FAQ - q&A collection thread: (invisible)

[killingspree]

@other mods: this thread is invisible, so other people - non mods - can't see it!

my idea for this thread is to just copy and paste, or write short question and answers to this one so we can collect information as it comes up in the forum!

in order to be able to make a new reply you have to make the thread visible, create a short reply, (like just the word test), then you can edit it after making it invisible again!!
you can of course also add content to my existing posts, not necessary to start a new one every time you find a piece of info - just somehow add a quick note with date added and your name!

unfortunatelyi can't make it sticky, so from time to time we're gonna need a bump :)

like this:

Q: I bought new media, and now my burns do not work on my standalone anymore?
A: check if your media is compatible with your burner and your standalone:
Media/Player Compatibility (http://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers)
Media/DVDWriter Compatibility (http://www.videohelp.com/dvdwriters)
You can find out all the information about your specific media by using DVD Identifier (http://dvd.identifier.cdfreaks.com/)

Q: I'm new to DVD ripping! What is the recommended program to start converting DVDs to Divx/Xvid?
AutoGK (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=64266&highlight=autogk)
Guide (http://www.doom9.org/autogk.htm) - there's also a guide included with the install package!

Q: I'm new to DVD ripping! What is the recommended program to start backing up DVD9 to DVD5 (DVD+/-R)?
DVDShrink (http://www.doom9.org/Soft21/Vobtools/dvdshrink317setup.zip) - it's easy to use and it's free!
Guide (http://www.doom9.org/mpg/dvdshrink31-main.htm)

Q: My ripping speed has suddenly gone down from 7 - 10x to 2x or maybe 2.1x, but it never goes above that! what happened?
A: This is a pretty commonly experienced WinXP bug, which sets the IDE Bus from UDMA (=fast) to PIO, after a certain amount of read errors!
There's some ways to fix this problem though! read more here (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=43758)

[killingspree]

finished q&a's from aleksanders thread: (needs correction updating!!)

How do I make a backup of a DVD to DVD+-R/+-RW?*

This is not as simple as simply running your copy program and making a copy. DVD's are encrypted to hinder copying, and must be decrypted before they can be copied. The other major hurdle is that most DVDs are DVD-9, which means they have two layers. Your blank DVD will only have one layer, half the space, so you will need to either copy to two DVDs or make some decisions on what you want to keep and how you are going to make it fit. The other problem is that in order for the DVD to work in stand-alone players, you have to make sure the files and format are correct. You have some reading ahead of you.

What is DVD-9 and DVD-5 and why does it matter? *

Each layer in a DVD can hold 4.3GB of information. In order to fit more information on a single side of a DVD, studios often glue two layers together, so that it becomes a dual layered disc. That is why you will see the layer change pause half way through the movie. Most new major studio releases are dual layer. Dual layer DVDs are called DVD-9 and single layer DVDs are DVD-5.

The reason it matters is that blank DVD media (+R, +RW, -R, -RW) are all only single layered. So it is not possible to simply recreate the full original DVD on a single recordable DVD, unless the original is a DVD-5. For DVD-9 disks, you can either split the DVD to two disks, remove enough unnecessary data to fit the movie on one disk, or compress the files to make them smaller. There are advantages and disadvantages to each of these options.

How do I decrypt the DVD?*

The first step in any backup process is decrypting the files. The studios encrypt the data on the DVDs to make it harder to backup. However we have 2 great tools that can be used to decrypt the movie, DVDDecryptor and SmartRipper. They can both be downloaded from doom9’s download area, and guides are available here: Descrambling Guides

What is the file structure of a DVD? How should the files look in order to make sure it will work in my stand-alone player? *

There should be two main directories on your DVD, AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS. AUDIO_TS is used for DVD Audio disks, and will most likely be empty on your final DVD. VIDEO_TS is where all your other files should go.

Inside VIDEO_TS you should see at least the following:
VIDEO_TS.IFO This is the Video Manager Information file. It is a master file.
VIDEO_TS.BUP Backup of the VIDEO_TS.IFO
VTS_01_0.IFO First Title Manager Information File. Contains details your DVD player needs to know in order to play correctly, e.g. chapter stops, language info etc.
VTS_01_0.BUP Backup of VTS_01_0.IFO
VTS_01_0.VOB This is first video file of the first title. It is a container file that includes an MPEG2 video stream as well as audio and subtitle streams.
VTS_01_1.VOB This is the second video container file for the first Title.

Your DVD will most likely have additional VOB’s, and possibly more Titles as well. Each additional title will have its own set of IFO, BUP and VOBs. A second Title would be named VTS_02_0 etc.

How do I backup a DVD-5 DVD? *
There are a number of ways to do this, but by far the easiest is to use DVDDecryptor in ISO mode. See the DVDDecryptor guide here: DVDDecryptor Guide , and follow the instructions for ISO mode.


How do I backup a DVD-9 DVD? *

The first thing you have to determine is what you want the final DVD to look like.

If you want only the movie, and no special features or menus then you will need to see how large the movie is. Rip just the main title in DVDDecryptor or SmartRipper (see the guides) and then see how large it is. If it is smaller than 4.3GB, then you are in luck. Use IFOEdit (guide here Creating a DVD that contains just the main movie ). IFOEdit and the other tools mentioned can be downloaded in the software area.

If you want only the movie, but the ripped main title only is larger than 4.3GB, then you will either need to split the movie over two disks while keeping the original bit rate (and therefore quality), or strip out unwanted audio and subtitle streams to save space, or you will need to compress the movie file to a lower bit rate so that it will fit on one disk, but your quality will decrease somewhat. All the guides you will need are here: DVD and miniDVD Guides , pay special attention to the following guides:
Basic Guide
Creating a DVD that contains just the main movie
Copying a DVD-9 to 2 DVD±Rs
DVD Authoring in IfoEdit

I want to back up a DVD-9 and I want easy newby tools that I can pay for and will do nearly everything I want easily and simply. What should I buy? *

While we cannot recommend specific commercial products over others, there are a few good tools that will do most of the work for you, and that you can buy for a reasonable price. DVDxCopy and DVD2One are two good examples, although there are others.

DVDxCopy is the simplest, you only need that one tool and it will do everything you need. It will copy the movie file without compression, so that means you will need two blank DVDs for most movies. It will also copy all the menus and special features you need.

DVD2One does what it needs to do well and quickly, for a reasonable price. For a newby, you will still need to learn a little DVDDecryptor or SmartRipper to get the movie decoded and on your hard drive, but other than that it will work simply and easily. It will compress the movie so that it will fit on one blank DVD faster than anything else out there. The drawback is that you lose all special features and menus. However if you just want to back up the movie, this is a good easy newby friendly tool.

* thanks to Jolard for those - credits

[killingspree]

questions to be answered partly from alek's thread: just copied and pasted, not sure if they are still necessary

[done] My burned DVD won’t play in my stand-alone, what is wrong?

I don’t have a DVD burner, how can I backup my DVDs?

My DVD media says it is 4.7GB, how come I can only get 4.3GB of data on it?

how do i burn an dvd with (s)vcd files?

how do i convert an dat -> mpeg?

how do i convert an rm -> divx or mpeg?

how do i extract the audio from an (s)vcd or dvd?

something about the hotmail banned?

i'm still wondering how do i extract an pcm audio from an dvd, correctly?

and probility the most asked newbie question: audio sync?

[done] 2x ripping speed problem

after joining 2 avis in vdubmod the sound is out of sync

[killingspree]

link collection

DDoggs Pie Thread (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7770&highlight=message+free+pies)
markb's 'how to post a question' (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19566)
One Click DVD Backup Solutions Overview (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=58950)

[killingspree]

rules Q&A - probably needs updating too - wrote this about 10 months ago!

Q: Why did my thread get closed without any warning?
A: Well, this could have a number of reasons. Most likely it has something to do with the forum rules (http://forum.doom9.org/forum-rules.htm). Maybe, reread the rules, than reread your thread. First take a look at your title. Did it really indicate our problem or was it more like "Please help, I've got a problem!!!!!". Or the content? Did you maybe talk about a downloaded movie you got from Kazaa or e-Donkey? Did you write your post in a proper and polite manner? What did you ask? Perhaps your question has already been asked a million times! Or perhaps the answer is already in this, or a related FAQ?! Did you write in English?
If you can say that you have followed all the rules and you feel that you have been treated unfairly - yes moderators are only human too and do make mistakes - please contact one of the forum moderators with a PM and politely ask for the reasons why your thread got closed. Perhaps it really was a mistake or otherwise we will point you to the issue or rule your post has violated. Just please do not start another thread asking or claiming that mod XY has just treated you so unfairly etc etc - I can guarantee that this will not help your cause.
Please see the below Q&As and the links contained in there for more details!

Q: Why are we not allowed to post questions about content about questionable nature?
A: Because it would threaten the existence of our board. You see backing up the DVDs you legally own is your right - although some people/ companies are trying to take that right from you. In the past sites that have provided or helped with illegal content have frequently got shut down by American and international authorities. And this is definitely something we do not want. Therefore, please do not ask as we will just close any thread asking for help on downloaded material. And this does not mean that you have to explicitly state that you downloaded a movie. It is a sufficient reason if you just state that you have downloaded this clip and want to convert it. Such threads will be closed immediately and you will not have a chance to justify your thread. So IF you really have downloaded an avi in xvid format that is not copyrighted (yes, LOTR the two towers is copyrighted ;)), for example a home video done by your rich uncle in the US, please tell us in the original post. If you need help on other kind of material, there are enough sites on the net that will be eager to help you.
Also do not ask for any material of a DVD, like chapter, subtitle or IFO files. If you did so, that would indicate that you do not legally own the DVD and therefore would be illegal again.
Here are a few more threads that further elaborate this topic:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=43617
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=50767

Q: Why are you so picky about a good title?
A: There are several reasons for that. First of all, not every member of this board including the moderators has knowledge about every aspect of DVD ripping. Some are experts on Divx or Xvid, others just always do SVCDs and therefore have little experience doing DVD to DVD-R conversations and others have never done anything else but DVD-9 to DVD-5 conversions and are therefore considered experts on this field. Now if you just write that you have a problem, everybody has to take a look at the post and most people will then realize that it is not their field of expertise and therefore they might claim that you have wasted their time by not using a descriptive title - and they are right. Of course it doesn't take too long to read one thread, but some of us read hundreds of threads every day and it then sums up.
Another point has been nicely formulated by markb in this thread (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=49236):
As you know Rule 1a says try a search before posting.
If all the titles say "help me" or "DVD2SVCD problem" when you do this search how in the world would you know if this thread has anything to do with your problem? We all know that the search function can get many hits that have nothing to do with what you are searching for.
In the end it comes down to helping the forum members better navigate and find answers to their problems.
Please have respect for your fellow forum member and help yourself by using a title that reflects the problem the thread contains.
In addition, as rule 9 states, do not use more than one exclamation or question mark and not a single cap more than necessary! If you try to draw special attention it is very likely that your title will be edited or the thread deleted. It can even earn you a strike!

Q: I've seen people mention a so called "Pie-Thread"! What is it? Where can I find it?
First of all, here's (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7770) the link. Please take the time and read through it. I know it is fairly lengthy but it is very well written! If you read through it, you might understand why you maybe have gotten a rather sharp reply to one of your innocent questions.
Furthermore it surely doesn't hurt, if you read this thread (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=52597) by doom9, titled "General Conduct - Or how to accept a gift properly". It is a little more formally written and quite a bit longer too, but it makes a lot of valid points and helps users that do not know forum life (and also those that do) understand how it feels to be at the 'giving end'.
To conclude, I want to quote DDogg from the pie-thread:
Many have started to think of community boards like it was paid tech support for a commercial product and as if they DESERVE something. As soon as they realize they don't deserve DICK from any other member, nor are ENTITLED to anything, nada, nothing, zilch, then they start fitting in and become a good member of the community.
Now this might sound a bit harsh, but if you think about it for a minute or two you'll have to admit that he's got a point there :-P

Q: Why did I get barked at because I didn't write proper English?
Well basically DDogg (again :D) has answered this question already, but I'll sum it up. Please do write in proper English with no superfluous caps, exclamation of question marks! Furthermore please do not use this "chatroom" English that some people have come accustomed to (the "wuz up" kind of English). Reading such posts is really annoying and if it is extreme your thread might even get deleted. But please take your time and read through DDogg's thread: here's the link (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=51632).

Q: I've received a strike! What does this mean?
A: Oh my god, you're dammed. Hells fire will be upon you soon. Better you never come back! -NO! (: I'm just kidding! Please do not take a strike personal. The moderator that has issued this strike just gave you a warning! A strike is a warning, drawing your attention to the fact that you have broken one or even several forum rules. If this happens to you once, nothing will happen to you. After 30 days the strike will be deleted off your record and nobody will remember that you have done anything wrong. As you can read on the sanctions (http://forum.doom9.org/sanctions.htm)page, it only gets dangerous for you if you do not change your behaviour afterwards. If you get 3 strikes within 30 days, you will be suspended. This rarely happens, but rules and sanctions just have to exist because otherwise this forum would not be such a civilized place! But as I said, one strike is no tragedy. Just take a look at the post that has gotten you the strike and try to figure out what you've done wrong. The PM you got even tells you which forum rule you have violated, so that shouldn't be too difficult. Again, please do not go ranting in the forum about it as it just might bring you one step closer to suspension! If you think you've been treated unfairly, please talk to a moderator privately or if you think he really goes berserk on you and just does it because he doesn't like you consider contacting doom9.

Q: I've been writing PMs to this guy asking for help for days now, but haven't gotten a single answer! What's wrong?
Once again I have to refer you to the forum rules (http://forum.doom9.org/forum-rules.htm). There you agreed on not bothering more experienced members and mods with questions over PMs and emails. This is not because we want to make your life harder, but simply because it is important for the forum. If you ask a question and the guy you've PM'ed answers it and gives you the solution, you of course get what you want, the same way you would have gotten it if you had posted in the appropriate forum. The thing is that other guys that might encounter the same problem will not find the solution while searching the forum, as they should, before posting. So somebody has to answer their question again.

[ammck55]

*Bump* :D