What kind of questions would you like to see in the upcoming Newbies FAQ?

[aleksander]

Hi there!

I would like to make this thread a place where everybody can post his/hers ideas or suggestion of what should be included in the upcoming Newbies FAQ (that, by the way, is missing and should be done long time ago - I admit - my fault).
There is already a number of people working on it, but we are all only humans. There are things that might be just straightforward for some of us, but for others will need some explanation. There are things that we may just overlook. There is a lot of reasons...
And you guys are the ones I would like to ask for help.
If you think that something is missing in other FAQs, that something has to be explained in more understandable way - now you've got a place to post your thoughts, remarks, etc.
If you have some questions, that you think that should be included in the FAQ and already know good answers - post it here!
We will look for answers and we will combine it all into one FAQ.
Any help from your side is much anticipated and welcome.

So....

LET'S BEGIN!!!!

aleksander

[bakercool]

Hey, Well I am still kinda a newbie, but check out this link (notice it is a forum)

http://www.vcdhelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=84759

If yall need help making stuff like this, let me know. I will help all I can. I cannot answer hard in-depth questions yet. I haven't tried out GK yet, but I will be doing that tonight. Guides/newbie sections like this one would really make it easy for tons of people. Let me know if I can help. Thanks!

[ammck55]

@aleksander--This will become a large sacrifice of personal time on your part. Thank you!

ammck55

[dani82]

i seen alot of newbies always asking the same question, but for some reason, they never seem to uses the search feature, since they've already been answered.

Here some questions that should be on the Newbies FAQ:


how do i burn an dvd with (s)vcd files?

how do i convert an dat -> mpeg?

how do i convert an rm -> divx or mpeg?

how do i extract the audio from an (s)vcd or dvd?

something about the hotmail banned?

i'm still wondering how do i extract an pcm audio from an dvd, correctly?

and probility the most asked newbie question: audio sync?

[ArdenDag]

Some of those questions are good, the others seem a little on the advanced side for a newbie faq... of course it's all up to aleksander to decide :)

[Jolard]

As a new member finally graduating from newbyhood, I want to help. Here is a list of newbie questions I had that I would have liked to see in a faq. (Thanks in advance for everyone's help on these in advance!)

- How do I make a backup of a DVD to DVD+-R/+-RW?

This is not as simple as simply running your copy program and making a copy. DVD's are encrypted to hinder copying, and must be decrypted before they can be copied. The other major hurdle is that most DVDs are DVD-9, which means they have two layers. Your blank DVD will only have one layer, half the space, so you will need to either copy to two DVDs or make some decisions on what you want to keep and how you are going to make it fit. The other problem is that in order for the DVD to work in stand-alone players, you have to make sure the files and format are correct. You have some reading ahead of you.

- What is DVD-9 and DVD-5 and why does it matter?

Each layer in a DVD can hold 4.3GB of information. In order to fit more information on a single side of a DVD, studios often glue two layers together, so that it becomes a dual layered disc. That is why you will see the layer change pause half way through the movie. Most new major studio releases are dual layer. Dual layer DVDs are called DVD-9 and single layer DVDs are DVD-5.

The reason it matters is that blank DVD media (+R, +RW, -R, -RW) are all only single layered. So it is not possible to simply recreate the full original DVD on a single recordable DVD, unless the original is a DVD-5. For DVD-9 disks, you can either split the DVD to two disks, remove enough unnecessary data to fit the movie on one disk, or compress the files to make them smaller. There are advantages and disadvantages to each of these options.

- How do I decrypt the DVD?

The first step in any backup process is decrypting the files. The studios encrypt the data on the DVDs to make it harder to backup. However we have 2 great tools that can be used to decrypt the movie, DVDDecryptor and SmartRipper. They can both be downloaded from doom9’s download area, and guides are available here: Descrambling Guides (http://doom9.org/descrambling-guides.htm)

- What is the file structure of a DVD? How should the files look in order to make sure it will work in my stand-alone player?

There should be two main directories on your DVD, AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS. AUDIO_TS is used for DVD Audio disks, and will most likely be empty on your final DVD. VIDEO_TS is where all your other files should go.

Inside VIDEO_TS you should see at least the following:
VIDEO_TS.IFO This is the Video Manager Information file. It is a master file.
VIDEO_TS.BUP Backup of the VIDEO_TS.IFO
VTS_01_0.IFO First Title Manager Information File. Contains details your DVD player needs to know in order to play correctly, e.g. chapter stops, language info etc.
VTS_01_0.BUP Backup of VTS_01_0.IFO
VTS_01_0.VOB This is first video file of the first title. It is a container file that includes an MPEG2 video stream as well as audio and subtitle streams.
VTS_01_1.VOB This is the second video container file for the first Title.

Your DVD will most likely have additional VOB’s, and possibly more Titles as well. Each additional title will have its own set of IFO, BUP and VOBs. A second Title would be named VTS_02_0 etc.



- How do I backup a DVD-5 DVD?


There are a number of ways to do this, but by far the easiest is to use DVDDecryptor in ISO mode. See the DVDDecryptor guide here: DVDDecryptor Guide (http://doom9.org/dvddec.htm) , and follow the instructions for ISO mode.


- How do I backup a DVD-9 DVD?

The first thing you have to determine is what you want the final DVD to look like.

If you want only the movie, and no special features or menus then you will need to see how large the movie is. Rip just the main title in DVDDecryptor or SmartRipper (see the guides) and then see how large it is. If it is smaller than 4.3GB, then you are in luck. Use IFOEdit (guide here Creating a DVD that contains just the main movie (http://doom9.org/mpg/ifoedit-menustripping.htm) ). IFOEdit and the other tools mentioned can be downloaded in the software area.

If you want only the movie, but the ripped main title only is larger than 4.3GB, then you will either need to split the movie over two disks while keeping the original bit rate (and therefore quality), or strip out unwanted audio and subtitle streams to save space, or you will need to compress the movie file to a lower bit rate so that it will fit on one disk, but your quality will decrease somewhat. All the guides you will need are here: DVD and miniDVD Guides (http://doom9.org/mpg/dvdr-guides.htm), pay special attention to the following guides:
Basic Guide (http://doom9.org/mpg/ifoedit-basic.htm)
Creating a DVD that contains just the main movie (http://doom9.org/mpg/ifoedit-menustripping.htm)
Copying a DVD-9 to 2 DVD±Rs (http://doom9.org/mpg/ifoedit-2dvdrs.htm)
DVD Authoring in IfoEdit (http://doom9.org/mpg/ifoedit-dvdauthor.htm)

- I want to back up a DVD-9 and I want easy newby tools that I can pay for and will do nearly everything I want easily and simply. What should I buy?

While we cannot recommend specific commercial products over others, there are a few good tools that will do most of the work for you, and that you can buy for a reasonable price. DVDxCopy and DVD2One are two good examples, although there are others.

DVDxCopy is the simplest, you only need that one tool and it will do everything you need. It will copy the movie file without compression, so that means you will need two blank DVDs for most movies. It will also copy all the menus and special features you need.

DVD2One does what it needs to do well and quickly, for a reasonable price. For a newby, you will still need to learn a little DVDDecryptor or SmartRipper to get the movie decoded and on your hard drive, but other than that it will work simply and easily. It will compress the movie so that it will fit on one blank DVD faster than anything else out there. The drawback is that you lose all special features and menus. However if you just want to back up the movie, this is a good easy newby friendly tool.




Ok, some other questions that would be good to have answered that I haven’t had time to write yet:

My burned DVD won’t play in my stand-alone, what is wrong?

I don’t have a DVD burner, how can I backup my DVDs?

My DVD media says it is 4.7GB, how come I can only get 4.3GB of data on it?


Hope this helps. Wanted to do my part, since I have learned so much from this site. Keep up the good work!

[aleksander]

Wow.
Jorald - thank you so much - we will make use of it for sure. The DVD->DVD-R part was the hardest one for us, since none of us has a DVD-Recorder neither an access to one.
So - once again - thank you so much for it. Maybe we will ask some of the DVD mods to help us out with this part of the FAQ, but what you have written is really helpful.

take care and keep up good work

aleksander

[themancubb]

One question i would like answered:

I can convert Mpeg1 just fines; I get audio sync problems when trying to join mpeg2 files from an SVCD to make then all a DVD. Why is that? Is it a codec or what is the best way?

[Jolard]

No problem Aleksander. These were all questions I had that bugged me as a complete newbie. Thought they would be a good start for someone just barely breaking into DVD backup. I will work on some more and submit them as well.

[hakko504]

Maybe we should link to this thread by markrb (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19566) as well as the pie thread. (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7770) They are very well written threads about how to behave when you are a newbie (or quite experienced too for that matter), but since they are 'hidden' (sticky in fact;)) in the DVD2SVCD-basic forum it's not necessarily the first place a newbie would go look.

[ArdenDag]

markb's thread will DEFINITELY have to be in the FAQ/Stickies

I still think that there should be a FAQ with Questions & Answers, and a 'Read this before posting' or something more appropriate thread, the one manono and a few others (me included) have been working on.

[ammck55]

@aleksander->I'm sure this one is on your list, but I remember how much of a life saver it was at the time. It only took me three hair-pulling days to find it, and it is still the method I use for getting my files to the burner. I'm not going to link this as these notes will all be compiled at a later time, but maybe someone will stumble across it in the meantime. It feels like Christmas when it all comes together for the very first time! Was this DDogg's baby?

A search on "Foolproof Method" will come up with this too.

DVD2SVCD Basic Topics>DVD2SVCD Official Q&A>Q.61

ammck55

[mudda_t]

I don't know if it's too late but maybe something that addresses the bizarre ripping speeds many have gotten. Ripping speeds 1x to 12x even with 16x drives. (maybe for decrypting section)

I know that when I was very newbie it was driving me crazy as to why I was getting a 2x rip speed with a 16x read dvd-rw drive. It took forever to rip. Finally went out and bought a dvd 12x solely for ripping to get faster rips.

Some recent threads that addresses this:

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=45529

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=43758

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=46711

[mnibond]

I want to convert some DVD and store it in my hard drive. Would anyone tell me
Which format are best video quality so close to dvd and use lowest hard drive room.
DIVX, AVI, MPEG-1, MPEG-2.

[killingspree]

@mnibond: is this a question you need to be answered right now or do you recommend it for the FAQ?
if it is the former this is not the appropriate place to ask...

[rpa1121]

Well being a newbie how bout just an expanded glossary with maybe some examples other than that I think u guys have done a great job with comments and ideas.

[hakko504]

This post by DDogg (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=51632) is also a very good reading for anyone who don't know how to handle rule #9 (http://forum.doom9.org/forum-rules.htm)

[royalb]

I have several suggestions. I found that there is all the information that anyone could want on the subject, but placing it into a coherent order is a real challenge. Therefore, I'd like to see:

1- A glossary of terms
2- A compilation of articles with their URL's presented in some logical order. Basically, you want the newbie (me) to read a set of articles in some order.
3- A set of cookbook recipes to accomplish simple tasks. These might not end up with the best quality, but it walks you through the process so that once you've digested it, you can then strike out on your own.

royalb

[killingspree]

this post by doom9 in the general discussion forum should be included in some way too (either shortened version or link - or perhaps both :)

3- A set of cookbook recipes to accomplish simple tasks
what kind of tasks are you thinking about? things like cutting joining etc or how to easily do divx/SVCD etc?
if it is the latter i guess links to the appropriate doom9 guides should be sufficient. (and perhaps a short note about Xmpeg... like if you want a really fast solution, go for xmpeg, if you want to invest a bit more time use gknot, or another one of the encoding tools out there)

what i would also recommend to include is a list of the most commonly used dvd one click backup tools and what their advantages/disadvantages are... perhaps also make a list of programs that are somehow not recommended at all (e.g. commercial rip-offs of freeware programs)

steVe

[commando57]

What I would like to see is a thorough file extension glossary.
I would also like to see what extension a program makes and what extensions are combined together for an output.
This would have greatly helped me climb the steepest part of this curve.

[SAFE_Dives]

I would like to see some guides to what causes error messages that you can get with the various apps (preferably those realistically available to newbies) especially IFOEdit and similar apps.

On the same subject an explanation of what the IFOEdit log is actually telling us would be v. useful - no criticism of Derrow here, he's done a great job of putting together an app that we can freely use and gives good results - I bet there's a lot of us who couldn't do the same - me included. :)

Guides that are aimed at the home movie nut would also be good (we're not all trying to backup our DVDs to DVD, SVCD, etc). ;)

[Valky]

well at least for me it was some time ago very hard to find short answers how to put permanent subtiles on movie..where to get filters and how to adjust those subtitles little bit lower than they usually appear by default.
Also stretching audio could be sometimes very painful operation and have been asked many times.

One more thing...I am not sure if this is newbie issue anymore, but adding deleted scenes back to original movie has been also asked many times.

[killingspree]

Originally posted by SAFE_Dives
I would like to see some guides to what causes error messages that you can get with the various apps (preferably those realistically available to newbies) especially IFOEdit and similar apps.

this would be a huge workload, and if done, it should rather be in the appropriate forums and not in a noob FAQ. so the ifoedit error messages would go into the ifoedit FAQ for example. otherwise the noob FAq would also get incredibly large!


On the same subject an explanation of what the IFOEdit log is actually telling us would be v. useful

again, this would rather belong into the ifoedit FAQ.


Guides that are aimed at the home movie nut would also be good (we're not all trying to backup our DVDs to DVD, SVCD, etc). ;)
of course, but again this does not belong into a newbie FAQ. perhaps a link to the guide, but not more! If you want to make a suggestion about a new guide or additions to an existing one you should better refer to the Forum/ Site Suggestions Forum.


originally posted by Valky
well at least for me it was some time ago very hard to find short answers how to put permanent subtiles on movie..where to get filters and how to adjust those subtitles little bit lower than they usually appear by default.
doesn't a guide for this exist? anyway again this FAQ should in my eyes not tell newbies how to accomplish very specific tasks but rather guide them through the jungle of knownledge around here.


Also stretching audio could be sometimes very painful operation and have been asked many times.
again, a specific task, for an example of questions that should come into this FAQ see Jolards great contribution.


adding deleted scenes back to original movie has been also asked many times

the technical task is not as hard as it may seem if you know how to use vdub(mod) and avisynth, the real difficulty in this step is to find the right spot where those scenes might have belonged!

anyway,
thanks for your input guys it will somehow be incorporated with the final FAQ.
steVe

[SAFE_Dives]

Sorry for getting it all wrong, but I was responding to the original question aimed at us newbies by aleksander ...

"If you think that something is missing in other FAQs, that something has to be explained in more understandable way - now you've got a place to post your thoughts, remarks, etc. "

The things I brought up are "missing in other FAQs" (not just on Doom9, either).

Asking for help from newbies, then effectively knocking them back and responding in such a negative manner is IMHO not at all helpful, or encouraging!!!

[killingspree]

sorry i didn't want to offend you. somehow I read over this line (or forgot it somehow) - my bad
your input is very much appreciated.

I apologize.
steVe

[warrensomebody]

I'm an ultra-newbie here and have been slogging my way through lots of info trying to answer the following question:

What is the best way to capture TV shows to play on a stand-alone DVD player?


video capture process
[o] should I capture to mpg or avi (time vs quality)
[o] what tools (hardware/software) is recommended
encoding process
[o] do I want VCD, SVCD, DVD? What will play on my player?
Is there a simple way to find out? What's the most common
if I want to give the disk to my friends to play?
[o] what formats are recommended, quality vs encoding time vs
compatibility tradeoffs (audio and video)
[o] what format works for my region? NTSC, PAL, other? How many
lines?
burning process
[o] what hardware/software is recommended?
[o] what's most likely to work vs most likely to make toast?
once I've got the basics working, what can I do to
[o] improve quality
[o] reduce time to create
[o] automate the process


I'd be happy to work with you to write this up (once I figure it out myself). I'm just at the stage of playing around with different encodings, with mixed results.

Warren

P.S. Does anybody offer a dvd with chapters in different formats so that you can just pop it in your player and see what works, what looks best, etc.?

[Jo Monkey]

Originally posted by dani82
i seen alot of newbies always asking the same question, but for some reason, they never seem to uses the search feature, since they've already been answered.

Here some questions that should be on the Newbies FAQ:


how do i burn an dvd with (s)vcd files?

how do i convert an dat -> mpeg?

how do i convert an rm -> divx or mpeg?

how do i extract the audio from an (s)vcd or dvd?

something about the hotmail banned?

i'm still wondering how do i extract an pcm audio from an dvd, correctly?

and probility the most asked newbie question: audio sync?

[Wilbert]

WinXP not letting you delete avi
I can't copy and paste it, so I just give the link:

http://www.dvdrhelp.com/forum/userguides/100406.php

[REMINATOR]

Originally posted by Jolard
- What is the file structure of a DVD? How should the files look in order to make sure it will work in my stand-alone player?

There should be two main directories on your DVD, AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS. AUDIO_TS is used for DVD Audio disks, and will most likely be empty on your final DVD. VIDEO_TS is where all your other files should go.

Inside VIDEO_TS you should see at least the following:
VIDEO_TS.IFO This is the Video Manager Information file. It is a master file.
VIDEO_TS.BUP Backup of the VIDEO_TS.IFO
VTS_01_0.IFO First Title Manager Information File. Contains details your DVD player needs to know in order to play correctly, e.g. chapter stops, language info etc.
VTS_01_0.BUP Backup of VTS_01_0.IFO
VTS_01_0.VOB This is first video file of the first title. It is a container file that includes an MPEG2 video stream as well as audio and subtitle streams.
VTS_01_1.VOB This is the second video container file for the first Title.


:) :) This is the kind of example and explanation that I want to see. Well done Jolard. I think it's very important that newbie understand the DVD DNA structure before messing around the files.

As newbie and totally new into this DVD Ripping department, I am so lost in this DVD Ripping world from the DVD Structure (above) to terminology (ISO, Demux, Streaming, etc) to ripping process.

I had downloaded DVD Decrypter and DVD Shrink and did manage to mess around with it. So far, I only ripped just a portion of the video and put into my HD. I am way behind in learning to rip a complete DVD or even editting its DVD structure and content, or editing the DVD video or audio.

So with that said, any link or help would be really appreciated it. Many thanks. I can't wait to read this new FAQ for newbies once it's complete.

[killingspree]

hi REMINATOR,

are you aware of the existance of these guides (http://www.doom9.org/dvd-basics.htm)? Those documents got essentially everything covered you'll need to know in the beginning. After reading those you can start over with all the other guides that are more specific...

oh and the glossary (http://www.doom9.org/glossary.htm) might be of quite some interest for you too (you know all those terminologies :))

hth
steVe
PS: DVDshrink is definitely a good point to get into this scene :)

[REMINATOR]

:) :) Many thanks, Killingspree! I'm going to read them now.

lol, actually I didn't know those terminologies. I happened to open DVDencryptor and just copy it off from the menu since I have no I idea what they are.

[echooff]

My biggest frustration was trying to figure out which guide to use. I think the biggest thing for you FAQ is links to guides. The questions newbies ask listed with a brief explanation and a appropriate guide link for detailed help.

[Pierre C]

After a few months converting DVD/Divx to SVCD/DVD, my biggest source of frustration has constantly been subtitles. Problems with video or audio have usually been worked around pretty quickly (if not gracefully :) ) but subs are an everlasting headache, particularly their positioning.
Thanks for asking us Aleksander,
/Pierre

[farmer dan]

Aleksander--

Thanks for posting this thread. It's a real eye opener, especially if you read the FAQ's--like the pie thread :D This is something that I wanted to do after I achieved some success in one of my projects and posted my "Lessons Learned."

I've spent a deal of time today reading everyone's posts and looking at any links that are provided. It seems to me that, over the history of this entire forum, this community has really evolved into a complex network. From reading the stuff that's two years old I get the picture that there were one or two " main topic areas" and at least one general area OR a few combinations of "topic area" and "advanced topic area" AND no newbie area. DDOG and his compadres were discussing how to engage the newbies and yet stay away from answering the "same ol' questions." Ergo, the Newbie Forum. Isn't everyone who posted in this thread having the same discussion?

The only thing that has changed is the complexity of the forum and the proliferation of the tools available. But coupled with that, I think, is a lack of "un-informed user" information. In my office, I won't help anyone who has not read "Help"--same as this forum--but for many of the tools, there is no "Help." This may generate a lot of the "newbie questions" as each new "newbie" tries an application for the first time. As a relative new-comer myself, I can say that my major task was in learning what different applications can and can't do.

Of course, there is another variable here too--What the individual actually wants to do. For example, one of my back-up criteria is the preservation of multi-channel sound. I can use DVD Shrink only as an editor. But I didn't know that until I played my movie back in only stereo.

So what's your point, farmerdan? Well, maybe the purpose of a FAQ section of this forum would be to Guide and not to Teach. My idea is that if I tell someone how to do something, they don't learn how to do it. But if I help them do it, they learn a lot. Many of the guides we ask newbies to read are just step-by-step with not a lot of "understanding"--but they are good and necessary.

Here is a possible format for the the "Newbie FAQ's"1. Basic info and philosophy--markrb threadand the pie thread.

2. A few--define a few--basic questions. The one's that Jolard wrote are really good and maybe totally sufficient.
3. This is a tough one. A list of the most popular non-commercial applications: DVD Shrink, IFO Edit, DVD Decrypter to name a few. Along with that list a glossary or definition of terms and functions. For example, ISO Mode, PuOP, image. And, what does "Play DVD" in IFO Edit do and how does that relate to PowerDVD and WinDVD.
4. A linked list of Basic guides and what they are used for.As DDOG or someone in his day said--There are a lot of people looking for one button quick solutions to backing up DVD's. We know that this is really not possible. I think that once we get someone involved in manipulating the software the informed questions will come. The trick is getting them past the, "I received an error that says 'Hit any key to continue.' I can't find a key marked 'any,'" questions. :D :sly: And, at the same time, treat them with courtesy, dignity and respect.

[Wilbert]

Codecs missing in XP:

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24305

[ArdenDag]

Just popping in, I haven't been on this forum in many months...

What's going on with this FAQ? Me and Manono were doing a start on this a whiiiiile back, and I think I still have the initial copies on my computer...

Was wondering if anyone was still putting a foot forth in compiling this information? I may make a return and start working on this again :)

Oh btw, hello all :)

[killingspree]

hi ArdenDag
well actually ammck55, oddysseus and myself should be working on the FAQ. unfortunately I myself got by far not enough time to compile such a piece of work and afaik ammck55 and oddysseus got more or less the same problem.
manono was so kind and gave us a copy of the work you've done already. it is sitting on my hd along with a bit of work i've done myself quite a while ago and waiting for the right time when I once more have time enough to do such a task.

this will take another 5 months though, as i am in the military atm and have little to no spare time - which is largely consumed by RL problems anyway and barely leaves time for the everyday mod work that has to be done around here!

anyway, if you feel that you can further contribute to this project we would of course be very greatful and I would give you as much as help as possible. so if you do have anything specific in mind, feel free to contact me by PM (or email) anytime!

kr
steVe

[ArdenDag]

Well, I've spoken with ammck, and I'm willing to help work on this, but not if the process will have to be routed through every one who has their hands on the project before a preliminary FAQ is posted. I know this project is one of those things that has to be done right, but there is no reason that it can't be done, especially before your 5 months of military time is up, just because it needs your approval and your critiques, I think all that can be settled in pieces after an initial version is up, I mean it's been almost a year now since the project started, and this topic has been here for that long with still only a few replies (albeit some very good ones).

I think it's only right to get that first copy up, and get feedback from *everyone* who visits this forum, about how well it's working, and how better to reword it, or what to add to make it better.

Sometimes it takes a newbie's perspective, since many of us can't step back to see what they see, sometimes words we use don't translate well into someone's eyes who has not had much experience in the field as others have.

I think it best to post something, a forward, a quick FAQ, then get feedback, and rework and rework the FAQ until it sounds better to the point where it is worthy of being here.

[Asmodeus]

It will be nice to se a proper RealVideo9 encode guide, with all problems included in encoding with this format, eg. best (or) fast (or) easy (or) all of this encoding engine/program, use of 2-pass (or 1-pass) encoding, EHQ use, and so one, and so one ...
RealThanx.

Poor english team member =)

[slickomatic]

I would like to see more instructions on how to get rid of unwanted content. DVD-Dycrypter is great and so is DVD-Shrink, both are really easy to use but I would like to know how to get rid of the excess content from a DVD and just get the menus and movie. I'm not big on having the "special features" from my originals, just the movie at high quality. DVD-Shrink is somewhat flexible in manipulating content but instead of getting rid of content it only changes it to still pictures and you have to stip off the audio to get a good size movie above 65% compression. I am trying to learn about infoedit but it has not clicked yet. Is there a good or easy way to do this?

Thanks,

Josh

[killingspree]

hi Josh,
well actually there's a very easy way to get the movie only to your backup DVDR. it is, if you want to say so, a seperate dvdshrink method. it strips off all the menus too though, but i honestly do not see much reason to keep the menu if you get rid of all the extras anyway. switching audio and subs during playback is more convenient imho anyway. for more details see here (http://www.doom9.org/mpg/dvdshrink3-main.htm)
for loads of other methods of backing up your DVDs see here (http://www.doom9.org/mpg/dvdbackup-guides.htm)

hth
steVe

[Henry The Ripper]

It would be very useful to explain the B-,P- and I-frame settings? What do they mean and how do they work in plain terms?

[slickomatic]

Thanks for the feedback. The links were helpful!

Josh

[ukb007]

jolard has decided he's not a newbie any more. Great work, jolard. How exactly does one decide that ? (I'm asking because I'd want to make such a decision) Is the cut-off point some amount of time spent in these fora, the biological age, ability to successfully use GK, write a killer software, or a gradually blinding inner glow ? (well, I find it's too dark yet to see any light around)

Q. How just to stretch audio by factors like 0.0086% [I know CoolEdit can do this, but it's not a freeware] without changing the other parameters.

Thanks.

[assemblage]

Word glossary of the lingo used in the forums and the guides.

How to backup episodic DVD's

A rewrite of the Big3 guide that explains more about what's going on or even a few different dvd's that walk you through the steps. The current guide I found to be confusing. It was basically, a 'check this do that' without much explanation of what's what. It seemed more like a guide of backing up Training Day. I don't have that one so after trying to backup my Band of Brothers Disc 1 which took forever, The disc wouldn't play past the first menu, but since the guide really didn't explain well what was going on, I have no idea what went wrong. I'm thinking it might just be easier to use DVD Shrink to backup the two episodes and use another program to make a menu.

[Jonodan]

I'd like to find an easy to use guide suggesting best methods, formats, etc for editing video. What is the best format to edit in (avi, mpeg) for highest quality output.

[2COOL]

Originally posted by Jonodan
I'd like to find an easy to use guide suggesting best methods, formats, etc for editing video. What is the best format to edit in (avi, mpeg) for highest quality output. We all play in Doom9's playground so we must abide by his rules, especially #12.

12) How NOT to post on this forum:

Do not ask "what's best" because this question cannot be answered objectively. Each and everyone has their own view about what's best in a certain area. The best is what works best for you!

If you have a problem with this, here's a thread (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?threadid=66654) on others trying to challenge it. Of course, Doom9 had the last words before closing it.

[trolltuning]

There are two things that I've always had trouble with
1)Searches- sometimes I almost know the answer must be there but I keep coming up with irrelevant answers. Any tips that the experts can give would be appreciated.
2)Often I find I can't understand the guide or thread I'm trying to read because I should have read another one first. It would be nice if some one could say something like 'learn about fps first then colorspace 2nd etc. with links to the correct beginning guides.

[NewbieIntheDell]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jolard

Ok, some other questions that would be good to have answered that I haven’t had time to write yet:

My burned DVD won’t play in my stand-alone, what is wrong?

:confused:

I am totally a newbie and have been searching and reading lots information in this forum. Thanks, guys. But I have been stuck for a few days. I used DVDShrink, ImgTool & DVD Decrypter,etc. to backup a dvd and burned into a DVD +R (Philips DVD+R 1-2.4X). It can play in my laptop by using PowerDVD, but cannot play in my stand-alone (Mintek DVD 1600). I tried different ways after reading many many and many instructions. But as a newbie, I find myself now in a dell. Please help me out, thanks.

What I did was:

1.Use DVD Shrink3.2-->Re-author main movie to harddisk. Use Recordnow! (Burner is Sony 530A) burn the whole directory to DVD+R.

2. Use DVD Shrink3.2-->Full Disk Backup to harddisk. Use Nero(demo) burn into DVD+R.

3. Use DVD Shrink3.2-->Full Disk Backup to harddisk. Use ImageTool (Classic 0.91.4) and DVD Decrypter to make an image and burn into DVD+R.

All results can play in my laptop by using PowerDVD, but cannot play in my stand-alone DVD player.

I must have done something wrong, but I cannot find it. Please help me, thanks.

[manono]

Hi-

This player seems to be problematic with DVD+R. Read here (http://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers.php?DVDname=Mintek+DVD+1600&Submit=Search&Search=Search&country=&orderby=Name&hits=25) for some other people's experiences, and what some have done (turn on bitsetting) to make it work.