dvd-9 split to two dvd-5s

[ztrmils]

This is truly a newbie kinda question. Sites, including this one, have guides on how to split a dvd-9 movie so that it can be backed up to two dvds instead of using a single dual layer one.

With the objective of making a backup with the finest possible quality, I want to know what's the appropriate guide or the best tools to use to do this. It's OK if it takes some time. It's even OK if it's kind of complicated as I'll learn quickly.

For example, there's a guide here on this site about using DVDFab. That looks very easy. But what's the quality of the output? Doesn't something like DVD ReBuilder create files that will have something closer to the quality of the original? Can DVD ReBuilder even be used for such a task and should it?

[ammck55]

Welcome to the Forum:

You can backup any of your DVD's to a single layer disc with excellent quality. DVD Rebuilder provides top-notch quality, but the learning curve is a little steep. If you've never backed up any of your discs, a good place to start is with DVD Shrink; after stripping out all extras and doing a "main movie only" copy with Shrink, I usually end up with 70-80% of full resolution.

If you haven't been to Doom9's Guides section yet, click the link at the very top of this page and hunt down the DVD Backup Guides, the guides for Rebuilder and Shrink are on the same page. Excellent guides for Shrink can also be found at DVDShrink.info (www.dvdshrink.info). Good luck!

ammck55

[jel]

as ammck55 stated, there are many methods avaliable to compress a dvd-9 to fit onto a single dvd-5, however if you do want to continue with splitting the dvd-9 to 2 dvd-5's, programs such as dvdafb will provide no quality loss, as they do not compress/re-encode the final output.

there are additional programs that can do this. they include:
freeware: vobblanker, ifoedit
commercial: dvd remake, and clone dvd (iirc)

personally i do not feel that the loss in qulaity you get from using a transcoder, such as dvdshrink, or a program that re-encodes, such as dvd rebuilder or "the big 3" method, justifies the use of an additional blank dvd that is used when splitting, but at the end of the day, its your back-up and you are the one who needs to be happy with the results.

j

[ztrmils]

Thanks for the advice, both of you. I'll experiment and see what happens.

So let me ask to be clear: it's your opinion that I can use DVD Rebuilder (or DVD Shrink) to copy to one dvd-5 disc and the quality will be close enough to the original so that I won't lose a whole lot?

And if I do try using DVD Rebuilder to split to two discs, then what's the process to get to the point of using it? Split the data with DVDFab, use DVD Rebuilder to reencode, then burn with Nero or whatever?

[ammck55]

So let me ask to be clear: it's your opinion that I can use DVD Rebuilder (or DVD Shrink) to copy to one dvd-5 disc and the quality will be close enough to the original so that I won't lose a whole lot?Yes. I don't use Rebuilder, which provides slightly higher quality than Shrink, but if you go to the Shrink site (link in my first post to this thread) and use the guide to "Re-author" the main movie only, you'll come up with a clean backup. The only opinion of the image quality that this particular method delivers will be what looks "good" to you. For me, at this point in time, it's fine. My needs may change when I get around to setting up a hotdog HD system with surround sound, but that's a ways off. :)

And if I do try using DVD Rebuilder to split to two discs, then what's the process to get to the point of using it? Split the data with DVDFab, use DVD Rebuilder to reencode, then burn with Nero or whatevr?If you intend to backup a DVD-9 to two DVD-5 discs, re-encoding would be redundant, there's enough disc space without doing so. If you want to test this, why not use DVDFab, it will automatically choose the split points for you. If you're feeling frisky, you could pull up IfoEdit and do the job manually, but if you want the job done more quickly and with less headaches, I'd go with DVDFab. As Jel pointed out, there are several other app's that can accomplish this, I use DVDFab as an example because of the guide that Doom9 has written and which I think you've already located and read.

You're elbow deep in the encoding world now, so why not run a few tests? Crank out a Rebuilder backup. Crank out a Shrink backup. Do a full DVD-9 > two DVD5's backup, then sit back and watch the results. In the process, you'll learn tons about encoding/transcoding and realize a neat sense of accomplishment. Either way/s, good luck! Take the time to come back and tell us what you've discovered works best, for you.

ammck55

[ztrmils]

Will do on all counts, ammck55.

If I might ask one further question before I dive in all the way. There seems to be two versions of DVDFab. The one referenced in the guide with the more sedate interface and the purple one, downloadable from another site. The latter is not a free version, iirc. Is the one featured in the guide the one I should be looking at and using?

[ammck55]

There's a download link at the very top of the DVDFAb guide page; I'd use that link to be sure that the interface lines up with the guide. Doom9 is very exacting in the writing of his guides, and given the fact that this guide was updated in March of this year, everything written in it should be current with the version of DVDFab that you're linked to from that document. Not that you can't accomplish your task with another version and its accompanying guide, but if you want to use Doom9's guide, then, by all means, get the version from his link. ;)

ammck55

[Bathrone]

Im a HT enthusiast and I find that as long as the compression from DVD Shrink (2 pass with sharp) is not less than about 85% its all good. Usually I achieve this with getting rid of unwanted audio and subtitle streams, menus, special features....leaving just the movie.

If Im packing up something from my collection like TV series on DVD, or a really long movie, I dont like the video quality with less than 85% compression. What I do then is I transcode the media into a better format than MPG2, such as MPG4-ASP, the boest IMHO of those is Divx v6.

I do this through VirtualDubMod keeping the original AC3 and using DGMPDec and AniSynth as frameserving. Doing vobs directly into the dubber Im told can give grief with audio synch.

Cos I have network attached storage and XBMC Im able to play movies in these other formats like a "DVD player".

[jagman]

Yes. I don't use Rebuilder, which provides slightly higher quality than Shrink, but if you go to the Shrink site (link in my first post to this thread) and use the guide to "Re-author" the main movie only, you'll come up with a clean backup. The only opinion of the image quality that this particular method delivers will be what looks "good" to you. For me, at this point in time, it's fine. My needs may change when I get around to setting up a hotdog HD system with surround sound, but that's a ways off. :)

If you intend to backup a DVD-9 to two DVD-5 discs, re-encoding would be redundant, there's enough disc space without doing so. If you want to test this, why not use DVDFab, it will automatically choose the split points for you. If you're feeling frisky, you could pull up IfoEdit and do the job manually, but if you want the job done more quickly and with less headaches, I'd go with DVDFab. As Jel pointed out, there are several other app's that can accomplish this, I use DVDFab as an example because of the guide that Doom9 has written and which I think you've already located and read.

You're elbow deep in the encoding world now, so why not run a few tests? Crank out a Rebuilder backup. Crank out a Shrink backup. Do a full DVD-9 > two DVD5's backup, then sit back and watch the results. In the process, you'll learn tons about encoding/transcoding and realize a neat sense of accomplishment. Either way/s, good luck! Take the time to come back and tell us what you've discovered works best, for you.

ammck55
I have tried DVDFAB and sometimes it works and other times no.
I used DVDDecryptor and created a 7.3gb files and used the instructions in the GUIDE Doom9.net and did the following: used 'copy complete DVD' choose the paths, file in and file out. Copy complete DVD window came up with VTS 3 PGC 4 (1:25:00) and hit PROCESS. Always get an error " Cant find split point. Action aborted. Tried adding the CSS plugin and used the DVD as imput, the Dir VIDEO_TS and then get error Cant access DVD. Action Aborted. SO tried the 'copy main movie from DVD (split) and used the file output from DVDDecryptor as input and then get entirely new window with option to SPLIT TO 2 DISK. but the TOTAL size of the input file is 7.3gb but this windows show the disc 1 to be 1.208GB and disc 2 will be 2.203gb. What the heck is happening?

[CWR03]

Much simpler to use is CloneDVD - you rip the DVD with Decrypter in File mode, then open the folder with CloneDVD, deselect things you don't need like subs and languages you don't understand anyway, and if necessary menus and extras. If it's a DVD with a lot of extras I might enjoy along with a long movie on the same disc, I'll put just the movie on one disc and the extras on another. It takes well over 2.5 hours of video on one disc before there is a noticeable loss of quality.