Lightweight geek question: ISO format
 

I - ahem - came across a file in ISO format that I want to burn to a DVD.

I have DVD rendering software, but it doesn't know what to do with the file.

Do I just copy this file to DVD, or do I need to take an intermediate step to convert it to DVD format?

You'll need to find DVD burning software that handles ISOs.

I use Nero ...

Thanks. Follow-up:

So I don't just copy the file straight to a DVD as if it were a simple data file? I need to get something that can open the format, then render it for DVD?

Yes. The ISO format is a copy of the actual bits as they were read from the source. That means you need a program that knows what to do with those bits to burn them to a DVD disc.

Nero will open ISO files and burn them for you. You need a DVD burner for DVD ISOs, not a CD burner, because those two types of discs are vastly different from one another.

Ok thanks.

Since Nero seems to be 90 bucks or so, I think I will try to look for a good freeware/shareware application...

<a href="http://tech-recipes.com/windows_tips620.html">HERE</a>'s a link to a posting about a free piece of software made (but not supported) by Microsoft that will mount that ISO file as a "virtual drive", so you can read from it as if it was on a DVD in your dvd player, but without having to actually burn it.

There are other commercial programs that do this (Alcohol 110% is the one that comes to mind), but this one's free and seems to work great.

Ah, thanks for that. At least I can check it out on the PC.

Was hoping to actually burn to DVD, however, so I could see it on regular TV with surround sound and all that goodness.

Oodles of free burning programs out there. This is a pretty good one...

http://www.deepburner.com/?r=product...r&prr=features

Most burning programs are able to burn copies from one drive to another, so once you have the ISO mounted as a virtual drive you should be able to burn a copy from it.

http://www.cdburnerxp.se/features.php

That's what I used in Windows.