VobBlanker 1.5.1.0 is out: A tool to blank, cut or replace titles and Menus

[mrslacker]

Originally posted by blutach
I found this out recently, too. Is Derrow fixing this, do you know?


Looks like the new (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=85958) 0.97 may have just fixed that.
- fixed: The PGC Still Time and PG Playback Mode values have been inverted.

Cool!

[jsoto]

@mrslacker
- fixed: The PGC Still Time and PG Playback Mode values have been inverted
Refers to bytes 0xA2 and 0xA3 in PGC header which were swapped. Nothing related with Cell still times.

jsoto

[sweetness]

i did a little test on dvdshrink reauthor + VobBlanker.
first made a reauthored disc with shrink then with VobBlanker i tried to preview/cut and got a "WARNING! Opening GOP is not closed.The first few frames may not be decoded correctly." error

Originally posted by jsoto
BTW, not sure if dvdshrink reauthor + VobBlanker cell replace will work properly. Test carefully your DVD and let me know.
this i have to check out later today. after i go out and buy some more dvd-rw

[blutach]

@sweetness and jsoto

I got this message the other day (when I press on the Mark button for the Initial Mark), and I had not been using Shrink at all. As well, I couldn't Mark at any other point in the cell without getting the warning. I understand what the warning is (I guess the cutting is not taking place at an I-frame), but there must be a way to ensure that this never happens and a GOP is always taken.

Happily, everything was fine.

Is this something new in v 1.5.0.8?

[r0lZ]

I don't know how it's done in VobBlanker, but the warning comes from the original DVD2AVI code, and seems to happend everytime the cell is not in the first VOB of the titleset (ie VTS_xx_2.VOB, 3, 4 ...), at least in the PgcEdit preview. Effectively, sometimes one or two frames are not rendered properly.

[blutach]

@rolz
Funny how it doesn't happen all the time - I do all my cutting at the end in VTS_04+.VOB but have only experienced this on one DVD.

Regards

[r0lZ]

The problem is not with VTS_04_X,VOB, but with VTS_XX_2.VOB and the following, in the same titleset. Seems DVD2AVI can't handle the VOB correctly if it is not the first one in the set.
Someone have experienced this problem with a menu VOB?

[blutach]

Sorry rolz. That is what I meant. VTS_0X_04+.VOB

My mistake.

But I will take note of what VTS this happens in next time

Regards

[jsoto]

Well, there are two different (but similar) warnings:

The first one, coming from the original DVD2AVI code, says "the opening GOP", let's say, the first one in the VOB is not a closed one. So DVD2AVI will not decode the first frames properly. IIRC, this warning can pop up when loading the file in DVD2AVI (just when VobBlanker preview window pops up)

The second one is checked by VobBlanker when the user selects in Prev/Cut the initial or ending mark. VobBlanker checks if the mark is in a closed GOP or not. If the GOP is not a closed one and the mark is the begining of the scene to be kept, the decoder will not be able to decode the first frames properly.

Not sure, but I believe in DVD standard all GOPs should be closed, but nobody is doing this. I never force closed GOPs in my encodes, because you need more bitrate for the same quality.

jsoto

[jsoto]

An additional clarification:
To avoid the original DVD2AVI warning, VobBlanker always load all the VOBs of a VTS, using "autoinc" feature of DVD2AVI. So the initial VOB is always VTS_XX_1.VOB in titles.

jsoto

[blutach]

@jsoto

Clearly, my situation was the "second" one. Funny, how I couldn't find a non-closed starting point though.

[dragongodz]

Not sure, but I believe in DVD standard all GOPs should be closed, but nobody is doing this.
not anywhere that i can find. the only mention of closed GOP being needed for dvd is with multi-angle, then you must use closed GOP.
closed GOP is desirable for editing of course but in general dvd producers dont expect their dvds to be edited do they. :)

i also have read that there are a few authoring programs that dont like open GOPs, such as DVDit PE. i would not rely on what such programs say because i have seen some set limits that are not the real limits to the standards ,eg. vcd must be 1150 video bitrate(several programs)- sorry the standard says that max, dvd min video bitrate 2000 and max 8000(MyDVD) - really min 0(though its reported some hardware players prefer a min of 300 or so) and max 9800 of course.

[jsoto]

how I couldn't find a non-closed starting point though. This is a feature I have in mind to add some day...
In any case, VobBlanker pops the advice in both marks, starting and ending one, because you can change the Action from "keep" to "Cut". But only the initial mark (if keep) or the end mark (if cut) have to be a closed GOP.
jsoto

[blutach]

Originally posted by jsoto
But only the end mark (if cut) have to be a closed GOP.
jsoto This must be why the resulting DVD wasn't a problem. I cut to the end of the cell and even though I got the error at the intial mark, the end of the cell would have been a closed GOP.

Thanks for clearing that up.

Regards

[CoNS]

Found a bug: When I try to specify the Input path using the Browse button and try to access my working directory on my harddisk by double clicking a desktop shortcut, the program ends with an error.

I can access the same folder w/o error, when I manually find it via My Computer -> harddisk -> folder

[jsoto]

Vers 1.5.1.0 (28-11-2004)
Added: Shell integration: "Drag & drop" in main dialog. (Thx jeanl)
Added: Program and chapter numbers in Title Cell list (2COOL's suggestion)
Change: Previous file as default when replacing multiple cells
Change: MaxPGCs=250; MaxMenuPGCs=1000; IFOsize=512KB
BugFix: fps were always 25 when calculating the last VOBU length
BugFix: 3003 clock tics instead 3000 in NTSC
BugFix: Sometimes 6 frames were lost when calculating length of last VOBU
BugFix: Extract cells in VIDEO_TS: VobBlanker was looking for VTS_00_0.IFO.
BugFix: Crash when cancel extracting cells.
BugFix: Crash when loading a desktop link.

jsoto

[2COOL]

Originally posted by blutach
This must be why the resulting DVD wasn't a problem. I cut to the end of the cell and even though I got the error at the intial mark, the end of the cell would have been a closed GOP.
IfoEdit has a "Check GOP Structure" feature for comparing old and new IFOs. I don't use it but seems helpful. ;)

[blutach]

Originally posted by CoNS
Found a bug: When I try to specify the Input path using the Browse button and try to access my working directory on my harddisk by double clicking a desktop shortcut, the program ends with an error.

I can access the same folder w/o error, when I manually find it via My Computer -> harddisk -> folder Try setting up an ini file specifying your input and output paths and saving that to your VobBlanker directory. Then simply use the File --> Open Project menu.

Regards

[blutach]

@jsoto

Many thanks for new version. I will test on cutting and report to you if any more problems.

Best regards

[jsoto]

Then simply use the File --> Open Project menu.
New version accepts drag/drop of *.ini and/or VIDEO_TS.IFO. You can drag/drop them in the application icon or in the main dialog.
Even more, using Explorer, and selecting VIDEO_TS.IFO or *.ini you can "open with--> VobBlanker"

jsoto

[blutach]

@jsoto

On drag and drop - neat! Will try it.

Feature request If output folder has files in it, can we get a warning please? E.g. If there are movie files, they will be overwritten.
Also, when cutting, can "Cut Movie" be the default not "Keep Movie" (or is there an ini setting that the user can set?)
On cutting - Have tried 5 cuts on a movie. Results as follows: Cut from midway in 2nd last cell (credits) to end of movie (End mark = Cell last/sector last. The last cell was 18 frames in another VOBID) - No problems with earlier cell times, but last cell was decreased to 12 frames, instead of cut entirely. I think this is the intended - and probably correct - action of the program as the VOBID is kept (and I actually don't mind this as I like to have a 0.5 second chapter there at the end).
Cut in cell 7 out of 13 (just a cut in the cell, leaving some of the cell's "before cut content" and some of its "after cut content") - cell cuts perfectly and no problems with cell times before or after (in all VOBIDs, including last one). :) :) :)
Cut in 2nd last cell again (from midway but not to end of cell) - Again, no problems :) :)
Cut in 2nd last cell again (from midway to end of cell but not end of movie) - Again, no problems :) :)
Cut from start of movie to midway through cell 5 - Cells 1 to 4 replaced by blank VOBs. Cell 5 cut perfectly. No problems with cells 6 and on :) :)So, all seems ok. Well done and thanks :) :) :)

Best regards

[ChickenMan]

Originally posted by dragongodz
vcd must be 1150 video bitrate(several programs)- sorry the standard says that max,
I understand the standard actually says 1152 is the max bitrate ;)

[candsh]

I found a guide for VOB Blanker for earlier versions. Is this still current for the newer and latest versions? or is there a site or thread with current instructions ?

[blutach]

@candsh

It comes with its own help file

[candsh]

When all else fails, follow instructions!!! Thanks guys, I already found it. Sorry.

[Mr.Shine]

Originally posted by ChickenMan
I understand the standard actually says 1152 is the max bitrate ;)

I haven't done anything VCD related in years, but IIRC, the standard only sets the total data rate of the disc (1x CD speed) - so it'll depend on your audio bitrate and how efficient your muxer works whether you can get 1150 or 1152 kbit max video bitrate. Same for SVCD, with the difference that here, it's 2x speed and VBR. I've found a couple of websites back when I did (S)VCDs that went into detail on how to calculate the available bitrate for video and also pointed out the inaccuracies that the standard's vague definition leaves. I have personally never been able to mux anything higher than 1150 kbit into a VCD, but I've seen VCDs with 1152 bitrate.

*kicks self for continuing out of topic discussion*

[dragongodz]

I understand the standard actually says 1152 is the max bitrate
no its 1150 maximum for video. to save going through all this again anyone interested can read here

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?threadid=59946

you dont need to go past my post that starts "last comments from me." as the rest is of no relevence.

[CoNS]

Originally posted by jsoto
BugFix: Crash when loading a desktop link. That was fast! :eek: Thanks!

[Surf]

Quote Jsoto,
"BTW, not sure if dvdshrink reauthor + VobBlanker cell replace will work properly. Test carefully your DVD and let me know."

It seems to work. I did the 4 trailers with Shrink, chopping each the beginning and the end. Then I did a replace respectively with VOBblanker. Now they play in smooth succession without the green preview rating screens and "now available in DVD" or "coming this summer" :p

Looking forward to that :p .

@Blutach:
I am not blanking, I wanted to trim each cell(see above).

Thanks both.

[Surf]

re "Vers 1.5.1.0 is out
Added: Program and chapter numbers in Title Cell list (2COOL's suggestion)"

The above is most useful when creating Disc2 of Shrek2, especially related to the favourite scene selections. Until then I had to verify with the software player and hunt for the corresponding cell(s). The same can come in handy in cartoons with "favourite songs" selection.
:p

:thanks:

[jsoto]

@all
Thanks for the reports.

@blutach
Cutting: Be careful, specifically in case 3. This case should have playback problems... This is something I have to address.

Feature requests:
A) If output folder has files in it, can we get a warning please?
Seems easy, so I'll do it.

B) Save defaults.
No ini file at the moment. I can save the settings in the registry, but modify the registry is something I always hate. Do you want it?

jsoto

[blutach]

@jsoto

Not too sure that putting the setting in the registry is a good thing either. Why don't users say what they would prefer as a default - Cut Movie or Keep movie?

More imortantly, I cut a movie the other day (it was a "type 1" cut in my earlier post) and at the end it had problems going to next cell (a 12 frame blank). I think this is due to the cutting position. I recut the cell adding a few seconds and it was OK. In each case, I had used the "next" and "prev" buttons in the cut/prev screen. I presume these latch on to the start of a GOP?

Is there anyway to guarantee that these cuts will result in workable DVDs?

Best regards and thanks for everything.

[jsoto]

More imortantly, I cut a movie the other day (it was a "type 1" cut in my earlier post) and at the end it had problems going to next cell (a 12 frame blank). I think this is due to the cutting position. I recut the cell adding a few seconds and it was OK.] Probably. To avoid this problem you can use Keep movie from start (1st cell, sector 0) to your cell, your sector.
I presume these latch on to the start of a GOP?
Yes. you're right. These buttons jump to next/pre GOP.

Is there anyway to guarantee that these cuts will result in workable DVDs?
AFAIK, "type 1" cuts are absolutely safe

jsoto

[blutach]

@jsoto

Well, all of what you say puzzles me that I still have problems with the quality of the cut. I will try the method you suggest, that is, to Keep movie to where I want to cut, instead of other way round, but won't the very last LBA need to be the end of a GOP?

I suppose if this isn't so, I can add a 12 frame chapter, in which case, I would have a closed GOPs from start to finish?

Regards

[CoNS]

Something completely different than the cut issue: Why doesn't VobBlanker set the cell time to 0 when blanking a menu PGC?

I'm currently working on a disc where I want to blank out two warning screens residing in two cells (out of two) in PGC2 in the VMGM. It turns out that each of the cells has a still timne of 10 secs.

I use VobBlanker, and I select VIDEO_TS.VOB in the main window and press Menu. Then I mark the actual PGC and select Blank and Ok. Then I hit Process in the main window.

Everything works fine BUT when I start playing the disc, I get a black screen for 20 seconds where the warning screens used to be! I eventually loaded the disc into PGCEdit and found out that the problem was that the cell times for the two cells were not set to 0. So I manually changed the cell times for each of the two cells from 10 to 0 and now it works...

Is there a reason why VobBlanker doesn't set the cell times to 0, or is it a bug?

In my particular case I couldn't use PGCEdit to do the blanking as there were more than one PGC in the VMGM, and I wanted to keep the rest of them (it's either all or nothing with PGCEdit, right, if I want to do a real blanking, not just kill playback only?). If the VMGM only had one PGC, which I wanted to blank all out, and thus could have used PGCEdit instead, I wonder if PGCEdit would have set the cell times to 0 or kept the original cell times?

[r0lZ]

Yes, PgcEdit sets the Cells Still Time to 0.

Also, it is possible to blank out a single cell with PgcEdit: go to the cell table in the PGC Editor, and click on the VOB/Cell ID button of the cell you want to blank out, then select Create a New Blank VOB Cell (or use an existing blank cell if there is one already present in the VOB.)
However, the original VOB Cell will not be removed from the VOB. The cell will be unreferenced (unless reused somewhere else.) Therefore, this function is not suitable to shrink the VOB to recover some space.

[CoNS]

Exactly, and that's what I want (shrink it before compressing!)

So it must be a bug in VobBlanker that it doesn't set the cell times to 0?

[r0lZ]

Not really a bug. Just an omission.

[jsoto]

Not really a bug. Just an omission. To give the user the opportunity to learn and report... To be fixed (added ;) ) in next version.
jsoto

[jsoto]

@blutach
Well, VoBblanker cuts VOBUs, let's say, the complete GOP is discarded or not. It is not possible to cut in the middle of a VOBU.
But the first GOP in the final clip should be a closed one. If not, the first few frames will not be decoded properly. The last GOP can be closed or not, it does not matter.
Each cell is (more or less) independent, so you can cut/change one cell by another. I'm convinced the starting GOP of a cell must be a closed one.
In any case, Vobblanker always keeps the original number of cells. If you discard one cell completely, it will be replaced by a blank (0,4 secs) one. I think this is the 12 frame VOBU you are talking about.
jsoto

[blutach]

@cons

By now, you will see the cell is blanked and you need 1 little extra step and that is to go into PgcEdit and set the cell still time from 10 to 0. That way, you get VOB size reduction and effective bypassing of the cell.

Regards

[CoNS]

Originally posted by jsoto
To give the user the opportunity to learn and report... To be fixed (added ;) ) in next version.
jsoto Thanks!!

@ blutach: Yep, I eventually found out by playing a bit with the output from VobBlanker in PGCedit... So I know how to fix it, but it would be real nice when jsoto fixes it (adds it!!) in VobBlanker, which will save me the hassle of having to open the output in PGCedit to finish the job! :)

[blutach]

@cons

Not meaning to be take a shot at you, but IMHO, there is never a hassle in using PgcEdit!!!

I ALWAYS use it as a final test to trace through things, for example.

:)

Regards

[jeanl]

Originally posted by blutach
@cons

Not meaning to be take a shot at you, but IMHO, there is never a hassle in using PgcEdit!!!

I ALWAYS use it as a final test to trace through things, for example.

:)

Regards


but be careful with that! r0lZ repeatedly warned us that the Trace function in PgcEdit shouldn't be considered as a very reliable test of whether a DVD will play or not on a settop box. Sure, PgcEdit will catch obvious mistakes (program flow breaks), but it will fail to detect others (I'm not sure which, in fact, but I think r0lZ has a few in mind?)

Jeanl

[blutach]

@jean

One thing it won't catch, of course, is a disk that has not been "Get VTS Sectorised" :)

Another would be my current "favourite" problem; and that is cut cells that don't cut across an I-frame.

Are there more? Oh no :( :( :(

Regards

[r0lZ]

Sure, there are some more.
- BOV (menu buttons in title domain) is not yet implemented. This may (and probably will) lead to wrong navigation.
- SetGPRMMD in counter mode will not increment the value of the GPRM every second, as it should.
- SetNVTMR do not decrement the SPRM 9 every second, and do not jump to the PGC pointed to by SPRM 10 when the timer reaches 0, as it should.
- The playback is either only simulated, or played with the standalone Playback of jeanl, which do not uses any table in the IFOs, as a real settop player should do. The coherence of those tables is therefore not checked.
- It is possible to change the normal flow of operations by clicking in a PGC in the PGC selector, or a line in the main listbox, and continue the trace. This may be useful to test special cases, but may also cause wrong navigation.
- There are probably other bugs and omissions, and limitations I don't remember for now...

Note that SetGPRMMD (in counter mode) and SetNVTMR are rarely used. If PgcEdit encounters a SetGPRMMD or a SetNVTMR when tracing, a warning will popup.

[blutach]

@ rolz

As well, the RSM doesn't parse the chapter number. See your PMs. But this is OT and will be the last I mention it in this thread.

Regards

[CoNS]

A suggestion for a new feature in VobBlanker:

When using VobBlanker for blanking out titlesets, PGCs or cells, it's a bit of a hassle that you per default have to process the whole disc and create a new output disc elsewhere on your harddisk. This is time consuming and takes up a lot of space on your harddisk.

I know the trick that you can process only the titles/menus that involves any blanking and then copy the new files into the original folder and afterwards correct the VTS sectors using PgcEdit (load/save) or IfoEdit (load and press Get VTS Sectors). This saves space on the harddisk but in total it takes more time than should be neccesary.

The last described method is not that far from what PgcEdit does when blanking all titles/menus in a VTS (this is the only blanking that can be done with PgcEdit if you want to actually remove the video/audio/subtitle streams and replace them with a blank frame).

Jsoto, why not add a feature in VobBlanker, where you get to select an "on the fly blanking" processing method, where the program does the following:
Only process the VTST and VTSM where the user has made changes (selected blanking)
In the processing the program should then start with creating a subdirectory (backup folder) in the VIDEO_TS folder whereto the original .vob, .ifo and .bup files in question are moved
The files in this folder should then be processed back into the original folder, replacing only the old files that is actually changed.
VobBlanker should then do a Get VTS Sectors as the last part of the process and you'd be ready to go!!
Also, VobBlanker should then have a rollback/redo function, which should be quite easy: Copy the backed up files back into the original folder and do a Get VTS Sectors.Whaddaya say, jsoto?

I remember seeing this feature requested before by someone else, where jsoto turned his thumbs down, but I simply have to repeat it! After working on quite many discs using VobBlanker, I really have to conclude that this is the one main, new feature this program needs in order to be THE perfect tool when blanking!! :)

[lark]

not quite sure, but wouldn't skip implement at least the 1st bullet point (skip the VTSs) where you haven't made changes ... and boy it's fast on those menus and small logo/intro VTSs ;-)

regards
t :)

[blutach]

@cons

VOBBlanker does only process VOBs where changes are made (you can easily untick the ones you want to skip, or if you want to Blank only one, then click "skip all" and click "process" on the VTS you want to work on). However, if there's a change to a cell in a long titleset (eg main movie), the whole VTS needs to be re-written and this takes time.

There's no need to create backup folders. The output folder is different from the input and nothing is changed in the input folder. If you don't like the results - chuck 'em out and start over!

My understanding is that VOBBlanker effectively does do a GET VTS Sectors, with its Correct VOBs DSI pointers.

Most of these things can be automated via the ini file. You then use the file - open project menu.

Regards