Workflow?

[richarddd]

I'd like to back-up a DVD so that I just have a still menu, main movie, english soundtrack and english subs, and then compress with DVD-Rebuilder.

Menushrink will compress the menu, PgcEdit will help skip warnings, extras and unwanted menus, VobBlanker will elminate the space taken by extras and DVD-Rebuilder will eliminate other languages and compress. This is a somewhat clunky workflow, and DVD-Rebuilder will sometimes fail if the authoring is non-standard.

Any suggestions for improving this process?

[jeanl]

Well, you can do what MenuSHrink does in vobblanker, but you have to specify menu2still in all the PGCs which might be a bit time-consuming. Also, you can use vobblanker to do what PgcEdit does in the case you describe. WHen it comes to blanking and skipping, you can usually do that in vobblanker.
Finally, you can use DVD shrink instead of rebuilder, in those cases where rebuilder fails? I've never used rebuilder, but shrink has always given me 100% satisfaction...
jeanl

[richarddd]

Originally posted by jeanl
Well, you can do what MenuSHrink does in vobblanker, but you have to specify menu2still in all the PGCs which might be a bit time-consuming. Also, you can use vobblanker to do what PgcEdit does in the case you describe. WHen it comes to blanking and skipping, you can usually do that in vobblanker.
Finally, you can use DVD shrink instead of rebuilder, in those cases where rebuilder fails? I've never used rebuilder, but shrink has always given me 100% satisfaction...
jeanl I haven't tried menu2still in vobblanker yet, but will try it. It seems that vobblanker should handle most cases, although it doesn't seem to handle some obscure stuff, such as mult-angle. Can you use vobblanker to eliminate aspect ratio and language selection menus?

Shrink works very well and I often use it to test DVDs. I've never had a problem with a DVD that shrink can scan. Rebuilder with CCE does a much better job than Shrink compressing DVDs, in my experience (unless you're only compressing a small amount) - the resulting DVD looks much nicer.

[jeanl]

Originally posted by richarddd
I haven't tried menu2still in vobblanker yet, but will try it. It seems that vobblanker should handle most cases, although it doesn't seem to handle some obscure stuff, such as mult-angle. Can you use vobblanker to eliminate aspect ratio and language selection menus?

I don't think so. THis is where PgcEdit comes in...
[/B][/QUOTE]
Shrink works very well and I often use it to test DVDs. I've never had a problem with a DVD that shrink can scan. Rebuilder with CCE does a much better job than Shrink compressing DVDs, in my experience (unless you're only compressing a small amount) - the resulting DVD looks much nicer. [/B][/QUOTE]
I see, I've never tried using CCE for backups, but I know the results are far better... But man, you're doing a lot of stuff to your DVD (removing menus, changing the navigation, stilling stuff, then finally re-encoding the movie). No wonder your workflow is somewhat intricate!! ;)

jeanl
P.S. If there was a one-click solution to do what you describe, I bet you you would kind of feel bad not having to do things by hand!!

[richarddd]

Originally posted by jeanl
P.S. If there was a one-click solution to do what you describe, I bet you you would kind of feel bad not having to do things by hand!! [/B] :D

[jsoto]

although it doesn't seem to handle some obscure stuff, such as mult-angle Yes, VobBlanker does NOT support multiangle. But you still can use VobBlanker to blank/replace any other titles in other VTSs (w/o multiangle) in the same DVD. It is easy using "Use Input Folder" checkbox.
jsoto

[CoNS]

@ richarddd: I'm processing my discs the same way as you described. Only, I haven't tried MenuShrink (or the corresponding function in VobBlanker), as I like to keep the animated menus (but I blank any video sequence introducing the animated menu, which are often located in cells in conjunction with the animated menu itself).

Also, after compressing the disc with DVD-RB/CCE, I edit the menus of the disc to delete buttons for removed material and/or stripped audio/subtitle streams. For this step, I've been using MenuEdit until now. As the next version of PgcEdit will contain a menu editor (currently in beta testing), I'll turn to PgcEdit for this step.

I very much agree with you that DVD-RB/CCE gives you a much, much nicer result than DVDShrink.

PgcEdit and VobBlanker are both excellent tools. However, for the purpose of removing (blanking) material on a disc in order to save space before compressing, I always use VobBlanker. Unlike PgcEdit, VobBlanker is able to blank on both VTS, PGC and cell level. I don't get errors with DVD-RB, when the disc is processed correctly using VobBlanker.

Originally posted by richarddd
It seems that vobblanker should handle most cases, although it doesn't seem to handle some obscure stuff, such as mult-angle.As jsoto wrote, you can check the "Use Input Folder" option and then skip all other materiel except the stuff you've marked for blanking. The "obscure stuff" is then kept untouched!

Originally posted by richarddd
Can you use vobblanker to eliminate aspect ratio and language selection menus?Blank out? Yes, it blanks on all levels.
Bypass? No, you'll have to use PgcEdit to edit the commands in the disc following one of these methods:

2COOL's guide: Removing Language Selection and Aspect Ratio Menus v3.0 (http://home.tiscali.be/debie.roland/pgcedit/third_party/2cool/remove_language_aspect_ratio_menus/remove_language_and_aspect_ratio_menus_intro.htm)
jeanl's guide: Jumping straight to the movie (or the menu) with PgcEdit (http://jean.laroche.free.fr/Jumping0.4.3.1/index.html)
2COOL's guide: Jump2Pgc User Guide (http://home.tiscali.be/debie.roland/pgcedit/third_party/2cool/jump2pgc/Jump2Pgc%20Guide.htm) using 2COOL's own Jump2Pgc tool (http://home.tiscali.be/debie.roland/pgcedit/third_party/2cool/jump2pgc/jump2pgc.exe) in combination with PgcEdit.

[blutach]

Originally posted by CoNS
I don't get errors with DVD-RB, when the disc is processed correctly using VobBlanker. And CoNS, I don't get any errors when blanking a VTS with PgcEdit - I also know of no-one who does.

PgcEdit, in case you didn't know, can remove any cells you like in its PGC Editor. This creates unreferenced material, which VobBlanker can delete, or which something like DVDRMP can just ignore.

Regards

[CoNS]

@blutach: Sorry if I didn't express myself clearly enough. I was just answering richarddd's initial complaint about sometimes getting errors in DVD-RB/CCE when having pre-processed a disc using VobBlanker, PgcEdit and/or MenuShrink. And I only answered the question regarding VobBlanker....

To clarify: I don't get errors in DVD-RB/CCE, either, when working on a disc which I've processed using PgcEdit. Don't get me wrong, I think that both PgcEdit and VobBlanker are excellent tools. I very much appreciate the great work both r0lZ and jsoto put into these tools. (as I said, I haven't had the pleasure of using MenuShrink yet...!) :p

It's my experience that you only get errors in DVD-RB/CCE related to pre-processing, when you've really butchered the disc by doing some manual editing (deleting .vob files from the disc in Windows Explorer etc.). Also, changing values in IfoEdit without knowing exactly what you are doing, also may cause errors, of course. PgcEdit and VobBlanker are much more save and bullet proof for nOObs like me. :)

EDIT: Yes, blutach, even though I'm a nOOb, I do know about the cell replacement function in PgcEdit where you can create a blank cell and point to this. However, I find the process of blanking (removing) a cell easier/faster just using VobBlanker. Also, PgcEdit can't blank a single PGC in a VTS with more PGCs, right?

My point is that for the specific process of blanking studio logos, warnings, trailers, extra material etc. with the purpose of saving space in the disc, like richarddd described, my personal experience is that VobBlanker is the best all-in-one choice. But then again, that's just my 2 cents. ;)

[blutach]

@CoNS

I think overall, in terms of ease of use for blanking out a single title/PGC/cell in multi-titled VTSs, VobBlanker is the one, yes.

There are ways that PgcEdit can replace cells (effectively blanking a PGC/cell) but if you want to remove the unreffed material totally, you still need something like VobBlanker - so why not use it in the first place, I can hear you say? And you're right.

But if you want to blank out whole titlesets (which I frequently do), PgcEdit is very quick. Plus it has the menu editor, which just slays anything else out there, IMHO (apologies to Dimad, whom I respect very much).

Regards

[Dimad]

Originally posted by blutach
... menu editor, which just slays anything else out there, IMHO (apologies to Dimad, whom I respect very much).

Well, there is a thing which is called an evolution :) MenuEdit is more then 2 years old now.

[blutach]

@Dimad

Please, I did not mean to slag off at your product, which has served me and countless others well, as you know.

I in no way am saying anything bad about any of your fine software - just a view on PgcEdit's menu editor. Please don't take offence.

Regards

[Dimad]

No offence taken, I absolutely agree that r0lZ did a great job with pgcedit. :D