Weird File Size; DVD compliancy? Rendering not nececessary?

[Richkut]

I recorded a program on my Philips DVDR 985A at the SP mode whose length was 1:36. Wanting to fully author this program in DVD Workshop, I ripped the DVD to my hard drive (Win XP PRO, NTFS) using DVD Decrypter via file mode (no file splitting—one resultant file). This file was around 3.5G. I changed the VOB extension to MPG and when I was through authoring and about to create the DVD directory (VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS), DVDWS crashed. This happened over and over again a few times, and unable to figure out what was wrong I re-ripped the DVD using IFO mode (one large file again). DVDWS continued to crash when making the DVD directories, so I tried DVD Movie Factory. Much to my surprise, this program showed that the file ripped during the file mode DVD Decrypter operation was 5.6G!! How could this be? When I tried the IFO mode ripped file, it was 3.6G (for the same file!), yet even though I instructed DVD Movie Factory not to render compliant files, it STILL wanted to render (EVEN THE 3.6G IFO ripped file!)!! I double checked the properties, of this file, and it appeared to be DVD compliant (VBR 7500 mb/s?). Of course, I instructed the authoring program to re-render (only if necessary) at CBR (8000 mb/s?), all of which I believe I have done before successfully WITHOUT THE PROGRAM RENDERING THE VIDEO!! Now, here I am with screwy files that either are much too big (how does video ripped from a 4.7G DVD become 5.6G—too much to eat (LOL!)?)! The second file, a much more manageable 3.6G, STILL wants to render even though it is DVD compliant (both recorded at SP on my 985A)!! Am I being haunted??!! I just cannot come up with a logical explanation, much less my frustration level in needing to get this authored DVD recorded. Any ideas??!!

[Specialist]

I would recommend that you instead use software that has the ability to extract the raw MPEG from the disc using a DVD-VR CAPTURE PLUG-IN.

Did the source disc feature MPEG AUDIO? LPCM AUDIO?

If so, you could extract the raw MPEG using the DVD-VR CAPTURE PLUG-INS featured in Ulead DVD MovieFactory 2, Ulead VideoStudio, or Ulead MediaStudio Pro.

Did the source disc feature AC-3 AUDIO?

If so, only Ulead MediaStudio Pro's DVD-VR CAPTURE PLUG-IN will extract the MPEG.

I do this with my Toshiba D-R1 stand alone DVD disc player/recorder:

http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/dvr/product.asp?model=D-R1

As long as I adjust my project settings in Ulead DVD Workshop to match the attributes of the source video - and as long as I check the DO NOT CONVERT COMPLIANT MPEG FILES option - the source video is not re-encoded and quality is preserved.

Ulead DVD Workshop 1.3 was a first generation product so it doesn't have the DVD-VR CAPTURE PLUG-IN feature, unfortunately.

Based on my read of the features description on the Ulead Web site, the forthcoming version 2.0 of DVD WORKSHOP will have the DVD-VR CAPTURE PLUG-IN feature.

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Richkut]

Yes, the source DVD contains AC-3 audio, and I DID also try Movie Factory 2 (this is the product that wanted to re-render, even though I checked for it not to if the video was DVD-compliant, which I believe it was). Again, I do not believe that I have done anything different this time than I have in the past, yet still have experienced these problems! Is it possible tha my 985 recording is somehow corrupt? If so, how would I ever know??!!

[Specialist]

Ulead DVD MovieFactory 2 has never officially supported the authoring of AC-3 source material without re-encoding.

Still, one could formerly pass-through such material if one checked the DO NOT CONVERT COMPLIANT FILES check box.

With the advent of the 2.12 patch, however, individuals are reporting that this is no longer possible.

(I haven't tested yet.)

This may explain why you could do this formerly, but can no longer do so.

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net