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Old 12th April 2004, 13:58   #1  |  Link
jdobbs
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DVD ReBuilder (DVD-RB) Frequently Asked Questions

I've decided to try and cut back on the number of repeated questions on DVD ReBuilder by putting this FAQ sticky in-place. This FAQ should grow over time as I come across more common questions.

Hopefully it will grow to become a place to go when we see something confusing or unclear about DVD-RB.


Q1. How much do I have to know about all this to make this thing work? If I browse through the options I see a lot of things like quality_prec, deinterlacing, and decombing thingees..

A1. Nothing. Those are all there for advanced "geek" users. After the initial setup, where you have to point to a few things -- you can just leave everything at the default and you should be fine.

Q2. Do I need to use eclCCE.exe with DVD-RB?

A2. If you have a newer version of CCE that you have purchased, you don't need to use eclCCE. But if using CCE v2.50 (which is very popular) or any trial version -- yes, you must use eclCCE. Version
2.50 and trial versions do not support command line parameter passing and/or saving/loading of .ECL (CCE Project) files.

Q3. That brings up another point. If I use it, how?

A3. First install the eclCCE.EXE file in the same directory as CCE (usually it is found under "C:\Program Files\Custom Technology\..." (it changes by version after that). Then run the eclCCE.exe alone. The first time it runs it will require that you "point" it to your CCE executable. You have to do this! Failure to do so makes it not work and make you angry. After that is completed -- and this is important -- point the CCE path located in DVD-RB's Setup dialog to eclCCE.EXE, NOT the CCE executable.

Q4. I set everything up -- but nothing seems to happen and/or I get video that is a black screen with orange/red lines at the bottom.

A4. You probably are having a problem with the location of MPEG2DEC3DG.DLL. In the installation instructions (see the REBUILDER.TXT file) it tells you to put that file in the AVISYNTH Plugins directory. That should work. But some 3rd party software designers (bless their hearts) have decided to change the AVISYNTH registry entry to another location... You fix that by entering the setup dialog of DVD-RB and pointing directly to the MPEG2DEC3.DLL file -- also, click on the "Add to AVS File" checkbox.

Q5. There are other tools out there that allow me to remove streams, extras, audio, and other parts of a DVD. Can I run these on the source before using DVD-RB to make the final build?

A5. Yes, I would never want to stifle creativity. But do so at your own risk. Some (well... most) of these programs "butcher" the source without taking every aspect of the DVD into consideration. A butchered source can confuse DVD-RB (or any other program downstream) and cause it to do strange things... Any DVD-RB bug reports you decide to post should only apply to non-butchered sources.

Q6. What in the name of heaven is an AudioDub(BlankClip())?

A6. That's a fair question. For those who have been around awhile there is a known bug with CCE 2.50 in which it, when used with an AMD processor, can die a terrible death when confronted with an AVS files/stream that doesn't contain audio. By inserting this line -- a blank audio clip is inserted and everything works. Some later versions have also been reported to have memory leaks that go away if this is inserted. This line would is inserted by default in every AVS file to fix these issues. Some folks, however, have reported that their encodes seem to get slower when this is inserted (although I must say it has never happened to me) -- so this option allows them to remove it if they believe it isn't necessary.

Q7. Now you did it, you lost me. What is an AVS and why do you have to talk about it?

A7. DVD-ReBuilder stands on the shoulders of some very powerful and inventive freeware and donate-ware software packages. One of them is AVISYNTH. AVISYNTH is a scripted video processor that, quite frankly, is just incredible. It can take input video files, modify them in innumerable ways, and present them to players or encoders. But you don't have to know how to use it in order to take advantage of DVD-ReBuilder. All the scripts are created by DVD-ReBuilder and you the user is kept insulated from its complexities. An AVS file is the input command structure (actually just a text file) that instructs AVISYNTH how and when to process input video. if you want to get smart on AVISYNTH look at the enormous amount of information in the AVISYNTH section of the Doom9 Forum.

Q8. Ok. Now that you're on the subject of "stuff" -- what does MPEG2DEC3DG.DLL or DGDECODE.DLL do?

A8. Good question. (Isn't it amazing that I can write a question to myself, and then complement myself on it?) AVISYNTH has many options -- including a software development kit, standard interfaces, and a way to create "plugins" so its capabilities can be extended. MPEG2DEC3DG.DLL or the updated DGDECODE.DLL is a plugin that allows AVISYNTH to read DVD .VOB (Video Object) files and move back-and-forth through them (just as if they were a simple video file). It does that through a .D2V file which stores important information about the type and location of frames within the .VOB file. The D2V format and function was created by a program called DVD2AVI -- another incredible piece of software. While DVD-RB doesn't require DVD2AVI.EXE to run (it does it's own file parsing and .D2V creation) -- my hat is off to the genius represented in this product. DVD2AVI also has its own dedicated section in the Doom9 Forum.

Q9. I got an error code '75' -- what's up with that?

A9. You have mounted the source DVD on a virtual drive and are using an old version of DVD-RB. Upgrade. It's free.

Q10. When I try to encode I get an error message from CCE that says the input was the wrong size -- a number something like 800x56 shows as the illegal size. What causes this?

A10. This is caused by an error in processing the AVS files (AVISYNTH). Often it is a result of not properly setting up the location or use of MPEG2DEC3DG.DLL. But it can also be the result of improperly modification/editing. The illegal size is actually a video stream containing an error message. If you open up the .AVS with Microsoft Media Player you will be able to read the error -- it will provide you with a line number of the offending line in the .AVS.
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Last edited by jdobbs; 27th November 2006 at 14:24.
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Old 12th April 2004, 21:47   #2  |  Link
windtrader
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How about adding questions:

"Just what does DVD Rebuilder do and why would I want to use it?"

and

"So how does DVD Rebuilder stack up against some of the other prominent one click solutions like DVDShrink, CloneDVD2, DVD2DVD?"
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Old 12th April 2004, 22:57   #3  |  Link
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Let's try and keep this thread clean.

If you have a suggestion or comment about the program, please post it in THIS THREAD

If you have a bug to report, please post it in THIS THREAD

If you have a general question, try THIS THREAD

EDIT: to say I wasn't refering to windtrader's post, which is very constructive. There was another post which was graciously removed by it's author.

Last edited by wmansir; 13th April 2004 at 02:50.
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Old 21st April 2004, 12:40   #4  |  Link
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Newbie question: CCE BASIC and 2.67

I've just purchased Cinemacraft Basic 2.67 ($58). Now when I came to configure it with Rebuilder I referred to the Doom guides. There's one for CCE Basic, CCE 2.66 and CCE 2.67. The version I bought is called CCE Basic 2.67; which guide do I refer to the Basic or 2.67?
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Old 21st April 2004, 13:30   #5  |  Link
wmansir
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Use the CCE Basic. If you check the dialog again you will see the box is labeled "CCE SP (new)", CCE SP is a different product line than CCE Basic, but they share the same version numbers.
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Old 3rd July 2004, 17:40   #6  |  Link
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Q. What are all these files in the D2VAVS folder?

Here's short, vague overview of what files are created, when, and their purpose:
[list][*]Prepare
Most of the files are created here. They are:
  1. Rebuilder.inf
    Contains info about the project settings, it's progress and properties for each cell.
  2. XXX.d2v files
    Each VTS to be re-encoded gets a .d2v. These files are like a map of the original video files (VOBs), it tells AviSynth how to decode it.
  3. Vxxxxxxxxx.flg files
    Each cell gets a .flg file. These files contain flags from the original video file, on rebuild they are applied to the new video to recreate the exact video structure.
  4. vxxxxxxxxx.avs files
    Each cell gets a .avs file. These files tell AviSynth how to stream the video from each cell to CCE. The .avs file does several things. It decodes the video from the original .VOB, cuts out just the cell segment we are interested in, performs any special steps (deinterlace, resize, custom filters), converts it to a format CCE will accept, and adds a fake audio track to work around a CCE bug (if needed).
  5. Rebuilder.ECL
    Contains CCE instructions (jobs) for encoding all the video cells.[/list=1]
  6. Encode
    1. item.ecl
      The CCE job for the current cell to be encoded is copied into this file. It is then loaded into CCE and the encoding begins.
    2. Vxxxxxxxxx.vaf
      During the first pass CCE creates this file which contains information about the video it gathers during the first pass.
    3. vxxxxxxxxx.m2v
      After the first pass the reencoded video is output to this file.
  7. Rebuild
    During rebuild DVD-RB looks at the rebuilder.inf and then takes the reencoded video (.m2v), applies the flags (.flg), and muxes it with the selected audio and subtitle tracks from the original source.

This is just something I typed up in another thread and though I would add to this FAQ. It's based solely on my usage of the program and what I have read here in the forums, so some parts may not be completely accurate, specifically those dealing with custom DVD-RB files (inf and flg files).
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Old 23rd April 2005, 13:11   #7  |  Link
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Q12. Trying CCE-SP 2.70 with DVD-RB when CCE launches during the encode stage, it sits waiting for me to press "encode" on the CCE window. How can I solve this?

Open the Setup dialog (under menu "Options) and check the "Run Encoder(s) Minimized".
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Old 2nd June 2005, 22:32   #8  |  Link
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I've gotten a lot of questions lately on bitrates computed in DVD-RB, so I'm adding this FAQ.

Q13. When I'm encoding NTSC non-telecined source, the bitrate seems to be less than when I do the same source using another package. I'm obsessed with bitrates. Why is DVD-RB's lower?

A13. This can get complicated but here goes... DVD-RB is the only encoder-based method I know of that supports hybrid NTSC sources (alternating between telecined and regular video). A part of the way it does that is by setting a common denominator as the framerate at 23.976fps. No frames are lost -- only the rate is changed. When encoding is complete, the framerate is returned to its original state during REBUILD. One offshoot of that is that when encoding the framerate must be adjusted by a factor of .80 (29.97 divided by 23.976) -- so that it hits its target when the framerate changes back (1.25 times the encoded bitrate). The bottom line is that the true bitrate you are achieving is 125% of what you see in the ECL files.

Here's an important note to help prevent self-inflicted wounds: DON'T CHANGE THE BITRATE VALUES BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU KNOW BETTER THAN DVD-RB -- IT WILL CAUSE LOTS OF PLAYBACK AND SIZING PROBLEMS.
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Old 21st November 2005, 01:56   #9  |  Link
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may i suggest a new Q about dynamic bitrate allocation, or "why doesnt DVD-RB encode the whole movie at once ?" ?
as you can see it just keeps popping up
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=740464
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Old 3rd December 2005, 15:45   #10  |  Link
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Could you add a procedure to resume the rebuild process without having to start from the beginning, in case the process was somehow interrupted (as in the case of a power loss?) Thanks.
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Old 3rd December 2005, 15:53   #11  |  Link
Rockas
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@AnitaPeterson
That procedure already exists... as long as you use the "Three Click" mode (meaning... unchecking "One Click Mode").
If you use Three Click... when you click "Encode" button (and you previously had encoded some of the files), Rebuilder will ask you if you want to re-start or want to resume from the last succesfull encoded segment.
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Old 6th January 2006, 14:26   #12  |  Link
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have been trying to get dvdrb pro i click on the donate button but nothing happens. please help
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Old 6th January 2006, 14:41   #13  |  Link
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gadawg
i click on the donate button
Where?
There's an option in RB free under Help "Make a donation", there's also a button on the main page. Here's the direct link as well.

Cu Rippraff
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Old 22nd February 2006, 15:03   #14  |  Link
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Hi Dobbs.

Regarding your FAQ 5: Should you recommend any way to remove anything but the main movie from the source before running DVD Rebuilder, what would that be? I promise not to bother this forum with bug reports, if it dose not work...

Or, are you planning on including any kind of main movie only-functions in the program, maybe the VIP-version?

Best,

Madibaman.

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Old 22nd February 2006, 15:07   #15  |  Link
jdobbs
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That's already in the VIP version. You just click "Movie Only" mode.
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Old 8th March 2006, 20:44   #16  |  Link
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Thanks

Thanks jdobbs.

I "bought" the program, and rebuild "Delicatessen", and the result was awesome. I'm using CCE Basic.

Best,

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Old 8th March 2006, 21:38   #17  |  Link
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Great!
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Old 28th April 2006, 22:39   #18  |  Link
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Some more tests on DVD RB VS DVD Shrink

I didn't know in which Thread to write it...so decided to put it here for common use
Just finished test on "The 5th Element".
When compression is less then 85% (in this case 83)

1. Over all encoding process was 40 min DVD shrink quality set to smooth. 140 min DVD RB free edition all phases (prepere,encode,build), cce 2 passes.


2. took stealth images from the outputs, quality was the same
Couldn't see any difference

3. here is the big difference
When watching the movie sometime between fast switching of camera shots in the movie there tiny blocks of pixels for less then a second in DVD Shrink, it is not absolutely flow... though quality was good.
How ever In DVD RB no pixilation what so ever. Absolute flow, Perfect quality couldn't see any difference between original and DVD RB

Conclusion:
For compression less then 85% USE DVD-RB, No other program can match it, If the compression is above 85% from main movie Shrink is good enough...
That all I needed to see that convinced me to pay for the pro..
One more question though,
Is the Pro version bit faster since it uses newer DGDecode dll ??

Thanks In advance..
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Old 28th April 2006, 23:24   #19  |  Link
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Slightly... but not noticably. Most of the time is spend in the encode rather than the decode. You'll find the point at which encoding shows a real advantage is variable. It's my opinion that encoding always gives you a better picture -- but when the reduction is small the difference is just harder to see. The difference in time between encoding and transcoding isn't really that great -- if I remember correctly it takes about 90 minutes to so an deep analysis "shrink" (admittedly I haven't tried it in a long time) -- and a two pass CCE encode with DVD-RB only takes about 2 hours on a middle of the road PC (1 hour on high-end machines, longer on old ones). So I've personally always just done an encode (even before DVD-RB was created).

But, as I've said before, DVD-RB isn't aimed at being competition for Shrink. Shrink is a fantastic product that is rock solid and was way ahead of its time. DVD-RB is aimed at a different audience -- those who are willing to let the computer run a little longer to reach for a higher level of quality.
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Old 6th May 2006, 16:16   #20  |  Link
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does DVD rb use avs filters when..

DVD is less then DVD -5 and reEncoding is not necessary?
I was backing up old western I have "The searchers". Since the move is old and bit grainy I used fluxsmooth filter, how ever, since no encoding was done... does DVD RB use the filter and use it?? I couldn't tell the differences from the original.

Thanks in Advance... Elad.
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