dvd vob file needs help!

[87bluejay]

I recently purchased video and it will not play in differnet DVD players as well as my laptop. The file is a .vob format....is there anything I can do to convert the file into a mpeg. Unfortunately, the disc is write-protected also.

Does any recommend software that will handle the conversion, if it's even possible?

Thanks and Merry Christmas!!

[guns1inger]

So you have a commercial (pressed) disc that does not play correctly ?

What doesn't work ?

What happens when you try to play it ?

If the problem is with the mastering or the disc itself, conversion may not be the answer.

[usually_quiet]

Is the disc made for the USA or is it an import?

If it is not region 1 or all-region, your DVD players and laptop drive won't play it. In addition, if it is in PAL format (the format used in the USA is NTSC) it won't play using most DVD players made for the US market.

[87bluejay]

No, it's not a commercially purchased product. I purchased the video from an individual that sells videos on woodworking techniques so it's created on a PC. The video was sent in two different sets...I'm assuming both are in the same .vob format. When I loaded the video in the laptop and looked at it's properties, this showed me the format. The video plays for a "certain" length of time before it starts "jumping" through the video. It envitably fails and displays the menu screen. I'm assuming that this isn't the disc itself but with the mastering because it happens with both sets of videos. How does one check on the "region"?

Thanks for the quick responses!

[usually_quiet]

If the DVD was authored correctly, when you open the disc with Windows Explorer, there is a VIDEO_TS folder that contains a number of files with the extensions VOB, BUP, and IFO. In addition to the VIDEO_TS folder, there can also be an AUDIO_TS folder, and maybe one other too, with some extras things, that aren't part of the video. (The non-VIDEO_TS folders can sometimes be present but empty, and they aren't necessary for a playble DVD)

Is that what you have, or just VOB files?

I don't think the region is an issue. If it were, the DVD wouldn't play at all and you would see some kind of error message.

[filmboss80]

Get your money back. The seller is probably not much of an expert at authoring DVD-compliant discs.

[guns1inger]

It sounds like a bad burn. Send it back and ask for a replacement before wasting your won time trying to fix it.

[87bluejay]

You're right about the file. The folder contains all the file types you listed.

Do I have any options other than sending it back? I have other dvd's from this source and would like to fix them all.


Thanks again!

If the DVD was authored correctly, when you open the disc with Windows Explorer, there is a VIDEO_TS folder that contains a number of files with the extensions VOB, BUP, and IFO. In addition to the VIDEO_TS folder, there can also be an AUDIO_TS folder, and maybe one other too, with some extras things, that aren't part of the video. (The non-VIDEO_TS folders can sometimes be present but empty, and they aren't necessary for a playble DVD)

Is that what you have, or just VOB files?

I don't think the region is an issue. If it were, the DVD wouldn't play at all and you would see some kind of error message.

[MysticE]

Get DVDShrink and see if it will open/accept your disc as a test.

[usually_quiet]

If you don't have any previous experience ripping DVDs and reauthoring, this is not the best way to start getting it. I'd also agree that contacting the seller and talking to him about a refund would be the wisest choice. Recovering the video may entail more work than you want and may not even be possible if the burn was bad.

If you want to go ahead with this and DVDShrink doesn't work, I remember reading that DVD Decrypter is sometimes able work with troublesome discs, and that FixVTS can sometimes correct problems that DVDShrink can't deal with. (These are all free tools, so at least you won't loose any more money by trying.) I have authored a lot of discs from my own recordings, but truthfully, I haven't had personal experience fixing disks that were improperly mastered. This is about all the help I can offer.

[87bluejay]

Is there a specific format that I should request from the author? I have played the dvd in 3 different dvd players and a laptop.....only to have a Durabrand DVD-1002 play the video almost all the way through. What is the difference in the players?
Thanks!

[guns1inger]

Tolerance to the brand of media or it's ability to read a poor quality burn.

[87bluejay]

Tolerance to the brand of media or it's ability to read a poor quality burn.

Gun,
I've never burned a dvd, obviously, so can you elaborate on the "poor quality burn"? How can he improve his quality?

[guns1inger]

Better media, better burner, better software. It may well be that the disc you have there is a one-off problem disc. Who knows for certain. I don't know what software, hardware and media this guys uses, what his process flow is.

bottom line - there is no such thing as a universally playable burned DVD. If you want universal, get it professionally pressed. It doesn't guarantee your outcome, but it improves the odds vastly.