing with complimentary old ld material and it makes for a nostalgic watch in the privacy of our home screen.

I fed a S cable to recorder to max on picture quality by the way.

Nice read Chip

[Chip Gelmini]

I made a 2nd DVD from LD over the weekend and this time it flowed much better having learned a few things about it on the first time around

After everything was on the hard drive I managed to program about 90 minutes of animated shorts that are geared towards Adults only.

Tonight I screened it for the first time and it was very good.

There is much to learn about it so if you are going to try it you will need patience and discipline. Keep control and you can enjoy a cracking good movie that you assembled all yourself but very different than with reel to reel film.

I will list titles of certain films that made me laugh however I won't even describe them so therefore it will be up to you to search and view on the web as I said ADULTS ONLY as well as keeping in-line with forum posting rules:

THE FOUR WISHES *

THE CAT CAME BACK

COMPLETE WORKS OF BILL PLYMPTON

LUPO THE BUTCHER *

WEST MELODY *

DOG BRAIN

Finally thank you very much to those who have commented as it has been very interesting and helpful

it also brought back memories of dubbing audio CDs to cassettes as well as laser disks to VCR tape the few times I did it.

* very graphic

CG