Question on copying from a mini dvd

[MarleneD]

Greetings,
I have been trying to burn video from more than one mini dvd (1.4gb) onto a regular larger DVD (4.6gb) and cannot do it.  I have a Dell 4700 Dimension, Windows XP and the DVD burning software is Sonic.  After successfully burning one mini dvd onto the larger dvd I try to add to the larger one from a second mini dvd but a box pops up asking if I would like to erase the current dvd.  How come I just can't add onto the larger dvd given that it still has space?   Is this a Dell issue? Or perhaps a DVD software issue?  Please help.
Thanks

[pcdoc4christ]

Marlene:

Good CD and DVD burning software gives you the option to finalize the disc (so you cannot burn any other files to it) or to not finalize the disc (so you can).

I'm not familiar with Sonic.  Check the documentation that came with the software.

Also, try coping the files from the mini-DVD to your My Documents folder and then burning the disc using those files, instead.

Doc

[MarleneD]

Actually, the finalization is done on the Camcorder itself and, I believe Sonic is part of the Nero family?
The software came with the computer (bought ~ May of 2005).
I will try to do the copying to My Documents folder and then burning from there.  I will not be able to do this until Frinday late afternoon or Saturday.
Thanks for the advice  

[Backdated]

Sonic is a Roxio product and not a very versatile one.
What exactly are you trying to do with these multiple files? Do you want to join them to form one video or burn them to DvD as different chapters?

Finalisation may be carried out on the cam but that's for the disks produced by the cam, not the one that you're trying to produce.

[MarleneD]

I'm just trying to fit all of the contents of 2 mini dvds (~1.4gb each) onto one bigger dvd (~4.8gb).  In other words, after successfully copying one mini dvd onto the larger one I just want to ADD onto the SAME larger dvd the contents of a second mini dvd.  My current DVD burner (Sonic) is just not allowing me to do this.  Instead, it asks if I want to erase the contents of the larger dvd in order to burn the current small dvd (second).  It won't just add to the larger dvd even though it has plenty of space.
Should I consider maybe upgrading my current burner?  Perhaps the upgraded version might have this function?  Or should I just get another burner software?  Which would be reccomended?
Thanks

[pcdoc4christ]

OK.  Let us know how it goes.

 

[Backdated]

I'm not sure of Sonics capabilities; I know it's limited but it should be OK in this regard.
Copy the contents of the mini disks to hard drive first. Make a folder on your desktop with as many sub folders as you have mini disks. Call them folder 1, folder 2 etc.
Copy the contents of mini disk 1 to folder 1. Copy mini disk 2 to folder 2 etc. Now have Sonic make a DvD out of the contents of those folders.

If you wish to make a DvD that is viewable on a home player, then we'll probably need to take a different approach.

If you're thinking of buying DvD burning software, have a look at [highlight]DvDSanta[/highlight].