Tips: Using +Extract to copy to DVD

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Tips: Using +Extract to copy to DVD

Postby pcbbc » Tue Dec 18, 2007 8:26 pm

This is a brief tutorial of how to make DVDs of recordings from your Sky box.
Please note: This is ONLY possible for Free to Air recordings (those from channels that are viewable without your Sky card). Do NOT ask about any other recordings, it simply isn't possible.
Also, it is a lot easier, and far more flexible, to buy a standalone DVD recorder - But some people just like the challenge!


Use +Extract by Neildo to get the recordings off your Sky+ box. This requires that you remove the drive and physically connect it to your PC. No, the USB ports on the Sky box do NOT work!

Next you need to get hold of ProjectX. It's a Java application, but here's a link to a Windows installer that does all the hard work installing the JVM and software for you. ;)
Alternatively, if you know what you are doing with Java, the open source project can be found here - but personally I use the installer!

Basic instructions for Project X (It's a while since I used it):
1. Open the STR file using project X (File, Add).
2. Select the region you are interested in if required - you can crop start and end and ad breaks this way. (Use the |< << <<< >>> >> >| buttons to move through the clip and the + - buttons to insert cut points).
3. Click on prepare button to process the file
4. The "Action" radio button will allow you to select:
demux - creates separate audio (MP2) and video (M2V) files which can be input into something like DVDAuthorGUI. Here's the Windows installer.
m2p - creates what you and I know as an MPEG2 (If you have DVD software installed on your PC you will be able to play this directly in MediaPlayer or your Windows DVD player software).
5. Click the PLAY button and it will process the recording to your chosen format.
6. I forget if DVDAuthoutGUI will actually burn DVD's from the ISOs it creates - If you don't have Nero or something that will do this, download BurnCDCC.

You can also do all kinds of clever stuff, like extracting the teletext subtitles and creating DVD subtitles, adding commentaries and special features. It's a lot of work though!

If you really want to get into DVD editing, then I'd suggest a professional tool set, like Adobe Premiere Elements. My friend has it and it's very good.

And please remember to drop Neil a line and say thanks for his hard work on +Extract. :D
Neil's forum is here if you'd like to ask him a question on his software.
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