How to copy an unencrypted DVD?

[tigers]

Just got a new G5 and I'm loving it, however, I'm having a bit of a problem trying to figure out how to copy an unencrypted DVD-Video.

I thought I could just copy the Video_TS folders and Audio_TS folders to my hard drive, then burn them back to a new DVD-R, but once I do this, my DVD Player (the one attached to my TV) won't recognize the disc.

I know my DVD player will play recordable DVD's so I don't think that's the problem. I think the problem is the way I've burned the disk. I just used the built in burn tools in Finder to do the burning.

Is this an area where I'm going to need to purchase Toast if I want to do this? Or is there something I've just done wrong? I know in Windows you have to "close" the CD (not sure of the exact term there) in Nero, but I couldn't find an equivalent command in Finder.

Thanks for any help you guys can provide.

[jsw]

Toast will definitely work. I don't think you can cobble together free tools for doing it - you can burn it, but, as you found, it won't play.

[munkle]

To extract the DVD use something like Mac the Ripper (http://www.wormintheapple.gr/macdvd/mtr.html) or DVD Backup (http://www.wormintheapple.gr/macdvd/DVDbackup.html).

To burn the DVD I use Toast but I think you should still be able to burn discs that can be read in commercial DVD players through the Finder, iMovie and iDVD suggests that this shouldn't a problem.

[eaalthof]

If it is unencrypted copy the Video_TS folder to your hard drive, use DVD Imager (Freeware on Versiontracker) to make a DVD image of the Video_TS folder. Next use Disk Utility to Burn the image to a DVD.

This has always worked for me.
In theory, you should be able to use Disk Utility to make a Master disk image and then burn it. But I have had much less success with this method.

[jsw]

To extract the DVD use something like Mac the Ripper (http://www.wormintheapple.gr/macdvd/mtr.html) or DVD Backup (http://www.wormintheapple.gr/macdvd/DVDbackup.html).

To burn the DVD I use Toast but I think you should still be able to burn discs that can be read in commercial DVD players through the Finder, iMovie and iDVD suggests that this shouldn't a problem.
iDVD burns them - meaning ones you've composed yourself, not copies of images on your drive, but Disk Utility won't - it'll burn a disk, but it won't be playable. I have numerous coasters as a result of trying. They look the same on the Mac, but not, apparently, to the DVD players.

[Le Big Mac]

In theory, you should be able to use Disk Utility to make a Master disk image and then burn it. But I have had much less success with this method.

I have had no problem using Disk Utility to do this. Apple, IIRC, has instructions in the knowledgebase.

One caveat, though: I have done this only with DVDs I originally mastered using iDVD (iMovie, etc., stuff). I have no idea if it works with a 3d party DVD.