dvdshrink.. maximum smoothness or maximum sharpness

[yuna]

Which setting is most often used in DVD Shrink; maximum smoothness, smooth, sharp or maximum sharpness? Should I use one setting when theres a certain amount of comperssion in a movie? I'm a new to this and don't really know the difference

[noki]

my general rules...varies depending on movie and type (animation. etc.)

compression at 90-99%...max sharp
80-89%...sharp (default)
70-79%...smooth
less than 70%...max smooth

what about other users? what are your perferred settings? thanks.

[Gurm]

90-99% sharp
80-89% smooth
less than that... DVD Rebuilder

[pantherman85]

what is good(easy) guide for using DVD rebuilder other than http://www.doom9.org/index.html?/mpg/dvdrb.htm

[HatchetMan]

my general rules...varies depending on movie and type (animation. etc.)

compression at 90-99%...max sharp
80-89%...sharp (default)
70-79%...smooth
less than 70%...max smooth

what about other users? what are your perferred settings? thanks.

[Gurm]

what is good(easy) guide for using DVD rebuilder other than http://www.doom9.org/index.html?/mpg/dvdrb.htm

Nowadays it's been drastically simplified.

1. If you want to use CCE (we recommend it), install it. Or you could use Procoder. Or it will install several free options.

2. Install AVI Synth.

3. Download and install the latest stable DVD Rebuilder. 0.72PR has a nice auto-installer that detects and configures your CCE or Procoder directory for you!

4. Double check things - on my machine, it has a tendency to assume that I have ECLCCE installed even though my CCE SP doesn't need it. You might have to change that one setting.

5. Pick the options you want. I have it set to auto-remove all but the english language dialogue and all but the english subtitles. I also have it set to automatically do half-D1 extras.

6. Pre-process the title. You don't have to do this, but I find it easier if I use Vobblanker to take out the stuff I don't want to keep. So I fire up DVD Shrink, see what everything is, and use VOBBlanker to kill the previews, useless crap, etc.

7. Hit "Transcode" in DVD Rebuilder.

Once you've done it once, you're good to go.

Hmm, maybe I ought to write a GUIDE!?!?!?

[pantherman85]

When i transcode it goes through the first part and then says " ther is nothing to do! DVD-RB couldn't locate appropriate files in working directory! You must prepare and encode first. Aborting" I am somewhat new at this and I would really appreciate it if someone would help me figure out how to use this program.

[steve2713]

Here's some info on AEC, below is in response to a question in another thread, but the comments apply to this thread also:

(Regarding the different AEC settings):
The time it takes depends on several things, obviously your computer speed being one of them. It also varies greatly depending on which setting you use. Sharp takes about 25-30 minutes on a typical DVD for me. Smooth takes about 50 minutes. Maximum Smooth (very rarely use) can take 1 1/2 hours or more. Maximum Sharp (never use) is very quick. In simple terms, I usually use 'sharp' at about 75% or higher, and 'smooth' from 60-75%. If by some small chance I have to get down to around 60% compression or lower, I'll use 'maximum smooth'.

They are all misleading titles, at best. 'Maximum Smooth' doesn't by default mean it's going to be any less sharp than even 'Maximum Sharpness', depending on the amount of compression and the source to begin with. The differences in the different settings is in how much they transcode the different frames of an MPG, which is made up of B, I, and P frames. For example, Maximum Sharpness doesn't little or no compression to most of the frames, but heavily compresses a fraction of the frames, that's why it's so fast. But, if you use max sharpness on a heavily compressed DVD, it'll be evident that you've only compressed certain frames, as the picture will have 'flashes' of bad macroblocking as those few frames that were transcoded will be HEAVILY compressed, and it'll show. As you go through the AEC settings, they change the amounts of compression they do on each of the different types of frames, which is why the time it takes to do each increases.

[Gurm]

Also maximum sharpness can result in jitteriness, or jerky motion, instead of macroblocking - you can basically ... almost ... "lose" frames. Hence the names. The "smooth" options will make the motion smoother.

[archaeo]

gurm wrote regarding DVDRebuilder:

Pre-process the title

Hmmmm I'd be careful with that if using Rebuilder. It has been the cause of many of the reported 'problems' over at Rebuilder's doom9 forum. Shrink and VOBblanker have proven OK for the most part, but remember that DVDRebuilder is designed to be mainly a 'complete disc' backup program.

[BJ_M]

i use max smooth on everything ...

[Gurm]

I know about the problems with pre-processing. Don't REMOVE anything, but it's generally speaking ok to use VOBBlanker to BLANK unwanted titles. Don't clip them, don't remove them, and for God's sake make sure to keep the "fix safely" option turned on because you're right and if you don't, DVD-RB will have a poop.

[Heff]

gurm wrote regarding DVDRebuilder:

Pre-process the title

Hmmmm I'd be careful with that if using Rebuilder. It has been the cause of many of the reported 'problems' over at Rebuilder's doom9 forum. Shrink and VOBblanker have proven OK for the most part, but remember that DVDRebuilder is designed to be mainly a 'complete disc' backup program.

I use CloneDVD2 to cut out extras and last chapter/credits before processing it with Rebuilder. Rebuilder doesn't seem to have a problem with it.

[dap]

I use DVDshrink to back up movie only and sometimes one or two extras with no compression and then use Rebuilder / CCE to encode main movie and the quality is outstanding. I have little use for Menu's, pre-views, or FBI warnings so have very few whole disk backups.

[NiteLite]

Should I use one setting when theres a certain amount of comperssion in a movie? I'm a new to this and don't really know the difference

I would suggest it might be worth the price of a couple or so blanks to see if you can tell a difference.
To differ somewhat, I use Sharp (default) on my 58% to 60% compressions of my "TNG" series.
I was so blown away by the picture quality (using sharp) at that compression level I see no use in changing it.
Plextor writer and TY media combo.