Many Pack Headers missing in VOB's

[Fairhope]

I have a DVD which was made from a VHS capture. Surprisingly, the DVD has two audio tracks - LPCM and AC3.

The problem is that it will only play for the first 4 minutes and 52 seconds. It then freezes and locks up whatever application or stand alone DVD player is being used.

I tried to copy the contents of the DVD to my harddrive - since it has no encryption - but it errored out. I then used DVD Decrypter in file mode and received this error:

On-the-fly IFO/BUP file patching failed!
File Name: VTS_02_0.BUP
Size: 69,632 bytes
Reason: Invalid IFO / BUP file.

During the ripping process, I also received many of these items in the DVD Decrypter log:

W 09:13:52 Sector 2170749 - Pack Header Not Found (0x00000000)
W 09:13:52 Sector 2170750 - Pack Header Not Found (0x00000000)
W 09:13:52 Sector 2170751 - Pack Header Not Found (0x00000000)
W 09:13:52 Sector 2170752 - Pack Header Not Found (0x00000000)
W 09:13:52 Sector 2170753 - Pack Header Not Found (0x00000000)
W 09:13:52 Sector 2170754 - Pack Header Not Found (0x00000000)
W 09:13:52 Sector 2170755 - Pack Header Not Found (0x00000000)
W 09:13:52 Arrrrgggh! Too Many 'Pack Header Not Found' Warnings!
W 09:13:52 'Pack Header Not Found' logging has been halted for now.

Now then - I searched the forums and have tried many suggestions. I have used VOBEdit to JoinCell VOB files and IFOEdit to create new IFO files. The video still freezes at 4:52.

I've tried using PGCEdit to create a New DVD Basis and imported the vob's. It still freezes.

I also tried using DVDRemake. I thought this might be the solution as it took about 2.5 hours to import the DVD files - the import box said it was recalculating the cells. But when it had finished, it said problems had occurred and to check the log. I tried checking the log, but everything froze up and I had to end the program.

I'm hoping I can salvage this DVD. I don't care about any menus or multiple audio tracks. I just want to be able to view the entire concert. I do not have access to the VHS tape to recapture.

Can anyone provide me with suggestions or point me in the direction I need to be researching?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Ty

[jeanl]

Did you manage to get the main VOB on your hard drive? If so, you might be able to salvage it, if the errors are happening only in a small portion of the file.
If you have the VOB on your hard drive, try opening it with pgceditpreview (it comes with pgcedit, install pgcedit, then look in its bin folder, you'll find pgceditpreview, start it and drag/drop your VOB in it). See if pgceditpreview lets you scroll past the 4m52 point. If it does, you might be able to fix it.

I'm thinking if you have errors in a small part of the VOB, you should be able to cut that error part (from 1 navpack to another 1) using a finary file cutter, and then patch things up with a good IFOEdit mock strip...

jeanl

[Fairhope]

Thanks for your reply, jeanl.

I was able to get all the vob's onto my harddrive. I tried your suggestion, but PGCEdit's Preview wouldn't let me scroll past the 4:52 spot. It played fine up until then.

I'm not too familiar with the internal structures of VOB's or their IFO/BUP counterparts. I was thinking that the problem was in the IFO or BUP. From your suggestion, I'm guessing the problem lies in the actual VOB's.

Would it be possible to "go backwards" and get the files into an mpeg or something?

[jeanl]

mmm, the fact that pgceditpreview can't go past the 4:52 spot (even if you scroll manually past it?) seems to indicate that there's nothing valid after that point...
What happens if you try to scroll manually past that point (using the slider)?
If the VOB is screwed up, then you can't get the mpeg back from it!

Could you possibly post the vob so we can take a look at it? Use http://www.yousendit.com/ to upload it. Yousendit.com will give you a download link valid for a week, post it here so the rest of us can get the VOB... (you can upload up to 1GB, it'll take a long while to upload though).

Another thing you can do is open the VOB with VOBEdit, which lets you look at all the individual packs. I'm guessing after a certain sector, the packs will show "unknown pack", but I'm wondering whether you'll get valid packs if you go beyond that point. If you do, there's hope... If there isn't any valid sector after that, then there's nothing to salvage, I'm afraid...
jeanl

[Fairhope]

I'll be glad to upload one of the vob's to yousendit.com, but it's asking for the recipient's e-mail address.

I tried to manually scroll past the 4:52 mark and, while I was able to move the slider, the frozen picture did not move.

I also used VOBEdit to try and join the vob's. I believe the majority of the cells had no information with them.

From what you're telling me, I don't believe this is salvagable.

[jeanl]

You can give yousendit.com your own email (it won't appear anywhere, it will simply send you the download link when it's done uploading). Or you can give it mine... jeanldvd (at) free (dot) fr.
jeanl

[setarip_old]

@Fairhope

Hi!

"I have a DVD which was made from a VHS capture. Surprisingly, the DVD has two audio tracks - LPCM and AC3."

What concert is this?
How did you accomplish this? What capturing procedures did you use?

"I do not have access to the VHS tape to recapture."

Obvious question - How come?

Just for experimentation, try loading the problematic .VOB into VirtualDubMod and see if you can get past the "frozen" video section...

[Fairhope]

Jeanl:

That's a nifty little website. I began uploading the vob, but after about 15 minutes I started to get a little worried. I'm currently at work and can imagine the IT guys wondering where the bandwith was going.

Setarip_old:

I was as surprised as you were when I noticed the two audio tracks. I don't have the VHS tape and have no idea who transferred it to DVD or how they were able to get two audio tracks.

The tape is a concert of a musician by the name of Ian Moore. When he first began playing, he played guitar in the style of Stevie Ray Vaughan. Since then, he has moved away from that genre. I personally, wish he hadn't. But the only videotape of him during this time was a VHS called "Ian Moore - Live in Austin, Bootleg '96". Unfortunately, they quit producing this tape a few years back.

I e-mailed the webmaster of a fan website asking if he knew where I could buy a copy. He was kind enough to tell me he had his only copy transferred to DVD and would send me a copy if I forwarded him a blank. I did - and this is the result.

The worst part is, if I hadn't seen the first 5 minutes I could probably live without it. Now I want to see it all.

I'll try the VirtualDub Mod in just a few minutes and report back.

Thanks, Ty

[jeanl]

Fairhope, it will take a long while to transfer the entire VOB... You might want to do it overnight, or perhaps only upload a tenth of it (use jsoto's cutfile program (http://jsoto.posunplugged.com/others.htm)), as long as we can see what's beyond the error area...
jeanl

[Fairhope]

I'll try jsoto's cutfile and upload a portion of it.

Setarip_old:

I tried VirtualDub Mod. When opening the VTS_01_1.vob, it said "Parsing Interleave MPEG-2 File", but stalled at 253,952K of 1,048,574K. I tried to open another vob and received an error message: "Cannot Detect File Type of "C:\VTS_01_5.VOB"

I'm beginning to believe all but the first 5 minutes is corrupt.

[jeanl]

Not necessarily, but that's useful info: you'll need to send at least the first 253,952K (I would send about 500K, so we can see whether there's something after the error).
But try this:
Open the VOB in VobEdit, then click the Jump button and go to LBA 200000 (that's somewhat beyond the error point). Now look at the left display and tell us if VobEdit is able to identify any of the packs (it will say "unknown pack" if it can't).
Jeanl

[Fairhope]

Jeanl:

VobEdit shows pack headers from 0 to 127835. Beginning at 127836, it states "unknown pack" for the remainder. I also opened VTS_01_2,3,4 & 5.vob and they are completely "unknown pack".

I'm currently uploading about 380mb to yousendit.com. I'll let you know the link when and if it completes.

Thanks, Ty

[setarip_old]

"Cannot Detect File Type of "C:\VTS_01_5.VOB"

That certainly IS bad news...

[jeanl]

Yeah, I'm afraid if vobedit does not even recognize any pack after the error, then there's really nothing you can do. Apparently, things are pretty messed up...
Sorry...
Jeanl

[setarip_old]

@Fairhope

Cynic that I am, the thought comes to mind that the webmaster is "jerking your chain".

Just curious, did you try opening VTS_01_2, _3, or _4 in VIrtualDubMOD? If so, what were the results?

[Fairhope]

That's okay, Jeanl. Thanks for all the suggestions you gave me. I can chalk this up to another learning experience with vob files.

Setarip_old: I tried all five vob's in VirtualDub Mod. With the exception of vts_01_1, they all came back with that error message - and the first vob froze the application after a few minutes.

I don't know why the webmaster would jerk my chain. If he is, he's going through a lot of trouble for very little amusement. The DVD he sent me has an opening video that leads to the main menu. The main menu has motion buttons showing the concert for each song listed along with another button for choosing which audio track you want.

If I was going to jerk someone's chain, I would send them a VideoCD with some Disney movie on it and write Ian Moore in Concert on the top.

I just believe this guy doesn't know much about copying DVD's. He mentioned that he had his VHS tape transferred over to DVD with "professional" menus and everything. The menus I saw were not professional. Looked like the authoring program was TMPGEnc DVD Author. I don't think he was the one who did it.

I'll send them back to him (since there's not much I can do with them) and ask him to try again. I've got nothing to lose but some postage.

Thanks again for all your suggestions.

Ty

[setarip_old]

As I said, I tend to be cynical ;>}

Best of luck!