DVD reencoding preserving menus with VobBlanker/VobEdit/TmpgEnc.

[Kayaker]

Hi there.

First of all I wanna tell you that I'm a lot excited since I discovered some time ago VobBlanker and

PGCEdit, I'm learning a lot about DVD structure with those, along with Ifoedit and VOBEdit of course.

So thanks you all jsoto, r0lZ for the programs and 2COOL for the guides and knowledge sharing. And of course old guru Derrow.....

Now to business.... ;-)

I'm trying to shrink a DVD-9 to DVD-5, blanking stuff, preserving and turning into one still menues and

reencoding main movie with TMPEnc.

So I blank and turn menues into stills with VobBlanker.
Playing with buttons will be done with PGCEdit.

For the reencoding part, What I was trying to do was, extract the main PGC cells in Vobblanker to one vob.
Then the idea is demultiplex vob (video/audio/subtitles), reencode video with a lower bitrate in TMPGEncoder, then remuxing all the streams I want to keep, and then replacing original vob with the short one.


1) I saw the Derrow's guide to do the vob-demuxing reencoding-remuxing with VOBEdit.
Is this still the preferred method to do that ?
How do I keep the cells in the "same position" or with the same IDs so that any jump from the menu to points in the middle still work to the same position after reencoding ?

2) Any bitrate calculator tuned to the calculation of the bitrate to shrink the main VOB ?


I'm still a little confused about the vob shrinking part while rpeserving structure, so as to keep the button jumps in the middle working.

Any advice about any of my procedure ?

Thanks a lot.

[blutach]

May I suggest an easier method? Once your blankin/menu shrinking/button editing is done, try DVD Rebuilder (http://dvd-rb.dvd2go.org/) - there is a free version and a pro version. The strutural integrity of the DVD is preserved, all bitrates are calculated for you, there are addons for adjusting bitrates between cells, and it remuxes for you, too. It can use several encoders, including CCE, Procoder, HCEnc, Quenc and others.

DVD Rebuilder (http://dvd-rb.dvd2go.org/) has its official forum here run by jdobbs, the author.

Regards

[Kayaker]

Thanks a lot blutach.

I've got DVD Rebuilder in my list of "on click programs" to try.

But first I want to do it manually so I undestand every one the steps.
When I understand everything and can do it with my eyes closed I will use automated tools to save me time of the manual approach.

But I want to start the "manual way" to get enlighted.
I guess you know what I mean.

[blutach]

Fair enough, too.

When you mux with a celltimes.txt file (btw muxman is a far superior muxer and very easy to use), the cells will be preserved. You can then assign programs and chapters. If you have not done this in the commands with the mux, you can easily do it in PgcEdit (http://www.videohelp.com/~r0lZ/pgcedit/index.html).

To get a celltimes.txt file, you can do this from the original PGC in PgcEdit (http://www.videohelp.com/~r0lZ/pgcedit/index.html) or when you demux the original.

Once you have a working encoded title, you can use VobBlanker (http://jsoto.posunplugged.com/vobblanker.htm)'s replace function to replace the exisiting title with your newly encoded one.

There are several bitrate calculators about - Videocalc is quite popular. Get it here (http://www.videohelp.com/tools?tool=VideoCalc).

Regards

[Kayaker]

OK blutach.

I know muxman and I have used it a couple of times (doing pretty basic stuff).

If I didn't get wrong Derrow's guide, VOBEdit has and option to remux in a vob a recoded m2v.
Let's suppose I want to keep all streams ( audio / subtitles ) if I demux the video, recode and remux the m2v in the vob with VOBEdit (of course it will keep all the original streams ) I won't need a celltimes.txt, right ?

And the structure will be identical, right ? ( this is without using muxman )

And if I use muxman, it will be more time consuming, but powerful because I can strip streams, but I will need a celltimes.txt, right ?

Tell me if I'm getting it right.
I cant' test all this right now cause I'm at work.

[Kayaker]

Here I am again with this reencoding stuff.

A couple of questions

1) What do I have to take into account when I replace PGCs in VobBlanker ?
I meam for all possible jumps in the menues to work the same way as before ?
I suppose that I have to keep the same number of cells, the same streams and sames streams IDs, and what else ?
If the cells id's are not the same in the replacing vob than in the original, VobBlanker changes the numbers to match the original ones ?


2) for re-encoding with lower bitrate, the easiest "manual" mode was with VobEdit.
I made a d2v for the vob, reencode with any mpeg2 encoder, and then with vobedit did remuv m2v back into the original.
but after that the vob didn't play smoothly in power dvd. it kinda slows down every second or so. strange.
If I play it in a any directshow player it plays fine.
maybe the muxing it's not strictly compliant ?
or maybe my power dvd if flawed ?
what would be the standar PC DVD player to test DVD compliancy ?

also I've tried demuxing with jsoto's PGCDemux , re-encoding, the remuxing with muxman and everything ok.
but this way I've got to keep the sames stream IDs than the original and I'm not pretty sure how to accomplish that with muxman (maybe using project files...)

the easiest manual this seems to be remuxing m2v with vobeditor, but I got this non smooth playing vob after that.
strange.


any thoughs ?

[Kayaker]

I just read a couple of threads about this non smooth playback remuxing m2v with vobedit.

now more qestions ;-)

for vobEdit remux m2v to work, is it neccesary the m2v have the same GOP structure ?
and if it don't have the same structure you get a non smooth vob playback ?


I suppose the robust manual way to do it is demuxing everything with PgcDemux , reencode and remux everything with muxman.

The problem would be keeping al the celltimes and strems ID's.

I cant semm to find how to use a celltimes.txt in muxman.
also I can't find how to set the original streams IDs into muxman.

maybe with muxman project files... I'll have to take a look at that.

any advice would be appreciated.


BTW, I've tried DVD REbuilder, and it's easy. actually too easy. Now I keep fighting with the "manual" way.

[r0lZ]

celltimes.txt: File -> Import Chapter (IMO, should be Import Chapters)

You can control the stream IDs by adding the streams in the right order. It is also probably possible to specify them in the project file, but I haven't tried it yet.

[kumi]

If you have the premium version of MuxMan, getting the correct chapter assignments is pretty simple.

Open the DVD in PgcEdit, right-click on the title in question, and select "Info: PGC". Make a note of the Chapter/Program/Cell assignments:
http://img389.imageshack.us/img389/4417/copypgceditpttpgcells6sy.jpg

Now, in Muxman, select your segment, go to the Spreadsheet tab, and, using the PTT, Pg, Cell, X radio buttons, edit each scene's Chapters/Programs/Cells so they're identical to the ones in PgcEdit:
http://img389.imageshack.us/img389/3121/copyofmuxmanpttpgcellassignmen.th.jpg (http://img389.imageshack.us/img389/3121/copyofmuxmanpttpgcellassignmen.jpg)

[blutach]

Or, if you prefer PgcEdit (http://www.videohelp.com/~r0lZ/pgcedit/index.html)'s GUI to muxman project files/spreadsheet (even though that is very simple to use), just replicate the structure afterwards. Once your cells are in place, you can assign programs and chapters easily in PgcEdit (http://www.videohelp.com/~r0lZ/pgcedit/index.html).

Regards

[Kayaker]

Thanks a lot guys.

I guess I have a lot to test and learn with PgcEdit. Really a LOT...
I'll try all that you have just suggested. I just need some time ;)

BTW, please can anyone confirm this, to good old Vobedit remux m2v to work OK the reencoded m2v must have the same GOP structure than the original ?