Guide: DVD-9 to DVD-5 Multi-PGC "Full Copy" Instructions

[TRILIGHT]

Ok, it's been a long time coming but I've finally put something together that should be fairly easy to follow. Please understand that it is NOT meant to be the "end all, be all" solution to ALL multi-PGC titles! I wrote it so that people who were not familiar could get a better understanding of how to deal with multi-PGC titles. This post would be WAY too long and would not have the same effect without the screenshots so I am only going to post a link here. It is as follows:

http://dvdguides.trilight.net

Should Doom9 decide to include them in the site here, you will be able to access the guide here from now on. Until then, you can access it at the above link. Hopefully this guide will at least give people who are not "in the know" a better understanding of how to deal with multi-PGC titles. Especially considering the use of the new DoItFast4U! tool makes things so much easier to deal with.

EDIT: I've changed the URL. Hopefully this is a bit more helpful.

[Bear263]

Would like to say thanks Trilight. Between this guide and other Scenarist NT guides, I finally made my M.A.S.H. backup without a lot of effort. I have done it in maestro but this was way easier.

Thanks for the time and effort to put this together.

Bear

[TRILIGHT]

You're welcome, Bear. :) With the ease of dealing with chapters and subtitles in Scenarist now (trust me, they were not always so easy! In fact, back when I wrote the Maestro guide, they were downright ANNOYING), it has become much better to use Scenarist for such things than Maestro. Anyway, I would recommend using this method for both single and multi PGC titles now. I'm glad it worked out for you and you got your project completed!

[nydoofus]

Thanks, this is exactly what I needed at the right time.

BTW, how do I contact the creator of DoItFast4U, there seems to be a bug with the VobSub support. For some reason when I activate it, it doesn't rip the 2nd PGC and also the subtitle files are invalid.

[Eyes`Only]

Vobsub PGC functionality was a recent feature. Before, you could only vobsub ALL pgcs or none, but due to popular request I implemented PGC selection. I've seen this bug before and I thought I had corrected it, but maybe I didn't catch it all the way?

I'll be happy to work with you to resolve this. I'll pm you with my email addy.

[caprioles9000]

ww000ttttt Trilight thanks for this great guide.....i do hope that we also see Jdobbs'guide in the end both scenarist users and maestro users will be very happy....thanks man you are the man ;)

Greettzzz...
Caprioles9000

[hendrix]

Trilight - thats a great tutorial thanks :D

hendrix

[TRILIGHT]

I'm glad y'all find the guide useful! Hopefully it clears a few things up for those who don't exactly understand what a PGC is or why the basic method won't work for them on these titles.

[Alexcdr]

hello guys

this is indeed a great tool... but isn´t working for me. when i try to open the avs file in CCE, it gives me this error: "frame rate 20000/1000 is not supported. Supported frame rate are 23.976, 24,25,29.97,30,50,59.94 and 60"

Any ideas??

Thanks in advance

Keep up the goodwork

[Eyes`Only]

what settings did you use and what specs is the vts you're demuxing (is it NTSC, main movie or extra, etc.)

[Alexcdr]

its the main movie...

My settings are: vts1, use force film, vobsub... and pal deinterlace.


p.s. this movie is PAL

[Eyes`Only]

That's what i figured. Your problem is forcefilm. You never use forcefilm with a PAL movie, as far as I know. Remove that checkbox and see if everything works now.

[GlenC]

Hi,

Great looking util.

Quick question though. How do you know what settings to use before you start the process. ie Force film, Vobsub, Decomb, etc.

Surely you need to pull the movie off the dvd before you know these settings...or am I being stupid.

Cheers

Glen.

[Eyes`Only]

Easiest way is to run one of the vobs of the VTS set you want to demux though Bitrate Viewer or DVD2AVI, and figure out what settings to use from the information that both of those utilities give you. Same way people did it before DoItFast4U! existed. :D

[Cbass98]

Excuse my newbiness (just hit my first multi PGC DVD), and I was wondering if there was a tool to demux each individual PGC from the original .VOB file that I extracted with DVD Decrypter?

[caprioles9000]

Eyes Only......

I was wondering..whether it would be possible to make some suggestions for doitfast4u...well i already had ripped a DVD on file mode with dvddecrypter to my HDD before i knew about your tool...and was wondering would it be possible just like smartripper to add a functionality that instead of only being able to choose your dvd drive as the source that you could also maybe choose the vob files from a folder and let doitfast4u do its work.....for those people who for example did save some files to their HDD before they knew about your tool, maybe this functionality could also be usefull.....i know that it would kinda beat its purpose one way...but still i am sure that there lots of people who migth have quickly saved soem files ..because they did not have the time....naturally normally you could run it right away on the DVD when u have the DVD.....but just thought if its not too much of a difficulty maybe it might be useful.....anyways ..let me know what you think ........

[Mishel]

I would second caprioles9000 request and I am sure there are many others.

[Eyes`Only]

Actually it's an extremely BIG request, and the limitation lies with the way DVD Decrypter reads the .ifo and .vob files. Of course this functionality would be 100x more useful than the current version, and I have spoken with Light_UK many, many times requesting it. According to him, it would require an entire 'rewrite' of the code used to parse the .ifos right now. Whether it's a function we are going to see in the near future I do not know. However, I have scripted a utility that can do this (way back when i started this venture) that works by using Vstrip instead of DVD Decrypter. It has many inherent limitations so far, but I may consider incorporating the script as a kind-of 'optional' function of DoItFast4U!, if I can work out how to do so in a smooth, easy fashion. Like I said, it will have it's limitations, such as no DTS, but it does work, and many of my beta testers still play with it today.

If you want this functionality built-in to DVD Decrypter (wouldn't that be NICE?!) maybe more ppl contacting Light_UK about it will show him that we NEED it, and he'll be more apt to work on it (so far just a couple of others have hit him up.) His website is http://www.dvddecrypter.com. While you're talking to him, give him a sense of urgency about us needing version 3.1.5.0 too!

Another fix for you all that have .vobs/.ifos on your hdd:

Use ifoedit (Settings>Image Creation>Uncheck "Check DVD Size" first) and create yourself another image of your DVD. Then use daemon-tools (http://www.daemon-tools.com) to mount this image as a pseudo-dvdrom, and now DVD Decrypter can use this pseudo-dvdrom to rip from.

As a general rule, for all of my DVD-Backups, I NEVER rip the .vob/.ifos to the hdd. I do an .iso read using DVD Decrypter, and rip the whole DVD to a single .ISO/.MDS combination. Then I mount that with daemon-tools, and proceed from there. That way, if anything goes wrong I have the exact image of the DVD to work with again. I highly suggest others start following the same procedures. You'll find the advantages are numerous.

[TRILIGHT]

@Caprioles9000 & Mishel: I don't think you grasp what it is the tool actually does for you. Think of it as an automation tool, not a control tool. DIF4U! is a front-end tool which automates a lot of the back-end apps and processes which would normally take you a considerable amount of time to do manually. If you watched it as it was running, you would easily see that the ripping is done via DVD Decrypter. DVD Decrypter does not work with files from the hard drive and no updates to the DIF4U! code will change that. There have been a number of posts here about DVD Decrypter and doing this. Take a look at "Daemon Tools".

@Everyone: You should probably spend a little time becoming more familiar with the tool to understand how it operates and what it's actually doing for you. It will help you to understand how to work with your project. Someone had asked how they knew what settings to choose ahead of time before running the tool. Seriously, if you are not familiar enough with how to obtain this information and work with it, you should probably not be trying to tackle more complex multi-PGC projects (or vobid projects). I can't stress enough how important it is to have a fundamental understanding of what it is you're actually doing. It will help you in the long run.

[hendrix]

DIF4U is a great tool - it saved me a lot of time, im just glad that i dont have to open up notepad and create .avs files anymore :D
thanks Eyes`Only and everyone else who helped creating this great tool

hendrix

[Eyes`Only]

Thanks hendrix.

All: I just put version 1.0.0 out on my site publicly. It incorporates many requests and plenty of new additions. Enjoy!

[caprioles9000]

@ Eyes & Trilight ....

I definetly agree with both of you ....when i was in Tyris' test group who also had such an automation tool it was simply amazing......DUITFAST4U is also amazing ......it works great .....from what i see of eyes'post i guess its a huge step to work such a source in ..so for now i am sure many people should be very happy that even such a tool exists:) .....and they do not have to go through the mess we had to in the earlier days.......well i am sure that we will see these type of tools get better and better ..and have more and more functionalities in teh future ......THNX Eyes for creating such a tool:)))......and cant wait to see updates on them:)...and i guess i will try deamont tools and also start ripping my DVD's as an ISO:)!!!! Thnx guys appreciate all the information posted!!!!

[TRILIGHT]

Glad you find the information useful, Caprioles9000! Happy Backing Up! :D

[Eyes`Only]

Thanks Caprioles9000.

You'll find the .iso method has many benefits. Knowing that you have a complete image of your DVD at all times is one of the best ones. Since the image is mounted read-only, you can't 'accidentally' change a file or two. Also, demuxing from a virtual drive is fast, much faster than most people's dvdrom drives, with no fluctuation in speed as it gets further into the DVD.

I originally opposed this method, thinking it was too much 'overhead'. But after being forced to use it because of the limitations of DVD Decrypter, I quickly grew accustomed to it, and now feel that with the cheap prices of hdds, this is definitely the way people should start using.

[valnar]

There is a gentleman in Germany creating a tool which automates some processes too, but not as many as Doit4U. It does the CCE behind the scenes, which is really nice.

http://www.dvd2dvd-r.de/index.php
Have you looked at his tool? Perhaps the two can be combined in a way? CCE is no fun to do by hand either.

Robert

[Eyes`Only]

I've read a lot about dvd2dvdr. Even tried to install it a while back, but like many, it crashes my machine (both win2k and winxp), so I never actually used it. But I dont believe in dictating the way someone should use CCE, so I'm not interesting in going past the steps DoItFast4U! goes now.

In case you are not aware, there's about 3 main differing styles of CCE. These are:

1) Robshot Method
2) Roba Method (some say this makes a diff, others think Roba only matters for non-DVD stuff like SVCD,Divx,etc.)
3) One-pass method

I'm sure there's many other preferences I haven't even begun to list here. So consequently, I think finding your own 'perfect fit' is something best left to individual tastes.

Oh and I disagree. I think CCE is quite easy. How could anyone that has learned CCE not think so? Set a couple settings after checking to see how the original .vob is structured. drag your .avs file(s) into it, and press start!

[TRILIGHT]

Yeah, CCE is pretty easy. He may be referring to having to do a lot of encodes at once though. Which would mean he hasn't learned the value of editing the ECL file :D Saves a whole crapload of time!

[TRILIGHT]

Search for "Robshot Method" and "Roba Method" as Eyes mentioned.

[Allistah]

Hi Trilight...

I just saw the links to your guide and thought I would give it a try. I got the latest version of DIF4U and the UI is vastly different than what you have on your guide's page.

Do you know when you'll be able to update the screen shots with what is current in the app? I was trying to follow your guide but the differences in the UI now make it hard to follow since there are things in the UI now that aren't talked about in the guide.

Thanks for your time putting together a fine guide!

-Allistah

[VerbaL]

Hi,

I'm trying to follow the DoItFast Tools guide for the first time. It's going pretty well, but there's one step where I have a question. It says to set a minimum MB for demux in DoItFast4U. What should I do with VTS sets that are not processed here? Do I just copy those to my hard drive and use them when re-authoring the disc? Or do I have to check them if I want to include them in my backup?

Thanks.

verb

[TRILIGHT]

@Allistah:

Thanks! I'm glad you like the guide. As for updates, I will definitely be doing so at my first opportunity. I'm busy looking for a job right now and there are a lot of time-consuming logistical aspects that accompany such a task. I assure you the update is coming soon though! :)

@VerbaL:

The "min MB" setting is the minimum it must be to get run through the demux process. It does not mean that DIF4U will not take them into consideration at all. It just means that it will not demux the parts for you to try to recreate that VTS. If you have DIF4U creating folders automatically (I recommend that you do), then you will find your final folder has those VTS sets copied over "as is". You've decided they require no demux/recreation so they will be used as they are. You'll find them in your final VIDEO_TS folder that DIF4U writes.

[deXtoRious]

Could anybody tell me the benefits of the iso method over simple ripping of vob and ifo files?

[Eyes`Only]

Ever read Doom9 guides?

Straight from Doom9's guide: "That way we'll always have every file we need available right on our harddisk and won't have to insert the original DVD again. It also saves us from embarrassment of accidentally deleting a file you'd still need as all the files in the image are read only. "

Straight from Eyes`Only's brain: "It also allows programs to have a higher success rate at working with the files, because they're already decrypted, and some apps don't work well with encrypted vobs."

[deXtoRious]

DVD Decrypter and other tools already decrypt the vobs. I think you misunderstood the question. I was asking of the possible advantage of having one iso file instead of multiple vob files on your hard disk.

[Eyes`Only]

I just told you. Reread the first paragraph, or even better, RTFG!

[OmegaZero]

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=50472
What are we doing wrong here?

EDIT: Guide is off a bit. It says:
"Select the path of the original IFO file to be updated (DIF4U put this in the corresponding VTS folder for you), then set the Authored IFO Path to the file Scenarist has created for you, make sure there's a valid Backup IFO path but before you press Update IFO let's have a look at the options first:"

The VTS_0X_0.IFO AND the VIDEO_TS.xxx from the ORIGINAL disc should be in the SAME directory. The VIDEO_TS.xxx that DIF4U puts in the VTS01 directory (in my example) is 0kb and that's why I and Turd_Ferguson are getting the error we got.
Also in IFOupdate, the easier way of making the final directory would be having the ORIGINAL IFO in the FINAL directory and having the AUTHORED IFO pointing to where Scenarist put it. That way, when IFOudate updates the IFO, there isn't a need to copy anything from anywhere else.

Might want to update the guide a little as it's not 100% clear when it comes to this part (as if I didn't just make things more convoluted).

[TRILIGHT]

You are not making things convoluted by what you said. I understand what you said perfectly. You are correct. The wording is wrong. HOWEVER... You are NOT following the UberGuide which this entire THREAD is based on and is on my site listed in my signature!! Please do not complain about incorrect wording on a guide that I did not write. I wrote the UberGuide listed in the link in my signature. While it might not be COMPLETELY up to date on the screenshots of DIF4U at this time (and a few of the new functionalites of DIF4U), it *IS* rather thorough in properly explaining every single step in detailed wording. To quote a part of the IFOupdate section of the UberGuide...


"Now that you've reauthored all of your VTS's, renamed them, and copied them to your FINAL directory, you need to run IFOupdate to correct for the changes made. IFOupdate is fairly straightforward in it's use. You point to the original IFO, the authored IFO, and then update it! Now there are a few things to remember with IFOupdate. First, make sure you do not have the "Copy audio and subpicture tables" checked in the menu. If it is checked, it will copy over your authored info for these areas. Sometimes this is desired but 99% of the time, we do not want to copy over the information in our original IFO. If we recreated their locations properly in Scenarist, we shouldn't have to do anything."

I have gone to a lot of effort to ensure that the guide is fundamentally sound. By all means, if you do find a blatant error, please do point it out to me so that I can change it so that it is not confusing to others. Just make certain that you ARE referencing the UberGuide that I wrote before posting an error to this thread. Thanks! :)

[OmegaZero]

* Step 1: Opens mouth
Step 2: inserts foot *

*lol*
Apologies are in order as I was going by Doom's guide BASED on your guide. I should have read your guide =).

That aside, things seem to be working so it's all gravy now.

[gbr]

thanks Trilight...i finally figured out, after reading tips and tricks, why the &^**!%$ program kept telling me that the bitrate in PGC14 was not the same as the bitrate in PGC2....i was soooooo frustrated. Great guide...still not done but so far me likes.

EDIT/UPDATE: Doesn't like the 6chan either because Friends Episodes are 5 channel.....Trilight...how can I make a 5channel? For now I will use a 500k silent 5channel that was ripped from an FBI warning (or something like that)

UPDATE2...I found an old copy of soft encode on my machine and just took your 6 channel and remove LFE...seem to work so far...

[fateman]

you mention the uber guide, but i think the link is broken...

[TRILIGHT]

I just checked and the link seems fine. Are you sure it isn't some sort of name resolution problem on your end? Hope it clears up for you.

[fateman]

all i see is white. is the guide html or a picture or what?

when i try to link from your Red Dragon guide to the uberguide, this is the addy i get: file:///E|/WEB/Trilight%20Systems/thedvdrguides/flowchartguide/Flowchart.htm

update: ok, i was using opera and it works in ie. what kinda file is it though? i guess opera just doesn't support it whatever it is

[TRILIGHT]

I apologize for the inconvenience. Thank you for bringing the link errors to my attention. I have corrected them both. As for the flowchart part itself, it is made up using a series of Java, CSS, and XML files. I guess Opera just doesn't know what to do with it or something. Sorry.

[daehkcid]

What is multi PGC?

[Eyes`Only]

do some research or DIE!

[jansb000]

By reading this thread and the website of DOITALL4U (and DOCCE4U) I noticed that the tool is meant for use in combination with CCE. Can it also be used with TMPGEnc? How would I proceed?

[GlenC]

Then it would be called doTMPGEnc4u, would it not.

No, it will not work!!!!

Glen.