FFMPEG encode specific titles from DVD

[Qjimbo]

I want to encode videos I have recorded on a DVD Recorder with FFMPEG. The DVD recorder stores all the separate titles as if they are one long stream but split into a series of VOB files of equal size, like this:
http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m351/Qjimbo/dvd-files.png
This DVD has 8 titles/recordings, but the VOB files don't match up to that.
Is there a way I can tell FFMPEG what titles to convert from a series of files like this? I am using FFMPEG on Windows, not Linux, if that makes any difference. Thanks!

[stax76]

ffmpeg don't support titles I guess, how about makemkv?

[Qjimbo]

Well the main reason I wanted to use FFMPEG is the control of the deinterlacing - I like using yadif=1 with FFMPEG to get 60fps from 30fps. Also it's just nice to have full control over the encoding. Handbrake doesn't allow this, and it doesn't look like makemkv does this either - thanks for the suggestion though!

[Sparktank]

I think stax means to use MakeMKV to remux titles to single MKV and then use FFMPEG on the remuxed MKV.

MakeMKV is just a remuxer, no deinterlacing or anything. Only exception is audio conversion to FLAC or AAC.

"full control" would be better suited in avisynth.
Indexing mkv with FFMS2 or demux to get m2v elementary stream and index that with DGdec (freeware version; or the paid NVidia version DGdecNV, requires NVidia card).
And then use a sleu of filters. TFM, TDecimate, etc. There's also yadif filter for avisynth.

[stax76]

Did you check makemkv's capabilities? It's a extraordinary tool!

[Qjimbo]

Oh I see, I just assumed it encoded as well! I will check it out, looks like a good way to go about doing it.

[Ghitulescu]

Is is necessary to use ffmepg?
Because the way the DVD recorder stores the recordings is quite different than a regular DVD-Video.
You have to extract first the individual movies then, if you insist, recode them with ffmpeg.

Nevertheless, I am of the opinion that recompressing a video obtained from a DVD recorder is "less clever".

[hello_hello]

Well the main reason I wanted to use FFMPEG is the control of the deinterlacing - I like using yadif=1 with FFMPEG to get 60fps from 30fps. Also it's just nice to have full control over the encoding. Handbrake doesn't allow this, and it doesn't look like makemkv does this either - thanks for the suggestion though!

For the record, if you select "BOB" as the de-interlacer in Handbrake you get 60fps from 30fps and I'm pretty sure it uses Yadif.

You can Use DVDShrink's re-author function to "prepare" DVDs for encoding. Just make sure it's compression is disabled so it doesn't try to shrink. Or set the target output size in preferences to something large.
If there's a title per episode etc, re-author mode lets you drag each one from the right pane to the left. After using the backup function, you'll have a set of vob files per title (or you can tell DVDShrink not to split the vobs).
If everything's in a single title and (maybe) split by chapters, you can drag the single title to the left pane multiple times, then use the edit function to edit each copy down to a range of chapters (or frames). You can also edit individual titles the same way. Then once again, use the backup function.

I'm of the opinion re-compressing the video obtained from a DVD recorder can be quite clever, especially if it's interlaced and you run it by QTGMC. Better than Yadif, and probably better than any player/TV hardware de-interlacing.
http://avisynth.nl/index.php/QTGMC
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=156028

[Qjimbo]

I gave DVDShrink a shot, but it kept saying "Invalid Navigation Structure". MakeMKV also gives an error to begin with, saying "IFO file for VTS #1 is corrupt", but after it scans it it figures it out perfectly, so I'm going to stick with this tool for now. Thanks for the help everyone!

[stax76]

With old tools such as DVDShrink you are much more likely to run into issues like out of sync audio when you re-encode. There are DVD structures where many tools fail while MakeMKV handles it all fine.

[Ghitulescu]

I gave DVDShrink a shot, but it kept saying "Invalid Navigation Structure". MakeMKV also gives an error to begin with, saying "IFO file for VTS #1 is corrupt", but after it scans it it figures it out perfectly, so I'm going to stick with this tool for now. Thanks for the help everyone!

Maybe if you would have stated your goals, not your intended method, would have been better.

Tools designed for DVDs (Video-DVDs, as opposed to recorded ones) sometimes have problems with the recorded DVDRs. Because the recorders use non-standard infos. A workaround would be to record a movie at a time, and reuse the DVD-RW (+RW, -RAM) after a full/quick erase.

[hello_hello]

I gave DVDShrink a shot, but it kept saying "Invalid Navigation Structure". MakeMKV also gives an error to begin with, saying "IFO file for VTS #1 is corrupt", but after it scans it it figures it out perfectly, so I'm going to stick with this tool for now. Thanks for the help everyone!

It does tend to be fussy about DVD files being 100% compliant. At least when using the Open Files menu.
You could try clicking on the re-author button, then using the DVD browser in the right pane to open the folder. You might find it'll offer a listy of titls without complaining.

I've re-authored and ripped about a squillion DVDs with DVDShrink without any audio sync issues. If it can't handle the copy protection on a disc, I run AnyDVD in the background. If MakeMKV is working though, there's no reason not to use it.

Although I have had the odd issue re-encoding mpeg2 video in an MKV with Avisynth and FFMS2 indexing. As a result, I now use TS muxer to remux mpeg2 video in MKVs as TS files before opening with Avisynth and DGIndex, but whatever works.....

Maybe if you would have stated your goals, not your intended method, would have been better.

Tools designed for DVDs (Video-DVDs, as opposed to recorded ones) sometimes have problems with the recorded DVDRs.

The goal is to re-encode the existing video.
I'll bite.... what further goal needs stating in order to determine if there's a better tool to prepare it for encoding?

[stax76]

I've re-authored and ripped about a squillion DVDs with DVDShrink without any audio sync issues.

In the past using DVD Decrypter and DGDecode there were many sync issues, with MakeMKV the problems were gone and the process was much simplified.

Although I have had the odd issue re-encoding mpeg2 video in an MKV with Avisynth and FFMS2 indexing. As a result, I now use TS muxer to remux mpeg2 video in MKVs as TS files before opening with Avisynth and DGIndex, but whatever works.....

You mean sync issues? For MKV you must account the Video_Delay property as shown by MediaInfo. Only issues with MPEG-2 MKV I've seen is video artifacts but not recently and not from MakeMKV I think.

[hello_hello]

In the past using DVD Decrypter and DGDecode there were many sync issues, with MakeMKV the problems were gone and the process was much simplified.

I'm not sure I've experienced any of them. That's pretty much all I've ever done. RipIt4Me for a long time (it uses DVD Decrypter for ripping) although now I mostly use DVDShrink with AnyDVD. For years that'd be followed by re-encoding with AutoGK, which uses DGDecode and AVISynth. These days MeGUI has replaced AutoGK, but honestly, if I've had any audio sync problems after re-encoding DVDs they've been so few and far between I can't recall a specific example, although it probably would have been a copy protection problem. MakeMKV can handle newer copy protections older programs can't. No doubt about that.

You mean sync issues? For MKV you must account the Video_Delay property as shown by MediaInfo. Only issues with MPEG-2 MKV I've seen is video artifacts but not recently and not from MakeMKV I think.

No I mean decoding issues. It was probably just a problem with the version of ffms2 I was using at the time. I can't remember exactly what it was, but it wasn't artefacts. I think it was something to do with being able to de-interlace or IVTC the video properly, but as I said, it was probably an FFMS2 issue. I do remember though, after remuxing with TSMuxer and opening the TS files with DGIndex the problem would go away, so I've done the same ever since. Not that I work with MKVs containing mpeg2 video all that much. I still rip to vob files.

[stax76]

@hello_hello

You were lucky if you didn't have any sync problems and I mean subtitles as well, I still keep all 3 three DVDs I had problems with in my samples collection.

[hello_hello]

All three of them?

[stax76]

123 thousand problems... with those discs

[hello_hello]

But just those three? :)

[Ghitulescu]

The goal is to re-encode the existing video.
I'll bite.... what further goal needs stating in order to determine if there's a better tool to prepare it for encoding?

The goal was if I read it correctly - to encode a video from a DVDrecorder with ffmpeg. And it was repeated his next reply.
I've re-authored and ripped about a squillion DVDs with DVDShrink without any audio sync issues.
This is unfortunately less relevant for the topic, as the DVDs from a DVDrecorder differ in a few things from a properly authored industrial DVD.
As I have 3 different makes (not models, these are more than 3, but makes) and I used them in the past, I know DVDshrink may have issues. As well as other tools that expect a pure (or intentionally defective) DVD.


@quimbo:
Have you managed to solve this issue?

[hello_hello]

Maybe if you would have stated your goals, not your intended method, would have been better.

Tools designed for DVDs (Video-DVDs, as opposed to recorded ones) sometimes have problems with the recorded DVDRs.

The goal was if I read it correctly - to encode a video from a DVDrecorder with ffmpeg. And it was repeated his next reply.

Obviously I'm a glutton for punishment......
So the goal has been stated? Or when I asked what further goal you think might need stating, you thought I was enquiring after your copying and pasting skills?

You've had more experience than the rest of us with these discs, and as a result you know programs such as DVDShrink may not work, but I look forward to learning more from your experience if Qjimbo returns to clarify the intended goal for you.

Have you managed to solve this issue?

I gave DVDShrink a shot, but it kept saying "Invalid Navigation Structure". MakeMKV also gives an error to begin with, saying "IFO file for VTS #1 is corrupt", but after it scans it it figures it out perfectly, so I'm going to stick with this tool for now. Thanks for the help everyone!