So, I will apologize in advance for my ignorance. Hopefully, you all understand that we all have to start somewhere. Truth is... I have no clue what I'm doing. I think I've gotten in over my head.

I just wanted to figure out how to watch a file that I have on my comp. Once the files were done downloading, there was a .bin and a .cue file. However, thee files don't actually open in any sort of player on my computer.

How would I go about watching the file? Is there a way to watch it directly from my PC or do I have to burn it somehow first? IF I must burn it, then how do I even begin to do this?

Of course, when I downloaded the file, the forum for the file stated that the only way to watch it was in kvcd format, I think.

And again, I don't even know where to begin... please help.

Then we have a problem.
We only talk about legally own sources and you say you downloaded yours.
Not much room left to say they're legally owned by you...
Just pick your own DVD, pick one of the guides.
Read it thoroughly, more than once if needed, and we'll move on from there.
Otherwise a Moderator or the Administrator might give us green light to help you, because there's no way of telling if your downloaded file is legal or not.
In that case, we'll do our best to help you out .
Cheers

__________________
Rui

I appreciate it. I understand the legal complications. Again, I'm new to all this, even "burning." So, I apologize for my naivete in addition to once again apoligizing for my ignorance. Even the above-referenced downloaded file was one a friend of mine sent me, and I just wanted to figure out how to get started with it.

But okay... while I'm here, and quite interested, could you maybe point me in the right direction? I attempted to read the link "Newbies in trouble, then read this" and quite frankly, I don't even understand half the terms on that page. Maybe I should just kinda shoot from the hip and see if I'm on cue at all with regard to this kvcd stuff...

Let's say I have a DVD at home that I bought legally. How would "kvcd" (by the way, what is "kvcd," a file format or a program or some sort?) help me? Would I use it to backup the DVD or to watch it on my pc or to do something else with it? What file format would my DVD be? I don't even know how to rip (is that the term?)

And just in general, what is .cue and .bin? I'm not even concerned about the above-referenced files right now or the legal implications of various files (in fact, the mere suggestion that they may not be entirely legitimate compels me to delete these files), I'm just curious as to what these suffixes even mean in general. Are they just some standard video format or something? Does "kvcd" have anything to do these types of files?

And what if I have realplayer audio files, does kvcd have any benefits for those?

Again, I apologize for the ridiculous lack of direction. If I can just figure out how to get started, I'm a fast learner, I like to think.

You see, 1st you told us you got your files on a forum.
Now you say it was a friend who sent you those.
Well you also admitt that you feel compelled to trash the files and start all over again which puts us in a position where we may help.
Let's start with the files you (still) have in your PC.
Those are bin and cue files.
They are sord of a container.
They don't have anything to do with kvcd.
But kvcd can be put inside those containers.
There are lots of other containers different than bin/cue.
And there are burning utilities that can burn those kind of container and many more.
Other containers are ISO files MDS files, etc...
As for kvcd and Kdvd...well kvcd is something like a VCD made with K (Kwag's or Karl Wagner's) techniques.
KDVD is a DVD made with the same techniques.
Oh! for the record, Karl Wagner (a.k.a. Kwag) is our site administrator .
These K techniques are available here http://www.kvcd.net/portal/articles.php?lng=en&pg=20.
So what we do is we take our legally owned DVDs and we back them up in a 700MB CD-R or in a DVD-5.
Then we put the originals in a safe place and we just play the copies.
We use a lot of tools to make the best damn backups playable on a standalone DVD player.
We use video frameservers, video encoders, audio encoders and authoring tools to merge video and audio back in one MPEG file (m1v/m2v).
Then we take those MPEG files, we run them in the authoring tool and then we use a burning tool.
Now that's thoroughly explained in the guides.
The guides were made for K newbies but not for video newbies.
But you don't have previous video knowledge.
Things might be hard to explain but there's nothing like you trying to follow one of our guides.
When you burn your backup do it on a re-writable media so that you don't spend money for testing.
Then if you run into a problem post it on the forum and we'll try to help.
This is the best that I can think of right now.
You could also register at dvdhelp.com forum.
They have very good guides for video newbies.
You could learn a great deal of info with their guides and come back in a few weeks to try a kvcd with a little more background .
Cheers

__________________
Rui

(splitted, this has nothing to do with the initial thread !)

Sorry about that. I realize that this had nothign to do with the initial thread. But I really and truly appreciate all of your help. I've deleted those files, and will start researching this whole concept of backing up dvd's. Thanks very much for all of your help. That'll be the last of me until I can learn some more about this stuff.

Absolutely not
Feel free to look into the guides, specially this one: http://www.kvcd.net/guides/kguide/kvcdguide.htm
And come back and ask for help if you get stuck

-kwag

Just where do you think you're going ?
Not so fast .
What I meant is that you should read some basic guides also.
That way your learning curve will grow taller much faster because you're still not familiarised with all the words you'll find here.
But that doesn't mean you can't find your way around here.
In fact, the most I've learnt was here at kvcd.net.
Nevertheless I also caught a lot of info on dvdhelp.com forum.
So, read a guide, and run some trials.
Whatever goes wrong, post here and we'll try to help and I'm sure you'll end up making a successful kvcd in no time .
Cheers

__________________
Rui

bin or cue files are image files use nero to burn them that simple. why did'nt you just tell or noobie friend that rather than feeding him bulls***t. Knowing how to convert dvd or divx to kvcd does not make you smart. Try helping people rather than making yourself feel good..

I think you rubbed the guy in, and he took it also. He never said it was warez download, it could have been a .bin full of movie trailers or freely available amatuer movies etc (which is legal to watch), he never said it was a downloaded commercial movie rip.

Anything downloaded does not mean warez.

FWIW, it didn't make me feel good at all.
I hate doing that but I play fair.
And fairness tells me that I HAVE TO GO BY THE BOOK.
The book says: don't talk about warez on the forum and don't help promoting warez on the forum.
By telling MovieBuffMan how to burn his bin/cue I could be helping to promote warez on the forum.
And I love this forum and I really like the people that run it and the people that browse the forum.
Anyway, seems to me that MovieBuffMan acknowledges the rules here and that he is willing to learn with us.
I can't say the same about you .
Cheers

__________________
Rui