MakeItEasy

[jdobbs]

Until there are some moderators named, here is the attachment I promised in the DVD2one forum...

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ATTACHMENT DELETED NEW VERSION BELOW

[Eyes`Only]

aren't you a mod there?

[jdobbs]

I am now. I wasn't when I posted this.

[Eyes`Only]

k. figured it was something like that, I just felt like posting :D

[jdobbs]

Whoah.... I underestimated the interest in this program... my apologies to all 2,693 beta testers :eek: for the goofy error in the unpadding option. Attached is a new version to fix it.

Other items of note:

1. IFOEDIT creates the new IFO files as if the stream were always VTS_01_1.VOB -- you need to rename it.

2. If the source uses a VOBID higher than 70, you may run into problems. I haven't seen one that high yet -- but it's possible.

3. It is possible to enter a number in the MByte box that will make the set too large. (You can only go to VTS_0n_9.VOB).

Same rules as before. Remember this is still in development

jdobbs

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SEE NEW ATTACHMENT BELOW -- 4,386 copies of this one were downloaded

[coach]

I have tried to use this program all day and keep coming up with the same outcome, the finished file size is 4.9Gb. I'll try to keep this short but would appreciate your thoughts. I ripped a movie using DVD Decryptor, I followed the guide for Make it Easy to the letter but had to assume some things. When I separated the main movie from the extras I had a movie file of 6.02Gb and an extras folder of 1.43Gb. Here is my first question, how do you write 1.43Gb as Mb, I wrote 1430 I think this is correct. When you run IfoEdit and create Ifos do you leave the settings as they are, I opted to leave the PGC and Chapter settings as they were and to have the destination folder the same as the source. When IfoEdit was finished the source folder was 7.42Gb, when I ran DVD2One it does not have a description for the audio files or the subtitle files, I just picked the first option on each. After running the file through DVD2One the file size was 4.37Gb. After removing the padding with Make it Easy the file size is 3.54Gb (do you just select the first file from your folder)as you can see these figures do not add up, it should have removed 1.43Gb but it didn't so when I add this file back to the original I end up with 4.9Gb. Can anyone tell me what is going wrong.
Cheers
Coach.

[coach]

I have received an e-mail from schlaufer, he is a junior member and not allowed to post. He has asked me to post his reply to my post. It may be the solution to my problem and he wants me to post it so that others can benefit from it so here it is. It is an alternative calculation for the padding.

vts = size of the vobs of the main movie
xtr = size of all except the main movie
c = size needed for Padding

pad = vts*xtr/(4,38GB-xtr)

Example (Memento RC2):
vts=6,003,361,792
xtr=1,164,850,480 (trailers from other dvds stripped with IfoEdit)
pad=6,003,361,792*1,164,850,480/(4,700,000,000-1,164,850,480)
=1,978,139,489 byte
=1886.5MB

So I choose 1900 MB padding to have a little room for errors.

I'll post my findings for this formula once I have tried it, but it is here for others to try also
Coach.

[jdobbs]

If you do it once and it is too large, add more padding and do it again... the more padding added, the smaller the output. Also, please note that you can use the "Unpad" function to remove the padding from the original files as well (in case you want to redo).

I'll admit theres a lot of guesswork in the padding... but I've tried this on several DVDs, and the only one that I've had trouble with is "Matrix", and it is pretty unique.

(What have :(I started? Should I have named this DoItHard?)

[dexterkitty]

At step 4 to remove the padding, do I have to do it for every vob or just the _1.vob? Also, should the file size decrease after the padding is removed?

Looks like a great program.

[jdobbs]

Pick any .VOB --- it then selects the entire set for processing, it should definitely shrink.

[dexterkitty]

When calculating the main movie size, should I include the _0.vob?

[coach]

OK I still cannot get the end file size down to 4.38GB. The original rip is 7.45GB, after the split the main movie is 6.02GB and the extras are 1.43GB. I have tried all the way up to 3000MB for the paddind and I still end up with a finished file size after all the other processes of 4.58GB. Surely 3000MB should be more than enough to allow for any discrepancies in the calculations. Should I start again and allow 3500MB for the padding, this seems to be an awful lot of space to be taking away from the main movie. When I ran the movie through Power DVD the last time after I used 3000MB for the padding it didn't seem to have affected the quality of the main movie. Has anyone else had to use very large padding above the size that they calculated.
Coach.

[jdobbs]

It probably wouldn't work. That might make it larger than the maximum size of a VTS (9 files). I'll give this some thought. Not sure why it doesn't shrink more.

[Calypso]

According to my calculations, you would normally need 2991MB. The first half of the movie must be easier to compress then the rest of the move, thus it compresses more. Therefore, 'less' will be removed when you 'unpad'.

[coach]

Can anyone work out the maximum padding for this movie without exceeding the 9 VTS files I am going to try 3500 padding but I think it will run over the 9 files.
Coach

[jdobbs]

Tell you what. I'll try a couple of experiments later today, and if IFOEDIT and DVD2one lets me get away with it I can increast the size of the VOBs beyond 1MB. You definitely wouldn't want to do that for something that is to be written to DVD-R, but this is just padding and will go away.

[coach]

Tried 1 last time and failed again. Started with movie file of 6.02GB, with 7 VTS files. Maximum size of packing that Make it Easy would allow was 3010MB, after adding padding size went up to 8.96GB. Ran DVD2one and size came down to 4.36GB, went to remove padding and size remained the same 4.36GB. Don't know what went wrong but I am going to wait until I hear from jdobbs after his experiments. Thanks for the replies and keep up the good work.
Coach.

[jdobbs]

@coach

Are you sure you're unpadding the correct directory? I've never seen it fail to unpad since the last update. If you inadvertently choose the source directory (the one you originally padded) it will go through and unpad it -- but it is the wrong file.

[jdobbs]

I wish the DVD2one author would make that one simple change (setting the required output size) and output a minor revision. I can't imagine it to be that difficult a modification. I'd like to dump this whole concept of padding. It takes longer to encode and adds too much time and chance for error to the process.

But as of this moment its the only way (using DVD2one).

[coach]

OK. I tried it again, didn't do anything different and I managed to get the finished file down to 4.38GB. When I tried to burn it, it was too big at 4.38GB. I put the new movie files back through the system and ended up with a finished file of 3.9GB. Burned it and watched it and could not really say that the quality had suffered. When I come to select the audio, subtitles and angle from DVD2One it does not always give me a description of what they are, I just assume that the first ones are english. Anyway I will try another movie tonight to see if it was an accident or not.
Coach.

[jdobbs]

Attached is the newest Beta of MakeItEasy. I found and corrected a couple of important bugs.

- Found and fixed a significant error in the cell entry table update routine. This should fix the navigation problems some have seen.
- Changed algorithm in padding, fixes several possible problems
- Increased the .VOB filesize during padding. This will allow a larger value to be entered in the "Increase Size By" box so you don't run out of .VOBs or finish only to find you are 100Mb over. So you can guess high to be safe now.

Known items that still need to be fixed:

- Seamless branching (e.g. "The Matrix"). While the CELLs are copied correctly, the IFO generation process from IFOEDIT cannot determine the ILVU VOBU start sector.

Still keep in mind that this is a beta -- please report errors with detailed information.

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ATTACHMENT DELETED
NEWER VERSION POSTED LATER IN THIS THREAD

[jdobbs]

And, based on some inputs, I am now updating to v0.14 -- I think this one will be the last for a while (days anyhow). Changes:

- Changed both "Browse" buttons so they browse for directories rather than files (since that is what is actually happening).
- Added a feature to Step 2 so padding can be automatically calculated.

--- EDIT: Updated once again due to small error

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DELETED THIS VERSION, NEW ONE POSTED LATER
IN THIS THREAD
(FYI: 4,821 copies were downloaded of this version)

[sidders]

When I download this, it is stil version 0.14. Am i doing something wrong?

edit

works now

[dvdRENEGADE]

sidders,
I downloaded it and it's version 0.15 . Maybe you are running the older version by mistake.


jdobbs,
I've run 3 backups with 0.15. The automatic padding calc. has worked great and I have not had any problems with this version...all chapters have matched up, etc. Do you have any idea when you might add the "transfer time map" feature?
Thanks,
dvdRENEGADE

[sidders]

I am still having problems with this particular DVD
main - 5.07gb
extras - 2.84gb

the suggested padding is over 10gb

even with the program allowing for vobs up to 1.33gb now, this still takes me way over the 9 vob files in a vts set, therefore comes up with an error

[dvdRENEGADE]

sidders,
It sounds like you're using the extras titleset and not the movie. I'm not sure if that's what you're trying to do or not. If not, load up the largest titleset and use it for MakeItEasy's calculations. Version 0.15 does the calculating for you now. If you were intending to try to lower the bitrate of the other extras titleset, good luck to you. It'll take some extra work and calculating.
dvdRENEGADE

[sidders]

no, i'm using the main movie titleset.

i think i will have to rum the extras through the process first as they are quite large.
Otherwise I am reducing the main vobs from 5.07gb to less than 2gb in order to fit the dvd with the extras left untouched.

What i'm tring now is padding up the extras by 5gb and running them through dvd2one, so when i come to do the main movie, hoefully i won't require much padding as the extas are reduced in size.

[kolonel]

Sidders

I work it out to be 5.12885844

Got calc from previous post

a is size of whole disc
b is size of extra's
c is size for padding

(a/4.38)*b=c

Hope it helps

[sidders]

kolenal
cheers for your post

i tried this amount before though and came out with a dvd too big

[coach]

Instead of starting a new thread I have posted this here bacause we are talking about the same program. I have tried to put 2 large DVD's through the process and have come up against the same problem. I am using the latest version of Make it Easy. I have managed to reduce the size of the movie to fit onto DVD-r but there are problems. The chapters do not point to the correct point in the movie, out of 24 chapters only 11 of them take me to somewhere in the movie the rest of them take me back to the titles menu. The main movie was in VTS_02 which meant I had to change the numbers after running IfoEdit and before putting the files back into the Original folder, is there anything wrong with this. The other thing is if I try to play the movie back through IfoEdit when it gets to the point to play the movie title set it stops and begins to squeele, the program must then be closed down. The movie plays OK with Power DVD. Any Ideas.
Coach.

[mike4692]

jdobbs

I have just done black hawk down(R2) , it went great , got it to be 4.3gb with the extras , but when I came to burn it , the dvd only burt 768.55mb which is the data up to the point of the main movie ifo , the total size of the disc is 4409.23 MB is this a bugg perhaps ,

I am using record now max to burn , and followed the guide to the letter , just seem to be going in circles , I tried it with CEE b4 and ifoupdate gave me an error aswell , more cells than original , this is a single pgc aswell ,I dont know where I am going wrong , it must be to do with the update

[Subzero]

I don't know about you guys but I was still having problems padding using the latest version of makeiteasy, but I think I figured out a formula, this here is a formula I used backing up the dvd of Shrek

Size Of DVD-R= 4.38 GB (4,700,000,000 bytes)
Size Of Disc = 7.22 GB (7,755,094,016 bytes)
MOVIE VOBS = 5.23 GB (5,623,584,768 bytes)
EXTRAS = 1.98 GB (2,131,509,248 bytes)

Formula

(Size Of Disc/Size Of DVD-R)*(Size Of DVD-R-Extras)+10%=Padding

Example

(7755/4700)*(4700-2131)
1.65*2569=4238.85
4238.85+10%=4662.735

So Padding would be 4663

My dvd of Shrek came out exactly 4.33 GB (4,653,393,920 bytes) I kept the 6 channel AC3 track plus the DTS track and subtitles and the video still looked good, hopefully this help anyone having trouble.

Thx, Subby

[sidders]

I tried this forula subby and it definitely doesn't work for me. I am finding that the best way is to use makeiteasy calculation then add on about 15%.

Seems as though some calculations work for some and not for others. Cheers for the reply though subby

[alanrob]

Originally posted by mike4692
jdobbs

I have just done black hawk down(R2) , it went great , got it to be 4.3gb with the extras , but when I came to burn it , the dvd only burt 768.55mb which is the data up to the point of the main movie ifo , the total size of the disc is 4409.23 MB is this a bugg perhaps ,

I am using record now max to burn , and followed the guide to the letter , just seem to be going in circles , I tried it with CEE b4 and ifoupdate gave me an error aswell , more cells than original , this is a single pgc aswell ,I dont know where I am going wrong , it must be to do with the update

I had that problem for a while doing full backups of my DVD's.
Finally got a solution from these boards.
Use ImgTools to create an img file then use DVD Decrypter to burn it off.

Worked 100% for me.

[jdobbs]

@all

Attached is a new version (V0.16) of MakeItEasy. This version eliminates the problem when doing a VTS with VOBIDs greater than 70. I think that may have been the cause of a lot more problems than I ever thought possible.

@dvdRENEGADE

I'm still looking at "Transfer Time Map" -- it gets a little more difficult in MakeItEasy than IFOUpdate. In all the examples I've tried so far the newly created table is too large to transfer. This is due to the entries in the table caused by the padding.

[alanrob]

Again, top mark to the top guy :D
Your a star ;)

[Will Hay]

Originally posted by coach
Instead of starting a new thread I have posted this here bacause we are talking about the same program. I have tried to put 2 large DVD's through the process and have come up against the same problem. I am using the latest version of Make it Easy. I have managed to reduce the size of the movie to fit onto DVD-r but there are problems. The chapters do not point to the correct point in the movie, out of 24 chapters only 11 of them take me to somewhere in the movie the rest of them take me back to the titles menu. The main movie was in VTS_02 which meant I had to change the numbers after running IfoEdit and before putting the files back into the Original folder, is there anything wrong with this. The other thing is if I try to play the movie back through IfoEdit when it gets to the point to play the movie title set it stops and begins to squeele, the program must then be closed down. The movie plays OK with Power DVD. Any Ideas.
Coach.

Hi Coach,
I'm having what sounds like the same problem (or similar) to you:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=45978
Let me know if you solve it buddy and I'll do the same.
Thanks,
Will

[jdobbs]

I'm sure there is something wrong. Several people have reported it. But unfortunately I haven't been able to repeat it. I have successfully tested this program on at least 30 DVDs and it has not resulted in bad chapter pointers on a single disc.

I'm willing to take the time to work on it, but I need the people who experience it to take an active role also. The three IFO files would be a good start -- the new IFO, the original, and the one after updating.

[coach]

Hi Will
I have given up trying to put movies that are way too big through the process, I think the problem lies in the movie containing multiple PGC's. There is a way around it but it takes too much time when you really don't know what your doing. I am in the process in downloading another program demo that allows you to copy 1-1 even DVD9 to DVDr. The site is really slow, I have been on all day downloading 14.5MB.
Best of luck with make it easy
Coach.

[jdobbs]

You know -- I think that pretty much makes up my mind for me. I've been asking myself why I waste my time writing these free utilities for people -- all I ask in return is that if you have a problem with it, you somehow help identify the cause -- but that is apparently too much to ask.

Next time I'll write it and keep it to myself.

[coach]

jdobbs
You have taken my reply and blown it out of all proportion. I am a novice at all this ripping, I can only handle small rips and burns. What I said was that I had given up tryimg to put really large DVD's through the process not all dvd's. I have tried to overcome the problems that I have come across by following some of the other directions on the site but I am afraid it is beyond my knowledge and capabilities, for me to spend all day trying to do something with no results and not to understand how and why it went wrong is like knocking my head against a wall. At least you and others have a greater understanding of what is supposed to happen and can understand it. I along with everyone else appreciate all the long and hard work that you and other people carry ouy to bring us these programs. Please do not think that I have given up on you.
Thanks for all the good work and please do not give up.
Coach.

[dvdRENEGADE]

jdobbs,
I think most people who are having problems with MakeItEasy would have problems with just about any program. I think a thread started by you asking for success stories and problem dvd's would be very beneficial and would help to eliminate alot of the false negatives when people are mistaking their problems with MakeItEasy.

A little tip for some of you:
If you can't get any DVD backups to work with MakeItEasy, it's obviously YOUR fault.

I hope you reconsider jdobbs because there are definitely many people who appreciate all you've done and continue to do for the hobby. Personally, I've tried the InstantCopy demo and it looks like a nice piece of work, but I'm definitely watching out for further releases of MakeItEasy as well. It's the only reliable way to make complete 1:1 backups quickly using DVD2One.

Peace,
dvdRENEGADE

[jdobbs]

@dvdRENEGADE,

I downloaded InstantCopy earlier today, it looks promising. I just started my first job about 20 minutes ago to see how it works... and I just noticed the app is locked up. I'll try it again later. (just to be fair to Pinnacle -- I was attempting "Blow" and I have yet to find any other technique the works with it).

I knew when I wrote MakeItEasy that it would have a short lifespan. DVD2one was already scheduled (sometime "soon") to include the only value-added function it provides anyway. So there's really not a lot of incentive to working on it any more.

[Will Hay]

Originally posted by dvdRENEGADE
I think most people who are having problems with MakeItEasy would have problems with just about any program.

You're an ignorant idiot.
I needed a little guidance on using it because much like poor coach who's been singled out as an ungrateful bastard when clearly he's not.
He probably replied to my post *before* he saw jdobbs kind enough to assist.
Poor bastard, give the guy a break.
The intent of his post was that he was struggling to understand the finer points of the program, and that as he's such a novice (as I am) he was struggling to understand what was needed and more so, from my point of veiw at least, didn't know what half the terminology the more experienced users like yourself use in your 'pen up your arse' indignant replies even mean.

Originally posted by dvdRENEGADE
A little tip for some of you:
If you can't get any DVD backups to work with MakeItEasy, it's obviously YOUR fault.


Now you're just being a prick.
I don't pretend to know everything about this program, what I do know is that many, many contacts I've made through vcdhelp.com, doom9.org and the dvd2one forum are using MakeItEasy with 100% success so yes WE KNOW if it ain't working it's 99% our fault and not the programmes.
Speaking for the my own race, humankind, I don't intend to watch these backups on a 62" plasma friggin' screen and pause it at every chapter to compare it to the original - we don't care that much. What we do appreciate is a simple to use cheap programme that will do a half-decent job.
And we do appreciate it, we just don't take kindly to f*ckwits like yourself.
I've had one guy talk me through the process on msn messenger to make sure the problems I'm experiencing aren't my own making, so who the hell do you think you are acusing me of stupidity?
Sorry, you're an idiot, I forgot.
...
To jdobbs, from your last post I'm guessing (again, as I'm a novice) you want each ifo from each of the following processes, right?
1) the one prepared by the original rip
2) the one produced after dvd2one has finished and
3) the final one after step 5 of your program
Have I interpreted your post correctly?
I've done two dvd's (one the 'simpsons' and one 'red dwarf') and also have a third (containing six episodes) which a friend has backed up successfully using the same method (dvd2one and MakeItEasy).
I'll do the same disk this week (I have it too, Pheonix Nights) and if I don't get it right then it's clearly my own making.
If it does work then it's perhaps an issue with the first two disks I tried.
May I also add I've had 100% success with MakeItEasy and *movies*, the ones that are the problem are indiv. episodes such as the ones mentioned above.
Regards,
Will

[jdobbs]

Man, and I thought I was being too sensitive...

[Will Hay]

Originally posted by jdobbs
Man, and I thought I was being too sensitive...

If you were you didn't say so :)
Not knowing where the hell in the world you are it seems to be customary in the UK to start every sentence with "I'm sorry but...".
Not for me, I won't stand for ignorance.
W.

[dvdRENEGADE]

Will Hay,
Wow. I wish I had your spare time.
Peace,
dvdRENEGADE

[Will Hay]

Originally posted by dvdRENEGADE
Will Hay,
Wow. I wish I had your spare time.


That's an insult right?
Thanks for taking the time.

Originally posted by dvdRENEGADE
Peace,


Is that your first or second name, or a proclamation?
I won't spoil the thread - God bless.
Will Hay

[dvdRENEGADE]

jdobbs,
Speaking of InstantCopy, I've done 2 titles with it so far...Spider-Man and Dumbo (for my nephew...hehe...yeah right), it's worked very well. You gotta love the option to set priority for transcoding. Even the Spider Sense is working on the Spider-Man DVD. I would've been better off just buying a 2nd copy of Spider-Man as the backup because I always seem to be trying a new method, etc. with it. Well, MakeItEasy worked for the time it was needed...however short-lived. I guess I'll probably be using Scenarist, Maestro, CCE, and all the other dozens of programs a little less than I did. It sucks kinda. I guess I'll have to find another hobby...hehe.
dvdRENEGADE

[luukluuk]

uh when you made your NEW ifos and vobs with ifoedit

and open them with dvd2one the audio and subs are UNSPECIFIED ( so you cant see wath language it is :/ is there a trick that you can see that? :)