Problems playing encodes on stand-alone DVD

[Wildfire]

I've just encoded "Godsend" with DVD Rebuilder using CCE v2.67.00.27.

After encoding, I burned the files using Nero. It complained about VIDEO_TS not being referred to anywhere, but I went ahead and burned it anyway.

The disc plays fine on my computer with PowerDVD, but a standalone DVD player won't even show the menu - it complains about a disc error (while the player can handle DVD+RW discs).

I've had more problems with CCE-encoded DVDs. In such cases, Nero always complains about something not being compliant with DVD specifications.

What can I do about this?

[jdobbs]

It's missing VIDEO_TS.IFO? That file is required. VIDEO_TS isn't referenced as it has no content, it refers to other files.

Are you using any other tools besides DVD-RB? Rebuilder always builds compliant DVDs.

[Wildfire]

Originally posted by jdobbs
It's missing VIDEO_TS.IFO? That file is required. VIDEO_TS isn't referenced as it has no content, it refers to other files.

Are you using any other tools besides DVD-RB? Rebuilder always builds compliant DVDs.

I've already had a few DVDs made with DVD-RB/CCE which -according to Nero- weren't fully DVD compliant. And in each case, the resulting DVD wouldn't play at all or not decently on a stand-alone.

And no, I'm not using any other tools besides DVD-RB/CCE.

It's a shame I didn't save the logfile. But this night I'll be encoding "Riding the bullet", let's see how that works out. I'll make sure to write down the exact error message given by Nero.

Anyway, I find it strange that PowerDVD will play the DVDs perfectly, while my father's stand-alone DVD-player (a Philips DVD+RW/radio/surround sound combo) won't play it. In case of the Godsend DVD, it played the copyright message and then quit. After that, I couldn't even get it to display the copyright message anymore.

Could it be something in Nero that makes things go wrong? And PowerDVD is, perhaps, a bit more flexible with problematic DVDs.

[jdobbs]

I've already had a few DVDs made with DVD-RB/CCE which -according to Nero- weren't fully DVD compliant.Well, they're wrong. Example: Saying you shouldn't have a zero length file is referred to as not being DVD compliant... but nowhere does the DVD specification say you can't have zero length files.

It is much more likely that you just had a bad DVD-R disc.

[Wildfire]

Originally posted by jdobbs
Well, they're wrong. Example: Saying you shouldn't have a zero length file is referred to as not being DVD compliant... but nowhere does the DVD specification say you can't have zero length files.

It is much more likely that you had a bad disc.

Bad disc? No, I've had the playback problems with several DVD+RW discs. Besides, the disc works perfectly in my computer.

I'm copying over the Godsend DVD I made to HD, I'll try to have Nero burn it again. Let's see what happens.

BTW, I remember DVD Decrypter mentioning something about structure protection when I decrypted the original DVD to HD. Could that have anything to do with it?

About DVD+RW discs: I can't use DVD+R discs, I don't have them at the moment... further more, I use DVD+RW because I want to have the option to burn again if I want to adjust the encode. Would be a shame to throw away a perfectly good DVD+R, just because I didn't try a DVD+RW to test it... :)

[jdobbs]

When the disc works perfectly in your computer that should be a clue... is it the same drive you used to burn it? Also -- DVD+-RW is more likely to have read errors on standalones than DVD+-R discs.

I'm not saying that is definitely the problem, I am saying it is much more likely the problem.

[jdobbs]

Are you NTSC? If so I can pick up "Godsend" and give it a try.

[Wildfire]

Nope, I'm in PAL-country.

[jdobbs]

Originally posted by Wildfire
Bad disc? No, I've had the playback problems with several DVD+RW discs. Besides, the disc works perfectly in my computer.

I'm copying over the Godsend DVD I made to HD, I'll try to have Nero burn it again. Let's see what happens.

BTW, I remember DVD Decrypter mentioning something about structure protection when I decrypted the original DVD to HD. Could that have anything to do with it?

Oh, in your post below this one you're talking about DVD-RW. I have a DVD+RW drive and, as such, we're talking about DVD+RW discs... :) You may want to try using ImgTool Classic to create an ISO image and burn that with DVD Decrypter.

I guess structure protection could have something to do with it...

[Wildfire]

Originally posted by jdobbs
You may want to try using ImgTool Classic to create an ISO image and burn that with DVD Decrypter.

I'll give that a try tomorrow with the encode I'm going to make tonight of "Riding the bullet". I'll use both Nero and ImgTool Classic so that I'll be able to compare the DVDs.

If discrepancies pop up, Nero is to blame.

-- Edit: I've just copied over the contents of the DVD+RW and tried to burn it again. Nero complains (translated from Dutch):

"File VIDEO_TS.VOB has no reference and should not be present"

Also, I get a popup from Nero stating the DVD might not be playable.

I can chose to ignore the error, which I do. Then Nero states that I've chosen to ignore the DVD video standard.

[jdobbs]

It's especially important for structure protection. There are some structures that just won't burn any other way. That's one of the reasons I'm considering an option in DVD-RB to output to ISO.

[Wildfire]

Originally posted by jdobbs
It's especially important for structure protection. There are some structures that just won't burn any other way. That's one of the reasons I'm considering an option in DVD-RB to output to ISO.

Well, we'll know tomorrow. IIRC DVD Decrypter stated that "Riding the bullet" also had some form of structure protection.

I would welcome the option to have DVD-RB output to ISO. If you're going to do that, make sure the ISO can be split in segments of 2gb... (not everyone is using NTFS :))

BTW, Thanks for your quick help.

[jdobbs]

Originally posted by Wildfire
I'll give that a try tomorrow with the encode I'm going to make tonight of "Riding the bullet". I'll use both Nero and ImgTool Classic so that I'll be able to compare the DVDs.

If discrepancies pop up, Nero is to blame.

-- Edit: I've just copied over the contents of the DVD+RW and tried to burn it again. Nero complains (translated from Dutch):

"File VIDEO_TS.VOB has no reference and should not be present"

Also, I get a popup from Nero stating the DVD might not be playable.

I can chose to ignore the error, which I do. Then Nero states that I've chosen to ignore the DVD video standard. That just indicates it is unreferenced material... It is unreferenced on the original also. Try playing it back and see what it is. I'd be interested to see the quote in the standard that says you can't have unreferenced material... Of course, it is silly to have unreferenced materail -- but it isn't forbidden.

[Wildfire]

Originally posted by jdobbs
That just indicates it is unreferenced material... It is unreferenced on the original also. Try playing it back and see what it is.

Nada. Which is quite logical, considering the file is only 154 kilobyte.

[writersblock29]

After reading this, I'm thinking I ought to try a bunch of my recent burns on different set tops to see if any problems crop up. I've done some DL burns (DVD Rebuilder wasn't involved at all) during which Nero complained about the VIDEO_TS.VOB not being referenced. I've always ignored the warnings and burned anyway... but they play fine on my set top after the burning's done. Lately, I've just gone back to using CopytoDVD since the Nero warnings irritate me. It's not Rebuilder that's doing this, though!

[Wildfire]

Just tried Nero to burn the encode I made of "Riding the bullet". And there it was again - according to Nero, VIDEO_TS.VOB was not referred and as such my DVD would not adhere to DVD specifications.

I'll dig up ImgTool Classic and then try to burn the ISO it made.

-- Edit: well, ImgTool Classic refuses to make an image. Logfile:


/cygdrive/c/Program Files/ImgTool Classic/Classic_0.91.5/mkisofs: Either VIDEO_TS.IFO or VIDEO_TS.VOB is not of correct size.
/cygdrive/c/Program Files/ImgTool Classic/Classic_0.91.5/mkisofs: Unable to parse DVD-Video structures.
/cygdrive/c/Program Files/ImgTool Classic/Classic_0.91.5/mkisofs: No such file or directory. Faild to open H:\rips\Riding the bullet - DVD/VIDEO_TS//VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.IFO
/cygdrive/c/Program Files/ImgTool Classic/Classic_0.91.5/mkisofs: Can't open VMG info for 'H:\rips\Riding the bullet - DVD/VIDEO_TS/'.
/cygdrive/c/Program Files/ImgTool Classic/Classic_0.91.5/mkisofs: Unable to parse DVD-Video structures.
/cygdrive/c/Program Files/ImgTool Classic/Classic_0.91.5/mkisofs: Unable to make a DVD-Video image.


I pointed ImgTool Classic to "H:\rips\Riding the bullet - DVD" which holds the VIDEO_TS folder. There are the files DVD Rebuilder created.

And then the result is this - a no-go.

So I can only conclude either the source files on my HD used to encode are already screwed up (then it's the fault of DVD Decrypter), or DVD Rebuilder/CCE does something wrong.

For your information - I always use DVD Decrypter in ISO-mode to decrypt a DVD to HD. Then I load up the image as a virtual drive using Alcohol 120% so DVD Rebuilder can use the virtual drive. After that, it's just DVD Rebuilder/CCE.

-- Edit: next time I want to decrypt a DVD to HD, should I have DVD Decrypter *NOT* remove the structure protection?

[jdobbs]

I always rip in ISO mode. Here are my settings (I've never had a problem with any disc) -- but I sometimes (twice out of several hundred) have to write to an ISO image in order to burn:

[Wildfire]

Originally posted by jdobbs
I always rip in ISO mode. Here are my settings (I've never had a problem with any disc) -- but I sometimes (twice out of several hundred) have to write to an ISO image in order to burn:

I have all those options enabled. But I'll try switching back to the defaults.

I'll try another DVD today or otherwise later this week. Do you have e-mail notification enabled? If so you'll always see when I have replied again.

[Carpo]

nero is a picky thing with vid files - best option is to always make a iso of the film and then burn it

[pg55555]

A couple of suggestions:

- To make the ISO file from the RB output try DVD Shrink: Open the VIDEO_TS folder and make a full backup, selecting ISO as output

- As a trial, use Shrink to produce a full backup of you Original (just ripped). Output to files mode, and then try to burn with Nero: Does it gives the same error or not? How it plays in your stand-alone? If the problems are the same we will know it is not a RB problem.

- It is known that some big brand stand alones are more picky about the DVDs they reproduce. Specifically I'm thinking of rejecting to play video in DVD+R or DVD+RW discs. For those cases is that most of the new burners came with the "bitsetting" option, to make the DVD look as a DVD-ROM to the stand-alone. Maybe this is your case

- Finally, never discount incompatibility between your burner / the Disc brand / and your stand alone.

[genericuser]

jdobbs said:
It's especially important for structure protection. There are some structures that just won't burn any other way. That's one of the reasons I'm considering an option in DVD-RB to output to ISO.


I was going to start a thread this morning asking for exactly that (output to a .iso).

I seem to have a finicky stand alone player. I just discovered this weekend that if I burn a .iso image of the disk using dvd decrypter (I did not try burning the same .iso image using nero) instead of creating a video compilation in nero that the results on the tand alone are much improved.

Please consider having a .iso option. I use dvd decrypter to get the files to the HD, then I use dvd-rb to process the dvd. Because of the options you have applied recently I can select main movie only. Because of the segment editor I can blank out cells.

Once dvd-rb is done, I have the video_ts folder. I then have to create the .iso and then burn it. If dvd-rb could create the .iso, then a user could use dvd decrypter to read the source disk and then to write the destination disk. The cuts down on the cost (since a serperate .iso creator is not needed). It also cuts down on the number of programs needed in the rebuilding process.

jdobbs, dvd-rb is quickly becoming the main tool in my quest to save my DVD collection from little children's fingers. Thanks so much for all the hard work you put into it.

[Carpo]

i use imgtool classic 0.91.5 from

http://www.coujo.de/ib2/index.php?act=module&module=include&incl_name=download

makes isos easily enough :)