Hi there

I've read numerous posts regarding AnyDVD used in conjunction with CloneDVD2 and have downloaded trial versions of both programs. In order for these programs to work at their best should you have a seperate DVD reader as well as a writer.
At present I have a Pioneer 108 and a LiteOn CDRW.

Many thanks for your reply.

Cheers

In order for these programs to work at their best should you have a seperate DVD reader as well as a writer ?
no

As G)-(osters said, no. I agree with him. I firmly believe it is safer to write the files to your hard drive first, rather than burning on the fly.

To avoid any problems go to the Pioneer site and download the latest firmware for your 108 drive. The site should expalin how to do it if upgrade if needed.

Also, make sure you have sufficient hard drive space to accomodate the DVD's contents. I have 3 hard drives in my computer and 1 external connected by USB2.
I never copy my movies to my main drive because I do an image backup of my system weekly, sometimes sooner, if any software was added or removed. If I left the movies on the drive it would take a very long time to backup. I usually delete the movies after a short time when I'm assured the copies are working properly. That is always when using AnyDVD and CloneDVD together. The programs are so reliable that recently I've just deleted, after the burn. If you want to make a copy of a copy, it can do that too, just don't enable AnyDVD when doing so since the copy protection has already been removed.

Just keep the two softwares updated and you should be very pleased with the results.
Copy protection is changing recently so you must keep the software updated as not to experience any problems. Two recent movies that had problems were Resident Evil 2 Apocolypse and The Little Black Book. AnyDVD's most recent version 4.4.1.1addressed that problem.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy your new found hobby.

Thank you for the replies.

This is indeed new territory for me so any advice is very much appreciated. I haven't done much DVD writing with my new unit yet, but I made sure (after reading numerous posts) I purchased the "best" media so I'm using Taiyo Yuden -R 4X.

Seeing I've not had any problems yet (touch wood) is it still advisable to update the firmware? Got to admit I'm a bit wary..

Also just out of curiosity, apart from AnyDVD and Clone DVD2 what other software do people use. Simplicity, ease of use and good success obviously important?

Cheers

If it works without problems and you feel uncomfortable updating the firmware then don't do it. The firmware upgrades are usually correcting any bugs that may have existed in prior versions, as well as adding new compatible media recognition to the drive.
Before doing any firmware upgrades do some reading and follow the instructions closely or you can possibly damage your burner by replacing with the wrong firmware.
Here is a link to get you started regarding Pioneer Firmware, as a beginner, I would concentrate on using the Pioneer Official Download Site rather than any other hacking software links available.
http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=87417

Two very popular ones are, DVDDecrypter and DVD Shrink, both are free programs but in my humble opinion, not as easy as CloneDVD.

I have tried them all and my favorite is still CloneDVD and AnyDVD, you must use AnyDVD to remove the copy protection. The two programs offer me consistency, and simplicity.

One more thing if I may suggest, I would advise you to disable any antivirus software and screensavers you may have running while burning, never hurts to be overly cautious.

If you have any questions regarding the firmware just post on the link I provided and I’m confident you will receive the help you seek.

Hi again

A very quick question regarding Default Region settings in AnyDVD and my writer. I didn't manually set the Region in the writer but noticed after playing a DVD that it had "automatically" set itself to Region 1.. I'm in Australia and I figure that's Region 4.
Should I set the default region in AnyDVD to Region 4 or leave it where it's set at 1.
All this Region stuff is a bit of a mystery to a complete beginner like myself, but I'm sure I'll get a handle on it!

Nero Info Tool displays that there are 4 changes left. Also out of complete curiosity, what if anything can you do if all your changes are up?
Cheers

epoxpro

Check Your PM for response.

Hi there

My thanks to itzbinnice for his help. Also to the forums run by Club CD Freaks as a learning tool to get beginners like myself started.
Much appreciated.
Cheers

well post ethe answers here, so others can learn lol