Replacing a Menu on a DVD - Do I have this right?

[Karate Media]

I seem to recall seeing a simple way of creating new menus back in the archives some time ago, but I can't seem to find it now, so here goes:

Let's see if I have this right: If I have a DVD with one title (regardless of chapters), I should be able to drop in the menu from any other one title DVD and all the navigation should work fine, correct? Meaning that the VIDEO_TS.BUP, VIDEO_TS.IFO, and VIDEO_TS.VOB files of any DVD with only a VTS_01_x set of files should be compatible with any other DVD with only a VTS_01_x set of files?

I ask because I am trying to create new, simple menus for the DVDs I have created using my set-top recorder. The menus created by my Panasonic ES20 are truly awful, so I'm just trying to replace them with something a little more pleasing, without reauthoring the entire DVD.

What seems to be working the easiest is to create a new set of VIDEO_TS files by authoring a short, 10-second, one title DVD in Nero, creating a custom menu during the process. The 10-second video is unrelated; it's just a placeholder so Nero will quickly author the files I need. I then take the VIDEO_TS IFO/BUP/VOB files from that new DVD folder and use them to replace the menu files in the other DVD.

Upon burning and viewing, everything seems fine. The new menu (basically just a custom graphic with a Play button) starts the video just as expected. But are there unseen problems that I am overlooking? From my understanding, in a simple menu like this, Button One goes to VTS_01, Button Two goes to VTS_02, etc -- regardless of what the expected video is, as long as *something* is there (and follows the proper naming convention), it'll work fine.

My questions are: Do I understand the concept correctly? And, is there an easier way of doing this? The only guides I can seem to find now involve processes that seem more complicated and/or involve software I do not already have.

I hope this makes sense...

[Bjs]

If you are creating the menu's in nero , with only one button , there fine .

But the title itself may still contain other things such as multiple audio tracks and subtitles , which are nolonger accessible which should be removed when considering space .

Author a small dvd in nero , output to folder , not as image file .
Open this dvd compilation in pcgedit .
Locate title 1
Right click on it , choose import title .
(choose the title you wish to add)
Then there is only a few commands that need changing to point to new title .

These commands can be found in my music video guide

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=270620

This saves you having to reauthor the complete project .

Just tried nero , seems to fail on button highlight commands , but ifoedit performs the function correctly , which is how I know when a dvd compilation is ok for burning .

If ifoedit chucks up some error in playback , it's not safe to burn .
Pgcedit is the fastest method of repairing command errors .

Audio playback in ifoedit requires ac3_filter package installed .

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=270121

[Karate Media]

Bjs -- thank you -- your guide seems similar to others I was finding recently. I had tried using pgcedit the other day, but found it to be a little more cumbersome than my Nero method.

I guess my question would be, what sort of problems am I creating with my Nero method? The discs I have made using this method seem to play fine on two different set-top players, as well as on my PC.

My understanding is that the VIDEO_TS.IFO file of a one title DVD basically says: "This is a DVD. It has 1 title on it. The one button in the menu goes to that title. Look for more info about that title in the file VTS_01_0.IFO" (I am referring to very simple, one "play" button menus as created in an app like Nero, not a more complicated menu such as in a commercial DVD). As long as there are a proper VTS_01_x series of files, then all is fine. No demuxing or rebuilding necessary if you want to switch out similar, one title menus.

I even tried to verify this method by taking the VIDEO_TS IFO/BUP/VOB files from a completely different home made DVD and putting them with another DVD. Both were one-title (multi-chapter) DVDs of different lengths. When tested, the menu for DVD 1 worked fine with DVD 2.

Basically, all I am trying to do is replace the ugly, one button menu that the Panasonic ES20 creates with a less ugly, one button menu of my own. From your reply, it sounds like you think my method will cause problems -- what sort of problems are you thinking?

[dimad]

What you want can be easily done with DvdReMake Pro. Here is a similar guide: http://www.dimadsoft.com/dvdremakepro/ht_customize_menu_full.php

[Karate Media]

Thank you, dimad. Your product looks interesting, but I have a question: The very first step on your site says "Author a dummy DVD" so you can use the menu. That's exactly what I'm already doing with Nero, except that I simply manually swap out the VIDEO_TS menu files. As I said, the DVDs I have created appear to work fine, but what is it exactly that your program does (or what does it fix) compared to my method of manually swapping out the files?

[borax]

For a 'simple' still menu, you can probably use the 'file exchange' method. The only problem could be, that the new menu has a different number of Vob units. This could disturb some players. But you can simply check it with ifoedit: Just load your VIDEO_TS.IFO file in ifoedit (after the 'file exchange' ) and click on 'Get VTS sectors'. Then ifoedit will correct the ifo file(s) if necessary.

[Karate Media]

Borax --- thanks! That's the sort of direction I was looking for. I did not consider that information on total VOB units would be in those files. I will be back at my home PC this weekend and will check out ifoedit (that was the app I was trying to think of before, I think) and see how these menu files check out.

[dimad]

There is a large amount of various links from ifo files to vob files (and to other ifos actualy). The fact that it worked for you is just a plain luck - nobody can guaranty that navigation of the original disk is the same as in the one created for replacement. Try importing disks in DvdReMake Pro (there is a free demo available: http://www.dimadsoft.com/dvdremakepro/download.php) and take a look at their structure.

When you modify something in DvdReMake Pro it keeps data consistent (in all involved places of ifo and vob files).

[zakman]

Karate Media,

I would like to put in a good word for DvdReMake Pro. I was struggling with some of the same issues you were, and found that sometimes I could get things to work, and other times I couldn't. I think some of the experts on this forum might be able to do it all manually, but I soon discovered that I was not an expert (far from it!). So I turned to DvdReMake Pro and found it to be worth the money. And their support is great!

Zakman

P.S.: No, I don't work for DimadSoft and they didn't put me up to it.

[mazinz]

I want to second that, easily the best dvd manipulating tool I have ever used. I just wish it came out years earlier, but either way I am glad its here now

[levick]

After using a number of good programs to fashion a simple DVD with menus, I cannot rate PgcEdit high enough, this great program has sorted out some nasty problems where menus are not where they are meant to be, I had one sometime ago that had the menu in a short VTS with (BOVs) in a short film (2 mins in a loop) with post navigation commands addressing dummy PCG's in the VTSM area and then on to the main VTS with the movie. Could not have sorted this one without this program.

[Karate Media]

Thanks everyone for your help. Bjs -- I only just now noticed that you significantly updated your post after my original reply. Thanks for the more detailed information. I'll work with ifoedit (and DvdReMake Pro) this weekend and see how it goes.

[Karate Media]

I checked out the DVDs with both ifoedit and DvdReMake Pro. The menus seem fine, but DvdReMake found errors in some of the title VOB files. These seemed to only happen with +R discs recorded on the Panasonic ES20, and not with -R discs from the same machine. The VOBs from +R discs are also split into files smaller than 1 GB (I think they averaged around 700 MB). I assume all of this is due to some sort of +VR recording mode. But that is a topic for another thread -- and something I will have to look further into (I never even thought much about +VR until now).

Thanks for your help. It looks like for these very simply DVDs (one title, one audio track, no subtitles), the swap method seems to be working fine, but now I have a better idea what to look for.

[Bjs]

Yes Karate Media , I do have that habit at times ...