Urgent please - help trying to diagnose an issue?

Question

Hi folks,
I've been burning DVDs for 7 years now and I've run into an issue I can't quite diagnose (and one I've NEVER experienced).
In short, I've had 4 clients in the last month come back because their discs were skipping at alternate points.
I'll describe what I use and what's happening.
I transfer video tapes (VHS, camcorder etc..) to DVD for clients - no issues there
I edit in FCP, export a .mov (non-self-contained) then take that file and use Bitvice to create the m2vs (sorry...I don't use compressor b/c it's terrible at
using all 4 cores whereas BV does it automatically).
create my DVD build in DVD SP with the templates I created a long time ago
burn using Toast Titanium 10 - usually at full DVD 8x's speed.
I use Maxell DVD-Rs - the same brand I've used for years...no problems. Also I've used discs from different carousels over the last month so I don't think it's a bad batch of discs. These discs have been flawless for me.
For the last client, I made 3 box sets of 3 discs each. Only 1 box set - ALL 3 discs, had skipping issues. The other 2 complete sets are fine. I have 2 burners in my 2009 Mac Pro.
I can't, for the life of me, figure out why discs are skipping. I've been verifying each burn in Toast with no apparent issues.
She's returning the skipping box set for me so I can somehow analyze what's going on.
At first, I thought maybe my bitrate was too high - max of 5.8 + the audio - so it should be fine) BUT, if my BR was the issue, why won't the other discs skip?
Maybe it's my burners? Maybe a sign of skipping discs is a DVD burner showing signs of a fail?
ANY help would be so grateful b/c it's the Christmas rush and I'm about to burn 12 discs x 2 for another client. The builds are ready, but I'm scared to start burning.
It's one thing to fix an issue for a client, but for a brand new client, it's far from professional to have skipping discs.
I'd buy new burners in a heartbeat if I knew they were the issue.
My process as been flawless in the past
Cheers,
Keebler

Answer 1

Hi Keebler - sorry to hear you're having probs.
There are lots of reasons why discs skip - bitrate is just one. Did you use AC3 audio? Are there any other files on the disc besides the VIDEO_TS folder?
When you get the discs back, check the surface very carefully, and try them in lots of different players too - you may find it is a player issue, not a disc issue. Remember, you are burning DVDs and for the most part they will work almost everywhere, but it is not 100% guaranteed. Only a DVD-Video disc, professionally replicated and produced is able to boast 100% compatibility with the spec... and even then there are some players where they don't work too well!
Have you added labels or anything like that (I sincerely hope not...)?
Did you leave 'Lossless Linking' checked when building? You should do so if you are not making a master for replication, but just making a file for Toast.
Have you tried burning from within DVDSP? Toast is very very good, but it does allow you to push the boundaries a little. For example, many times DVDSP has complained to me about disc capacity, but Toast never does. It'll let you burn just that little bit more, and this might be a problem in some players.
Did you leave the AUDIO_TS folder in place? Strictly speaking it isn't required but the DVD Spec says it ought to be there, and some players will check for it, I believe. It is always empty when making a video based DVD - it is there because audio DVDs are also part of the spec and would use this folder.
Are you certain your media is good? Have you tried any other brand?
Have you cleaned your burner recently? I don't think this will be the issue as it would probably fail to burn if it was dirty... but you never know!
FWIW I know Bitvice is very good, and often recommend it, but have you tried Compressor recently? I know it doesn't use all the cores, but it is much better than it used to be. You should have a look at the latest version.
Finally, have you spoken to the guys at Bitvice? It is unusual for there to be a problem, but if there is an issue with encoding they will know how to fix it and are able to give you the best advice. You might find a call to them saves you time and effort and keeps you sane! Roger Andersson is very knowledgeable and I find him great at supporting his product.