How to actually remove video (not just skip)

[absinthe]

I'm trying to figure out a method for getting rid of unwanted stuff on DVD backups (FBI warnings, previews, etc.) in a way that also saves space. I've been reading various PGCEdit guides (which are a little confusing because the newer program versions are slightly different from examples in the guides), but I'm confused on the point of whether "skipping" material means actually getting rid of it altogether. In fact, I suspect it does not.

I have not used VobBlanker before, but I suspect that is what I am looking for.

Basically, I'd like to accomplish something like this (and I'm thinking it would work in this order):

1. Skip unwanted material (go straight to main menu) using PcgEdit.
2. REMOVE material that will be skipped (i.e. blank VOBs).
3. Use DVDRebuilder (which now should have more room in which to squeeze reencoded video).

Or perhaps there's an easier way?? The guides I've been reading do not seem to specifically state whether space will be saved when "blanking" or "skipping." Seems to me if you're going to permanently skip material, you might as well get that 63 MB used for a preview of All Dogs Go To Heaven Pt. IV for reallocation to the main movie :-).

Can anyone suggest just a rough outline of what could be done?

-abs

[jeanl]

Originally posted by absinthe
I'm trying to figure out a method for getting rid of unwanted stuff on DVD backups (FBI warnings, previews, etc.) in a way that also saves space. I've been reading various PGCEdit guides (which are a little confusing because the newer program versions are slightly different from examples in the guides), but I'm confused on the point of whether "skipping" material means actually getting rid of it altogether. In fact, I suspect it does not.

In general, you're right. People use "skipping" for simply skipping without getting rid of the material (no space saving) and "blanking" when also getting rid of the material. PgcEdit usually only skips, BUT, if you kill playback on a complete domain (either the VMG domain, or a VTS menu domain or a VTS title domain) then PgcEdit can replace the whole VOB file with a tiny one, which means actually blanking and space saving. Use the "Utilities/Blank out all PGCs in domain" menu to do that.



I have not used VobBlanker before, but I suspect that is what I am looking for.

Yes, that's what you need if you want to blank things but keep other stuff that's in the same domain.



Basically, I'd like to accomplish something like this (and I'm thinking it would work in this order):

1. Skip unwanted material (go straight to main menu) using PcgEdit.
2. REMOVE material that will be skipped (i.e. blank VOBs).
3. Use DVDRebuilder (which now should have more room in which to squeeze reencoded video).

Or perhaps there's an easier way?? The guides I've been reading do not seem to specifically state whether space will be saved when "blanking" or "skipping." Seems to me if you're going to permanently skip material, you might as well get that 63 MB used for a preview of All Dogs Go To Heaven Pt. IV for reallocation to the main movie :-).

Can anyone suggest just a rough outline of what could be done?

-abs

Here's what I tend to do:
- Blank whole domains with PgcEdit as much as possible. You can usually get rid of FBI warnings and previews that way, because they usually reside in their own domain (sometimes in the VMG for warnings, sometimes in a VTS title). The great thing is that it's instantaneous.
- If there's stuff I can't blank that way and that I don't want, then I usually simply kill playback in PgcEdit. That's also instantaneous. Most of the stuff I skip is usually small so the space saving does not justify the time spent to really blank.
- Then I use shrink to shrink the whole thing.

But that's just me. Vobblanker is an excellent choice to blank things in a more precise manner. It lets you blank individual PGCs, and even individual cells or parts of a cell.

Jeanl

[absinthe]

Originally posted by jeanl
Here's what I tend to do:
- Blank whole domains with PgcEdit as much as possible. You can usually get rid of FBI warnings and previews that way, because they usually reside in their own domain (sometimes in the VMG for warnings, sometimes in a VTS title). The great thing is that it's instantaneous.
- If there's stuff I can't blank that way and that I don't want, then I usually simply kill playback in PgcEdit. That's also instantaneous. Most of the stuff I skip is usually small so the space saving does not justify the time spent to really blank.
- Then I use shrink to shrink the whole thing.

But that's just me. Vobblanker is an excellent choice to blank things in a more precise manner. It lets you blank individual PGCs, and even individual cells or parts of a cell.

Thanks muchly jeanl. It will take me some time to dig more into this subject. It seems like at least two steps would be involved in any "blanking:" 1) actually removing the material (replacing with a blank VOB); 2) changing the navigation so that the blank VOB is skipped.

This makes me wonder if you can't remove the VOB set altogether. Heck, I'm sure you can, but it might be more trouble than it's worth.

Something useful would be an ability to take just the main movie VOBs and author them to DVD ... even better if you could preserve the movie menus. I believe I read somewhere that you can use IfoEdit to do just that. That again, though, might be more trouble than it's worth.

-abs

[Paulcat]

DVD Decrypter can do that, although you lose the menus (which may become useless anyway if you remove any "extras"). Personally I like being able to change audio or subtitles on the fly with the buttons on my remote rather than having to stop playback and do it from some menu.

And either DVD Decrypter or DVD Shrink (sorry, can't remember which one) will allow a preview of the main movie AND allow you to select where to start saving the video from, useful if you want to lose a studio logo at the beginning of the film or something.

[jeanl]

Originally posted by absinthe

This makes me wonder if you can't remove the VOB set altogether. Heck, I'm sure you can, but it might be more trouble than it's worth.

You can't remove the VOB file especially if there's a VTS after the one you're removing. But you can replace it with a tiny one, and that's just as good.


Something useful would be an ability to take just the main movie VOBs and author them to DVD ... even better if you could preserve the movie menus. I believe I read somewhere that you can use IfoEdit to do just that. That again, though, might be more trouble than it's worth.
-abs
You can reauthor in shrink and only keep the movie (and lose the menus). Or you can keep menus and movie with PgcEdit (or titlesetblanker, which has a simpler interface but no preview). All you have to do blank out everything but the movie VTS and VTSM (menu), using the "Blank all PGC in domains" utility in all other VTS, and in the VMG. That's usually what I do to save as much space as possible. In the end, you're left with just the movie and its menu. Be careful not to blank out menus in other VTS, since that might break navigation.

Jeanl

[absinthe]

Jeanl,

I just realized that you are the author of the guides I've been reading :D. Nice guides!

I am confused about a point in your guide on skipping FBI warnings, previews, etc. Specifically, you write not to skip PGCs with buttons.

A) When you say button, do you mean a menu screen that has a button, or do you mean any video material that can be controlled from the remote (i.e. with the use of a "button").

B) The newer version of PgcEdit doesn't seem to display the number of buttons as in your guide ("0b.", etc.) during trace mode. The "Watch" box does have a listing for "buttons" at the bottom left, and it displays a "1" during the first video material. But that material is just an MGM video logo splash, certainly without onscreen buttons. Is there somewhere else I can find the number of buttons?

Thanks again,

-abs

[jeanl]

Originally posted by absinthe
Jeanl,

I just realized that you are the author of the guides I've been reading :D. Nice guides!

I am confused about a point in your guide on skipping FBI warnings, previews, etc. Specifically, you write not to skip PGCs with buttons.

A) When you say button, do you mean a menu screen that has a button, or do you mean any video material that can be controlled from the remote (i.e. with the use of a "button").

Thanks for the nice comment :) .
I mean a PGC that has buttons defined in it. That's usually visible as buttons on the screen. No connection with the remote :) .


B) The newer version of PgcEdit doesn't seem to display the number of buttons as in your guide ("0b.", etc.) during trace mode. The "Watch" box does have a listing for "buttons" at the bottom left, and it displays a "1" during the first video material. But that material is just an MGM video logo splash, certainly without onscreen buttons. Is there somewhere else I can find the number of buttons?

Thanks again,

-abs
The number of buttons is indicated here (circled in red).
http://img186.exs.cx/img186/2787/stuff3ha.png
I'm not sure what you mean by "watch box"... Usually it's very easy, using the preview, to see whether you're about to skip a PGC with buttons! Just make sure your preview is enabled (check the small tick box at the top right of the trace panel.

Jeanl

[absinthe]

Cool! It looks like the only difference is just that the new version doesn't show a "0b" if there are no buttons; it only shows how many if there are buttons.

Time to dig into the program, I guess.

Thanks!

-abs