I am a newbie to this site, and a relative newbie to video making. I use Studio 8 on an Advent PC running Windows XP with SP2. I have an 80GB drive and 512MB RAM.

I mostly make short videos - 15 mins or so - of the home movie type, grandchildren and the like. I used to transfer these back to my camcorder (Sony IP7) and then onto VHS tape - adding them to each other. I have recently bought a DVD writer and I have been trying to put more than one of these movies onto a DVD (it seems a waste to use a new DVD each time) but with no success. I have tried DVD+R, DVD+RW and DVD-RAM. I have been told that it is not possible - but my experience is that when someone says this sort of thing, there is usually someone else who knows of a work-round!

Can anyone give me some advice - or even confirm what I have been told! Thanks

I put more than one 'movie' on my DVDs all the time. The DVD stabndard certainly allows it otherwise how do you think you can select different options to play different clips/movies on teh DVD you buy.

If you are having trouble then it is clearly a deficiency in the s/w you are using to master your DVDs.

I'm not familiar with the s.w you quote. Is it a non-linear editor or is it DVD authoring. I suspect it is where you edit your videos and has some sort of 'export to DVD' option which you are using.

I use Adobe Encore. this s/w allows me to create many different timelines. When I create a DVD menu I can link each timeline to play from a different button press. It's that easy. I'm not saying this to endorse Encore (although it would gladly do so) but simply to indicate the easy workflow to achieve what you desire.

So then, how are you creating your DVDs. Maybe it;s time to spend a little more money on soem DVD authoring s.w if you are using a 'build DVD' option from your NLE.

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I'm not young enough to know everything!

davidp, I am pretty familiar with Pinnacle Studio.
Whoever told you that you cannot add multiple projects to a single disc was right, in respect to that software.
But where there is will, there is a way so here's my answer to this:
author your projects with Pinnacle Studio, as you usually do, but instead of using the built-it disc authoring tool, produce the project as an image onto the hard drive (in the Advanced options dialog select Create disc content but don't burn). After it's done, burn it to a DVD and leave it open-session. Next time your produce something, follow the same procedure... and so on, until the disc is full. Then, and only then, should you buy another blank DVD . Cheap isn't it?

Thanks very much for those two replies. I will give your suggestion a try first svhs. If I have trouble perhaps I can come back to you.

You're welcome, I hope it solves your problem.

Sadly, svhs, that doesn't seem to work for me. I have tried burning using Nero Express, but the option to create a multi-session disc is greyed out when I select the video burning process (though not when burning data files). I have also tried CyberLink Power Producer 2 Gold, but with that one I am not given the option to create a multisession disc, and the disc it produces cannot be added to - it tells me that "this disc is not editable".

I have used these two programmes simply because they came with the DVD burner.

Can I just copy the video files (say with Windows XP), or does that not work either?

You can obviously copy those files to DVD using the built-in disc burning feature of XP... but something is wrong here... it's supposed to work! Give it a try with WinOnCD if you can find it...

I haven't managed to find WinOnCD yet, but having enquired of Nero I am told by their support team that it is not possible (at least with nero) to burn video and leave the DVD open session "because stand alone DVD players may not be able to play the result". Doesn't sound much of an excuse to me.

Presumably you use WinOnCD, but do you know of any other burning software which would do the trick?

There's a software developed by Pinnacle, Instant CD/DVD Copy, I think it has a trial/demo version... maybe it gets along better with Studio.

Svhs. I could not find WinonCD, but I have now bought and installed Roxio MyDVD - and it works a treat! Does exactly what I want - and I am very grateful for your help. Many thanks.

David