What is the max # of cells per PGC?

[owwing]

I am trying to combine a bunch of short clips from DVDs recorded by a Pioneer DVD recorder. It seems that the recorder likes to make a new cell every 50 seconds or so. As a result, the 75 clips combined result in well over 200 cells. When I try to make a new IFO for the VOB set, IFOEdit stops at 50 cells if I use the mode of creating a single PGC and a chapter for every cell. If I use the mode of creating a PGC for every VOB ID and one chapter for every PGC, then I get all 75 PGCs, but because they are all different PGCs, tehy don't play sequentially in order (and even if I edit the PGC command table to jump to the next PGC, I wouldn't be able to skip backwards).

Is 50 cells the max a PGC can have (I seem to recall having come across a DVD with more than 50)? Can this limit be worked around (IFOEdit updated)? Is there another app like IFOEdit that can take a VOB set and create a new IFO that doesn't have this 50 cell limit?

[r0lZ]

Is 50 cells the max a PGC can have (I seem to recall having come across a DVD with more than 50)? Max 255 cells per PGC.
If I use the mode of creating a PGC for every VOB ID and one chapter for every PGC, then I get all 75 PGCs, but because they are all different PGCs, tehy don't play sequentially in order (and even if I edit the PGC command table to jump to the next PGC, I wouldn't be able to skip backwards). You may try to use the 'New Play All Title' function of PgcEdit 0.3.2. It will make one PGC with all cells found in all PGCs of the titleset, in sequential order.

[owwing]

Ah yes, I was hoping that might be the case - I had downloaded 0.3.2 late last night but was too tired to check it out...

Thanks - I hope it will work!

[owwing]

Well, I guess because pgcedit uses IFOEdit, it still maxes out at 50, which is what I suspected would happen... Oh well... So the next question is, is there any app that can combine cells of a VOB into a single cell???

[2COOL]

Originally posted by owwing
Well, I guess because pgcedit uses IFOEdit, it still maxes out at 50, which is what I suspected would happen... Oh well... So the next question is, is there any app that can combine cells of a VOB into a single cell??? I guess you can use ReJig to demux the streams in File mode and reauthor them back without chapter times? I'm at work right now so I'm just going on memory. Should be one solution.

[owwing]

I was hoping to avoid demuxing and reauthoring, but that may be the only solution...

[r0lZ]

Well, I guess because pgcedit uses IFOEdit, it still maxes out at 50, which is what I suspected would happen... PgcEdit do not uses IfoEdit at all, and should accept more than 50 cells in the PGC. Have you verified the number of cells with PgcEdit, or IfoEdit?
If you are sure there is really a limit to 50 cells in PgcEdit, please send me your original IFOs... I have to look at them! Thanks. (My email address in on the PgcEdit homepage).

[owwing]

My goof.. I guess if you exceed the 255 cell limit, IFOEdit doesn't complain but simple only shows 50 in the IFO (or maybe some random number).

[r0lZ]

even if I edit the PGC command table to jump to the next PGC, I wouldn't be able to skip backwards Have you tried to set the PrevPGC link to point to the previous PGC? Since you have one chapter per PGC, without pre nor post commands, this will allow to use the remote's previous chapter button to do what it is supposed to do. :)

[owwing]

No, I am not all that familiar with all of the possible commands. Is this something that can be done in IFOEdit or PGCEdit (I presume so). Is it essentially a post command, or something else? Is there a nextPGC Link also? I'll have to take a look. Thanks...

[r0lZ]

In each PGC, you have a NextPGC, PrevPGC and GoUpPGC parameter.
Thoses parameters are usually 0, meaning that they are inactive.

As an example, suppose the NextPGC param of PGC 3 is set to 4 (this is the case in the IFOs you send to me).
When the playback reach the end of the last chapter of the PGC 3 (or if you press the Next Chapter button of the remote when in last chapter of PGC 3), the post commands of PGC 3 will be executed (if any), and then a jump to the PGC 4 will be executed.
Your IFOs are authored this way: no post commands, but a NextPGC param that link each PGC to the following one.

In a similar way, the PrevPGC is used when the user press the Prev button when in chapter 1 (of the PGC 3, in my example). In this case, the post commands of the current PGC are not executed.
In your IFOs, the PrevPGC parameters for all PGCs are 0. This means it is not possible to skip back to the previous PGC.
So, if you set the PrevPGC of PGC 3 to 2 (and similary for each PGC, except the first one), you will be able to go back to the previous PGC. And because there is one chapter per PGC, this will lead you to the previous chapter.

Note that you may also set the PrevPGC of PGC 1 to 1: this will allow to return to the beginning of chapter 1 by pressing the prev button in chapter 1. And setting the NextPGC of the last PGC to the last PGC number will allow to skip directly to the end of the title by pressing the Next button when in the last chapter (in this case, you must have a post command in your last PGC, for example 'exit')

The GoUpPGC is similar, except that it works with the Return button of the remote, regardless of the current chapter the playback is in.

It is also possible to force the jump to the NextPGC, PrevPGC or GoUpPGC with the VM commands LinkNextPGC, LinkPrevPGC and LinkGoUpPGC. But you don't need to use thoses commands in your case.

Is this something that can be done in IFOEdit or PGCEdit (I presume so). In PgcEdit, select the PGC, then click the Edit PGC button (or double click on the PGC in the PGC selector pane). Then edit the PrevPGC parameter...

[owwing]

Thanks... Pretty cool. I guess PowerDVD doesn't make use of the NextPGC field as it would stop after each chapter and not continue.

Thanks again for the great info...