Ripping a non-standard DVD disc

[fschaeff]

This question may sound a little strange, but I have not seen any other similar thread.

Recently hired a company to transform several old 8-mm family films to a DVD media. The output was a DVD containing about 120 minutes of video and a very simple Menu with 17 "Titles", where I can (via the DVD Menu) directly access a desired Title.

Therefore this is not a comercial DVD movie title. There is only one directory (video_ts) and inside this directory there are 3 file types (.ifo, .bup and .vob), adding to 36 files in the following manner:

- 1 video_ts.ifo file + 1 video_ts.bup file + 1 video_ts.vob file
- 17 vts_0X_0.ifo files + 17 vts_0X_0.bup files + 17 vts_0X_0.vob files, where X goes from 1 to 17 (I'm guessing one for each Title).

In order to be able to see all titles on a SVCD, I'm assuming that I will need to rip all 17 vts_0X_0. files, but what about the video_ts file?

Also, how do I go about creating the same type of direct access menu that can directly access a specific title? Are the video_ts.xxx files actually this menu?

Regards,
Fernando Schaeffer

[DDogg]

I have a question for you. When you press the disk icon in the conversion tab and then go to the drop down chapter box, what do you see?

[fschaeff]

It actually selects the file vts_06_1.ifo, as it is the largest file. When I go to the Pull down chapter box, it only shows 1 chapter, as this specific Title has only 1 chapter. But I have selected other .ifo files and for those that have more than 1 chapter, it allows me to select/deselect the chapters.

After posting the first question in this thread, I closed the application and waited for the ripping to finish, as I did not want to continue with the whole process. It took approx. 2 hours to rip this file (it showed as being 17 min. long in the conversion tab)

I then restarted dvd2avi and selected the Go button from the conversion tab to continue (after having to select the local vts_06_01.ifo file), but I would expect that a file would have been created in the ../movie directory, but the only file I see is the the actual vts_06_01.ifo file, which is a fairly small one (24kbytes). After 2+ hours, shouldn't the application have created a new .vob file or something similar? What is it done in the ripping process?

[markrb]

Post your log file.

Mark

[fschaeff]

Here it is: Keep in mind that I only selected the first .ifo file that dvd2svcd chose (which is the largest one). As I write this memo, it's performing the Audio extract.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 3/6/2002 5:14:35 PM
- DVD to SVCD Conversion
- DVD2SVCD ver. 1.0.7 build 1
--------------------------------------------------------
Initializing
Initializing finished.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 3/6/2002 5:14:38 PM
- Free on drive C: 3217.65 mb
- Internal rip
--------------------------------------------------------
Preparing vobfiles to be ripped:
- D:\VIDEO_TS\VTS_06_1.vob

--------------------------------------------------------
- 3/6/2002 7:37:55 PM
- DVD to SVCD Conversion
- DVD2SVCD ver. 1.0.7 build 1
--------------------------------------------------------
Initializing
Initializing finished.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 3/6/2002 7:44:02 PM
- DVD to SVCD Conversion
- DVD2SVCD ver. 1.0.7 build 1
--------------------------------------------------------
Initializing
Initializing finished.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 3/6/2002 7:44:07 PM
- DVD2AVI
--------------------------------------------------------
Creating DVD2AVI INI file:
- C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\DVD2AVI\DVD2AVI.INI

Variable settings:
iDCT_Algorithm: 32-bit SSE MMX

Executing DVD2AVI.
Executing DVD2AVI. Commandline:
"C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\DVD2AVI\DVD2AVI.exe" -IA=1 -CS=2 -YR=1 -EXIT -OF=[C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\Movie\DVD2AVI_Project_file] -IF=[D:\VIDEO_TS\VTS_06_1.VOB]
Analyzing DVD2AVI Project file
Force Film NOT activated!
Framerate: 29970
DVD2AVI processing done.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 3/6/2002 8:34:43 PM
- Free on drive C: 3217.55 mb
- AUDIO Extraction
--------------------------------------------------------

[fschaeff]

Just for the records, this is the listing of my VIDEO_TS folder, totalling 36 files. Each VTS_XXXX corresponds to a title (that may have more than 1 chapter). Don't know what the VIDEO_TS files hold, though.

Question is: How do I rip these files into a SVCD? Unlike a normal dvd disc, ripping only the largest .ifo file will only give me one portion of the entire family film selection that was burned onto this dvd disc.

VIDEO_TS.BUP, VIDEO_TS.IFO, VIDEO_TS.IFO
VTS_01_0.BUP, VTS_01_0.IFO, VTS_01_1.VOB
VTS_02_0.BUP, VTS_02_0.IFO, VTS_02_1.VOB
VTS_03_0.BUP, VTS_03_0.IFO, VTS_03_1.VOB
VTS_04_0.BUP, VTS_04_0.IFO, VTS_04_1.VOB
VTS_05_0.BUP, VTS_05_0.IFO, VTS_05_1.VOB
VTS_06_0.BUP, VTS_06_0.IFO, VTS_06_1.VOB
VTS_07_0.BUP, VTS_07_0.IFO, VTS_07_1.VOB
VTS_08_0.BUP, VTS_08_0.IFO, VTS_08_1.VOB
VTS_09_0.BUP, VTS_09_0.IFO, VTS_09_1.VOB
VTS_10_0.BUP, VTS_10_0.IFO, VTS_10_1.VOB
VTS_11_0.BUP, VTS_11_0.IFO, VTS_11_1.VOB
VTS_12_0.BUP, VTS_12_0.IFO, VTS_12_1.VOB
VTS_13_0.BUP, VTS_13_0.IFO, VTS_13_1.VOB
VTS_14_0.BUP, VTS_14_0.IFO, VTS_14_1.VOB
VTS_15_0.BUP, VTS_15_0.IFO, VTS_15_1.VOB
VTS_16_0.BUP, VTS_16_0.IFO, VTS_16_1.VOB
VTS_17_0.BUP, VTS_17_0.IFO, VTS_17_1.VOB

[mrbass]

as far as I know you'll have to do each .ifo

choose Don't create image which will just give you bbmpeg_muxed.mpg files.

Then use VCDEasy or TSCV and create chapters...It's a painstaking process but I've encounter two of these kinds of DVDs before. Good luck.

[fschaeff]

When you say "rip all .ifo" files, what exactly should I do in dvd2svcd? Can I select all 18 .vob files at the same time (using the ifo file ... option the conversion tab) and select Go.? What will that give me as output file(s)?

Thanks

[markrb]

Are you sitting down? Just want to make sure you don't fall over when I give you the most likely bad news.
You have 2 ways of doing this:
1 rip and encode each video seperately.
2 rip and encode all the files as one encode

I suspect you want to do #2. If so get ready for a little work.
Using the following information as a guide, but make some changes as follows. Create a directory for each file. Start DVD2SVCD and rip each episode into it's own directory. Then rename the Vob files the same in the order you wish them to be, increasing each one number higher then the previous. Copy all the Vob files into one directory with the IFO file from the first rip. Then go. Basically it's a big version of the following. Sorry, but I think this is the only way. Wish I could give you better news.

Q41: HOWTO combine/encode 2 disc DVD set as one movie.
A:1. Start DVD2SVCD as normal on the first side/disc by selecting the normal IFO file.
2. Make sure ripping is checked
3. Rip the first side into the final directory
4. When the ripping starts hit the X to close DVD2SVCD. A popup will come up asking if you really want to close. Select Yes. After the rip is complete DVD2SVCD will close.
5. Make a temp directory.
6. Change the ripping directory to the temp directory you just created.
7. Rip the second side/disc the same way as the first side/disc into the temp directory.
8. Find the highest number of the Vob files in the first directory.
9. Rename the second set of Vob files the same as the first set except increasing each one by one number.
10. Rename the second set of VOB files so that their file names are the same as the first set of vobs, but numbered sequentially one number higher then the first set of VOB's...(EX. VTS_01_03.VOB(highest first set), VTS_01_04.VOB(new lowest second set)
11. Start DVD2SVCD and uncheck ripping.
12. Select the IFO file off the HD and continue as normal.

Try this first
Another thing I just thought of. If the files are from your own videos then they are most likely not copy protected. You could simply do a regular copy like a file off your DVD drive to the place you will be doing the encode from. Try this first.
Start a DVD2SVCD rip as normal. All you really care about is the IFO file. After it starts close DVD2SVCD. It will waite until the rip is complete. Then simply copy the files off your DVD drive like you would any file. Even overwrite the first VOB, but don't overwrite the IFO. If they are named correctly (basically all the same name, but each one is a number higher then the next) you are ready to rock. Otherwise using a software DVD player find out the order you want them in then rename them that way. Simply uncheck ripping and select the IFO off the HD and go as normal. Should work if they are not copy protected home videos.


Good luck,
Mark

[fschaeff]

Thanks for the explanation Mark. The episodes are most likely not copy protected, thus I will try your last option first.

One question I have though: which .ifo file should I choose? I have 18 of them and for me, all of them are important.

[Labersack]

You can use one file of them, no matter which. Just rename it to VTS_01_1.ifo (or easyer, just take the file witch this name.) In DVD2SVCD the time shown will be wrong, but if your VOBS are all named VTS_01_1.VOB to VTS_01_17.VOB you will convert all of them.

[fschaeff]

Ok, sorry for being a newbie on this subject, but couldn't I just copy the first .ifo file, along with all .vob files and start the process without having to even rip the first .vob file?

As I understood, the purpose of ripping a .vob file is to delete the right protection of the file. I'm pretty sure these .vob files are not protected, as they came directly from several old 8mm films.

[markrb]

I am not completely certain and I said to do this to be safe, but I believe it also makes some path changes to the IFO.
Like I said though I am not completely certain.
You may run into a file number limitaion. If you have problems try breaking into two encodes of 8-9 VOB files each.

If the computer gives you an error when you go to copy the files, play a few seconds of a VOB in a Software DVD player like WinDVD before you start the copy. This will authenticate the drive. I don't think you will have this problem, but just in case.

Mark

[fschaeff]

I seem to be out of luck in this whole process. All of a sudden, dvd2svcd keeps on returning this i/o error 103 right after the end of ripping process (it wasn't doing it yesterday when I first started this thread). I've checked other threads on this error and it seems to be an aspi problem. I then tried to download the forceaspi program using the link in the q&a section on this forum, but it apparently won't open it after the download, as it is a file with a .rar extension. How do I go about installing these aspi drivers?

So I decided to copy all the .vob files directly from the dvd drive to the HD. Some of the files are copied ok, but others will crash with this data error(cyclic redundancy check) while copying it. I thought I needed to authorize the file first, so I opened it using windvdv, but the copy process would still abort with the above error.

I seem to be running out of options here. Anyone care to give me some insights?

[fschaeff]

forgot to mention my system:

pentium II 500Mhz, 128M RAM, Win2K sp2, 8G free on HD

[Mozart]

Originally posted by fschaeff

I seem to be running out of options here. Anyone care to give me some insights?

yeah... Upgrade your machine baby. CCE cannot work in a pII, and tmpeg will be veeerrryyy ssslllooowww. Thus, with your machine, it doesn´t worth the work.

[markrb]

Do a search on Google or go to tucows.com and get winrar.

Your machine is really not up to the task of SVCD creation.
CCE is definately out and TMPG will take forever.

If I was you I wouldn't bother. It's not worth the headaches.

Mark

[fschaeff]

Ok guys, I managed to get a better and faster machine (Pentium III at 1GB with 256M of RAM).

What I have decided to do was to first select only 4 out of the 17 VOB files and copy to my HD (my assumption was right in that they were not copy protected, thus I skipped the rip process). I then used the following programs to generate a pair of BIN/CUE files to VCD (VCD2AVI, TMPGEnc Plus & VFAPI for TMPGEnc, Chapter-X-Tractor and VCDEasy).

Before actually burning them, I chose to follow Mozart's idea of using a Virtual CD-ROM (Daemon Tools). I was able to mount the drive and point to the .CUE image file. When I launch WinDVD, I'm able to select the new drive letter, but I see 4 different folders beneath it (EXT, MPEGAV, SEGMENT and VCD). The only file that I can select is the xxx.DAT file under the MPEGAC folder, which is a MPEG file. Is this how it is suppose to work? I was expecting another file or the player automatically selecting the right file and running it. If the above MPEG file is selected, the contents of the 4 selected .VOB files, along with it's audio are played, but I'm not able to jump to a chapter, etc.

[markrb]

The 4 directories are SVCD standard and the name being changed is normal as well.
I am not completely up on it as I have never used this method.
If you want to check the mpg files before burning them you could just select the bbmpeg_muxed_01.mpg files in a Software DVD player and play them. You will need to have don't delete files checked to keep them.

Mark