Trouble editing NTSC dvd

[vcats]

Does anyone have any suggestions for editing a noncommercial finalized -r NTSC DVD, recorded on a DVD recorder? The DVD has one title (with possibly an empty title after that). I am fine with retaining the original menu structure (or not): all I want to do is remove the first nine seconds or so from the beginning of the DVD and write out the result to a new DVD that will play on a DVD player. I've tried various packages with no success. Is the combination of -r and video recorder uneditable?

Thanks for your help.

[DB83]

Rather vague.

What does not work ? What software have you tried ? Why should NTSC make a difference ?

Also reply with a list of the folders and files on the dvd.

[jagabo]

Try Mpeg2Cut2. Maybe you need relcprm.

My car doesn't work. I tried to go to Honolulu but I couldn't get there. It was made in Detroit. How can I fix it? <--- No useful information for diagnosis.

[hello_hello]

Try DVDShrink.
Open the disc and use the re-author mode. If it's just a single title, drag it from the right pane to the left.
Above the title list in the left pane, click on the edit button to edit the start (and end) points, then backup the DVD as a new compilation. You'll lose any menus.
As long as the target output size in DVDShrink's preferences is larger than the size of the DVD's files (it's set to DVD5 by default), DVDShrink won't re-encode anything.

[vcats]

Thanks for your replies.

I have no idea whether it is relevant that the DVD is NTSC. I thought I'd mention it in case.

I have tried DVDStyler, Video to Video, and ffmpeg itself. ImgBurn insists that this is a multitrack DVD (whatever that is) and has to be rebuilt. When asked to rebuild it, ImgBurn generates an ISO file, an MDS file, and an ISO.idx2 file.

Should I be editing the first VOB file and then trying to reassemble the thing or is that not the best approach?

All efforts to truncate the first file into a new VOB and reassemble it with the remaining VOBs have led to timing problems. The wonderful VLC Media Player can play the result without any problem, but the DVD player cannot.

I will try to get DVD Shrink to work, thanks.

[manono]

If it's a proper DVD (nothing wrong with it) VobBlanker can easily cut out those first nine seconds and rewrite a proper DVD, keeping the menu intact, and ready for you to burn back to disc. Here's a guide:

http://download.videohelp.com/jsoto/guides/VobBlanker/prevcut/index.php

It'll cut on GOP boundaries. That is, it's not possible to cut on a particular frame but about every half-second.

[jagabo]

So you have mounted the ImgBurn created ISO file or otherwise extracted the VIDEO_TS folder from it? If not, try extracting the VIDEO_TS folder with 7zip. Or mounting the drive with WinCDEmu and copying the VIDEO_TS folder to you hard drive. Then...

Try VOB2MPG to convert the IFO/VOB files to an MPG file. Or Mpg2Cut2 to open the VOB files and save as MPG.

[vcats]

Thanks for the recommendation to try VobBlanker. It did exactly what I was looking for. Thanks again.

Now for a more difficult problem: I have two unencrypted dvds, finalized -r's. I want to merge them by taking part of a vob from one, then part from another, then part from the first, etc. What is the best tool(s?) for cutting the vobs and then combining them in such a fashion? ffmpeg can cut the vobs and put them together too, but timing problems (inconsistencies) led to a dvd with a lot of dropout when played on a dvd player.

[manono]

MPG2Cut2 (mentioned earlier by jagabo) can both join and cut. It'll give you an MPG as output. As for making a DVD from that, there are various ways. I'd first demux by opening the MPG in DGIndex and then File->Save Project and Demux Video. That will give you the video (M2V) the audio (AC3, most likely), and a D2V project file you can delete. Then add the M2V and AC3 in Muxman, give it a destination, and 'Start' (answering 'Yes' to the question about creating a VIDEO_TS folder for you). The result is a DVD ready to burn to disc and play in your DVD player.