Sony RDR-GX7 produces DVD-R that has "funky" .VOB

[iamjcl]

Hello,

I don't know if my experience is unique, but couldn't find mention elsewhere.

I have made about 60 DVD-R copies on the Sony DVD Recorder from DV tapes. All are HQ (60 minute), 1 "title" on the DVD.

Upon trying to rip the DVD to my PC (using dvd decrypter), and using "none" for file splitting, in IFO mode, all works OK until I change the name of the .VOB to .MPG. When I do that, it will still import into Ulead MF3, but the timecode is off. Ulead says the clip is 3.5 seconds, despite its 4.3 GB filesize.

Trying to play the original .VOBs off of the actual disc burned by the sony also produce clips that play, but time slider goes across quickly and stops at the end, even though the clip continues to play.

Ulead will still "process" the weird file, but I can't set chapter stops etc... because you really have no navigation ability.

But all the discs play fine in any PC or set-top player, and if I import the funky ripped single file into ulead and burn it back to another DVD, and then rip that one to a single VOB, it is perfectly fine.

And, if I demux the video and audio (ac3) into seperate files upon ripping, and import just the video into MF3, timecode works fine. But MF3 can't take an AC3 audio file separatly without re-encoding.

So, there must be a way to either "correct" the one big .VOB / MPG produced by dvd decrypter, or rip the A/V streams seperatly and then "remux" with some program I am unaware of (seems time consuming...).

One other odd point - If I record the DV tapes onto a DVD+RW disc, it writes the same files to disc, but decrypter rips that disc into one .VOB that works perfectly once I change the name to .MPG.

- Any ideas?

- Chris

[jimmalenko]

And, if I demux the video and audio (ac3) into seperate files upon ripping, and import just the video into MF3, timecode works fine. But MF3 can't take an AC3 audio file separatly without re-encoding.

So, there must be a way to either "correct" the one big .VOB / MPG produced by dvd decrypter, or rip the A/V streams seperatly and then "remux" with some program I am unaware of (seems time consuming...).

IMO you should never just rename the file from VOB to MPEG.

It might pay to take a look at https://www.videohelp.com/guides.php?guideid=638&howtoselect=3;6#638 , and in particular, maybe this guide will help: https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=224833#tmpgencdvdauthorereauthor

It will take your VOBs and copy them to one big MPEG file on your hard drive into the directory you specify. You should then be able to import that straight into MF3.

[iamjcl]

Thanks alot for your help - I will investigate ripping with TDA, but was hoping either for a "free" tool, or perhaps I just need to buy an new authoring app. that supports seperate streams (a/v) - as Movie Factory wants to re-encode if the audio is AC3 no matter what.

- Chris

[jimmalenko]

If you look at https://www.videohelp.com/guides.php?guideid=638&howtoselect=3;6#638 , you'll see that there actually is free tools listed, Rejig, VOBEdit for example

[iamjcl]

Again, MANY thanks - I will d/l and investigate. I am still curious why the files are like this , and the ones written to a +rw disc are "easy" to deal with (rename and go). I wish I could rip the DVD and "fix" it at the same time. Using another tool at least doubles the amount of time "importing" the video - and I have 60 DVDs to do.

- chris

[jimmalenko]

Again, MANY thanks - I will d/l and investigate. I am still curious why the files are like this , and the ones written to a +rw disc are "easy" to deal with (rename and go). I wish I could rip the DVD and "fix" it at the same time. Using another tool at least doubles the amount of time "importing" the video - and I have 60 DVDs to do.

IMO it might be worth your while investing in some new authoring software that accepts AC3 as it means that all you need to do is demux with Rejig or VOBEdit and Bob's your cousin's father

IMO it sounds like a setting on the DVD Recorder - I just thought of something - are you finalising the DVD-R discs in the DVD Recorder ?

[iamjcl]

Yes, I am finalizing the discs in the recorder. Discs won't read in PC without it.

I did try letting TDA rip the disc itself (import) and it works great - mpg that it creates is without chapters if wanted, but better yet, it is timecode correct and "normal".

If I demux the streams on ripping w/ decrypter, and import the .MP2 video portion into ulead or any other player / program, it appears normal, timecode / length wise, and of course plays fine, just no sound.

However, I don't know If I like the TDA program itself a whole lot (although its very flexible in some areas), but it looks like with the job I have ahead, I may be buying a $68 ripper.

Importing the one large .MPG that TDA creates into Ulead MF3 works normally. So I can rip with TDA instead of decrypter, and author with the idiot-proof MF3, or TDA if I need something unusual.

I do wonder though, before buing TDA, if Ulead DVD workshop express will import the video in the same manner, without the chapter stops ? Ulead MF3 will also rip/import the DVDs, but only with existing chapter stops, which I don't want, and I can't re-join the clips without re-encoding.

- Chris

[borax]

The problem ist that inside your vobs there are not chapters of one big title, but a lot of titles stitched together to one big film. Each title has it's own timecode, this causes the described behaviour. If you demultiplex/remultiplex the vob files, the timecodes are recreated.

[jeanl]

The problem ist that inside your vobs there are not chapters of one big title, but a lot of titles stitched together to one big film. Each title has it's own timecode, this causes the described behaviour. If you demultiplex/remultiplex the vob files, the timecodes are recreated.

Yes, that's exactly right. I had the same problem with a pioneer DVD recorder, and looking at the VOB in Vobedit revealed a large number of small cells (about 30s long). Same symptoms as imjcl describes.
I'm suspecting the reason DVD+RW behave differently is because the DVD recorder uses a different strategy: with DVD+R, it can't go back and change things in the created VOB, so it cuts it in 30s chunks, no knowing what the final chapter length will be. When you push the STOP button to stop recording, I imagine the recorder duplicates the last cell (which is smaller than 30s), setting its length to the right value. That's only a guess here.
With a DVD+RW it does not need to cut in 30s cells, since it can adjust at will after the fact (for example, when the "Stop" button is pushed to stop recording, the recorder can go back and adjust the cell parameters to reflect the exact size of the cell).

My preferred solution has been to rip/demux with DVDDecrypter, and import the video and audio as two separate streams in the authoring tool. All chapters are lost of course....
Jeanl

[iamjcl]

That is exactly what I had figured as well. Upon analyzing the .IFO / .VOB info, it showed that the exact same capture on DVD-R had over 130 VOBids, and the DVD+RW disc had only 1. Both discs had the same number of .VOB and accompanying files, split in the same fashion. Its just that there is some info in the .IFO or .BUP other files that instructs the player how to play the files, and whatever that is is lost in the DVD decrypter rip.

I did finally figure out also that demuxing the streams on rip would solve the problem, but unfortunately, I'm using Ulead MF3, which can't take seperate streams without re-encoding.

So, the afore-mentioned fix of "ripping" with the TDA import function, and then importing the resulting single .MPG into whatever app. I want to author with works great, and takes alot less time than ripping into to streams, then re-muxing them back together. Ripping the disc into a single MPG with TDA does all this in one step, in the same exact time it takes dvd decrypter to rip into a single or seperate streams - no remux time needed.

...Its never simple it seems.

Thanks for all info - maybe there is still a better way, however.

- Chris

[jeanl]

That is exactly what I had figured as well. Upon analyzing the .IFO / .VOB info, it showed that the exact same capture on DVD-R had over 130 VOBids, and the DVD+RW disc had only 1. Both discs had the same number of .VOB and accompanying files, split in the same fashion.

AH! Thanks for that info! I returned by DVD recorder before I could actually check that the structure is different for a DVD+RW and a DVD+R, so thanks for clarifying that for me. I'm glad you've found a way to do what you want though, and no, it's never as simple as it looks, or as it should be .

Jeanl