When converting VIDEO_TS to DivX, why is only the first file encoded?

[SheerGold]

I am trying to convert a VIDEO_TS to DivX but without success.
I have followed the guidance provided by ffmpegX:
GUIDE TO VIDEO_TS -> DIVX CONVERSION WITH FFMPEGX
It is on web-page
http://homepage.mac.com/major4/videots_divx.html

The encoded video is merely the encode of the first file in the VIDEO_TS folder. That's just the intro to the video and it's only a minute long.

Does anyone know why ffmpegX did not encode the entire video?

I'm using an Apple Mac G5 dual 2.3, 8GB RAM & OS 10.5.6.
The fmpegX version is 0.0.9x (0.0.9y). I just downloaded it so I guess it is the latest version.

[Case]

Some things that might have gone wrong here, are:
1/ "Select the VIDEO_TS folder from your hard disk in the Open field. You may use the Open.. button, or drag and drop the VIDEO_TS folder over the application icon." -- It is important not to select a file from that folder, but the folder itself! It should say "VIDEO_TS" (not "VOB") in the From-field of the Summary.
2/ "Click on the "Target format" pulldown menu and choose DivX mencoder." -- You'll need a mencoder preset, as mencoder uses mplayer to decode (read) the source file(s). Other decoders in ffmpegX are not able to process folders, but only files.
3/ "Select title/chapter/angle to be encoded as you require. Use the "play" button to check." -- If your intro had been labeled as "title 1", then converting title 1 would only convert your intro. Leave the chapter fields empty to convert all chapters of a title (Converting "Chap 1-1" would only convert the first segment, as there are usually many chapters in a title).

[SheerGold]

Hi Case,

You say:
"Select title/chapter/angle to be encoded as you require. Use the "play" button to check." -- If your intro had been labeled as "title 1", then converting title 1 would only convert your intro. Leave the chapter fields empty to convert all chapters of a title (Converting "Chap 1-1" would only convert the first segment, as there are usually many chapters in a title).

The title/chapter/angle were at their preset values which are:
title: 1
chapter: both fields were blank
angle: field was blank

Is that how they are meant to be?

[Case]

For most DVDs, the "main feature" is authored as Title 1.
But using other title numbers would be just as valid.
The only way to find out for sure is to "Use the 'play' button to check."
Set it to Title 1. Press Play. Is that the video you wanted to convert? Press 'q' to quit the player.
Set it to Title 2. Press Play. Is that the video you wanted to convert? Press 'q' to quit the player.
Set it to Title 3. Press Play. Is that the video you wanted to convert? Press 'q' to quit the player.
Et cetera.

[tomlee59]

I am trying to convert a VIDEO_TS to DivX but without success.
I have followed the guidance provided by ffmpegX:
GUIDE TO VIDEO_TS -> DIVX CONVERSION WITH FFMPEGX
It is on web-page
http://homepage.mac.com/major4/videots_divx.html

The encoded video is merely the encode of the first file in the VIDEO_TS folder. That's just the intro to the video and it's only a minute long.

Does anyone know why ffmpegX did not encode the entire video?

I'm using an Apple Mac G5 dual 2.3, 8GB RAM & OS 10.5.6.
The fmpegX version is 0.0.9x (0.0.9y). I just downloaded it so I guess it is the latest version.

Ffmpegx is an "all-in-one", flexible and powerful tool. As such, the amount of user intervention needed to specify parameters is large enough to trip up folks just starting out. For this one specific task of DVD-to-Divx conversion, I recommend D-Vision3. It is freeware (not shareware), and its focus on this one task means that there are fewer opportunities to screw up. It automatically selects whatever title has the longest duration, instead of always defaulting to Title 1. If that's not the title that you want, you have the ability to select another. It handily shows you the title it has selected, and its duration, so you can quickly see at a glance whether or not it's made the choice you want. This avoids the back-and-forth that ffmpegx sometimes forces you to perform to verify that it has chosen the title you want, etc.

[zaque2004]

I had similar problems, but the DVD I was trying to do some conversion to, had several shorts in it as well as ads. I used OSEX 0.0110a1 to join the possible several VOBs of a movie into one. So Chapter 1.1 and 1.2 etc became just Chapter 1. I then used ffmpegX to convert the movies. I got rid of the trash this way too.