"Split VOB files into 1GB size chunks" and "Split ISO image into 1GB chunks"

[Stephe]

Hello,

I used to rip, transcode and burn using DVD Shrink 3.2 with Nero 6 when I had a PC running Windows XP. Back then, I checked off "Split VOB files into 1GB size chunks (recommended)" in Edit > Preferences > Output Files inside DVD Shrink because I had never heard that this setting was only intended for those running Windows 95/98/Me.

I now have a PC running 64-bit Windows 7 and have altered DVD Shrink to the version that works with ImgBurn instead of Nero.

I have determined that the following is probably the way that I will create DVDs (I haven't tried it with PgcEdit yet):

1 use DVDFab DVD Copy to rip from source DVD
2 set Output to DVD9 (so DVDFab won't shrink the file), then save as an ISO file
3 use DVD Shrink to open the ISO file by selecting File > Open Disc Image
4 transcode (and shrink, if necessary [are these two things different or the same?])
5 select Hard Disk folder for backup target
6 select (i.e. create) a target folder for DVD output files
7 use PgcEdit to open the Hard Disk folder I just made
8 click on Burn DVD and make sure that "32KB gaps option ON" appears in green
9 click on Launch ImgBurn, and burn

What I'd like to know is whether I should
uncheck "Split VOB files into 1GB size chunks (recommended)" in DVD Shrink (Edit > Preferences > Output Files)
*and*
uncheck "Split ISO image into 1GB chunks - Required for FAT32 partitions (Win95/98/ME)" in PgcEdit (Options > Input/Output > Burn / Create ISO setup),
or just
uncheck "Split ISO image into 1GB chunks - Required for FAT32 partitions (Win95/98/ME)" in PgcEdit.

At http://www.digital-digest.com/~blutach/pgcedit_guide/burning_with_pgcedit/burning_with_pgcedit_v2.htm it says, in part:

"STEP 3 – SET UP YOUR BURN SETTINGS
[. . .]
(vi) If you are on Windows 95/98/Me only, tick the “Split ISO image into 1 Gb chunks” – otherwise leave it unticked."

I always had DVD Shrink set to "Split ISO image* into 1GB chunks (recommended)" when I was using my Windows XP machine. Was I wrong to do so? Was splitting ISO image into 1GB chunks indicated only for Windows 95/98/Me, or was it intended for Windows XP, too?

Also, in ImgBurn, under Tools > Settings > Build > Page 1, if you look under DVD Video, you will see
a checkbox for "IFO/BUP 32K Padding".
Is this the same as
leaving at least 32K of space between IFO and BUP?
And if so, is it necessary to select "When saving, leave at least 32K of space between IFO and BUP?" in PgcEdit, or does ImgBurn do it automatically?

And I don't understand the significance of FAT32 partitions and what bearing they would have on a 64-bit PC and current standalone DVD and Blu-ray players.

For me, the whole point in using PgcEdit (leaving at least 32K of space between IFO and BUP) and ImgBurn (changing booktype to DVD-ROM) is to increase compatibility. Does splitting VOB files into 1GB size chunks in DVD Shrink *increase* compatibility or does it *decrease* compatibility? I have seen numerous web pages that recommend against burning discs with one huge VOB file. It seems that the folks who want one VOB file are those who want to view movies on a handheld device rather than on a standalone DVD or Blu-ray player.

I only recently downloaded, registered and read the help files for PgcEdit. I am not what you'd call adept at configuring such software. Nevertheless, I read the doom9 FAQs and guides and tried to read every post in the PgcEdit v9.3 released! (March 22, 2010) thread.

Thank you for your consideration and getting through this entire post.
________________________________________________________

* I confused the DVD Shrink setting (Split VOB file) with the PgcEdit setting (Split ISO image)
because both settings mention splitting into 1GB chunks
and I am new at understanding what all the terms mean. Noted 7th July 2014.

[TheSkiller]

What I'd like to know is whether I should uncheck "Split VOB files into 1GB size chunks (recommended)" in DVD Shrink (Edit > Preferences > Output Files)DVD-Video requires VOB files to be <1GB. So they need to be split into several parts if they are larger. Hence this option needs to be ticked.


I always had DVD Shrink set to "Split ISO image into 1GB chunks (recommended)" when I was using my Windows XP machine. Was I wrong to do so? Was splitting ISO image into 1GB chunks indicated only for Windows 95/98/Me, or was it intended for Windows XP, too?It would have been indicated if you used FAT32 with Windows XP, otherwise not.


you will see
a checkbox for "IFO/BUP 32K Padding".
Is this the same as
leaving at least 32K of space between IFO and BUP?It's exactly that and should be ticked.


And if so, is it necessary to select "When saving, leave at least 32K of space between IFO and BUP?" in PgcEdit, or does ImgBurn do it automatically?If above mentioned checkbox is ticked ("IFO/BUP 32K Padding") then ImgBurn will add padding automatically if necessary.


Does splitting VOB files into 1GB size chunks in DVD Shrink *increase* compatibility or does it *decrease* compatibility?It's absolutely required for a compliant DVD-Video.


I have seen numerous web pages that recommend against burning discs with one huge VOB file. It seems that the folks who want one VOB file are those who want to view movies on a handheld device rather than on a standalone DVD or Blu-ray player.That's exactly the only reason why you'd ever need one huge VOB instead of 1GB chunks.

[r0lZ]

Welcome to the Doom9 forums, Stephe!

All answers by TheSkiller are correct.

I would have added that you don't need to use PgcEdit to burn your DVDs any more. Currently, ImgBurn can burn the DVD files directly, and you don't need to create an ISO any more. ImgBurn has exactly the same options than PgcEdit, and much more. Note also that when you burn an ISO created by PgcEdit, the 32K gap option of ImgBurn is irrelevant, because the gaps are already in the ISO, and cannot be modified by ImgBurn. That option is useful only when you burn the DVD files directly with ImgBurn.

The 32K gaps do not increase compatibility. They are useful to ensure that the IFO file and its backup (the BUP file) are not in the same ECC block of the disc, because if a read error happens on that block, it will ruin both files at the same time, and render your DVD unusable. By placing the IFO and the BUP on different blocks thanks to the gap between them, there are more chances that a read error affects only a single file.

For your information, FAT32 is the old file system used mainly by Win9X to format the hard discs. Currently, the recent versions of Windows use the much more powerful NTFS file system by default, but it is still possible to select the FAT32 option. FAT32 doesn't support large files and therefore you need to split the ISO to 1GB chunks if you still use that outdated file format. Otherwise, it is recommended to create the ISO as one big file. If you don't know what file system has been used to format your hard disc, right-click its icon and select Properties. In the General tab, you'll see the File System. Of course, if you burn the DVD files directly with ImgBurn, you don't need to worry at all, since there is no ISO saved on hard disc.

[Stephe]

[questions answered]

I copied and pasted things incorrectly and confused "Split VOB files into 1GB size chunks" with "Split ISO image into 1GB chunks." Sorry.

So, this is what I have extrapolated from your comments:

1) In DVD Shrink (Edit > Preferences > Output Files), check "Split VOB files into 1GB size chunks (recommended)" because DVD-Video requires VOB files to be <1GB.

2) in PgcEdit (Options > Input/Output), check "When saving, leave at least 32K of space between IFO and BUP?"

3) in PgcEdit (Options > Input/Output > Burn / Create ISO setup), leave "Split ISO image into 1GB chunks - Required for FAT32 partitions (Win95/98/ME)" unchecked since I have Windows 7

4) In ImgBurn (Tools > Settings > Build > Page 1, under DVD Video), check "IFO/BUP 32K Padding" because if it is checked, ImgBurn will add 32K padding if you didn't enable it in PgcEdit.

Thanks for the answers! :)

[Stephe]

Welcome to the Doom9 forums, Stephe!

Thanks.

All answers by TheSkiller are correct.

Great. Nice to have corroboration so soon.


ImgBurn has exactly the same options than PgcEdit, and much more.

One thing I intend on using PgcEdit for in a big way is to deactivate (i.e. hide) menu buttons (Open DVD, then select a b. file, then click on Show Menu Buttons).

Does ImgBurn allow you to hide menu buttons?

I was recently suprised to find that inside DVDFab Copy DVD (in version 9.1.4.2, at any rate), if you choose the Customize copy mode, then click on Other Titles, you can deselect all sorts of stuff -- such as trailers, behind-the-scenes featurettes, even those annoying Dolby Digital splashes that you can't fast forward past when you try to view the resultant disc -- yet retain the menus and submenus, which you can't do if you Re-author in DVD Shrink.

This is a major plus. I can use DVDFab to delete trailers and whatnot, and then use PgcEdit to hide menu and submenu buttons that lead to the stuff that will no longer be on the disc.


[. . .] when you burn an ISO created by PgcEdit, the 32K gap option of ImgBurn is irrelevant, because the gaps are already in the ISO, and cannot be modified by ImgBurn. That option is useful only when you burn the DVD files directly with ImgBurn.

Good to know, thanks.


The 32K gaps do not increase compatibility. They are useful to ensure that the IFO file and its backup (the BUP file) are not in the same ECC block of the disc, because if a read error happens on that block, it will ruin both files at the same time, and render your DVD unusable. By placing the IFO and the BUP on different blocks thanks to the gap between them, there are more chances that a read error affects only a single file.

In this case, I was referring to decreased read error potential as increased compatibility. I didn't realize that that could be construed as inapplicable. Sorry.


For your information, FAT32 is the old file system used mainly by Win9X to format the hard discs. Currently, the recent versions of Windows use the much more powerful NTFS file system by default, but it is still possible to select the FAT32 option. FAT32 doesn't support large files and therefore you need to split the ISO to 1GB chunks if you still use that outdated file format. Otherwise, it is recommended to create the ISO as one big file. If you don't know what file system has been used to format your hard disc, right-click its icon and select Properties. In the General tab, you'll see the File System. Of course, if you burn the DVD files directly with ImgBurn, you don't need to worry at all, since there is no ISO saved on hard disc.

Good to know in case I ever have to use the old DVD Shrink / Nero 6 combo on my Windows XP machine again.

Thanks for the clarifications.

[r0lZ]

Does ImgBurn allow you to hide menu buttons?
No. ImgBurn is a DVD/CD/BD burner, not an IFO/VOB editor.
I wanted to say that the burn function in PgcEdit requires to save an ISO and then burn it with ImgBurn. I did that originally because there was no good program to burn double-layer DVDs. But currently, all good burning programs can do that. The other special options present in the PgcEdit's burn function (like the 32K gaps) are also present in ImgBurn so continuing to use PgcEdit to burn the DVD is a waste of time and hard disc space. You can use ImgBurn directly.

All other functions present in PgcEdit are still useful, including of course the possibility to hide a menu button. BTW, you can also blank (or, in other words, delete) a title, a menu or a whole titleset with PgcEdit. Just locate the PGC you want to blank with the preview or the trace mode, and select Kill PGC Playback. When you will have blanked all useless stuff, use FixVTS to remove the blanked cells from the VOB files. (FixVTS is very rapid if you use its "in place" option. You can launch it from the Tools menu of PgcEdit.) Finally, shrink the resulting files with DVDShrink if you want/need to further reduce the size of the DVD and burn the DVD files with ImgBurn. (ImgBurn is smart enough to automatically ignore the PgcEdit_backup folders that may still be present in the VIDEO_TS folder.)