Adjust Sectors or FixVTS

[meRobs]

On another thread (Trim credits with audio fade) Blutach suggested that the final step before a burn should be the use of Adjust Sectors in VobBlanker, especially after compression with DVDshrink.

On the other hand, rOIZ claimed that after Shrink, his last move before burning is to open in PGCedit (fixes problems set by Shrink).

I am probably misrepresenting their comments by taking them out of context, and I apologise. But, I am confused!

So, could someone please explain:
(1) the advantages of Adjust Sectors (VobBlanker)
(2) whether FixVTS (from PGCedit) would do a simliar thing
(3) is there anything equivalent to Adjust Sectors in PGCedit?
(4) or is it sufficient to open and close in PGCedit.

These things are hard to test. They are best answered by knowing what these features actually do and why?
Thanks in advance.
Robin

[blutach]

(1) If needed, VobBlanker places the IFO and BUP files opposite each other on the DVD - this increases protection if one gets damaged.

(2) It is not FixVTS which is doing the fixing. It is a small routine in PgcEdit which fixes some minor issues with DVD Shrink.

(3) Yes, but it is not as precise. Turn on "When saving, leave at least 32K of space ...", in Options --> Input/Output

(4) No.

Regards

[r0lZ]

The problems that PgcEdit fixes (sometimes) is the wrong number of VOB IDs in the table that happens only in some cases with DVDShrink in re-author mode. Opening and, if you see the warning, saving the DVD is sufficient to fix it.

Also, saving the DVD with the option to creates the gaps between IFOs and BUPs is sufficient to create a minimal gap of 32KB. ImgBurn has the same option, so doing that is not necessary any more if you burn with ImgBurn.

As blu said, VobBlanker uses a more sophisticated method to compute the gap size, so that the IFO and BUP are exactly at the opposite side of the media, ensuring an even better protection.

[meRobs]

Thanks folks.
Adjust Sectors may do a neater job in setting '32 kB' gaps but when done for VIDEO_TS.VOB, which is close to the disc centre where scratching is less likely, the imrovement is less critical. Do you agree?

I had been intending to leave the 32-kB gap treatment to ImgBurn on burning the VIDEO_TS folder. Hope this does a good enough job (?).

The only other thing done by Adjust Sectors, according to its popup, is the deletion of unrefernecd and zero-sized menus. This action probably doesn't delete their content from VOBs (?).
In any case, the space consumed by these 'menus' would be small!

FixVTS seems to go one step further: it removes all unreferenced menus as well as title PGCs. Am I correct in assuming that FixVTS:
(1) is useful for completing the job started by PGCedit, ie, removing content from VOBs that was marked for blanking, 'deleted' or made unreferenced by PGCedit.
(2) completely deletes content from VOBs, unlike what VobBlanker would do in the same circumstances, which leaves small 10 kB cells.

I must say these Apps are very interesting and allow much fiddling! Great.
Thanks
Robin

[r0lZ]

VIDEO_TS.IFO is less subject to scratches, due to its position, that's right. But take into account that if it is damaged as well as the BUP, the entire DVD cannot be played any more. Therefore, it is important to protect it.

IMO, ImgBurn does an excellent job, and its 32K gap option is sufficient in most cases.

There are sometimes very big unreferenced cells in VIDEO_TS.VOB, probably to push the movie data toward the edges of the DVD to reduce the speed and thus the noise of the drive. Deleting those unreferenced padding cells is a good way to regain space.

FixVTS removes all unreferenced cells in the menus and the title domains, but VB does the same job automatically as well. Both are equally suitable to remove the cells blanked from PgcEdit, but I have a preference for FixVTS, as it is faster and simpler to use when launched from PgcEdit.

PgcEdit can convert a menu to dummy, thus removing completely the cells. It can also remove completely and immediately the VOB file if you blank out a whole menu domain. That's impossible for the title domains, as each title must have some video content, but PgcEdit reuses the same cell again and again when it's possible, while VB replaces each blanked cell by a new tiny cell, when you use it to blank. (The impact on the VOB size is usually insignificant, unless you blank a domain with many tiny cells, such as a long slide show.) On the other hand, FixVTS cannot be instructed to blank something that is still referenced. But anyway, if you use VB to clean up the VOBs after having processed the DVD with PgcEdit, it does exactly the same job than FixVTS. And if everything in a menu domain is unreferenced, Fix and VB will completely remove the VOB file.

[linx05]

Should the VobBlanker feature 'Adjust Sectors' be used at the last minute right before before you burn. In doing that, should I disable ImgBurns version of the feature so it doesn't overwrite the VobBlankers run through?

I hope that made sense. I am a bit tired at the moment. Thank you.

[r0lZ]

Yup. VB should be used just before burning. Especially, do not use any function that could change the size of the files after VB.

You can safely leave the option of ImgBurs, as, if the VOB files have been adjusted by VB, no padding is necessary anyway, and ImgBurn will not modify your IFOs, and burn the DVD the standard way, without gaps.

[meRobs]

Thanks for all the info folks!
Robin