Join two DVDs with preserving original menus

[region_free]

Are there freeware tools to join two completely different DVD on one DVD-R with preserving original menues ? The same way DVDRemake does it. I have tried DVDShrink, but original menues are gone.

Thank you.

[Mr. Monte]

Whats wrong with DVDREmake?

[maksa]

There is "Free" in everything of this guy.

[region_free]

@Mr.Monte

Nothing is wrong with DVDRemake, but I don't need all its features, except joining two DVDs and keeping the original menues. I think to pay $30-50 for majority of the features that I never gonna use is way to much. I was wondering if I can do the same with another program. I can not believe that Dimad is the only person on this planet who figured out how to do it.

@maksa
LOL

[Surf]

Hello Mr. Universe(region-free),

Yes, it can be done without DVDremake. That depends on how much you know so far in dvd backup.

If you are a novice, then there's a steep learning curve ahead of you. If you are a champ then again you wouldn't ask this question, so I'm assuming you are the earlier.

So, keep this project on hold and start familarize yourself with DVDstyler, PgcEdit and VobBlanker. Then we shall resume the class a few days later perhaps?

You can always give up the menus if you want a simpler life and just backitup with dvdshrink.

[Mr. Monte]

Originally Posted by Surf

Hello Mr. Universe(region-free),
So, keep this project on hold and start familarize yourself with DVDstyler, PgcEdit and VobBlanker. Then we shall resume the class a few days later perhaps?

You can always give up the menus if you want a simpler life and just backitup with dvdshrink.

Trust me..spend the $30-50..it's WELL worth it.

Once you've used the added features..you'll wonder how you ever did without it

[jinjin_jp]

If permitted Japanese,threre are various type of join DVDs with menus.
Join Titles with original menu
Example of various editting
in which included without menu, with original menu, with personally made menu, and others.

[region_free]

@jinjin_jp

Thank you for your help!!!

With your guides in japanese and Google translation I am getting somewhere. The reason I've started this thread was Season 3 of "In Living Color". Fox has decided to release it on the dual-sided DVD-5 discs. I personally hate flipper discs, so I want to join them into a one DVD-9 disc and burn onto DVD+R DL. The original menues must be preserved, otherwise I will have a mess selecting the right episode.

[Surf]

Boys, don't get me wrong, I am only suggesting that it can be done without DVDremake. For those who can't be bothered with the nitty gritty of dvd commands, it is a good purchase.

I am chiming in after a brief jab at region-free's nickname.

@zacoz, if you read this thread you probably will form an idea how to do join a flipper. Right now I'm busy @home, just couldn't find time to get to write it.

@Surf: I recall that thread, although I didn't study it at the time. For me I think it will be more a matter of not having (or is that making) the time to do it manually. Unfortunately this thread is getting me wondering though - sometimes I'm a sucker for a challenge.

[jinjin_jp]

I've not actually got the output allthrough the process nor examined detail , but tested and confirmed several parts of the processes.
I think it is possible to simply join DVDs, by observing the strucure merged DVD by DvdReMakePro.

I assumed like below,
Original DISC (1).....(for example, has 2 VTS)
VMGM
...FistrPlay (1-1)
...PGCs (1-2)
VTS_01
...Menu (1-3)
...Titles (1-4)
VTS_02
...Menu (1-5)
...Titles (1-6)
Original DISC (2).....(for example, has 2 VTS)
VMGM
...FistrPlay (2-1)
...PGCs (2-2)
VTS_01
...Menu (2-3)
...Titles (2-4)
VTS_02
...Menu (2-5)
...Titles (2-6)

Merged DVD (3).....(which has 4 VTS)
VMGM
...New FistrPlay
...PGCs (1-2)
...FistrPlay (1-1)
...PGCs (2-2)
...FistrPlay (2-1)
...New Title Menu ...<in where reset all Gpreg>
VTS_01(VTS_01 of DISC (1))
..Menu (1-3)
...Titles (1-4)
VTS_02(VTS_02 of DISC (1))
...Menu (1-5)
...Titles (1-6)
VTS_03(VTS_01 of DISC (2))
...Menu (2-3)
...Titles (2-4)
VTS_04(VTS_02 of DISC (2))
...Menu (2-5)
...Titles (2-6)

I think above processes done by PgcEdit,
generally process is
...open DVD (DISC(1)).
about VTST and VTSM
...add VTST Titles by importing from DISC(2).
...add Menu of imported VTST by importing from DISC(2).
about VMGM
...add New dummy PGC in VMGM (of which number is according to need).
...copy PGC and command from DISC (1) and (2).
...create New TitleMenu, buttons which jump to each DISC.
......I usually use DVDStyler.
...Set Menu type (TitleMenu).
...edit command of New First Play and New TitleMenu.
other correction and adjustment about command of IFO and button.
...for example, correct old title number of jump command to new one,
...and others like this accodingly to need from detail examination.

The feature of above method is to have New Title Menu which jump to each DISC,
to remain all contents, to be independent each DISC, and to remain reference in each DISC.
On the other hand, if wanting to have references between each DISC and not to have New Title Menu, it needs to more understanding about structure, to create New Buttons in existece Menu.

[edit(add)]
The problem may be in the case that the stream is different between each DISC.

[nabe3net]

Good Job, jinjin_jp san!!

[r0lZ]

Not easy, I'm affraid.
As PgcEdit doesn't process the VOBs, it is not possible to join two VMGMs with menus.
It should be possible to join the VOBs with PgcDemux/Muxman, but the manual work for retrieving the correct infos from the IFOs is even more complex: you have to take the VOBU pointers from the remuxed menu IFOs, and the commands from the original ones. Furthermore, Muxman is currently difficult to handle for menu buttons.

But take in mind that most of the time the VMGM is made only of warnings and logos (and dummies, of course). So, you should be able to blank out all PGCs of the VMGM of at least one of the original DVD, with the option to completely remove the VOB.
If you concat a blanked VMGM to the first one, the problem dissapear.

Confirmed my suspicions r0lZ.

Wondering out loud here - and won't have chance to test for a couple of hours, but:

Possibly import the VMGM from disc two as a new VTSM in the combined disc (seem to recall something mentioned in PgcEdit instructions). I could then add dummy VMGM PGC's equal to each of the disc two VMGM PGC's. Commands could be copied over making all these added dummy PGC's work as intended. For those requiring actual video cells (ie not able to be blanked), the VMGM could jump to the (VMGM parading as a) VTSM to display cells, and then jump back to dummy VMGM PGC's and continue as intended (probably need some additional dummy PGC's to avoid invalid jumping within DVD).

Not pretty, or as clean as importing VTST & VTSM ( r0lZ).

Will report back later tonight or tomorrow - promised to play with my son for a while.

[jinjin_jp]

Sorry, I've mistook "copy PGC" is "copy VOB".
Certainly to join VOBs maintaining each is difficult.

OK, I've joined my first two DVD's , and tested successfully on WinDVD. I still need to shrink it slightly so I can burn and test on stand alone though. Anyway, I hereby present the long winded process:

1. Create copy of disc one and disc two (extra protection against totally screwing it up)
2. Open disc one in PgcEdit
3. Import VTST Titles from disc two
   1. ensure you select to copy or move the VOBs when prompted
   2. need to take note of the old title numbers and their respective new title numbers as you need to update commands later
4. Import VTSM Menus from disc two
   1. for each imported VTST, select it then Import Menu from original disc two
   2. ensure you select to copy or move the VOBs when prompted
5. VMGM PGC's
   1. select VMGM and create a new dummy PGC
   2. delete NOP command and copy commands from disc one VMG First-Play PGC to this new dummy PGC (write down its number as this is what you need to link to later from your new disc selection menu to play disc one)
   3. select VMGM and create another new dummy PGC, deleting it's NOP command
   4. Open disc two in another instance of PgcEdit (only to enable you to copy VMGM commands - you don't make any changes to it)
   5. copy commands from disc two VMG First-Play PGC to this new dummy PGC (write down its number as this is what you need to link to later from your new disc selection menu to play disc two)
   6. select VMGM and create additional new dummy PGC's for each VMGM PGC appearing in disc two (deleting NOP commands in each)
   7. copy commands from disc two VMGM PGC's to these new dummy PGC's
6. Fix navigation
   1. select VMG First Play PGC and use 'Go to calling 'command' to identify any 'Jump to VMGM First Play PGC' commands throughout the DVD. Those from disc one should be changed to jump to the first dummy VMGM PGC added (5b). Those from disc two should be changed to jump to the second dummy VMGM PGC added (5e).
   2. find existing TitleM menu and use 'Go to calling 'command' to identify any 'Jump to VMGM Title' commands throughout the DVD. Those from disc one should be changed to jump to the VMGM using the PGC number not via use of the 'Title' reference. Those from disc two should be changed to jump to the VMGM which was flagged as TitleM in the original disc two (ensuring you use it's new 'joined disc' PGC number in the commands).
   3. select VMGM and create another new dummy PGC
   4. change the NOP command to Jump to First Play PGC
   5. set this PGC as the new TitleM menu
   6. go through each added/imported VMGM, VTST, and VTSM and adjust commands to point to the new VMGM PGC numbers (they will all be increased by the same number - equivalent to the PGC number where you pasted the VMG First Play PGC commands from disc two (5e))
   7. go through each added/imported VMGM and adjust commands to point to the new VTS numbers (they will all be increased by the same number - equivalent to the number of VTS's in the original disc one)
   8. go through each added/imported VMGM, VTST, and VTSM and adjust commands to point to the new title numbers (refer to list from start of the process or compare back to original disc two - note they will most likely not all be increased by the same number as title numbers in original disc are probably not in the same numerical order as the VTS's, however on importing them earlier, they would have been renumbered into numerical order)
   9. check each added/imported menu/bov button and update them to point to the new VMGM/VTS numbers as required.
7. Create Disc selection menu
   1. use your favourite authoring program (e.g. DVDAuthorGUI) to create a dummy DVD containing a titleset menu designed to suit your joined DVD - i.e. a page with two buttons (make it as generic or customised as you like)
   2. Import VTST title from your dummy DVD, but don't copy or move the VOB
   3. Import VTSM Menu from your dummy DVD, and copy/move VOB
   4. remove all commands from this VTS except for possibly the set button highlight in the pre command section of VTSM containing the menu
   5. flag the VTSM containing your disc selection menu as root menu
   6. edit menu buttons to jump to the VMGM PGC's acting as pseudo First Play PGC's for disc's one and two (5b & 5e respectively)
   7. Replace all existing commands in the 'real' VMG First Play PGC with (a) set gprm commands to zero out gprm's 0-15, then (b) jump command to VTSM root menu containing your new disc selection menu
8. Save and test DVD

Note that with above arrangement, pressing the Title button on the remote will take you back to the Disc Selection menu. This is in fact the only way back to the menu.

Commands could be added/changed such that the first press of Title button takes you back to the title of the DVD you are watching and a second press within a given time would take you back to the disc selection menu (requires understanding the flow of the specific DVD you are dealing with and possibly an unused gprm). Using the root menu button would probably suffice to back out to the main menu of the selected DVD in most cases.

Above assumes that all VMGM PGC's in disc two have been processed through PgcEdit or VobBlanker such that there are no video cells remaining in VIDEO_TS which need to be copied over to the joined disc (unless there were none to start with of course).

My thanks go to those thread contributors who helped me reach this point - jinjin_jp, Surf, rolZ, spyhawk.

[edit 10/07/2005: had to run finished product through Vobblanker, processing only the last VTS, as DVDShrink wouldn't open it as it was missing VTS_28_1.VOB - result of not copying vob in 7b. Vobblanker created the blank vob, adjusted ifo and all appears well in the world]
[edit 12/07/05: remove superfluous checks in step 6g]

[spyhawk]

Very nice draft indeed. Almost like DRMP 3.0.7's new merge procedure.

Originally Posted by zacos

Commands could be added/changed such that the first press of Title button takes you back to the title of the DVD you are watching and a second press within a given time would take you back to the disc selection menu (requires understanding the flow of the specific DVD you are dealing with and possibly an unused gprm)

You're right, you would need to use an unused gprm for this, but there's no need for a time limit for a second press. So based on your flow, you would only add 1 or 2 precommands in a few places.

1. From 6c-e Title menu, insert these 2 conditions before Jump to First Play PGC. I'll use gprm(4) as unused register.
   1. if ( gprm(4) == 1) then { LinkPGCN PGC 1 } Title menu of original DVD1.
   2. if ( gprm(4) == 2) then { LinkPGCN PGC # } Title menu of original DVD2 (from 5f)
2. In VMG PGC 1, insert gprm(4)=0 as first line.
3. In VMG PGC # (5f), insert gprm(4)=0 as first line.
4. In VMG PGC # (5b First play of DVD1), insert gprm(4)=1 as first line.
5. In VMG PGC # (5e First play of DVD2), insert gprm(4)=2 as first line.

I guess you probably know how to do this already.

Originally Posted by spyhawk

Very nice draft indeed. Almost like DRMP 3.0.7's new merge procedure.

Yes looking at the output from demo version of DVDReMakePro, and Dimad's answers to some questions I had helped also. Should have included him in thanks also.

Originally Posted by spyhawk

You're right, you would need to use an unused gprm for this, but there's no need for a time limit for a second press.

Sorry, inaccurate choice of explanation. More accurate explanation of what I was thinking is probably that first Title button press takes you to title menu of disc being watched, with Title button press from that menu takes you back to the Disc Selection menu. If however you instead progress to play something in that disc, the next title button press would take to to that disc title menu again first.

This seems slightly different to your example, I think (I've got a headache at the moment so may not be tracing it properly). Your example on second press from anywhere in disc would take you immediately back to Disc Selection menu.

To adapt your commands to work as I was thinking would simply require changing the last two listed commands to be the first command in the post command section of the respective disc's title menu.

Pre commands

• From 6c-e Title menu, insert these 2 conditions before Jump to First Play PGC. I'll use gprm(4) as unused register.
  1. if ( gprm(4) == 1) then { LinkPGCN PGC 1 } Title menu of original DVD1.
  2. if ( gprm(4) == 2) then { LinkPGCN PGC # } Title menu of original DVD2 (from 5f)
• In VMG PGC 1 (title menu of DVD1), insert gprm(4)=0 as first line.
• In VMG PGC # (5f title menu of DVD2), insert gprm(4)=0 as first line.

Post commands

• In VMG PGC 1 (title menu of DVD1), insert gprm(4)=1 as first line.
• In VMG PGC # (5f title menu of DVD2), insert gprm(4)=2 as first line.

[edit: Discovered error with above. Refer to post 36 below for correction]

Who'd have thought 6 months ago (when I registered at Doom9) I'd be capable of contributing to a thread such as this

[r0lZ]

Originally Posted by zacoz

... that first Title button press takes you to title menu of disc being watched, with Title button press from that menu takes you back to the Disc Selection menu.

Hum, I'm not sure it's actually possible to jump to the main DVD selection menu by pressing the title button twice. Unfortunately, on most (all?) players, the Title Menu and the Root menu buttons are used to resume to the title domain when you press them while you are already in a menu domain. So, instead of jumping to the main title menu, you will jump to the last played title.
Note that pressing the title menu button agan after the resume should return to the title menu again, and this time the method will probably work. So, you may have to press the Title menu button 3 times to go to the selection menu.
Of course, another method is to open and close the tray, but the GPRMs values will be lost.

I think you should be able to use the GoUpPGC link to use the Return button to go back to the main DVD selection menu while you are in the main Root or Title menu of DVD 1 or 2. This should work in all cases, unless the GoUpPGCN link is already used for another purpose. And I'm not sure there is a Return button on all remotes.

Originally Posted by zacoz

[post 29] To adapt your commands to work as I was thinking would simply require changing the last two listed commands to be the first command in the post command section of the respective disc's title menu.....

Well on trying this I found that I had not thought it through properly - not quite so simple.

Have now revised and tested on software player as follows:

Pre commands (no change from above)

• From 6c-e Title menu, insert these 2 conditions before Jump to First Play PGC. I'll use gprm(4) as unused register.
  1. if ( gprm(4) == 1) then { LinkPGCN PGC 1 } Title menu of original DVD1.
  2. if ( gprm(4) == 2) then { LinkPGCN PGC # } Title menu of original DVD2 (from 5f)
• In VMG PGC 1 (title menu of DVD1), insert gprm(4)=0 as first line.
• In VMG PGC # (5f title menu of DVD2), insert gprm(4)=0 as first line.

Following command need to be placed either as first Pre command in all the PGC's the command flow goes to after pressing a button on the disc's main menu, OR if the disc main menu button commands are LinkTail commands then the follow command needs to be placed as first command in Post command section of the disc main menu.

• For disc one, insert gprm(4)=1 as first line.
• For disc two, insert gprm(4)=2 as first line.

A trace of the disc may be required as the complexity of some disc commands makes it difficult to cover all flow possibilities by just looking at the commands in isolation. A possible help may be to add the set gprm(4)=0 command as the first line in the PGC containing the disc's main menu.