very weird problem with playback

[jarthel]

I have an anime dvd here. It is episodic.

There is a major problem with playback. When playing the episodes using the software dvd player, the video plays okay for awhile but it then displays the main menu screen. and then, it will display the correct video for awhile but I will get the main menu screen again.

I looked at the log and I cannot see any error.

I have run "encode and rebuild" twice already with the same incorrect result.

I am using version 1.10.3.

Thank you for the help.

[linx05]

Have you pre-processed the DVD before putting it into DVD-RB? Because pre-processing can do some damage if you are not careful.

[jarthel]

Have you pre-processed the DVD before putting it into DVD-RB? Because pre-processing can do some damage if you are not careful.

I have blank the extras using titlesetblanker. this only touches the vobs.

I'll see what a trace in pgcedit will reveal.

[linx05]

Try the DVD unprocessed in DVD-RB. That way if it still happens, we'll know it could be something to do with the DVD.

[jarthel]

Try the DVD unprocessed in DVD-RB. That way if it still happens, we'll know it could be something to do with the DVD.

I've used dvd-rb on tens of dvds where extras were removed and this is the 1st time I had such problem.

I somehow think that isn't the problem in my situation. but I'll check.

[linx05]

I've had your problem as well jarthel. I'm still learning how to properly blank extras and ads but sometimes I stuff up causing the DVD to mess up. Some DVDs are just picky I've learnt.

[jarthel]

how do you blank them?

[steptoe]

Try having a look at VOBBlanker, it offers more in the way of what is removed from your VOBs

You can if you wish remove from cells not just titles, you could have removed something in the menu set, thats why the DVD is not playing correctly

VOBBlanker is a pretty powerful piece of freeware, and can blank just a set part of a menu or VOB and leave the rest untouched so the DVD plays correctly. It can also be used to cut sections from VOBs so you can do basic editing with it as well

As it can work down to cell level its accurate as well, I'm still getting to grips with the software as it can do quite a lot, but there is a good guide on the software homepage that explains how to blank some or all of a menu or removing extras

Also backs up the original files so if the DVD won't play as it should, simply copy back across the original files

From the website

- VobBlanker is a tool able to blank, replace, cut and strip titles, more specifically, program chains or individual cells. From release 1.5 VobBlanker is also able to work (blank, preview, delete..) in the menu domain.
It also has special features like reduce to still with or without audio complete PGCs or single Cells, or splitting cells capability


Link : http://www.videohelp.com/~jsoto/vobblanker.htm


Another nice free util I use that has helped in DVDs that have gone strange is FixVTS, its helped a couple of times with DVDs that played perfectly but when run through DVDShrink it wouldn't recognise the main feature. Run it through FixVTs and all is fine

[jarthel]

I am using vobblanker and titlesetblanker. titlesetblanker is simpler when blanking whole vobs since it only touches the affected vobs.

[jdobbs]

Please let me know if you get the same error on an unpreprocessed source. There are too many possible causes outside of DVD-RB when it has been edited.

[laserfan]

Please let me know if you get the same error on an unpreprocessed source. There are too many possible causes outside of DVD-RB when it has been edited.Yes that's for sure. I reported an odd menu behavior problem to r0lZ (author of PgcEdit) and he'd never heard of it, and lately I suspect RB's relatively new Menu-encoding feature, but in the end the problem ONLY APPEARS ON MY SONY PLAYERS! Damn, another Sony wierdness... Anyway the problem is:

Upon converting Episodic DVDs (esp. e.g. "The Sopranos") the first episode in the episode index can't be selected--the player skips to the SECOND episode (actually "jumps around" quite a bit before going to the next episode and stopping finally). Another bizarreness is that when selecting a "special features" menu the display tends to jump first to another menu before "settling" on the desired menu.

I haven't reported this as a DVD-RB problem because frankly I'm not sure it has anything to do w/RB, and I haven't taken time to do testing because my backups are playable and there are so many variables involved:

1. Rip with DVD Decrypter, usually ISO mode
2. Full DVD convert w/DVD-RB (Menu encoding On, Steal Space Off)
3. Process resulting VIDEO_TS with PgcEdit to skip the DVD intros (Warning and HBO logo) going straight to the main menu
4. Burn VIDEO_TS with RecordNow 7.3

On the surface this looks pretty straightforward, but of course there are Preferences for DVDD and PgcEdit not to mention RB so I haven't gotten my arms around this yet. But it only seems to have been occurring since the "Menu Encoding" feature of RB--so I have some suspicions (though jdobbs I AM NOT out to get you! ;)). And why the oddness only on my Sonys (sometimes PowerDVD too, but never on my Panasonic).

In my case this is only a minor annoyance--sorry jarthel I don't mean to hijack your thread. Do you Enable Menu Encoding on your discs? Maybe you want to try one with it Off. I will do the same when I have some time.

Edit: Ok I have embarked upon an attempt to learn if "Enable Menu Encoding" is the source of my own problem, which will take a couple of encodings & burns. I'll start a different thread if I come to any confusions, er, conclusions. :)

[jdobbs]

That sounds familiar... I had an issue with the same symptoms that I fixed a couple of versions back. As I recall it was caused by a bug in the "remove layer-break" code.

Could you check your PM?

Thanks.

[jdobbs]

I gotta tell you. If I'd known all the pitfalls involved in menu reencoding I definitely would have left it alone... my hat is way, way off to Zeul.

[Carpo]

I gotta tell you. If I'd known all the pitfalls involved in menu reencoding I definitely would have left it alone...

you could always use the delete button :devil:

[laserfan]

Well I just tried this again w/version 1.10.5 and I can't duplicate the problem--it does look like the discs that do show the problem were done with v1.9.3.

Sorry I think I jumped the gun on this one--should have tried one again w/latest version before posting... :o

[laserfan]

I confirmed overnight that the backups I made with 1.9.3 in May and June exhibit this problem. Maybe the glitch was specific enough that there is an IfoEdit-type repair I can apply, w/o having to re-encode my flaky backups? :hopeful:

[jdobbs]

Yes, it can be fixed with IFOEDIT. I've answered you via PM.

Just a note. I think the only way this could happen in v1.09.3 is if you had "Menu Encoding" enabled and had added "AGGRESSIVE_LAYER_BREAK_REMOVAL=1" to the INI file.

Could you confirm that?

[laserfan]

...I think the only way this could happen in v1.09.3 is if you had "Menu Encoding" enabled and had added "AGGRESSIVE_LAYER_BREAK_REMOVAL=1" to the INI file. Could you confirm that?Yes, that's exactly right--you are a genius with this stuff!