DVD Imager



by Laine D. Lee
Requires Mac OS X 10.2 or higher.


Description

DVD Imager is a user friendly interface for creating Video DVD disk images that hides the complexities of Jörg Schilling's mkisofs tool.

IMPORTANT: DVD Imager doesn't have the ability to defeat commercial DVD video copy protection methods, so it can't be used to copy commercial DVDs.

After creating the disk image, you use either Disk Copy or Disk Utility to burn the disk image to a DVD-R or DVD-RW to create a Video DVD that you can give away. You can also copy the disk image to another computer (even a PC) to burn the disk image.

DVD Imager can create a Video DVD disk image using one of these two methods:
   1. a VIDEO_TS folder (created using iDVD, copied from an iDVD created Video DVD, etc)
   2. the contents of DVD including the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS, and additional files and folders (created using iDVD, a Video DVD created using iDVD, etc)

Step by step instructions for using DVD Imager
1. Use iDVD or some other Video DVD tool to create
    A.) a VIDEO_TS folder with muxed video and audio encoded in MPEG2, or
    B.)a folder with VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders and additional files and folders.
2. Launch DVD Imager
3. If you chose option A, be sure that VIDEO_TS folder mode is selected. If you chose option B, be sure that Disk Copy Mode is selected.
4. Drag the VIDEO_TS folder onto either the DVD Imager Dock icon or the DVD Imager window. If you chose Disk Copy Mode (option B), DVD Imager will use the AUDIO_TS folder and additional files and folders found in the same location (folder) as the VIDEO_TS folder.
5. Click "Create Image"..
6. Specify the location where you want the disk image to be placed (if this is the first time you've created a disk image with DVD Imager, or if a checkmark appears in "Prompt for New Location").
7. Enter the name of the DVD using only capital letters and underscores. This is the name that computer users will see when they insert your Video DVD into their computer
8. Wait.

You can now review the Video DVD disk image by using the Finder to mount the .iso image (double click) and DVD Player to play the DVD by specifying the location of the VIDEO_TS folder in the mounted image. You can also burn the image to a blank DVD disk:

Tiger & Panther - Choose "Burn..." from Disk Utility's Images menu, navigate to and select your disk image file.

Jaguar - Choose "Burn Image..." from Disk Copy's File menu, navigate to and select your disk image file.


Details

DVD Imager uses links to create a folder in /private/tmp for mkisofs to operate on
DVD Imager writes the log from mkisofs to /tmp/dvdimagerlog
DVD Imager executes the following command:
mkisofs -f -dvd-video -udf -log-file /tmp/dvdimagerlog -V Volume_Name -o Volume_Name.img templink
Where "Volume_Name" is the name you enter in step 5 above.

DVD Imager 1.6 for Mac OS 10.2 - 10.5

Version 1.6 release notes

Compatibility with Leopard (Mac OS X 10.5) added.

Version 1.5.9 release notes

Imaging engine updated to latest available version.

Version 1.5.7 - 1.5.8 release notes

French localization restored thanks to Miguel Saro.

Version 1.5.6 release notes

Interface problems fixed for OS X 10.2. French version interface deprecated to eliminate error -1728 when running from an account named "admin".

Version 1.5.5 release notes

The mkisofs executable is now a universal binary version. Due to compatibility issues, it is now version 2.01 (8.2.0). The DVD Imager application is now also a Universal Binary version.

Version 1.5.4 release notes

The mkisofs executable has been upgraded to version 2.01 (powerpc-apple-macosx8.3.0) for better compatibility.
This program runs in English and French

Version 1.5.3 release notes

1. A compatibility issue with Mac OS X 10.4.3 (Tiger) has been addressed.

Version 1.5.2 release notes

1. A compatibility issue with Mac OS X Jaguar (10.2.x) has been fixed.
2. A quit menu item has been added.

Version 1.5 release notes

The edit menu has been added to make it possible to copy and paste text when specifying a name for your DVD image.
A help menu has been added.
Documentation has been expanded (thanks to Jason Harrison).

Version 1.4 release notes

DVD Imager 1.4 includes a fix for a problem with communication between the engine and the interface that could cause DVD Imager to repeatedly build the disk image, replacing it and starting again, without ever finishing the job.

Version 1.3 features:

Mac OS 10.4 (Tiger) compatibility.

New option for including DVD-ROM contents.
Now DVD Imager can copy the entire contents of a DVD. Select Disk Copy mode and drag your VIDEO_TS folder and DVD Imager will create a DVD from the dropped folder as well as everything in the folder containing the dropped folder. Alternatively, select VIDEO_TS Folder mode and DVD Imager will create a properly formatted DVD video disk image from the dropped VIDEO_TS folder.

If you click "Cancel" during the process or quit at any time, you are now prompted to confirm before DVD Imager quits.

Version 1.2 features:

A progress bar, a cancel option, an overwrite warning, and fixes a problem introduced in version 1.1 that allowed you to click the create button again before your image was finished.

DVD Imager is freeware.

Enjoy!
Laine Lee
E-Mail: [email protected]

The Applescript page at the Mac Shack.