simple compiling of multiple mini-DVDs

[tepeco]

I have 3 mini-DVDs, one of which is a SONY DVD_RW disc, all originally recorded in a SONY Camcorder direct to the mini-DVDs. They are home movies and my friend wants me to take them and make a single DVD out of them. Each disc plays fine on my 2 computers and 2 stand alone units. I do not know if the discs were finalized or not.

I tried opening the mini-discs in DVD Shrink to combine them there and it wouldn't open them stating there were problems with file structure.

I tried a simpler approach and using file manager, copied the discs into my PC, then proceeded to using them like movie clips, loading them into Ulead MF 5. This worked fine, and I created a really nice finished disc, however there are playability problems even though I did the burn at only 2X. I tried other burn speeds as well, however the final DVDs I made would not play correctly and froze or lost sound at 30 seconds or so into the play in 3 different spots. The errors were consistent with each attempt to play. I did this procedure at home and at my office as well. I've played the finished DVDs on 4 different stand alone units and 2 computers. The problems are consistently the same on each play.

With that in mind, the VOBs play fine using any video player on any of 4 computers and I have to assume there is no damage to them. I tried changing the VOB to MPG and re-burned the compilation. Same result.

What kind of problem am I dealing with? How can I get the contents of these 3 discs onto a single DVD?

tepeco

[Baldrick]

I would try join them with another tool like tmpgenc dvd author and see if it works better. If not it's something else, maybe it requires to be reconverted.

[nic2k4]

I've done this a few times for a friend. I can tell you those Sony DVD camcorders create real wacky discs, for one the number of chapters is outside the specs and the clips on the seem to be duplicated. Anyway, TDA is my preferred way around the problem. Just import one clip at a time, create new chapters, choose no menu and export to a new folder. Repeat for each clip, then import the new clips into your favorite authoring program.

You can almost do the same with NVE, just export the clip directly to MPEG (or look through NVE's temp folder, it creates MPEG files when it imports VOBs).

Also, I've been meaning to try FixVTS. You would think Sony's VEGAS would work; you could download a trial and verify.

P.S. Using TDA, I had issues with 16x9 AR which were easily fixed with IFOedit. It doesn't set the AR flag properly in ver. 1.5, might be fixed with ver. 3. I do the clips one by one, 'cause sometimes it screws up in TDA and I have to revert to NVE...

[tepeco]

Well, I can't use TDA as I have already done the trial and it no longer runs on my computer. I didn't purchase it. It's $90.

I realized this afternoon, that when I tried to use Shrink, I had all the VOBs in one file folder and two of those, came from the RW disc. I think that disc is not finalized. Don't know why it plays for me, but when I took the two files out, Shrink processed the other VOBs and built a nice set of files that when taken into Ulead's MF 5, finished and played perfectly on all players! So the problem appears to be in the two VOBs from that RW disc.

I tried the FixVTS as you sugested nic, it processed the files without errors, but Shrink can't see them as VOBs or MPGs. My Premiere 6.5 imports them but crashes as soon as you try to do anything with them, including output as AVIs.

I think I'm going to get my friend to finalize his disc when he gets back from his trip. I'm tired of playing with his vacation... Staring at those Florida beaches is getting to me.

tepeco