What info in VOB files? / VOB transplant

[kita]

Hi,
I just authored a DVD with menus and all but there's something wrong with the video, I'm not sure what. So what I want to do is re-encode with a different authoring tool (that can't do complicated menus but works pretty good), and replace the old main VOBs with the new ones.

The way I figure, the VOB files only contain video and audio (am I right?) and everything else is in the IFO. So, do you think this will work?

[FOO]

Authoring tools don't re-encode usually. If the VOBs are messed up
it's likely the source.
Ifos contain tables of sector offsets into the VOB files.
Putting a new VOB with an old IFO is unlikely to work.

[kita]

Well, I still have the original mpg files, they work. And when I "re-VOBed" with TMPG DVD author, they now played fine.

Could I use something like IFOEdit to rework the old IFO's towards the new VOBs? Since their source is the exact same file the old and new VOBs should be pretty similar...

[FOO]

Give it a shot and test it with WinDVD or something.. Can you determine if the VOBs were the same length either way ?

[bdf24]

You could run the new VOB files thru IFOedit to create new IFO and BUP files for the new VOB's. But actually running the new VOB's thru TMPGenc DVD Author will do the same I believe. So you could just do that.

[FOO]

He wants to keep his menu

[bdf24]

I got ya. I overlooked that part. Sorry.

[dimad]

So what I want to do is re-encode with a different authoring tool (that can't do complicated menus but works pretty good), and replace the old main VOBs with the new ones.

You can do exactly what you want with DvdReMake.
- Just import your original disk into the program,;
- select titleset you want to modify;
- right click on block you want to replace and select "replace..." in pop-up menu;
- select on the disk new titleset (ifo file) or just vob file with data;
- find replacement block;
- OK;
Once you've replaced everything what you wanted - export.
Done.

[gll99]

dimad:

Are you the author of DVDReMake?

Too bad the demo won't let you export the changed DVD so it's impossible to know if it really works without buying it.

[kita]

Never heard of DVDReMake. But I tried re-vobing the first title and it only took 3 or 4 minutes, so I went ahead and did them all. I replaced the old vobs but kept the original ifos/bups.

I used TMPG DVD to create an ISO image and played it with DAEMON tools on PowerDVD and everything worked perfectly.

I probably should have just tried it in the first place instead of running to the forum right away, but I thought re-vobing was going to take a lot longer since the first author took so long. (But that had chapters, menus and nav, etc)

Oh, well. Thanks guys.

[djelimon]

PowerDVD is pretty forgiving compared to standalone.

test your solution with DVD R/W if possible. Or use IFO edit's player for a good test.

[kita]

Yeah, I got all excited. Bunch of problems when playing on the standalone. Halfway through the startup video it stops. So I started it up again and skipped through to the menu. And it stops between titles, which it wasn't supposed to, obviously. There's probably more, but that was enough to convince me it didn't work.

So what do you recommend, DVDReMake?

And also, what's the best way to test a DVD before burning now? I've always used PowerDVD. I don't really like burning an RW each time.

[bdf24]

Well you could just buy a bulk pack of decent RW's and use them instead of DVD-\+R's. I think that's what I'm gonna start doing. That way if the burns not good I can erase and reburn. But then again you cannot burn at full speed this way. So if that matters then this is not a solution for you then.

I'm just a little frustrated cause I buought a 50 pack of Ritecks from newegg and have'nt been very impressed. I can't get a 100% burn that plays perfect on my stand alone player unless I burn at 2X. And even then I get maybe 2 or three very short stutters in a few movies here and there. But they do play fine on some other players. So its just a matter of finding better media for my player. But all DVD+RW's I've used seem to work perfect. So I think I'm gonna buy a stack of them next time.

[kita]

Well, some players like my brother's (which is attached to a 57" wide screen tv, so yeah, i like to watch there as much as possible) don't play RWs. So if I were to test each time I'd have to burn an RW, test it on mine, then go back again and burn a copy R. Not too hard, but every time?? I'd rather be able to test play it really quick on the hd somehow.

I use +Rs and have not had a bad one yet because of media. I've used different brands including Ritek's with no probs.

I don't know, maybe it's my standalones or burner but I never had problem that wasn't software related.

[kita]

so I guess it can't be done.

which sucks, because this is like the 3rd time I've wanted to do this (I don't know why it's come up so often)

The other time didn't really work either but it was good enough that I didn't complain. Just a few bugs.

3rd time was still in progress, but I guess I'll give it up.

[bdf24]

I do agree. Testing with RW's everytime is a pain. I've done it a bunch of times with captured video to test it. But I would'nt want to do it everytime I backup a DVD movie though.

I'm not sure about software players. They all seem to be good at playing even badly compiled VOB's which standalones wont play.

[djelimon]

Honestly, I think Remake will do what you want. I do have a copy, and it works well for me thus far - although I've never done what you want with an imported clip.