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

@Region-Free

I'm in the same situation as you, the only function I initially expect to use of DVDRemake is Joining Disc's (extra's from a couple of different disc's). I'm coming to the conclusion that Mr Monte is right in that it may still be worth the money, as it seems very tricky to do the same thing with free tools.

I haven't dived in just yet as I've been rather busy, and also feel that maybe I should first donate some more towards the authors of the free tools I use more frequently.

[maksa]

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

I was using MenuEdit (free) to fix menus after eliminating extras and logos, switched to DRMPro (50$) and never regret it. Now you can remove audio and subtitles as well, realy easy and perfect backups with original navigation. Download trial version and see for yourself.

[frank]

An easy way is to use Nero Visio Express 3. Create a main menu and import your titles, it's very simple.

[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.

Nicely summarised jinjin_jp

[Surf]

Well done, jinjin.

I have a slightly different approach which I have not tried yet:

Create a simple menu with DVDstyler with 2 buttons, the first named Chapter 1-15 and the second as Chapter 16-30.

Open Disc2 with VobBlanker and extract the SCENE SELECTION pgc and save.

Open Disc1 again with VobBlanker and work on the menus. Choose a couple of pgcs to be sacrificed/replaced with the DVDstyler-ed menu and the extracted disc2 pgc. Process the menu and save.

Prepare a folder with explorer and create a NEW DVD with PgcEdit and start adding the titles. Import the processed menus of Disc1. Adjust the links accordingly.

So, when I press the SCENE SELECTION button the DVDstyler-ed menu will pop up and branch these two buttons to the respective pgcs....

P.S. I hope our resident guide writer of a champ SWEETNESS would write a guide on this matter.

[jinjin_jp]

@Surf
Thanks for the infoemation of another method. I'll read carefully to understand and try when having oppurtunitty.

[nabe3net]

Good Job, jinjin_jp san!!

Originally Posted by jinjin_jp

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).
[COLOR=RoyalBlue]...create New TitleMenu, buttons which jump to each DISC. ...

@Surf: Shame on you, prompting me to take up the challenge.

I **was** progressing quite well (using the general process summarised by jinjin_jp from examining DVDRemake's output) having imported the VTST's & VTSM's from second disc into the first. I have however hit a wall when it comes to adding the VMGM PGC's from the second disc after the VMGM PGC's of the first disc.

I can create dummy PGC's and paste in the appropriate commands, however I can't see a way to import the VOB contents as the Import VMGM function in PgcEdit wishes to overwrite the existing VMGM.

Anyone got any ideas on doing this, with PgcEdit or another program ? (excluding paid software as the idea is to test doing it with free/donationware)

[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.