After creating a System Restore point AND making a new mirror image of my C Drive with Acronis True Image Home, I downloaded Phantom Drive 1.
My purpose in doing so was to ascertain whether the software could somehow be used with PRE7 to create a Blu-ray DVD folder. (PRE7 does not offer the option of burning a Blu-ray disc to folder.)
While reading through the software documentation’s example for creating an audio CD, I came across the following statement:
If you are satisfied with the results, you can repeat the burning process with a physical disc recorder, or save the virtual audio CD to use later. If the result is not what you wanted, go back to the beginning and compose your list of tracks to burn.
The chief purpose of Phantom Drive 1, in other words, is to give one the option of viewing one’s work on a virtual disc as opposed to an actual disc, thereby saving on “coasters,” that is, discs that one discards because they have errors. But I wanted to determine whether I could do more with this burner than merely save the cost of blank media.
Procedure:
1) Using PRE7, I created a 5-second movie consisting of a single HD still photo (2288x1520).
2) Using Phantom Starter, I created a blank DVD-R virtual disc and loaded it into Phantom Drive 1
3) I selected the Phantom Drive as the Burner Location in PRE7 then burned the Phantom virtual disc
4) I opened the CyberLink software that came with my LG DVD burner, and I attempted to create a Disk Image from the virtual disc. This operation was successful.
5) Using CyberLink, I attempted to burn an actual SD DVD from that virtual image. This operation was also successful (the resulting SD DVD played well in Windows Media Viewer).
6) Using Phantom Starter, I created a blank Blu-ray (BD-R) disc and loaded it into Phantom Drive 1, then I attempted to burn using PRE7 a virtual Blu-ray disc. This operation was successful and the resulting hi-def virtual disc played well.
7) I attempted, multiple times, using the CyberLink software, to burn a disc image of the Blu-ray virtual disc, but was unsuccessful.
Conclusions:
1) Given that PRE7 is capable of burning a SD DVD at least as fast as Phantom Drive 1, this software may be of limited value to some users; however, if a particular user is prone to creating lots of coasters, then Phantom 1 would have value in that one could first create a virtual as opposed to an actual physical disc and then, once satisfied with the result, one could proceed to use one’s actual burner to burn an actual SD DVD.
2) Phantom Drive 1 does not provide any workaround for the problem that PRE7 does not offer the option of burning a Blu-ray disc to folder; however, it does offer the useful benefit of allowing one to ascertain that one is satisfied with one’s virtual Blu-ray disc before proceeding to burn an actual physical disc.
Still another possible use for Phantom Drive 1 is to create a virtual SD or Blu-ray DVD, complete with DVD Menu, which one could play from one’s HDD in lieu of creating actual DVDs.
Lastly, one may choose to use the Phantom Drive , in combination with iTunes, as a method of converting mp3 files to WMV files.
Opinion: Phantom Drive 1, at $19.95, offers good value and has potential for a number of uses
Caveat: As RJ Johnston pointed out in a previous discussion of Phantom Drive that is sourced from the link below,* do NOT attempt to use PayPal when ordering; instead, use a credit card.
Here is the link: http://www.phantomdrive.de/en
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*There are also other vendors for Phantom Drive, however, when I reviewed one of them it seemed that their version did not offer the same wide array of acceptable media, and that is why I downloaded instead from the above source
