How can I remove a clip from a VOB file??

[absinthecarolinas]

Hey, hope I'm posting in the appropriate forum (this is not really a question about authoring ... it's about cutting/editing).

I wanted to make a copy of the "Butterfly Effect" DVD, and that would have been simple enough except that there is a "director's cut" on the other side of the flipper disc. I understand that the only difference is the alternate ending, so that basically you just watch the last chapter of the director's cut to see it, and that's it.

So what I wanted to do is copy the movie, and then add an extra "chapter" (or just a link from the main menu) on at the end which will just be that "director's cut" ending. Obviously, I'll have to make my own menu, but that's no prob.

Thing is, I was in a hurry and didn't have the DVD very long so I just ripped the main movie VOB files (and only the VOB files) from the disc (5 of them). Then I flipped the disc and just ripped the one VOB that had the director's cut ending chapter within it.

In other words, I've got 6 VOBS: VTS_01_1 VOB thru VTS_01_5.VOB (the fifth one just contains the credits), and then I have VTS_01_4.VOB from the other side of the disc.

So I think I need to do 2 things before I reauthor:
1. I guess I need to join and demultiplex the 5 VOBS from side 1. This should be the easy part, and there's a tutorial around here pointing out how to do this with DVDLab - which is what I use - except my version doesn't seem to offer the option specified so maybe the tutorial uses DVDLab Pro.
2. What I can't figure out is how to remove only a "clip" from the VOB file to get the "special ending" chapter. In hindsight, I think DVD Shrink would rip VOB from DVD -> VOB on hard drive and let me set start and ending frames for doing so, but that's not what I did.

So, anyone have an idea on how I could accomplish #s 1 and 2 above? I think I might be able to accomplish #1 with ReJig (still playing around with that). but I'm just not sure how to remove a clip from a VOB.

Anyway, I hope to be able to accomplish this without any unecessary re-encoding. I should have no probs authoring as I usually do with DVDLab if I can just get these clips in order.

On the other hand, if anyone knows of a way that I could have done this much, much easier ripping directly from the DVD, let me know. It might be worth it to me to just go out and rent the DVD and for future reference.

thx,

-abs

[Baldrick]

please post anything regarding dvd to dvd copying in this forum.

[mmasw]

........Thing is, I was in a hurry and didn't have the DVD very long so I just ripped the main movie VOB files.......

.......It might be worth it to me to just go out and rent the DVD and for future reference.

thx,

-abs

rather suspect statements considering the fundamental difference between copying rentals and backing-up your own....

care to clarify?

[jimmalenko]

The first thing that comes to mind is to warn you to NEVER mention anything to do with copying a rented DVD on this site. Read the Forum rules / Acceptable Use Policy(AUP) here to find out why.


That said, what you wish to do is not that hard if you have the disc. It is not that hard even though you don't have the disc either.


Please clarify that you are making a legal backup of this DVD and I will go into further detail.

[absinthecarolinas]

Thanks for your replies.

I have 2 stepchildren [almost 15 and almost 8] whom I knew were leaving to spend pretty much the rest of the summer with their dad 3 states away. Sure enough, they took "Butterfly" (and several of my other new movies
) with them, as I thought they would. Strictly speaking, it's their copy of the movie, but I bought it for them.

I also saw this in the theater, but I'd like to see the second ending, and I have family members coming to visit later who I'm sure would like to see it. Boys won't be back til mid-August (or whenever school starts).

I'm simply frustrated that I didn't have time to copy it properly (I work at night, and they left early in the a.m. before I was home). In hindsight, I don't know why I only ripped the VOBS, but that's what I did.

-abs

[letitbleed]

Why did you not just copy all the VOB's from the directors cut ?
or am I missing something
Also if you do a search you will find many gudes on how to join vobs

[absinthecarolinas]

Why did you not just copy all the VOB's from the directors cut ?

Well, as above, I had read that the only difference in the two cuts is the last chapter, the "ending." Seemed like a waste of space to copy almost 2-hours-worth of duplicated material, not to mention the space it would take up on my blank DVD5.

In addition to which, I'm just one of those people who gets an idea in his head and then there's no swervin'. And the idea I got in my head was, "Hey, I know! I'll copy the main movie and then tack the special ending on as an extra chapter or bonus feature!"

-abs

[petar]

Aks your stepchildren (or their dad) to email you the IFO files of side 1. For the alternative ending you'll need to extract the correct cell(s) because it's very unlikely that the VOB file only contains that and nothing else. You can do this with Vobedit. Then, if it's more than one cell, join them with Vobedit and then create the IFO files with IfoEdit.

You'll have two DVDs and you can put them together with DVD Shrink in re-author mode. Then add your menu. There should be guides for all these steps in the "How to" section.

[dimad]

Use any authoring application to re-create your side 1 disk with one extra button to play a version with aternative ending.

Then with DvdReMake Pro you can add the alternative ending and create a second title which will play exactly the same movie but with alternative ending.

Of course it is not a one click way, but at the end you'll have quite "professionaly" looking DVD.

[madmoose]

Seemed like a waste of space to copy almost 2-hours-worth of duplicated material, not to mention the space it would take up on my blank DVD5.

Why didn't you just copy the directors cut since if what you are saying is correct, its the same as the original accept the part you want to seem in to the orginal. Sounds like a whole lot of work for something that is already done.

also- can't you have your kids mail it to you for a week. Cheaper then renting it.

[cor1]

absinthecarolinas,

RE: your second question "how to remove only a "clip" from the VOB file to get the "special ending" chapter".

You can do that using Chopper XP (find it in Tools - Basic Video Editors). It allows you to cut a VOB directly and you end up with another VOB as your result. You can then either attach the chopped VOB to the end of your existing one (if you definitely want that) using simple file concatenation but even better, you can use the chopped VOB to create a new Title and see it separately.

But if the only difference between one cut and the other is the ending scene why didn't whoever author the DVD in the first place use branching like in most other commercial DVDs with 2 cuts? So maybe there are more differences?

Hope this helps.

[absinthecarolinas]

Thanks for the tips and suggestions

I believe the Chopper XP tool is just what I'm looking for, and since it's freeware I'll grab it and give it a try. It sounds like something I'll get a lot of use out of, in fact. I've been using IfoEdit in most of my authoring jobs since a little tip from a tute around here showed how to make PAL-formatted DVDs play on NTSC players (a technique that has yet to fail me), but I've never used VobEdit.

Anyway, I'll give this a try.

Thanks,

-abs

[MysticE]

The are more differences in the Director's Cut than just the ending (which was rather pathetic anyway).