Request: How to Guide re: Installing DVD-Writer

Please can someone detail how to install a DVD-RW / CD-RW device to say an Aspire One 352 running Windows 7 incl. the various extra s/w required for playing DVDs etc. Many thanks.

 

1. Purchase your choice of external, USB, optical drive. I'd suggest a DVD-R/W as they are the most common format
2. Plug it into your system and wait for your Operating System (Windows) to install the hardware, assign a drive letter and initialis the drive. It shoud now appear in My Computer as either a "Device With Removeable Storage" or a standard CD/DVD drive
3. Download and install the K-Lite Mega CoDec Pack from here
3.1 When installing READ THE PROMPTS and use logic to decide which features you want. My preference is usually to choose "Lots of Stuff Without Player" (which will enable playback and encode all the formats the codec pack supports, but not install anything extra)
3.2 You can also choose to make WMP the default player for all formats if you wish, as well as making it possible for Windows to generate thumbnails for all the different types, as opposed to just showing a standard file icon
4. Enjoy

 

Thank you. The link to the codecs goes here:

http://www.free-codecs.com/download/K_L ... c_Pack.htm

Unfortunately there 's an ad. with a prominant download button for AVS Video Converter on the right - this is NOT the codec package, it is an expensive conversion application. The codec package is at: Download K-Lite Mega Codec <http://www.free-codecs.com/K_Lite_Mega_Codec_Pack_download.htm> The exe file is 18Mb - good for downloading for free at Pret or McD's.

 

OK - I suppose I should have also requested a How to... on the use of a DVD / CD writer.

Plug and play my new one certainly does not. Plugged in it assigns drive E: on the Acer Aspire One 532. (D: is allocated to my Three mifi dongle.) And it does require third party s/w ...

Anyway I have tried to burn a DVD - and its horrendously complicated.

I have decided not to install Nero Essentials (Trial or otherwise) - the full blown version is far too expensive. And reading reviews there are too many reported failures that turn viable disks into coasters. So I downloaded and installed imgBurn instead. But that too is fraught with complexity. I have avi files that I have to turn to iso files. This is the first third party s/w that I have had to install. Then I have to reformat the iso files to vob files into a manualy-created \Video_TS folder - that's the second third party app. Then I have to use imgBurn - the third third party app. - to actually burn the dvd. And so far all attempts have added to my growing stack of non-playing coasters.

So it is certainly not true to state that no third party s/w is required to use the write function of the device. Reading may only require a few codecs, but writing requires third party s/w and it comes at a price in financial terms and well as wasted time. Not good.

BTW I use InterVideo on my laptop and this imports an avi file with a few clicks, then burns a dvd-r disk with a few more clicks. Simple.

 

Also be aware that there are 32-bit versions and 64-bit versions of the codecs.

See http://www.codecguide.com/

I guess that it is important that the correct versions are installed.

 

Actually, this is the codec pack page. When you click the initial link, it takes you here http://www.free-codecs.com/download/K_L ... c_Pack.htm then click the big bold words that say "Download K-Lite Mega CoDec", which takes you here http://www.free-codecs.com/K_Lite_Mega_ ... wnload.htm you then choose a mirror, as not all the mirrors have the latest components. This link is current for version 6.3.0 of the codec package http://www.free-codecs.com/download_sof ... =5897&s=42

Yeah if you want to make copies of commercial DVD movies then yes you probably should have been a bit more detailed as to what you want from your drive, you wanted installation instructions, you got 'em.

You're right, burning DVD's with Nero (at least video DVD's) is complicated, but unless you're willing to pay for decent software to make "backup" copies of your movies then it's not going to be simple at all. As for any other disks, I use UltraISO, but it's not free.

I use AnyDVD and CloneDVD by a company called SlySoft (http://www.slysoft.com), you can get free trials of these programs, but they only last 30 days, I have paid for versions which I use to quickly and easily create backups of my movies.

But if all you want to do is create AVI files, then it's simple, DVD Decrypter (google it) will still rip most movies out there, I haven't had any problems with it lately, but it's support has been dropped as of a few years ago, so no new versions are available. I then use the DivX converter to render the pre-ripped VOB files into DivX AVI's

If you already have the AVI's that you want to turn into DVD's, why not just use the Windows DVD Maker that ships with Windows 7? (not sure if it's in the starter edition) but you can get a very similar app from the Windows Live package which you can get standalone. Download it from here http://explore.live.com/windows-live-mo ... wsignin1.0 (not 100% sure if the Windows Live Movie Maker creates DVDs as I haven't created DVD's in a long time, My Wii is my media center and I run all my AVI's in it, I even rip new movies from DVD to AVI to pay back.

Yes there are 64 bit and 32 bit versions of CoDecs and CoDec packs, but either way, the K-Lite mega CoDec pack works 100% fine on both 64 bit and 32 bit OS's, I have both and have been using K-Lite for years.

 

No I don't want to copy commercial DVDs; but I DO want to create home movie DVDs from edited AVI files with sync'd audio sound tracks.

 

Try the Windows Live Movie Maker, or Windows DVD Maker that comes with Windows 7, they're both free. Otherwise, if you have a copy of Nero Essentials, the program in that package that you'll need is Nero Vision, it's a good basic DVD creation suite where you can create your own DVD's from AVI's etc. Some types of MPEG files require purchasing a serial, but otherwise, from memory, it still works quite well. You can simply import a movie file from your computer, edit it if you want, create a DVD menu, then create the DVD. It's the only software Ive used for such purposes and never had a problem. Other people may have other solutions though.

 

Hi - thanks for your continuing help. Following my search for third party s/w to create a DVD of home movies, I now need a DVD maker. Unfortunately Windows DVD Maker does not come with Win 7 Starter - and it does not seem possible to download this from any site. It comes with higher spec. versions of Win 7. Windows Movie Maker (which comes with Win 7 Starter on my AAO 532) will edit an avi file. imgBurn (free) will build an iso file from an avi file. It will also burn the files to disk. BUT I need be able to convert the iso file from imgBurn into a set of vob files etc. and create the various folders for a proper dvd. All the DVD Maker apps. seem to come at a price!!

 

I would say try Windows Live Movie Maker, but it requires Windows DVD Maker to be installed, so that's out of the question. Once again i suggest trying Nero Essentials, which comes with Nero Vision, which is used to edit movies and create DVD's, it's also free if you get it in the Nero Essentials pack.