bilingual DVD -> bilingual AVI

[Hover]

Hello,

FlasKMPEG, DVD2AVI and many other tools allow to select only one audio track from the source DVD. I would like to keep 2 audiotracks most of the time ripping DVDs.

Tutorials on doom9.org suggest to use BeSweet to extract mp3 from AC3 of the second language, then add it to the single-language AVI with AVI-Mux. Though, it doesn't seem to be perfect because:

1) There typically are several VOBs which are processed by BeSweet independently. So I get several MP3s instead of one long and would have to glue them together before using.
2) There could arise synchronization issues.

So before sticking to this way I try to find a more direct one. Actually I'm not bound to any specific codec or container. The only requirements are:

* Two audio tracks. Plain stereo is good enough. AC3 is ok too.
* Overall size of, say, 1-2 Gb for a 2 hour movie.
* Simple installation of player codec for Windows.
* Should be playable on any P4 or AthlonXP.
* Optionally: possibility for the viewer to turn on subtitles (two languages again) would be great too!

As you see, plain VOBs laying out on my HDD satisfy all these requirements except size. By removing all languages except two, recoding to more CPU-intense and compressed format, I'd like to shrink them to 1-2 Gigs instead of 4-5.

Please suggest possible ways to achieve it before I dive into AVI-Mux'ing. Are there more straightforward ways to shrink the size of a typical unprotected DVD movie keeping 2 soundtracks and hopefully subtitles?

Regards, Yar

[|minister]

this (http://www.doom9.org/gknot-main3.htm) guide explains how to make a divx avi with gordian knot. it also explains how to make a dual language avi with gordian knot.

hope this helps :)

[Hiro2k]

If you want more than 2 languages I suggest you use another container. To have 2 languages in avi isn't really supported, it's just a hack someone came up with back in the day. Now that OGM and Matroska our out, you can safely make a movie with 2 languages and know that it's supported correctly. Another thing is you need the stupid Morgan stream switcher to change languages in the avi, and that filter tends to be the cause of many other audio related problems.

[Hover]

Thank you, pals. I'm experimenting with Gordian Knot at the moment.

Divx5 704x368 with 2 AC3s of 'Frida' movie looks like a dream at the cost of occupying 2,4 Gb. The only anomaly is the framerate. The DVD was in NTSC at 29.970 fps. I chose the same for the target Divx, but the player says it's 23.99 fps instead. Odd, but the movie looks natural.

My next try is 'The heat' (2 hr 43 min) in 608x256 with two 128kbps VBR MP3s in just 1.0 Gb. The original soundtracks were a bit noisy, so the resulting are too, but overall impression is still great. This DVD had subtitles in two languages and I tried to incorporate them into the resulting .avi.

The guide kindly advised by |minister says the following:

Then the subtitles. Here you are at a crossroads: If you want permanent subtitles press the Select VobSub Files button and select the ifo file from the 2 files that VobSub has created for you. If you prefer to have subtitles that you can switch on and off during playback and in multiple languages don't select anything here, your subtitles are already properly prepared. The after Borders option is for VCD/SVCD creation only and does not concern us.

Yes, I chose to have switchable subtitles and followed the instructions but the output file seemingly doesn't have any. Of course, at the previous step I ripped the .idx and .sub files from the .vobs with the 'Vobsub step 1' at the 'Subtitles' tab of the GordianKnot. Alas, something went wrong...

Hiro2k: yes, actually it's not so good that default Windows Media Player 9 (_without_ Morgan Stream Switcher) crashes on these bilingual .AVIs. ;-) Is there a way to use this extremely smart and convenient Gordian Knot to produce OGM or Matroska? By the way, what extensions these files usually have?

[stax76]

Is there a way to use this extremely smart and convenient Gordian Knot to produce OGM or Matroska? By the way, what extensions these files usually have?


it will be supported anytime soon, in fact it's already alpha tested. Until it's finished you have to use VirtualDubMod directly or DVX of course

[|minister]

you could also try DVDtoOGM (http://dvdtoogm.divx-digest.com/) which automates creation of OGM and (I think) matroska files. It is similar to Gordian Knot and very easy to use.

[DAvenger]

Originally posted by Hiro2k
If you want more than 2 languages I suggest you use another container. To have 2 languages in avi isn't really supported, it's just a hack someone came up with back in the day. Now that OGM and Matroska our out, you can safely make a movie with 2 languages and know that it's supported correctly. Another thing is you need the stupid Morgan stream switcher to change languages in the avi, and that filter tends to be the cause of many other audio related problems.

Not really a hack ... it does not really matter if you have 1x Audio & 1x Video or 5x Audio & 2x Video streams in AVI.

Of course OGM and MKV are generally considered better option for this.

Btw, you do not have to use that MSS crap ... 99% players out there can switch audio streams on their own.