How do i put movies from camcorder mini DVD on DVD?

[seskanda]

I have a sony camcorder with two 1.4 GB mini DVDRW discs, one is double-sided. I wanna put ALL content from the 2 discs to a 4.7 GB DVD. I copied the movies from the mDVD to my Hard drive, the discs have a VIDEO_TS and VIDEO_RM folder. Do i need the VIDEO_RM folder?? Nero Express adds the .VOB files from the 1st disc fine, but once i try to add the .VOB files from the 2nd disc, Nero gives me this error:

One or more files could not be added to a compilation.
The following files may not reside in the VIDEO_TS directory of a DVD-Video compilation. Only compliant DVD-Video files
VIDEO_TS.IFO,
VIDEO_TS.VOB,
VIDEO_TS.BUP,
VTS_nn_0.IFO,
VTS_nn_0.VOB,
VTS_nn_0.BUP and
VTS_nn_m.VOB
can be added to the VIDEO_TS folder. Please add files from a completed DVD-Video title or use an authoring software like NeroVision Express to create DVD-Video files from standard video files such as *.avi and *.mpg.
D:\Video 2 L.A\VIDEO_TS\video1.VOB
D:\Video 2 L.A\VIDEO_TS\video2.VOB

What does this mean? Am i doing this in the right way?? Some help would be great....

Thanks in advance.

[creamyhorror]

I have a sony camcorder with two 1.4 GB mini DVDRW discs, one is double-sided. I wanna put ALL content from the 2 discs to a 4.7 GB DVD.

If you want to do that, you have to author a new DVD-Video disc with an authoring program. Simply adding the VOB files like you did will not work.

I've faced the same problem and I don't think there's any way around it. I simply back up my discs to the harddrive as ISOs and burn them to DVD-Rs as necessary. Wastes a lot of space on the DVD-Rs since only 1/3rd is used, but it's the simplest solution.

[guns1inger]

Copy the video_TS folders to your HDD and use DVD Shrink to bring them into a single disc, or use DVD Styler (or your favourite authoring tool) to create a new disc with menus etc. Depends how much time you are willing to spend on the project.

[seskanda]

I simply back up my discs to the harddrive as ISOs and burn them to DVD-Rs as necessary. Wastes a lot of space on the DVD-Rs since only 1/3rd is used, but it's the simplest solution.

I'd much rather just burn each video_ts folder on a separate mini 1.4 GB DVD-R.



Which DVD Authoring program is the FASTEST? I use DVD Flick, but it takes 3.5 hours minimum and will NOT accept .VOB files either. Will DVD Shrink or DVD Styler combine the video_ts folders to a single disc or VOB file?

[redwudz]

DVD Flick isn't a authoring program, it's a All-in-One converter. DVD Shrink can reauthor them to a single disc, or you could use a real authoring program. https://www.videohelp.com/tools/sections/authoring-dvd

GUI for dvdauthor or DVD Styler are a couple of freeware ones.

One reason you can't just combine two VIDEO_TS files together is that they use the same names for the VOBs, IFOs and BUP files. You could rename them, but it's a lot easier to just reauthor it all.

If you want to edit the discs before combining, you could also use something like VOB2MPG and extract the MPEG files and edit them, then author it all to DVD.

EDIT: You don't need the VIDEO_RM file for anything. It usually just contains data about the recording device.

[qpskfec]

DVD Shrink in reauthor mode is the easiest way. Sometimes shrink doesn't like files made by a dvd recorder/camera, in that case run fixvts on the files first, then try shrink again.

DVD Flick is an authoring program that also converts video to DVD spec. I have no problem opening .vob files with DVD Flick and reauthoring.

Your files should be DVD mpeg files already, so you need to go to Project Settings - Video - Advanced and check the Copy Mpeg 2 Streams box. This will tell it to not re-encode the video files and it will only take minutes to author the DVD instead of hours.

[seskanda]

How do i reauthor my mini DVD movies to DVD in DVD Shrink? How long does it take to reauthor and burn to disc? If i use DVD Shrink, will it keep the thumbnail screen? What app will retain the menus when i reauthor? Can DVD Flick do that?

DVD Flick will NOT detect .VOB files from a DVD for me, i have to choose ALL files for them to even appear. Once i add title, it always gives me some error message. Besides .VOB files, what other format is MPEG-2 DVD compliant?

[guns1inger]

DVD Shrink will author very quickly, but you will lose your menus.

DVD Flick is not an authoring tool, it is a converting tool. If you are too lazy to learn how to author properly then you can shoe-horn it into use, but as you have seen, it is not ideal.

You should be using a proper authoring tool. Free options include GUIForDVDAuthor, DVD Styler or DVDAuthorGUI. You might also have to use VOB2MPG to get the files into a more suitable state for authoring.

Payware options start with Tmpgenc Authoring Works, Ulead products, including DVD Workshop, up to the more expensive end of the game.

Botom line : If you want it done properly then you have to learn the tools and the process, and accept that it takes time to do things right. If you aren't prepared to do this, buy ConvertXtoDVD and accept that the quality will be less, and you won't have full authoring freedom. (ConvertXtoDVD is also an encoder, but it is fast, reliable and reasonable in it's output. The price is also reasonable for what you get)

Your call.

[seskanda]

Who's lazy? I wanted to try DVD Shrink, but since it deletes menus, i'll pass it, unless it can make new ones. I'll give DVD Styler and DVDAuthorGUI a whirl though. I've heard of ConvertXtoDVD, it's the same as DVD Flick, AFAIK, except it might accept .VOB files. I'll try that too ASAP.

What options do the 'payware' apps provide that freeware ones lack? Still confused on how i would author/reauthor my mini DVDs from my HD. Do i just add or drag what's in the 3 video_ts folders in a new project with DVD Shrink, or another program?

[guns1inger]

Each VOB structure (each DVD, if you will) needs to be treated as a separate source. You can't just drag the contents of one into the folders of another because in most cases they will share file names. In Re-author mode in DVD Shrink you can open the first folder, drag the titles across to the lefthand pane, open the next folder, repeat and continue on until you have all the titles you want in the lefthand pane. When you hit backup you will use these to create a new DVD structure will all the titles inside, however there will be no menu.

What do the payware applications offer that is better than the freeware tools - mostly a better interface which may be easier to learn, more polish, and a bigger development team. Many of the freeware tools are written by only one or two people, and are just interfaces written to bring multiple other free tools together. Payware tools are generally custom written and proprietary.

Personally, I would use VOB2MPG to extract the titles as mph files from your discs, and author from those.

[creamyhorror]

I have the same sort of situation. If I have three 1.4GB DVDs with their own individual menus, and I simply want to combine them and put a top-level menu that links to the three individual menus with a minimum of fuss, which software is best?

I used a program in the past that allowed me to do this, but it was quite troublesome to make the top-level menu (and I've forgotten what program it was).

[guns1inger]

The only simple solution to just adding a top level menu to existing discs is DVD Remake Pro. It is payware, and does what you need however the menu you can create is very limited.

[creamyhorror]

I see, I'll give it a whirl. Thanks!