Audio streams in PGCedit

[meRobs]

I have used PGCedit for some months for editing DVDs, including the removal of audio and sub-title streams, especially the larger 5.1-ch streams, to save space. I had also removed such streams with DVDshrink for some time past. This combination (with VobBlanker) is powerful and does all I could want.

However, now I am worried!
I have always removed these streams without changing any (forcing) Pre-Cmds.
My current Standalone has no problems because it auto chooses the correct one (English).
But is this safe?
Should I rely on a Player (all players) always choosing the only stream still standing?

Is this also true for sub-titles: does an English sub-title always turn on when needed for a DVD sold in an English speaking country?

Or should I always Force an audio and a sub-picture stream?

Thanks in advance
meRobs

[blutach]

Yes, if no stream is selected, players usually default to the only one left.

A subtitle needs to be turned on by selecting the stream number and adding 64.

In practice, if they are not already properly selected, I always force the streams (audio on sub off).

Regards

[meRobs]

Thanks Les.

I don't know what adding 64 means and I don't know enough to check whether the streans have been properly set.

So, instead, is it safe to always add NOP as the last PreCmd then change it to SetSTN in the Cmd Editor, check 'constant stream numer' and set the desired values for audio and sub-title.
(of course I would check whether there was a break just before the SetSTN and change it to a jump, etc.).

Thanks
Robin

[blutach]

Look in the watch screen as you trace. You will see that as a subpic stream is turned on, the value of sprm(2) is increased by 64.

It is not at all safe to do what you suggest for 2 reasons:

1. There is no way to know if the command will be executed - eg if a break or Link PGN comes before it, which is executed (at least sometimes).
2. If your command happens to be executed always, then you will not be able to change the streams ever.

The best way to handle this situation is with the Jump to PGC utility. Run through the menu and the audio and subbies menus, setting the desired languages and back to the main menu (or whatever PGC you want to start with). Then call the function and you know you're streams are set properly.

Regards

[meRobs]

Pardon me for asking dummy questions and please don't pull your hair out (yet)!

I thought that the method I described was OK provided I checked for any Break in the pre-Cmds for the movie Title (and changed them to a jump, etc).

My usual practice is to keep only one audio stream on board and one sub-title (if a foreign movie) and, so, I blank the audio/subtitle sub-menus. I did not want to make a stream change. Indeed, there is nothing to change to.

Being a novice at Trace, since I don't feel confident that it is working as expected, with all the breaks and stops at menus, etc, I need to restate your suggestion to see if I have understood!

Do you mean that I should run Trace, with the audio/subtitle menus and streams present, select the streams I want on these menus and then what?
Do I continue to the movie or just to the main menu to see whether the streams have changed?
I now have three problems:
(1) this implies I need to keep these sub-menus so that the audio and sub-title be selected each time I play the disc (not what I want)
(2) what happens if I then blank the audio and sub-titles menus?
(3) I would still like to force the wanted streams!

I want the DVD to start play at the main Menu, to offer Play (and Extras, if kept) and have the only audio stream play and, for a foreign movie, for the sub-titles to be on.

Do you think the use of a pgm like DvdReMake would be easier?

Thanks again
Robin

[r0lZ]

The Jump2PGC method is explained here (http://www.digital-digest.com/~blutach/Jump2PGC/Jump2PGC_guide.html). See especially step 9. You can use that method to force the right streams, but of course, you have to apply it before deleting the language selection menus. However, if you keep only one audio stream, you will probably not need to use that method, as inserting a SetSTN in the Title PGC is sufficient. You know how to modify the PGC commands to ensure that the SetSTN is executed, so that's fine. (BTW, you can also set the SetSTN command as the first pre-command of the PGC, and you will not have to modify the other commands.)

You can also delete all SetSTN commands in the DVD, and let the player decide which streams to play. If there is only one audio stream, it will be used. The subpic stream may be used or not, according to the language setup of your player, and the current audio and subpic language codes.

[meRobs]

Thanks zOIZ.

In other words: if I have deleted (blanked) the audio and sub-title sub-menus and have retained only one audio stream I can simply:
* insert a SetSTN Cmd as the first Pre-Cmd for the movie and force the audio and sub-title (if needed) as I mentioned above.

I suppose, if I didn't want to modify the Cmds I could leave the audio/subtitle menus intact, rely on the player doing the right thing (play the only audio and turn on the subtitle if foreign) and if it fails, I can use the menus!?
I'd rather use PGCedit, though.

Thanks
Robin

[r0lZ]

In other words: if I have deleted (blanked) the audio and sub-title sub-menus and have retained only one audio stream I can simply:
* insert a SetSTN Cmd as the first Pre-Cmd for the movie and force the audio and sub-title (if needed) as I mentioned above.Yes.

I suppose, if I didn't want to modify the Cmds I could leave the audio/subtitle menus intact, rely on the player doing the right thing (play the only audio and turn on the subtitle if foreign) and if it fails, I can use the menus!?Hum, no! If you leave the menus and SetSTN commands, the player will probably execute a SetSTN before reaching the title, and if it has set a deleted stream, some players may not play any audio at all. Of course, in that case, you can return to the menu to select the right stream manually, but it's a pain! In this case, use the Jump2PGC method to be sure that the right streams are selected be default. I would do that only when several audio/subpic combinations remain, as keeping a setup menu when there is only one possible setup is obviously unnecessary and confusing.

So, in the simple case of a single audio and subpic, you should either delete everything related to audio and/or subpic setup to let the player play the audio and decide if the subpic stream must be displayed, or explicitly force the right streams.

There is another solution, though: you can analyze the way the DVD works with the help of the trace, and modify the commands so that the right streams are selected by default. But that requires some skills, and as long as you have kept only one audio stream and zero or one subpic stream, it's much work for a little benefit.

[meRobs]

Thanks