Removing either Widescreen or Fullscreen from disc

[Evil Twin]

Hi folks, thanks for stopping by, maybe you can give me some help here!

On discs that offer both the widescreen version and the fullscreen version (Darkness Falls, Cruel Intentions, Monsters Inc -- etc.) how is it possible to remove one of the versions (lets say the fullscreen version) and keep the other version (in this case the widescreen version).

Ideally, I would not to be sent to the menu screen asking which version I would like to play as well. Is there a way to remove this option/screen from the title set and still have everything play correctly? Some type of editing?

I'd like to keep the extras (if any are offered) and their menues (chapter selection, subtitles selection, etc.).

I guess what I want here is my choice of backup (either WS or FS version) without the screen selection of which version I chose, and keeping all the rest.

Thanks for your time and in advance for your help.

**UPDATE**
My results/findings posted below -- Evil Twin

[Vejita-sama]

So I'm going to assume this is a DVD9 -> single DVDR backup and you want to compress your video as little as possible. Hence removing the 'extra' copy of the video (full screen) would be a nice way to save space and keep the quaility high.

There are several ways to do this. Here's one:

1) Use IFOedit to strip out unwanted VTS (guides to left and at http://www.doom9.org)
2) Use MENUEdit to remove unwanted buttons (guides at http://www.doom9.org)

If IFOEdit is 'scary' then you can use DVD Shrink to strip out VTS (sort of). Set the parts you want to delete to 'still pictures'. This still takes up some space (25~100MB) but is much smaller than the source.

You can replace the VTS with a 'dummy file' too. That's the best way to go besides stripping, IMHO. Menuedit is 'tricky' to learn but pretty simple once you get into it.

[Evil Twin]

Yes, you are right, it is a DVD9 -> single DVDR backup

Elaborate more on this "dummy file". I have never used one before.

In the meantime, I'll look into MenuEdit.

Thanks for your reply.

[MackemX]

are the two movies in the same VTS?

if they are not in the same VTS then you can simply replace the VTS that contains the movie you don't want either using my stripping guides HERE. It has some simple Flash guides you can follow or 2COOL's over at Doom9 HERE

if it is, again you could use Ifoedit as Vejita-sama suggests

I'm sure you could modify the IFO's so that the movie selection screen doesn't show and 2COOL should a guide on how to do this

there's a few more methods on how to strip movies out of a DVD and you just choose the one you think is best for the DVD you are trying to backup

[Bob W]

Easy to do with DVDshrink by making the unwanted version a still picture.

[Poppa_Meth]

are you sure there is more than 1 version on the disk? if its anamorphic its likely only one version on the disk, widescreen. and the standard layout just picks up the anamorphic markers and resizes it on your screen.

[beingfunny]

I just did a "Monsters, Inc." movie only, backup with DVD shrink. If you've never used DVD shrink, read the guide that's on this site-pretty straight forward. In the main movie folder there are two titles, the larger one is the wide screen version (if memory serves me right). Re-author, drag that title over to the new window to get the movie only, backup.

[jerry746]

Hi Evevyone, I have been into dvd backups about a month now and evevything I learned and problems fixed have been from reading all the forums. Funny that Monsters Inc came up since I looked at it last night to backup for my daughter. I does seem to have 2 copies of the main movie on it. I own dvd xcopy express but use dvd shrink more because of the preview feature. If you use Shrink to edit out one of the movie formats with re-author feature, the menus won't work. I am going to try to backup the complete disc to the hard drive and then just delete one of the movie files before I burn back to dvd+r. I hope it works to keep the menus and extras intact. As always I burn to a dvd+rw first so I don't waste a blank.

[defense]

bobw wrote:

Easy to do with DVDshrink by making the unwanted version a still picture.

That's the worst option of all. Still pics for an entire movie still take too much spade and will often times resort to having to reencode the version you would want to keep...when you wouldn't have to otherwise.

The other methods completely remove the version you don't want.....and who would watch a version of the movie in all stills anyway. Of course....just like with poor quality backups using the one step proggy's.....they are quicker.....as is keeping still pics for the other version. If quicker is better to a particular person...then still pic and Shrink away.

[/b]

[overloaded_ide]

Monsters, Inc
WOW, this is popular all of a sudden, I just did it myself too
I also was wondering how to tell which movie is full screen and widescreen? Seems in a way the widescreen would be larger since it is wider, but then it doesn't use the full screen either so it seems as though fullscreen might be larger since it does. Or will that just be a matter of ratio and full screen is still less data even though it fills the screen, where as widescreen is more data since it actually has the extra size in width but a different ratio?

For me it seems the preview looks the same for either version in shrink. Maybe it's just me, but I can't tell the difference normally between widescreen and full screen in the preview box. Box is full and the same size either way. Doesn't show the black top or bottom bands for me either, just full screen looking video.

Also this is the first DVD I used shrink on that I plan to redo. For some reason I get artifacts on this one at times. Mostly a total screen change is when it happens. I never use deep analisys, but I may redo this backup and try it next time.

[Bob W]

bobw wrote:

Easy to do with DVDshrink by making the unwanted version a still picture.

That's the worst option of all. Still pics for an entire movie still take too much spade and will often times resort to having to reencode the version you would want to keep...when you wouldn't have to otherwise.

The other methods completely remove the version you don't want.....and who would watch a version of the movie in all stills anyway. Of course....just like with poor quality backups using the one step proggy's.....they are quicker.....as is keeping still pics for the other version. If quicker is better to a particular person...then still pic and Shrink away.

[/b]

I believe DVDshrink only makes a still of the first frame so the size is in the low kb.

[defense]

I believe DVDshrink only makes a still of the first frame so the size is in the low kb.

If that's the case..then i'd agree with you that DVD SHRINK is also a good option. I could of swore that I once checked just for shits and giggles...and choosing still pics still showed somewhere around ~200 MB's....If it does set it up in a way in which the file size is in mere KB's...then that's definitely great..no doubt.

[overloaded_ide]

If it does set it up in a way in which the file size is in mere KB's...then that's definitely great..no doubt

Doesn't any file at all get written as 1mb for compatibilty (or whatever reason) when less than 1mb? I thought that was the minimum size for any file? Course that is still good

[defense]

overloaded_ide wrote:

Doesn't any file at all get written as 1mb for compatibilty (or whatever reason) when less than 1mb? I thought that was the minimum size for any file? Course that is still good

No...to my knowledge there is no compatibility issue with files under 1 MB. For movies structured like this I just rip dummy files off the disk with both versions (if dummy vobs are there..which they usually are) or i'll just rip dummy files off another disk. Usually the dummy vobs are between 8 and 32kbs. So i'll just copy and paste as many as the original.

For example...if the full screen version (which I don't keep) has 4 VOBS....then i'll just copy 4 dummy files. If the 4 vobs were originally a total of 3.2 GB's for example.....once replaced with my dummy vobs...they become a total of 32 kbs! lol.....Pretty big difference from 3.2 GB's to 32 kbs..huh? ....This allows me to almost always be able to keep the W.S version WITHOUT any reencoding....most often..I don't even have to strip audio and/or subs...but once in a while....deleting an audio track is necessary to prevent any reencoding.

[Evil Twin]

Thanks to ALL for your input!

How do I create 'dummy files'?
Or where do I get them from?

[MackemX]

Thanks to ALL for your input!

How do I create 'dummy files'?
Or where do I get them from?

my stripping guides are HERE. I have blank NTSC VOB's now if you need them uploading but you can normally get them from the DVD as defense mentioned

and check out 2COOL's excellent guides at DOOM9 as these contain most of the info you need to know

TITLE STRIPPING GUIDES:[*]How To Blank Out a Single PGC TitleSet (Optimized for Speed) [*]How To Completely Blank Out a Multi-PGC TitleSet (Version 1) [*]How To Completely Blank Out a Multi-PGC TitleSet (Version 2 Optimized) (FLASH VERSION here)[*]How To Partially Blank Out a Multi-PGC TitleSet [*]A Quicker Way to Stripping Multi-PGC Titles

[vandakeg]

I believe DVDshrink only makes a still of the first frame so the size is in the low kb.

All of the backups I've done, still pics are still about 5-10% of the size of what's being shrunk (200mb on a movie). Is there maybe a setting that i'm missing?

[MackemX]

I believe DVDshrink only makes a still of the first frame so the size is in the low kb.

All of the backups I've done, still pics are still about 5-10% of the size of what's being shrunk (200mb on a movie). Is there maybe a setting that i'm missing?

that's about right as DVDShrink only keeps the first frame of a GOP (Group Of Pictures) I think, not really sure

[wulf109]

I would try CloneDVD. It allows you to delete any vts you don't want. Identify the vts you don't want with the preview and delete it. The menu would play normally,you could select the movie you kept,when you select the movie you deleted it would just default back to the menu. You could download the fully function demo and try it.
DVD95COPY also allows this,but you must delete the vob files in vts you don't want,be sure to keep the ifo files for the vts you don't want. It will happilly conpress without the vob's.

[Arianos]

GUYS!!!!
All these suggestions are very good, if you have a lot of time in your hands, or you consider Ifoediting a fun pastime.
If you just want to get the job done easily, without headaches, messing with DVDs late into the night and making lotsa coasters, or at best, not playing on your standalone.
Agreed all these methods are free, ok, shareware (with the partial exception of Menuedit), but how much of your time does it take to do it manually and what is your value for at LEAST (when u r an expert) an hour of your time???
I value my free time and don't wish to spend it trying to modify a DVD Structure.
CHECK MACKEMX'S SIGNATURE!!!
The answer has been there all along!
I value the time I save to more than 16 Euros.
Doesn't anyone read sigs??? Je**s!!!

[Evil Twin]

@Arianos
I do see/read the signtures, there some fun stuff there (most of the time)along with great links to help us out!
I really appeciate the help MackemX has given. Even though his signature shows the link to his program, he is not being a salesman here and is offering very usefull information from another forum as well! -- That is Ultimately Cool!

@defense
Thats for the tip on adding as many dummy files as the original, I would have only added one! I managed to find a d/l of dummy files I will use.

@MackemX
You are the coolest! Thanks for all the great links to stuff. There is a lot of information out there and all the help I can get saves us all alot of time weeding through search sites! IfoEdit is a great program, I always said that wish I knew alot more on all its features. 2Cool seems to have spent a great deal of time with the prog! Thanks for the links, they will help out alot! BTW, very helpful using the screenshots on your stripping guides!

@wulf109
I've followed your great advice before, I'll give CloneDVD a try!

@jerry746
Did your re-try using DVDShrink work???

[Evil Twin]

I had posted an update with my progress/outcome a couple of months ago but it just came to my attention that this was not posted??? Do not know why?

At any rate, for everyones benefit, this were my results;

Tools Used:
DVD Decrypter
CloneDVD
IfoEdit
RecordNow Max

I used DVDDecrypter to rip the dvd to my hard drive. I kept everything in File Mode. (NOTE, this is how I started this project out, while trying things out so you can skip this step if you used AnyDVD !!)

Used CloneDVD to choose which version I wanted to keep. I kept the Widescreen version.
(Simply UNcheck the box of the version you do not want.
TIP - you can see the version size using the Preview window!)
If you want to keep the menus, make sure the "Preserve Menus" box is checked. If you do not want other stuff on your copy, leave them unchecked. (Unwanted Audio, Extras, etc).

I could not get MenuEdit to work for me to remove the Full Screen button from the menu. (I tried the free version and seeing that nothing was showing up for me in the cells, I chose not to buy the full version of menuedit)

So what I did was, I used IfoEdit to have the movie start playing right away when you first put the disc in the player. (I knew this trick already but it is well explained by 2Cool on his guides!!)
If I need to check/select a chapter I use the 'menu' button on my remote. This brings me to the main menu where I can navigate where I want. Choosing for example a specific chapter (accessed through the Chapter Menu) will take me straight to that chapter. I do not see the 'Choose Widescreen version or Full Screen version' page at all!!
(So I guess having using IfoEdit to have movie at First Play already has my selection of version made for me so I don't have to choose it later. Thats great!! -- no need for menuedit !!).

Burned with RecordNow Max.

Since then, I have done two other movies using this method and they both came out fine as well, so I am 3 for 3 !!

There may be other ways to do this, but this worked for me!
I can only hope my methods will only help others to achieve similar results for similar tasks they are undertaking.

Good luck.

[DoubleShadowIce]

@Evil Twin

Have you checked out 2COOL's new guide?
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=67564

Should be quicker than your method when you are proficient at it. There's rarely a need for a transcoder.

[DoubleShadowIce]

CHECK MACKEMX'S SIGNATURE!!!
The answer has been there all along!

@Arianos

You mean DVD Stripper? It can strip the unwanted version and strip the aspect ratio but the DVD structure and navigations still need to be accounted for. Even MackemX will so say himself that just removing the video clip and menu will not just do. It's nice to be a one clicker kind of person but sometimes you need to put in some work for certain DVDs.

[Evil Twin]

@DoubleShadowIce

NO I missed that guide!!
Thanks for the link!

I tell you, 2Cool IS just that --- Too Cool !
The knowledge he has and the way he explains it, even I can understand!!

I will check this method out when I come across another disc like this I want to do.

btw, if memory serves Monsters Inc did need a transcoder even after you removed a version. I was just a few MB too large to fit on a disc. (Thinking of it, it might be only because I chose the widescreen version, I'm not sure though. I do remember it being too large though)


**UPDATE**
Ok I tried the 2Cool guide that DoubleShadowIce suggested on two movies (Freddy vs Jason and Enough) I still am getting the screen to choose the widescreen version or the full screen version. In other words, I couldn't figure it out. Although I am the first to admit, I probably screwed up spmething somewhere! It did take me a while to read+re-read the guide, I kept going back and forth for every step. The best I have now it deactivating the fullscreen version button via menuedit. I guess it will be something I have to live with, it is a backup copy afterall.

Cheers, thanks for all the help and advice, hope this helps out a few people out there.