Test BDMV File Before Burning

[bytor2112]

Hello,I was wondering if there is a way to test a BDMV File before burning it to a disc . I want to also check the menu functions. I tried VLC, but it just goes through the folder until it gets to the video. I cannot check the menu functions.


I guess my expectations were to load the folder and play like a standalone Blu-ray player. I hate the thought of the burn-and-hope method.

[davexnet]

In VLC try Media/open folder

[bytor2112]

In VLC try Media/open folder

I'm not able to see the menu and interact. It does auto-play through the folder until it gets to the BDMV file, then plays.

I want to test the full function just like a setup Blu-ray player.

[Alwyn]

Hmm...

Just did a quick test and found the same; VLC Player will not play a BD folder (it does play a DVD folder), nor will Media Player Classic.

However, VLC will play a BD ISO with full menu functionality, so if your authoring program can do it, "burn" the project to an ISO ("Image Recorder" in my software, Magix), and then "play" it with VLC player.

Alternatively, you can create an ISO from your folder using IMGBurn: choose the Ezimode Picker "Create Image from Files/Folders" using your BD folder (containing the AACS, BDMV and CERTICATE folders). You can then open that created ISO in VLC with full menu functionality.

[davexnet]

See here, apparently full function blu-ray menus use java
https://salivity.github.io/vlc/article/how-to-navigate-blu-ray-java-menus-in-vlc

[bytor2112]

See here, apparently full function blu-ray menus use java
https://salivity.github.io/vlc/article/how-to-navigate-blu-ray-java-menus-in-vlc

Thanks, davexnet, but I wonder if this is for controlling physical disks.

However, VLC will play a BD ISO with full menu functionality, so if your authoring program can do it, "burn" the project to an ISO ("Image Recorder" in my software, Magix), and then "play" it with VLC player.

Alwyn, I will give this a shot.

[Alwyn]

apparently full function blu-ray menus use java

Yes, that works to open the folder.

In the VLC Open Disc menu, in the Disc Device box, I chose the folder instead of the physical drive and VLC opened the BD home screen with clickable menu.

Although, cost-benefit wise, probably not much quicker than simply creating the ISO, which you need to do anyway to burn the physical disk.

[cholla]

ImgBurn should write(burn) a blu ray folder & file set with menu using Build mode.
You do nee to set the UDF to 2.50
It does not have to be an .iso. unless you want to use Write mode.

I do not have JAVA installed as I have always considered it a security risk.
So I can't play a blu ray disc or .iso with an interactive menu with VLC.
It does need JAVA to play an interactive blu ray menu.

Once written(burned) to a blu ray disc it should play on most standalone BD players.

[Alwyn]

Just done some further testing on a Win 11 64bit laptop which doesn't have Java installed; VLC player opens the BD, with full menu support, using both the folder method (File>Open Disk...) and the ISO method (Open with VLC player).

[Alwyn]

ImgBurn should write(burn) a blu ray folder & file set with menu using Build mode.

IMGBurn "Build" mode creates an ISO; it doesn't burn to disk. It's the same mode as the Ezimode Picker "Create Image from Files/Folders" I mentioned above..

"Write" mode burns the disk.

[cholla]

ImgBurn should write(burn) a blu ray folder & file set with menu using Build mode.

IMGBurn "Build" mode creates an ISO; it doesn't burn to disk.

@ Alwyn,
ImgBurn Build Mode does burn to disc.
This is the Open Verbatim BD-R 25 GB I just tested this with.

[Attachment 93951 - Click to enlarge]

It will play with original Menu in Tipard blu-ray player.
With VLC it does not play or even display the menu.
My standalone Panasonic blu-ray player also goes strait to the movie.
The Panasonic does have what it calls a "pop-up" menu.
This allows all functions of a Menu & may be why the original menu is not displayed.
In other words I can select Audio & subtitles if wanted, Scenes or Chapters, Extras. or return to the movie.

The process was:
I Read (Rip to folder) the original Blu-ray with XReveal.
I compressed from the ripped BD folder with BD Rebuilder.
I selected Output Option "Target Size BD-25".
I also checked "Use X2G4's internal LAVF for frame serving" instead of the Default "Use DirectshowSource for frame serving".
Mode "Full Backup. Then the quality settings I wanted.
This is the compressed folder I used ImgBurn Build mode to Write(burn) to the BD-R disc.

[bytor2112]

So this is how I am trying to play my BDMV in VLC. It does not have menu function.




This is the error I get.




I tried this on Windows 10 and 11 machines. On my Windows 10 machine, I downloaded Java and still received the same error, even though both VLC and Java were 64-bit.

[davexnet]

Do you have a short blu-ray project with menus you could share? The only sample I found on the internet was 13GB

[bytor2112]

Do you have a short blu-ray project with menus you could share? The only sample I found on the internet was 13GB

Unfortunately, no, but I do have a strange update.


So when I installed Java, I do not think it was pointed to VLC correctly. I even spent time on the interwebs and did what was suggested regarding "system environment variables". Still did not work.


Just as a long shot, I downloaded Leawo Blu-ray player. During installation, it said I did not have a JRE (Java Runtime Environment). I downloaded this file. I still could not get the BDMV file to open with Leawo.


I then went back to VLC, and it worked perfectly. I chose Media> Open Disc> browsed my folder> hit play. Also, a menu button showed up in
VLC.


After that, I used Revo Uninstaller (I highly recommend it) to uninstall Leawo and then remove my "system environment variables" setting. I rechecked VLC and was still able to play.


The only thing I can think of is that Leawo pointed Java the way it is supposed to.

[Alwyn]

@bytor, the wonders of Windows!

I've just done some more testing here on my Java computer; I uninstalled Java with the Java Uninstall tool.

I still have full BD menu functionality with VLC player, using both techniques: 1/opening the ISO and 2/combo BD folder.

For anybody who's interested, I've attached my test ISO (464MB).

@Cholla, from the IMGBurn Help. Build creates the ISO; it does not write the disk. Note the different icons for Build and Write:


[Attachment 93959 - Click to enlarge]

Build:

[Attachment 93960 - Click to enlarge]

Write:

[Attachment 93961 - Click to enlarge]

[bytor2112]

For anybody who's interested, I've attached my test ISO (464MB).

Alwyn, the ISO worked on my non-Java (Windows 11) machine. I just drag and drop the image, and I get full menu functions. Is this an iso of a BDMV file?

[Alwyn]

Is this an iso of a BDMV file?

Be careful of the terminology; a complete BD disk/Image/ISO has three folders:

AACS
BDMV
CERTIFICATE

In the BDMV folder is the STREAM folder, which contains each movie file.

My ISO is the complete file set. You can see the folders if you open the ISO in Windows Explorer: Right click the ISO>Open With...>Windows Explorer.

To clarify, an "ISO" is the complete image that would be on a physical disk. It can contain all sorts of files.

[bytor2112]

Alwyn,Gotcha. What is strange is that I used IMGBurn to take my folder and create an ISO, and I still get a Java error on my non-Java machine, but your ISO played just fine. The difference between our folders is that mine does not contain an AACS folder.


I appreciate all the help guys; I will keep digging.......we cannot let the machine win!!

[cholla]

@ Alwyn,
I'm on my laptop right now so I can't test right now but I will try the .iso you posted with VLC.
The only media player I have that opened the original blu ray menu was Tipard blu ray player.
From what I have read VLC should not be able to play a blu ray menu without JAVA.
This is what I found on several sites.
If you have made some "special" settings in your VLC I would like to know them.

This is a picture of ImgBurn in Build mode set to write to disc:
I believe this is what the "Build-Device" in 1.6 Build help definitions means.

[Attachment 93962 - Click to enlarge]

[Alwyn]

@bytor, when you say "I used IMGBurn to take my folder", what folder are you referring to? To make your ISO, you should have the three folders, which your bluray authoring program should be creating.

@Cholla, arr yes, I see what you mean, I need to use my glasses more, but if I want to build the ISO, I use Build, and if I want to write anything to disk, I use Write. But each to his own.

[bytor2112]

@bytor, when you say "I used IMGBurn to take my folder", what folder are you referring to? To make your ISO, you should have the three folders, which your bluray authoring program should be creating.

@Cholla, arr yes, I see what you mean, I need to use my glasses more, but if I want to build the ISO, I use Build, and if I want to write anything to disk, I use Write. But each to his own.

Alwyn, my folder was the one my authoring program (DVDFab Trial) created.

It contained the BDMV and the Certificate Folders. I get 1 more free try. I will try again tomorrow to author it again.


Here is what I did:

(1) I captured 3 home DV videos from a Sony TRV-140, Pinnacle 500 USB, and ScLive.

(2) I did some editing with DaVinci Resolve. Exported as an MKV.

(3) I used DVDFab to create a menu and author it as a BDMV File.

I am not sure if my process broke the File. My goal is a playable Blu-ray (BD-R) that can be played on a set-top Blu-ray player, PS4, or a PS5.

[cholla]

@ bytor2112.
Give BD Rebuilder a try.

@Cholla, arr yes, I see what you mean, I need to use my glasses more, but if I want to build the ISO, I use Build, and if I want to write anything to disk, I use Write. But each to his own.

I also have used Build to build .ISOs.
I also use Write if I'm working with just an .ISO.

I use Build for several things also.
Burning the blu ray folder set for example.
Burning multiple types of files like in this example in the similar topic:
https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/421128-Authoring-DVD-Workflow-Question/page2#post2804077

Most of my burning with ImgBurn has been DVDs.
I started with DVDDecrypter first then ImgBurn.
Using DVDShrink to compress to DVD5.
Also DVDFab HD Decrypter 3

[Alwyn]

@bytor, in step 3, try creating an ISO, I think using this bit of DVDFab:

https://www.dvdfab.cn/blu-ray-creator.htm

I must say that whole DVDFab thing looks expensive for what it does. That said, there aren't many standalone BD authoring programs around.

[Alwyn]

Give BD Rebuilder a try.

But does that take raw video files and allow you to author the menus and then save to ISO? It looks like it just shrinks BD disks to a smaller size (not that I have used it; it got my hackles up when I read "Requires ffdshow, Haali Media Splitter and avisynth." )

[cholla]

@ Alwyn,
BD Rebuilder does not author the menus. It will compress a bu ray menu if it is on the larger BD 50 disc.
It will compress a blu ray to 25 ,9 , or 5 GB.
I do not have ffdshow, Haali Media Splitter installed on Windows 7 .
I do have avisynth & avisynth+ installed.
BD Rebuilder works with my OS.
Kind of like VLC plays blu ray menus for you even without JAVA.
I created an .iso from the compressed blu ray I did.
VLC plays the .iso without the menu.
I get this Error:

[Attachment 93963 - Click to enlarge]

The .iso you posted opened in VLC with the menu interactive.

[Alwyn]

@Cholla, so it seems BDBuilder is not going to help bytor.

[cholla]

@ Alwyn,

@Cholla, so it seems BDBuilder is not going to help bytor.

Probably not.

The first post just wanted a media player that would "test a BDMV File". VLC had failed to have "the menu functions."
So I assumed the BD bytor2112 was testing had a menu. Also there was no mention of this being " 3 home DV videos".

It was post #21 before the goal was posted: ( it is in white text so I missed it at first)

"(1) I captured 3 home DV videos from a Sony TRV-140, Pinnacle 500 USB, and ScLive.

(2) I did some editing withDaVinci Resolve. Exported as an MKV.

(3) I used DVDFab to create a menu and author it as a BDMV File.

I am not sure if my process broke the File. My goal is a playable Blu-ray (BD-R) that can be played on a set-top Blu-ray player, PS4, or a PS5."

What was your process for creating the iso you posted ?
As it played correctly in VLC with its' interactive menu.
I still do not have java installed.

For BD Rebuilder the Readme says:

1B. Download and install FFDSHOW and the Matroska Splitter. While they are not required for BD-RB to
work, they will improve functionality if LAV Filters are not installed
It does state avisynth is required.

[bytor2112]

[QUOTE=cholla;2804846]

It was post #21 before the goal was posted: ( it is in white text so I missed it at first)
[QUOTE]


Sorry about that not sure what happened

[Alwyn]

What was your process for creating the iso you posted ?

Magix Video Deluxe: Import>Edit>Author>Burn.

It was post #21 before the goal was posted

Depends on how you read it. It seemed obvious to me what bytor was trying to do, so I suggested he create an ISO in post #4 so that VLC Player could be used to check it.

[cholla]

It was post #21 before the goal was posted

Depends on how you read it. It seemed obvious to me what bytor was trying to do, so I suggested he create an ISO in post #4 so that VLC Player could be used to check it.

I'm not trying to speak for bytor2112 so he can clarify if necessary.
This is what I got from post #1:
1. bytor2112 wanted "a way to test a BDMV File before burning it to a disc".
The other blu ray folders were not mentioned as part of this. Meaning the blu ray folder set containing: AAC! ,BDMV , & Certificate folders.
2. "check the menu functions"
3. VLC goes strait to the main movie without displaying a menu first.
4. "load the folder and play like a standalone Blu-ray player"

I tested the "IMG Burn ISO from folder.iso" you posted.
It plays with VLC & has the Menu first.
My standalone blu ray player does not even see the "IMG Burn ISO from folder.iso".

Then in post #21 which bytor2112 has corrected the white text & is now easily readable.

bytor2112 posts "My goal is a playable Blu-ray (BD-R) that can be played on a set-top Blu-ray player, PS4, or a PS5."

What bytor2112 needs is a program to Author the "3 home DV videos from a Sony TRV-140" into a blu ray folder set with interactive menu.
Then write(burn) the blu ray folder set with interactive menu to a BD-R25 "that can be played on a set-top Blu-ray player, PS4, or a PS5".

The Magix Video Deluxe that Alwyn uses may be the program to do this with.
@ Alwyn Have you done a test burn to a BD-R25 disc with a blu ray folder set like "IMG Burn ISO from folder.iso" ?
Then played it on a stand alone blu ray player & the menu worked.