making child-friendly DVDs

[john999]

I've got quite a few children's DVDs that I've paid for properly. They all require me to press a dozen buttons to select spoken language, no subtitles, episode, then finally run. I'd really like to burn a version that my grandchildren can put in the DVD player by themselves and have it just play with no complications.

According to ISOBuster, the file structure of most seems obvious: one VOB file for leader, trailer, and one for each episode, each apparently duplicated in each of three directories: ISO, UDF and IFO. Except that ISOBuster can't handle VOB

Next I tried VOBtoMPG - it requires Microsoft NET software that blocks all copy protected stuff. The forums say that VOBedit can't handle them either.

What about Ripit4me? It requires DVDShrink that, according to the site, doesn't work under Windows Me. (Even though I don't need it - the episodes are mostly about 1GB in size.)

DVDFabDecrypter is next on my list to try, but are there any suggestions from someone who has done this?

[mats.hogberg]

I'd go for DVDDecrypter, reauthor and select main movie only. Remove the subtitle streams and audio tracks you don't want, set default audio and subtitle streams to the ones you do want and you're done. I imagine the same can be done with DVDDecrypter.
If it's some newer DVD releases, specially Disney, you may have to rip the whole DVD to HDD first, using ripit4me anyway...

/Mats

[GTRBudda]

I have WinMe and have had no problems running DVDShrink. On the few occasions I've needed to rip a dvd, I've used the RipIt4Me/DVD Decrypter/DVDShrink combo. Worked very well. ISOBuster pro (not free) will extract the vobs but you shouldn't need it with the other tools or DVDFab Decrypter.

[john999]

DVDDecrypter seems to work - at least the VOB file contains just what I want and autoplays correctly through WinDVD. Now I have to get a DVD burner and see if my TV player also accepts it without hassles.

Thanks for the note on DVDShrink. It's good to know it works on Me, I may need it later.

[mats.hogberg]

Try to avoid thinking of different titles=different files (VOBs) - That's just coincidental, and may well be not so on other DVDs. Use DVDShrink, or DVDDecrypter in IFO mode, and rip the title(s) you want. That way, you'll always get the video you ask for.

/Mats

[Cornucopia]

ISOBuster works great for extracting NON-encrypted data, but my guess is that these are ALL encrypted, so ISOBuster is no good for this.

I agree with the others, especially what mats just said.

Scott

[guns1inger]

I would use RipIt4Me until it gets to the Shrink stage, re-author in Shrink, drag the title across, set the correct audio streams, and backup and burn. It is the simplest method, much more visual than Decrypter on it's own, and you will be assured that the results will fit the disc when you are done.

[john999]

Thanks for the heads-up, mats - it didn't take long with WinDVD to find you're right. It also didn't take long to find that VobEdit just presents a list of every segment in a VOB with no indications as to which is which. It took a bit longer to find that VobBlanker gets impossibly lost with DVDDecrypter output; the advice from the editing forum was to try something called demuxing then remuxing...

So, I installed DVDShrink then Ripit4me. Ripit4me failes with "error in the exe" with raw instal, installer instal; wizard and 1-click modes both ways.

I then tried DVDDecrypter in IFO mode and it separates out the titles fine, as far as WinDVD is concerned. But, DVDShrink doesn't handle the IFO output; it needs the file mode output.

My DVD burner has just arrived at the store, so I'm off to get it, instal it, then try the DVDDecrypter IFO output on my DVD player as is. If there's a problem with that, I'll try DVDDecrypter file output then DVDShrink next.

Many thanks all for the help.

[john999]

Well, nothing seems to understand DVDDecrypter IFO output - not quite sure why it's there. But the file mode into DVDShrink works perfectly - select title, audio stream, start and end frames, save, then burn with Nero.

Many thanks all.