Deleting sections of vob in commercial DVD?

[TakuSkan]

This question has to have been answered reasonably somewhere in the Doom9 forums using the latest software. But my head's been spinning from a couple of days reading and testing.

I have a PBS documentary on a commercial DVD that has endless credits for the program's sponsors at both the beginning and end of the program. In addition, there are 3 episodes... 2 on the 1st DL DVD, and 1 on a single SL DVD... and each has the same long 5-8 minute intro that I'd like to eliminate. The credits and repeated intro are part of each program's main VTS_XX_X.VOB set of files.

What I'd like to do is rip all the files to a hard drive folder with DVD Decrypter, and then use a video editor to delete parts of each vob that are unwanted or repetitive, save the changes to a new vob, and somehow adjust the ifo files to match, leaving the chapter menus intact.

I've read through the Remove End Credits (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=25879) sticky in this forum, but most of what's there is ancient history or a bit nutz... :eek: But towards the end of the thread there is mention of a relatively new app called Vobblanker that may accomplish, or at least assist the task I've described. And it seems PgcEdit may be a useful tool.

I'm pretty now to all of this. Can someone tell me if I'm on the right track here, and/or perhaps point me to information that might lay out a procedure for achieving my objectives?

Thx,

TS

[CoNS]

Yes, PgcEdit and/or VobBlanker is what you're after...

Load your DVD in PgcEdit for a nice presentation of the current DVD structure, and use PgcEdit's preview and/or trace function to find out where the unwanted material is located.

If the unwanted material (intro, studio logos, warnings etc.) is located in separate titlesets, titles, PGCs or cells, you can quite easily remove it by using VobBlanker (http://jsoto.posunplugged.com/). VobBlanker blanks the material, i.e. totally removes it (you save space on the disc). Here's (http://jsoto.posunplugged.com/guides/VobBlanker/blanking/index.php) a guide.

PgcEdit (http://home.tiscali.be/debie.roland/pgcedit/) can also blank out whole title or menu domains inside titlesets. And kill playback of other titles, PGCs and cells, so that the material is "disabled" but not removed from the disc (there's no space reduction). Here's (http://jean.laroche.free.fr/SkippingStuff0.4.3.1/) a guide (also shows you how to use the trace function in PgcEdit to find the unwanted material).

If you don't need to save space, an alternative method would be to jump straight to the main movie by using PgcEdit's macro "Jump to PGC Upon DVD Insert". Here's (http://home.tiscali.be/debie.roland/pgcedit/third_party/blutach/How_to_use_PgcEdit_new_macro.htm) a guide.

If the unwanted material is a part of the main movie PGC and is partly located in one or more cells (like some studio logos at the beginning of the movie, and also often the end credits), you can remove it by using VobBlanker's cut function. Here's (http://jsoto.posunplugged.com/guides/VobBlanker/prevcut/) a guide.

Both PgcEdit and VobBlanker updates the ifo files for you automatically, so don't worry about that.

For further reading on the subject, :search:

(Blanking/removing/"disabling" unwanted material has been discussed numerous times in other threads in this section.)

[TakuSkan]

Thanks very much for your feedback and pointers CoNS. So now yes, I'm off to :readguid: and do a few more tests! (There are so many.)

TS

[TakuSkan]

Okay... I'm not even out of the starting gate and I'm already stumped just trying to edit a few minutes out of a vob with VobBlanker.

Edit: I wrote this, but then made one more attempt before posting it. I'm still failing for some reason. Here's the most recent process I went through in an attempt to clip about 3 minutes off the beginning of the main movie vob VTS_03_1.VOB, leaving everything else untouched, and set to process 'as is'.

Following the procedure CoNS pointed to here (http://jsoto.posunplugged.com/guides/VobBlanker/prevcut/), and leaving all of VobBlanker's settings left at the default values, here's what I did:

[1] Opened VobBlanker, and loaded the VIDEO_TS.IFO for the video I had ripped with DVD Decrypter.
[2] Pointed the 'Output Folder' to an empty folder.
[3] In the 'TitleSet' window, selected the VTS_03_x.VOB set with the main movie containing a long list of contributor credits at the begining I want to edit out.
[4] In the 'PGCs in Selected TitleSet' window, selected the only PGC (01 Entry).
[5] Clicked the Prev/Cut button.
[6] Immediately clicked 'Mark' to set the 'Initial Mark', as the bottom slider was at the beginning of the 1st cell where the section I want to cut out begins.
[7] Moved the bottom slider about 3 minutes in to the point in cell #1 where the section I want to cut out ends.
[8] Clicked 'Mark' to set the 'End Mark'
[9] Clicked the 'Cut Movie' box.
[10] Clicked 'OK' to return to the main VobBlanker window.
[11] Clicked 'Process' to begin the procedure.

The entire set of files for the video, including the supposedly cut version of VTS_03_x.VOB I had set to be clipped, was created in the target folder.

But just like every other attempt I've made up to this point, that VTS_03_x.VOB file remained untouched. That, even though the log file reports it as having been cut.

I had previously been attempting multiple cuts on the same VTS_03_x.VOB. But thinking that perhaps the program could only cut one section per session, I simplified the process, and just made one simple cut as described above.

Here's the log file if it'll help in figuring out what I'm doing wrong:


================================================

Version 2.0.1.0. Starting new process:

=========== STARTING VTS_01 ====================
VTS 01: Opening IFO
VTS 01: Processing VOB (Menus)
Menu does not exist, continuing
VTS 01: Processing IFO (Menu)
Looping into Menu PGCs and cells
VTSM_C_ADT table did not exist
VTSM_VOBU_ADMAP table did not exist
VTS 01: Processing VOB (Titles)
--------------TITLE VOB PREPARING PHASE-
VTS 01: Keeping PGC 01
--------------TITLE VOB WRITING PHASE STARTED-
VTS 01: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 01/01
--------------TITLE VOB WRITING FINISHED-
VTS 01: Cell data array filled (Titles)
VTS 01: Processing IFO (Titles)
Looping into Title PGCs and cells
PGCN Pointer: Pointing Next PGCN to itself in PGC 1
PGCN Pointer: Pointing Prev PGCN to itself in PGC 1
Processing TMPATI table
Building VTS_C_ADT table
Filling VTS_VOBU_ADMAP table
VTS 01: Processing IFO (Ending and writting)
=========== VTS_01 FINISHED =====================

=========== STARTING VTS_02 ====================
VTS 02: Opening IFO
VTS 02: Processing VOB (Menus)
Menu does not exist, continuing
VTS 02: Processing IFO (Menu)
Looping into Menu PGCs and cells
VTSM_C_ADT table did not exist
VTSM_VOBU_ADMAP table did not exist
VTS 02: Processing VOB (Titles)
--------------TITLE VOB PREPARING PHASE-
VTS 02: Keeping PGC 01
--------------TITLE VOB WRITING PHASE STARTED-
VTS 02: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 01/01
--------------TITLE VOB WRITING FINISHED-
VTS 02: Cell data array filled (Titles)
VTS 02: Processing IFO (Titles)
Looping into Title PGCs and cells
PGCN Pointer: Pointing Next PGCN to itself in PGC 1
PGCN Pointer: Pointing Prev PGCN to itself in PGC 1
Processing TMPATI table
Building VTS_C_ADT table
Filling VTS_VOBU_ADMAP table
VTS 02: Processing IFO (Ending and writting)
=========== VTS_02 FINISHED =====================

=========== STARTING VTS_03 ====================
VTS 03: Opening IFO
VTS 03: Processing VOB (Menus)
Menu does not exist, continuing
VTS 03: Processing IFO (Menu)
Looping into Menu PGCs and cells
VTSM_C_ADT table did not exist
VTSM_VOBU_ADMAP table did not exist
VTS 03: Processing VOB (Titles)
--------------TITLE VOB PREPARING PHASE-
VTS 03: Cutting PGC 01
--------------TITLE VOB WRITING PHASE STARTED-
VTS 03: Cutting Cell VID/CID: 01/01
VTS 03: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 01/02
VTS 03: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 01/03
VTS 03: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 01/04
VTS 03: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 01/05
VTS 03: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 01/06
VTS 03: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 01/07
VTS 03: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 01/08
VTS 03: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 01/09
--------------TITLE VOB WRITING FINISHED-
VTS 03: Cell data array filled (Titles)
--------------TITLE VOB FIXING POINTERS STARTED-
VTS 03: Fixing VOB pointers in 1 Cells of 9
Fixing Cell # 1, VID=1 CID=1
--------------TITLE VOB FIXING POINTERS FINISHED-
VTS 03: Processing IFO (Titles)
Looping into Title PGCs and cells
PGCN Pointer: Pointing Next PGCN to itself in PGC 1
PGCN Pointer: Pointing Prev PGCN to itself in PGC 1
Processing TMPATI table
Building VTS_C_ADT table
Filling VTS_VOBU_ADMAP table
VTS 03: Processing IFO (Ending and writting)
=========== VTS_03 FINISHED =====================

=========== STARTING VTS_04 ====================
VTS 04: Opening IFO
VTS 04: Processing VOB (Menus)
Menu does not exist, continuing
VTS 04: Processing IFO (Menu)
Looping into Menu PGCs and cells
VTSM_C_ADT table did not exist
VTSM_VOBU_ADMAP table did not exist
VTS 04: Processing VOB (Titles)
--------------TITLE VOB PREPARING PHASE-
VTS 04: Keeping PGC 01
--------------TITLE VOB WRITING PHASE STARTED-
VTS 04: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 01/01
VTS 04: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 01/02
VTS 04: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 01/03
VTS 04: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 01/04
VTS 04: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 01/05
VTS 04: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 01/06
VTS 04: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 01/07
VTS 04: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 01/08
VTS 04: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 01/09
VTS 04: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 01/10
--------------TITLE VOB WRITING FINISHED-
VTS 04: Cell data array filled (Titles)
VTS 04: Processing IFO (Titles)
Looping into Title PGCs and cells
PGCN Pointer: Pointing Next PGCN to itself in PGC 1
PGCN Pointer: Pointing Prev PGCN to itself in PGC 1
Processing TMPATI table
Building VTS_C_ADT table
Filling VTS_VOBU_ADMAP table
VTS 04: Processing IFO (Ending and writting)
=========== VTS_04 FINISHED =====================

=========== STARTING VTS_05 ====================
VTS 05: Opening IFO
VTS 05: Processing VOB (Menus)
Menu does not exist, continuing
VTS 05: Processing IFO (Menu)
Looping into Menu PGCs and cells
VTSM_C_ADT table did not exist
VTSM_VOBU_ADMAP table did not exist
VTS 05: Processing VOB (Titles)
--------------TITLE VOB PREPARING PHASE-
VTS 05: Keeping PGC 01
--------------TITLE VOB WRITING PHASE STARTED-
VTS 05: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 01/01
--------------TITLE VOB WRITING FINISHED-
VTS 05: Cell data array filled (Titles)
VTS 05: Processing IFO (Titles)
Looping into Title PGCs and cells
PGCN Pointer: Pointing Next PGCN to itself in PGC 1
PGCN Pointer: Pointing Prev PGCN to itself in PGC 1
Processing TMPATI table
Building VTS_C_ADT table
Filling VTS_VOBU_ADMAP table
VTS 05: Processing IFO (Ending and writting)
=========== VTS_05 FINISHED =====================

=========== STARTING VIDEO MANAGER ===========
VIDEO_TS: Opening IFO
VIDEO_TS: Processing VOB (Menus)
--------------MENU VOB PREPARING PHASE-
VIDEO_TS: Keeping Menu LU 01, PGC 03
VIDEO_TS: Keeping Menu LU 01, PGC 04
VIDEO_TS: Keeping Menu LU 01, PGC 05
VIDEO_TS: Keeping Menu LU 01, PGC 06
VIDEO_TS: Keeping Menu LU 01, PGC 07
VIDEO_TS: Keeping Menu LU 01, PGC 08
VIDEO_TS: Keeping Menu LU 01, PGC 09
VIDEO_TS: Keeping Menu LU 01, PGC 10
VIDEO_TS: Keeping Menu LU 01, PGC 11
VIDEO_TS: Keeping Menu LU 01, PGC 12
--------------MENU VOB WRITING PHASE STARTED-
VIDEO_TS: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 01/01
VIDEO_TS: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 02/01
VIDEO_TS: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 03/01
VIDEO_TS: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 04/01
VIDEO_TS: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 05/01
VIDEO_TS: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 06/01
VIDEO_TS: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 07/01
VIDEO_TS: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 08/01
VIDEO_TS: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 09/01
VIDEO_TS: Keeping Cell VID/CID: 10/01
--------------MENU VOB WRITING FINISHED-
VIDEO_TS: Cell data array filled (Menus)
VIDEO_TS: Processing IFO (Menu)
Looping into Menu PGCs and cells
PGCN Pointer: Pointing Prev PGCN to itself in LU 1, PGC 3
PGCN Pointer: Pointing Prev PGCN to itself in LU 1, PGC 4
PGCN Pointer: Pointing Prev PGCN to itself in LU 1, PGC 5
PGCN Pointer: Pointing Prev PGCN to itself in LU 1, PGC 6
PGCN Pointer: Pointing Prev PGCN to itself in LU 1, PGC 7
PGCN Pointer: Pointing Prev PGCN to itself in LU 1, PGC 8
PGCN Pointer: Pointing Prev PGCN to itself in LU 1, PGC 9
PGCN Pointer: Pointing Prev PGCN to itself in LU 1, PGC 10
PGCN Pointer: Pointing Prev PGCN to itself in LU 1, PGC 11
PGCN Pointer: Pointing Prev PGCN to itself in LU 1, PGC 12
Building VTSM_C_ADT table
Filling VTSM_VOBU_ADMAP table
VIDEO_TS: Processing IFO (Ending and writting)
=========== VIDEO MANAGER FINISHED ===========


PostCommands changed into Precommands in 0 PGCs of a total of 0

Finished. No Errors, 0 Warnings

================================================

Thanks for any advice...

TS

[Dimad]

You can also try using DvdReMake:
1. Import the disk;
2. open needed block in preview;
3. scroll to the end of scene you want to cut, right-click and "cut to here" (if you want to cut scene in the middle of a block - use "split here" first to split block into two parts and then cut either start or end of it)
4. export

[r0lZ]

Another method with PgcEdit and DVD Shrink:

1) Use DVD Shrink in reauthor mode to cut the beginning of your main title, using the "Set Start/End Frames" function. Be sure to set the compression level to "No Compression". Generate the DVD.

2) Load the original DVD in PgcEdit, select the main title, and use the Replace VTST Titles function to replace the original title by the modified one. When asked if you want to keep the original structure of the title, answer yes.

It's easy, but this method works ONLY when there is only ONE title in the PGC. Unfortunately, it is not possible to use DVD Shrink to reauthor several PGCs in the same domain, because it will split them in several titlesets.
The presence of menu PGCs in the original titleset doesn't matter. They will be preserved by PgcEdit.

[TakuSkan]

You can also try using DvdReMake:Okay... I did get a trial version of Pro to do the job, outputing 15 second clips. But at $45.. I'd really rather get DVDBlanker going.

Funny no one has targeted any errors in the procedure I outlined above. I wonder if it's a problem with my system that needs tweaking. Or maybe it's this DVD that's causing DVDBlanker problems. I'll try other DVDs, but the one I ran it on is really the only one I'd really like to modify at this point.

this method works ONLY when there is only ONE title in the PGCWell that may or may not work for me. There's only one PGC in the vob for each title. But there are 2 main titles/episodes in the DVD. I wonder if that was what caused VobBlanker problems. The 2 titles were in the VTS_03_x.VOB and VTS_04_x.VOB sets respectively. But the log file shows that VobBlanker did think it was clipping VTS_03_1.VOB. I wonder what went wrong.

TS

[r0lZ]

I don't know very well the VobBlanker cut function.

But since you have one title per titleset, my method should work. Just use shrink to add and cut the 2 titles in the same reauthored DVD. You will therefore generate a DVD with two titlesets. Then, replace the VTST 3, PGC 1 and VTST 4, PGC 1 of the original, using respectively VTS_01_0.IFO and VTS_02_0.IFO of your reauthored DVD.

[jsoto]

.....But just like every other attempt I've made up to this point, that VTS_03_x.VOB file remained untouched. That, even though the log file reports it as having been cut.

I had previously been attempting multiple cuts on the same VTS_03_x.VOB. But thinking that perhaps the program could only cut one section per session, I simplified the process, and just made one simple cut as described above.

Yes, log file reports the cell is being cutted...
And yes, only one cut per session (but you can cut the first part and the last part of the PGC at the same run)


--------------TITLE VOB PREPARING PHASE-
VTS 03: Cutting PGC 01
--------------TITLE VOB WRITING PHASE STARTED-
VTS 03: Cutting Cell VID/CID: 01/01

Unfortunately, I'm not logging the exact LBAs.... may be the cut is starting and ending just in first VOBU.

Could you save your project from menu and post the VTS03 part?
Something like this:
-----------------
[VTS03]
nPGCs=1
nMPGCs=1
ActionVTS=PROCESS
VideoAttr=5310
AudioAttr0=4C5
AudioAttr1=4C5
AudioAttr2=4C5
AudioAttr3=FFFFFFFF
AudioAttr4=FFFFFFFF
AudioAttr5=FFFFFFFF
AudioAttr6=FFFFFFFF
AudioAttr7=FFFFFFFF
VOBAlreadyScan_03=0
ActionT03_01=CUT
Replacing Title_03_01=
Replacing Size_03_01=3569664
CutInfo_03_01=1 0 0 0 23261 1 0
-----------------------------------

I've just run a Cut session w/o any problem.....
May be you can also try the "Keep Movie" option...

jsoto

EDIT: Also, please check in VB maindialog window, Titleset section , if final VTS size is lower than initial VTS size

[TakuSkan]

Unfortunately, I'm not logging the exact LBAs.... may be the cut is starting and ending just in first VOBU.Okay... real quick... and then I'll go work on this.

I was wondering if the problem may have been Cell#/Sector(LBA) related. When I selected the initial and end marks for the 1st 3 minutes of intro material to cut, VobBlanker only displayed them as 1/0 for both respectively. If I select a region in the video that spans more than one cell, I only get 1/0 for intial no matter where I set the initial marker, and I get 2/0, 3/0, 4/0... etc no matter where I set the end marker in any of the other cells.

Being pretty new at this. I'm not sure if that's normal, or something that may be indicating a problem.

Edit: There being 2 main titles/episodes on the DVD wouldn't be causing any problems, would it?

TS

[TakuSkan]

Could you save your project from menu and post the VTS03 part?Okay... this was easy:

[VTS03]
nPGCs=1
nMPGCs=3
ActionVTS=PROCESS
VideoAttr=4300
AudioAttr0=4C1
AudioAttr1=4C1
AudioAttr2=FFFFFFFF
AudioAttr3=FFFFFFFF
AudioAttr4=FFFFFFFF
AudioAttr5=FFFFFFFF
AudioAttr6=FFFFFFFF
AudioAttr7=FFFFFFFF
VOBAlreadyScan_03=0
ActionT03_01=CUT
Replacing Title_03_01=
Replacing Size_03_01=2341697536
CutInfo_03_01=1 0 0 0 0 2 2

Also, please check in VB maindialog window, Titleset section , if final VTS size is lower than initial VTS sizeNo... it's reporting 4463 for Initial, Final, and To Be Processed.

I was hoping that was due to the fact I was only cutting 3 minutes (at this point at least), and that the difference in file size wasn't sufficient to indicate a difference in 4 digits.

May be you can also try the "Keep Movie" option...Edit: Okay... this is processing now.

TS

[jsoto]

Okay... this was easy:
[CutInfo_03_01=1 0 0 0 0 2 2


That means
First "1" -->Cut movie
Initial mark: Cell 0, Sector 0
End mark : Cell 0 Sector 0.
(And the last two "2" are related with starting and ending GOP types: "2" means self-contained.)

So, it's really strange...., or there is a bug here or you are selecting just the same point as ending mark.

jsoto

BTW, I'm going to be off-line until Monday..., please do some additional tests and report back.

[CoNS]

I've just run a Cut session w/o any problem.....Same here. I've used the cut function in VobBlanker (latest public release) again today, and the output worked just fine.

[TakuSkan]

So, it's really strange...., or there is a bug here or you are selecting just the same point as ending mark.Well... I've attempted this at least 8-10 times at this point, and I can guarantee that I am not setting the same point for Initial and End markers.

*The Initial marker is being set at the beginning of VTS_03_x.VOB > PGC #1 (the only PGC) > Cell #1.
*The End marker is being set about 3 minutes into Cell #1.

Also, I just tried the 'Keep Movie" method on the 2nd DVD of this 2 DVD set. There were 2 titles/episodes in the 1st DVD, and only 1 in the 2nd. I set an Initial marker 3 minutes into Cell #1 after the introduction of the video... and then an End marker about 3 minutes from the end of the last cell, Cell #9 at the end of credits, and before a list of sponsors. The result after processing was that nothing was clipped from the beginning of the video, and the end was cut in a spot before the ending credits.

I'll try a couple of other DVDs. Maybe it's something related to this particular 2 DVD documentary.

TS

[TakuSkan]

Another method with PgcEdit and DVD Shrink:I gave that a try r0lZ, and had limited success. DVD Shrink did a good job of creating the VTS_03_x.VOB and VTS_04_x.VOB title sets. And tho' PGCEdit is about the most daunting app I've ever seen, following your lead... yes, it was easy to, "...use the 'Replace VTST Titles' function to replace the original title by the modified one(s)."

Only a couple of problems. The pointers to where the chapters start in the scene/chapter menu weren't modified to match the clipped title vobs. So the old ones don't point to the right places anymore.

Then... DVD shrink doesn't seem to be able to cut a selection within a vob. All I can see is that it can set the start and end points for the ends of a vob to be trimmed off. There's a long redundant introduction at the start of each of the 3 titles on these 2 DVDs, followed by the title of the series I'd like to keep... and then a long list of sponsors that follows which I'd like to cut out.

I must have a dozen or so apps I've downloaded from Doom9 at this point and have tinkered around with a bit. With a bit more research, I guess I ought to be able to use a few in combination to accomplish my goals here.

TS

[setarip_old]

DVD shrink doesn't seem to be able to cut a selection within a vob.

You might want to examine DVD Shrink's "Re-author" mode capabilities a bit more carefully. As I recall, you can cut based on exact time or by chapter...

[r0lZ]

Yes, you should set the start and end points on each titles in Shrink in reauthor mode. Then, use the preview in the main window to verify if it's what you want.
You cannot cut a part of the video in the middle of a title, but you can cut the beginning and end of each reauthored title.

In PgcEdit, you must select the option to keep the original tables, if the number of cells is equal before and after the cut.

If it doesn't work, you can rearrange the chapter points after you have replaced the titles. Double-click on the title to open the PGC editor. In the cells list, use the play arrow button to preview the cells and locate the original chapters, and note the program number used for each chapter. Then use the "Edit Chapter (PTT) table" button to rearrange the chapter numbers, or click on the buttons with the program numbers to add/remove programs. Normally, the chapter and program numbers should be the same.

[blutach]

well, you can cut in the middle, but it is very unsatisfactory as it splits the title into 2, with a layer break like pause in the middle.

http://www.dvdshrink.info/compilation.php

Regards

[jsoto]

Well... I've attempted this at least 8-10 times at this point, and I can guarantee that I am not setting the same point for Initial and End markers.

Please do the following:
A) Select your marks as usual (Initial and End)
B) Open again the preview/cut dialog. Are your marks there? (In initialMark and End Mark boxes)
C) Save the project and look for
CutInfo_03_01= <type> <iniCell-1> <inisector> <EndCell-1> <Endsector> <Goptype> <GopType>
Check the values

May be you are doing the selection with the slider at the bottom?. You must use next/prev buttons or slider at the top of the dialog (inside the Go To box)

jsoto

[TakuSkan]

You must use next/prev buttons or slider at the top of the dialog (inside the Go To box)Aaaaccckkkk.... I feel like Rosanne and Dan Conner in the Rosanne episode the other day where they make a huge stink at the IRS office complaining that the instruction manual didn't answer the question with the problem they were having... and the manager at IRS flipped through the pages of the instruction book, and pointed right to a paragraph and page and that explained how to deal with the problem they were having! :stupid:

I guess I had read through so many guides and help files trying to get this task accomplished that somewhere along the way I got the idea set in my head that since the text for the buttons just under the top slider says, "Playback Control", I got the idea set in my head that the sider above operated only for setting playback position. I spent quite some time trying to find explainations for the [ and ] buttons by the bottom slider, but to no avail. Playing with them though led me to believe that they were used to set the beginning and end cut points for editing the video. So I was using the slider to mark points for a few attempts at cutting, and then using the [ and ] buttons to mark points for cutting.

So far I've had great success at a few attempts of editing using the top slider to set edit points, and then process the project. When I set a marker inside the beginning and end points of the video, the sector/LBA value is now properly reported in the box for the marked sector value.

I ran VTS_03_*.VOB through VobBlancker 3 times in order to delete the 3 sections of the video I want to delete, as I've learned VB will only perform one edit function on a vob per session. I also blanked out the FBI warning in VTS_02_1.VOB and PBS advertisement extra in VTS_04_1.VOB, and have ended up with an end product with the proper sections deleted, and menus that point to the right spots.

I did have problems with improper menu pointers after my 1st attempt at just using the correct slider to mark edit points without blanking any other vobs. But I've not run the same procedure a 2nd time since. Perhaps I did something incorrectly during the process, so I'll see if I can duplicate what I had originally done, and then report back.

:thanks: for setting me straight here.

TS

[TakuSkan]

... you can rearrange the chapter points after you have replaced the titles..That could potentially be some very useful advise in the future r0lZ. At some point I'll probably want to attempt adding back a long introduction that was duplicated at the beginning of each of the 3 episodes in this DVD, and maybe squeezing all 3 episodes onto 1 DVD with that intro section as an optional menu choice up front.

well, you can cut in the middle, but it is very unsatisfactory as it splits the title into 2, with a layer break like pause in the middle.I didn't look into this... but if there's a bug there that creates a pause where the file is split, that's no good.

TS

[setarip_old]

@TakuSan

If you use DVD Shrink in "Re-author" mode, there will not be any pause if you cut based on Chapters...

[TakuSkan]

If you use DVD Shrink in "Re-author" mode, there will not be any pause if you cut based on Chapters...Okay... I'll see if I can test that too setarip_old. I've got a list of things to work on at this point.

My biggest problem that just popped up is that, for some reason, my captures with VirtualDub are suddenly resulting with files with audio and video not syncronized for some reason.

CWR03 explained this earlier here (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=736657#post736657) saying that:

"it's very common with files captured with ATI cards to lose synch since they use the PC's audio hardware to capture sound."

"There will always be A/V drift when you capture with the ATI software"

So I've been having great luck using VirtualDub for capturing in the past couple of weeks.

But the other day I hooked the coax input of my ATI AIW128 card to a cable connected to an antenna to see what I could pull in from the airwaves. Ever since then VD has been seeing the video feed being from "Video Tuner" instead of "Video Composite" as it's been configured for weeks now.

Edit: I'm wondering if that's what caused the audio and video components of captures to go out of sync now. I'm perplexed. The cable feed should be set to "Video Tuner". I don't know what was going on with VD seeing the cable as a "Video Composite" connection.

Switching TV channels on the ATI128 has always been flakey though. Sometimes I have to switch back and forth between channels before one or the other will display the signal instead of 'snow'. I wish I could get that sorted out.

So I'm back at square 1 trying to figure out how to fix this before I can do any more video work.

TS

[TakuSkan]

I did have problems with improper menu pointers after my 1st attempt at just using the correct slider to mark edit points without blanking any other vobs. ... Perhaps I did something incorrectly during the process, so I'll see if I can duplicate what I had originally done, and then report back.Okay, I repeated the test I did inititally. Again, I was at fault there.

The mistake I made there was not to set "Cut Movie" instead of the default "Keep Movie". I hadn't looked at output file size for the the vob I had cut, so I didn't catch the fact that it had been shrunk down to only a few minutes in length.

And I didn't try scanning forward through the video from where it started, thinking that VB was behaving as it had last week.

So of course the chapter menus were messed up.

TS