How to join cells ?

[MarcioAB]

I have a title with many cells and I want to turn it to just a single large cell (changing it at the VOB file level).

What should be the best program(s) to make it ?

Thank you
Marcio

[r0lZ]

You have to remux.

But what's the benefit? Having several cells in the title is unnoticeable when you watch the DVD (except when the cells are used as chapter points), and anyway, it doesn't hurt.

[mpucoder]

I think r0lZ meant re-multiplex. But didn't someone in this forum write a program to alter the VobId/CellId values in a vob?

[r0lZ]

That's right. It's VidChanger, by jsoto. But you can only renumber the IDs, not concatenate them in one single cell. (At least, I think so.)

[mpucoder]

If this is all one VobID there is no difference in the multiplex. But after renumbering all the cells to 1 you would need to rebuild the sri pointers, something that IfoEdit and PgcEdit can do.

[MarcioAB]

Yes, I just made a simple VisualBasic program to change all Cells ID to 1. Next I will see what I need to fix the pointers or anything else. Thank you for the information about the sri pointers.

The reason why I'm looking to simplify my VOB files is because my desk DVD Recorder generate a new cell ID at each minute and I finish with alot of cells that has no meaning. I do not see reason to have so many cells.

paralell question: Is there any reason to generate so many cells in a straight forward movie ? (not considering chapters).

To re-split the VOB in cells with the real contextual meaning I'm using VobBlanker (I was not able to find the split function in PcgEdit).

Thank you
Marcio

[r0lZ]

There is no split function in PgcEdit! :( PgcEdit is not a VOB editor, and has only some basic functions to manipulate the VOB files. (Currently, the menu button editor and the rebuild time maps are the only functions dealing with VOB files.)

I don't know why the recorders create so many cells, but indeed, it's a good reason to remove them.

[spyhawk]

Is there a setting in DVD Recorder to set how many minutes are in one cell? I don't have one so I don't know if there's such a setting or something similar.

Can you not use MuxMan to merge all the cells to one as it accepts multiple m2v as inputs, after you demux them with PgcDemux? It'll end up in 1 V/CID. I don't know what's the maximum capacity it can accept though.

[MarcioAB]

I was not able to find any setting for that on this DVD (Insignia). There is only an AutoChapter setting where you can set it to make chapters during record at each 5 min, 10 min, 15 min or None. My setting is to none,

Thanks. I will take a look at the MuxMan ...

Marcio

[spyhawk]

I think that's it - AutoChapter. If you set to None, it defaults to 1 min/cell. Test it on 5 min to see if it is 5 min/cell.

[jeanl]

The reason why I'm looking to simplify my VOB files is because my desk DVD Recorder generate a new cell ID at each minute and I finish with alot of cells that has no meaning. I do not see reason to have so many cells.

paralell question: Is there any reason to generate so many cells in a straight forward movie ? (not considering chapters).
Marcio
I confirm: I tested a DVD recorder once (a pioneer, a couple years ago) and it did the same thing. I'm not too sure why they do that, but it might something to do with the fact that they must be able to cut the recorded video at any arbitrary point after the fact. In my case it was a real pain because importing the VOB in nero for example, caused it to be split in hundreds of 20s nippets, which would then not play seamlessly after being put together as a DVD by nero!
My solution was to demux/remux, but it might very well be that your solution of simply changing the VCID does it in a much simpler manner. In any case, I returned the recorder....
Jeanl

[MarcioAB]

Test it on 5 min to see if it is 5 min/cell.
Just tested with AutoChapter = 15 min.
Same problems. Lots of Cells (or VOBs ... not sure anymore).
btw, the chapters were createad correctly @ 15 min.


but it might very well be that your solution of simply changing the VCID does it in a much simpler manner.

It seems to work, but now I'm confused with VobEdit informing something different than IfoEdit regard number of Cells and VOBs.

Marcio

[spyhawk]

Is it still 1 min/cell? Check the IFO to find out. If there are only 56 cells, that's not much. I don't see a reason to demux/remux just to make it neat as long as the chapters are created correctly. You can have up to 255 cells per PGC. As long as your recorder does not go over this limit, the dvd will play fine.