New DVD structure blocks pgcEdit, VobBlanker, and????

[Digitrash]

VobBlanker and PgcEdit can't properly open this (weird?) DVD structure.
The DVD VIDEO_TS folder has the following files:

VIDEO_TS.(BUP and IFO)
VTS_01_0.(BUF and IFO)
VTS_01_(0,1,2,3, and 4).VOB files.
**** There is no VTS_02 files (Title 2 does not exist on purpose) ****
VTS_03_0.(BUF and IFO)
VTS_03_1.VOB
VTS_04_0.(BUF and IFO)
VTS_04_1.VOB
VTS_05_0.(BUF and IFO)
VTS_05_1.VOB
VTS_06_0.(BUF and IFO)
VTS_06_1.VOB
VTS_07_0.(BUF and IFO)
VTS_07_1.VOB

There are 10 DVDs in a series. They play and navigate without any problem.
When I attempt to open with PgcEdit (or VobBlanker), I get the following warning in PgcEdit:
The number of VTSs stored in VDIEO_TS.IFO(7) don't match the real number of Title Sets stored on disk(1).
You should manually copy all files related to VTS 2-7, or restore the backup.

Note: There are six titles on the disk - Title 2 doesn't really exist.
VTS 3-7 are in the VIDEO_TS folder.......
PgcEdit and VobBlanker assume only 1 VTS and will only open the first title.
This new DVD structure causes problems with Pgcedit, VobBlanker and similar applications.

I renamed the files in the folder and got pgcedit to open the DVD structure, but the title number and navigation were out of whack.
To keep this post short and clean, I will post my result after I rename the file as a reply to this one.

Digitrash

[r0lZ]

Well, that's right. PgcEdit must fail in a case like that.

IMO, the easiest way to fix the problem is to create a new DVD with a single short blanked title and no menu, and to manually copy the IFO, BUP and VOB files of this dummy VTS as VTS 2 in your DVD. PgcEdit should be able to load the DVD, with some warnings. Then, use Delete Uncalled VTS to get rid of the dummy VTS, save the DVD, and reload it. I haven't tried that trick yet, but it should work.

[Digitrash]

This is a follow-up on my previous post. I renamed the files so that I have a sequence of VTS_01 through VTS_06. I opened the DVD structure in PgcEdit. PgcEdit complained about the missing VTS(7). It opened the six renamed VTS files. The opened DVD file structure is as follow:

VMGMs
VTSMs
VTST 1,1 TTN1 (mm:ss) Title 1
VTST 1,2 TTN2 (mm:ss) Title 2
VTST 2,1 TTN1 (mm:ss) Title 3 (This was a renamed VTS_03 to VTS_02 - OK the title number match)
VTST 3,1 TTN1 (mm:ss) Title 9 (Title number is out of whack)
VTST 4,1 TTN1 (mm:ss) Title 10 (Title number is out of whack)
VTST 5,1 TTN1 (mm:ss) Title 11 (Title number is out of whack)
VTST 6,1 TTN1 (mm:ss) Title 12 (Title number is out of whack)

The (out of whack) title numbers no longer match with the navigational commands.
The navigation command pointing to Title 5 (it should be the new Title 3 as shown in pgcedit).
The navigation command pointing to Title 6 (it should be the new Title 9 as shown in pgcedit).
The navigation command pointing to Title 7 (it should be the new Title 10 as shown in pgcedit).
The navigation command pointing to Title 8 (it should be the new Title 11 as shown in pgcedit).
The navigation command pointing to Title 9 (it should be the new Title 12 as shown in pgcedit).

I opened the VIDEO_TS.IFO in IfoEdit. It showed 9 titles in 7 VTS as follow:
Title 1: VTS_01_*, TTN_1
Title 2: VTS_01_*, TTN_2
Title 3: VTS_02_*, TTN_1
Title 4: VTS_02_*, TTN_2
Title 5: VTS_03_*, TTN_1
Title 6: VTS_04_*, TTN_1
Title 7: VTS_05_*, TTN_1
Title 8: VTS_06_*, TTN_1
Title 9: VTS_07_*, TTN_1

The navigation commands properly referencing the correct VTS/titles.
VTS_02/Titles were not reference anywhere....
This is the first time that I run into this problem.
The structure is preventing me from using pgcedit on these DVD.

I added dummy VTS_02 files, pgcedit opened the structure but navigation was still out of whack.
Any suggestion on how to get around this problem is appreciated.

Digitrash

[Digitrash]

Well, that's right. PgcEdit must fail in a case like that.

IMO, the easiest way to fix the problem is to create a new DVD with a single short blanked title and no menu, and to manually copy the IFO, BUP and VOB files of this dummy VTS as VTS 2 in your DVD. PgcEdit should be able to load the DVD, with some warnings. Then, use Delete Uncalled VTS to get rid of the dummy VTS, save the DVD, and reload it. I haven't tried that trick yet, but it should work.

Thanks for the quick reply... I will see what I can do.... I just started working and experimenting on this problem... I notice pgcedit renumber the title when I renamed the file to get pgcedit to open the structure....

[r0lZ]

You can't renumber the files to fil the gap, as they are accessed from the VMGM by their VTS number. Filling the gap with a new VTS should work better, but it has to be valid, so, use a short VTS of another DVD. PgcEdit will certainly complain about the title not being referenced in the table of titles, and offer to create a new title number. Accept.

Not sure what you mean by "I added dummy VTS_02 files, pgcedit opened the structure but navigation was still out of whack." What is exactly the navigation problem? And have you used real and correct DVD files, or have you simply created dummy, empty files?

[Wombler]

Thanks for the quick reply... I will see what I can do.... I just started working and experimenting on this problem... I notice pgcedit renumber the title when I renamed the file to get pgcedit to open the structure....

Out of curiosity, what's the name of the DVD giving these problems?


Wombler

[Digitrash]

Hi r0lZ,

"I added dummy VTS_02 files" - what I did was to copy one of the existing small VTS in the file structure and rename them as VTS_02. That got pgcedit to open the DVD....
"the out of whack navigation" was that I got the renumbered title 1,2,3,9,10,11,and 12. They didn't match up with the calls. How does pgcedit determine the title number? aren't they in the IFO?

I created a new DVD as you suggested with two small 10k titles to pick up VTS_02... I copied VTS_02 files into the DVD structure and got pgcedit to open the DVD. The navigation looks better. The title number are 1,2,(3 the dummy small VTS_02), 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. (as you can see the above were out of whack)...

I examined the commands and follow the calls.
There is a call to title 4 (non-existent) in a vtsm but the vtsm is uncalled, so no harm no foul.
There is a call to title 2 (the missing title replaced the new vts_02 to get it to open).... I follow the command leading to a button for playing the "Trailer".... it looked like the author just deleted VTS_02 before creating the DVDs?

Working on this problem give me the idea of how one can create a dummy "trailer" as title 2 or more and then remove the file prior to producing the DVD in order to create problems for pgcedit, vobBlanker users.

Now that I get it open, I am all set to spend some more time on examining the commands...

Thanks for the suggestion / Digitrash

[Digitrash]

Out of curiosity, what's the name of the DVD giving these problems?


Wombler

Hi Wombler,

It's a Chinese (company name TVB) TVB show (movie) series... This series is called The Building Blocks of Life.

Digitrash

[Wombler]

Hi Wombler,

It's a Chinese (company name TVB) TVB show (movie) series... This series is called The Building Blocks of Life.

Digitrash


Ahh right. Not much chance of me having it already then. :)

What are you using to rip it with?


Wombler

[r0lZ]

Good question, Wombler.
IMO, the VTS might really be present on the DVD, but hidden from the regular file system, to fool the rippers. On a standalone player, the file system is used only to find VIDEO_TS.IFO. Then, the player can use the pointers in that file to access everything, and doesn't need the file system any more. Maybe it's why you cannot rip VTS2, but there is still a valid jump to it.

[r0lZ]

Digitrash, PgcEdit looks in the Title Play Map table (VMG_TT_SRPT) in VIDEO_TS.IFO to find and assign the title numbers to the correct PGCs. However, in some cases, it creates new title numbers, when some of them are missing, or are pointing on inexistent PGCs. Maybe there is something here that doesn't work well for your butchered DVD. I need to have a look...

[Digitrash]

Ahh right. Not much chance of me having it already then. :)

What are you using to rip it with?


Wombler

Hi Wombler,

I have not gotten to the stage of ripping the DVD. I was in the process of using pgcedit to analyze the DVD in order to change default audio, sub and navigation; I discovered the problem when pgcedit and vobblank couldn't load all titles. It was an ISO image not a live DVD that I was working with.

Digitrash

[Digitrash]

Good question, Wombler.
IMO, the VTS might really be present on the DVD, but hidden from the regular file system, to fool the rippers. --Snipped--.

Good thought. I opened the ISO in Winhex forensic tool and searched the DVD for VTS_02. The files do not exist on the image. Forensic shows it was a Nero output, so the original ripper deleted the files instead of manufacturer this way.

Digitrash.

[Digitrash]

Digitrash, PgcEdit looks in the Title Play Map table (VMG_TT_SRPT) in VIDEO_TS.IFO to find and assign the title numbers to the correct PGCs. However, in some cases, it creates new title numbers, when some of them are missing, or are pointing on inexistent PGCs. Maybe there is something here that doesn't work well for your butchered DVD. I need to have a look...

It's the butchered DVD that threw pgcedit off, since I copied Title 3 (VTS_03) files and renamed them as VTS02 in the folder on my first attempt to get pgcedit to open the DVD. The duplicate title number seemed to cause pgcedit to add "3" to subsequent titles. I guess because the duplicate titles were title number 3. If you are interested, I can post whatever you need. This problem may be the original ripper's error that I just happened to run across. I think it's an error because of the "trailer" button pointing to the missing title. If manufacturers start doing this (inserting dummy titles and deleting VTS files), it would cause problems for a host of software in use by the community (as I discovered with pgcedit and vobblanker).

Digitrash

[dialysis1]

Forensic shows it was a Nero output, so the original ripper deleted the files instead of manufacturer this way.
So you don't have the orginal DVD?

[blutach]

Sadly, I am going to have to close this thread and direct you to rule 6.

If you don't own the DVD, we can't help you.

http://www.digital-digest.com/~blutach/threadlocked.gif

Regards