Transfer PAL menus to NTSC DVD

[rixware]

I have some PAL DVDs that I am transferring to NTSC. Converting the footage is no problem. But I need advice on how to retain the original menu structure through the process.

The original discs have one VTS, and a simple menu (with images) that points to various parts of the movie. I want to retain the menu structure (so I don't have to manually recreate it...ugh) but just replace the PAL footage with the converted NTSC version.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Rick
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[rixware]

Well, I've tried a few things with no luck. I think this was my best shot, but it didn't work:

1. Rip the PAL disc.
2. Convert the PAL MPEG to NTSC.
3. Author a new disc using just the NTSC file.
4. Replace the VTS files (VTS*.*) in the PAL set with the NTSC set.

I really didn't think this would work, but it seemed worth a try. It created a disc that got past Nero's checks, and even loaded into the player, but wouldn't play.

Ideas?

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[lordsmurf]

I don't think you can, not without recreating it.

[jimmalenko]

Would it be conceivable to demux the VIDEO_TS.VOB or VTS_01_0.VOB file, re-encode the video, remux and then run "Get VTS Sectors" on its IFO in IFOEdit ?

[adam]

No. The subpictures and highlights are going to have to be manually re-authored. There is no way getting around that. The only possible other thing you could do is just try and patch the vob's file headers, and the IFO's to NTSC. It may play on some DVD players.

[rixware]

Where do I find the graphics used as backgrounds for the menus? Does DVD Decrypter have the ability to extract these to plain graphics files? Is there another utility that would be better?

Thanks!

Rick
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[lenti_75]

you have to decrypt the files....the menues and all, then using an editor, as Adobe encore dvd or dvd lab recreate the whole links

there is no easy way, just rip and convert then burn it.....

[rixware]

I've resigned myself to the fact that I'll have to reauthor. In fact, I've already ripped and converted the movies from PAL to NTSC.

But I can't find a tool to rip the graphics which form the backgrounds for the menus. Don't they reside in the VTS_01_0.VOB file?

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[lenti_75]

instead you could buy a Cyberhome for 35$ and let him do the conversion. to much work

[adam]

The menus are typically stored in the first vob of the titleset for the movie. So if your movie occupies vobs VTS_01_1, _01_2, etc... then yes the menu's will be in VTS_01_0.vob. Simply rip them like you would any other part of of the DVD. From there you can export individual frames as the pics for your backgrounds.

Check out the first few sections of my guide. It tells how to extract all menu's and features from a DVD and prepare them for authoring. Its intended to be used to authr to SVCD, but the preparation is the same. It will be much easier for you since you are going to DVD. Just use Subrip to extract the subpictures, batch encode them with Irfanview to NTSC compliant resolutions, and then reauthor. For a simple DVD you could reauthor everything to NTSC in probably less then 20 mins.

Here's the guide: https://www.videohelp.com/guides.php?guideid=282&howtoselect=6;32#282

[rixware]

Adam,

Thanks for the tips.

Your guide doesn't mention Subrip or Irfanview, and I'm unable to figure out just how to use either tool. And I've been studying your guides, but a couple of the steps don't seem to work:

1. In "Getting the Menus," I can't get TMPGenc to open the D2V file created by DVD2AVI. (Your sample screen says "TMPGenc Plus" in the title bar. Is the registered version required...?)

2. For the Avisynth setup, I cannot locate any file called "mpeg2dec_dll.rar." In fact, a Google search for that file yielded exactly one hit -- your page!

3. For the VFAPI setup, your screenshot says "v1.04 Beta" in the title bar. I can only find version 1.05, and the buttons are different and it will not open the D2V file either.

I'm afraid I'm stuck.

(Also, you probably should know that the graphics on your pages don't appear when viewed from my Mozilla Firefox browser -- they're OK in IE, but I try to stay away from it...)

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[adam]

No my guide doesn't mention subrip or Irfanview because its for SVCDs, and the subpictures wouldn't really be that useful. I was just suggesting how I would re-encode the subpictures if I were doing this conversion.

In Subrip, hit the vob button. Then hit the open IFO button and point it to the IFO for your movie. It should list all the vobs and the first one will be deselected. Switch that. Unselect all the vobs except for the very first one. Under Action set it to "save subpictures as BMP." Hit start, set a destination, and it will show you the subpictures. Skip any that look like garbage (dummies or something) and once you've verified that these are the subpictures you want (the buttons for your menu) then hit done. If none of the subs are correct then you will need to change sub streams and try again. You do this on the top left where it says Language Stream. After Subrip is done processing your subs you can just close it. All of the subpictures will be stored as BMP files in the directory you specified.

Now open any one of the subs in Irfanviewer. Hit File/batch conversion/rename. On the top right point it to the directory where your bmps are stored. Highlight everyone of the bmps and click the add button. Set an output directory, set output format to bmp, and click on the use advanced options tab. Enable the resize box and set output resolution to 720x480. Hit OK, and then hit Start. Look in the specified directory and all your subpictures will now bein proper resolution for authoring in NTSC. I know that's alot of text to explain the process, but it literally takes about 30 seconds to do all of this. It just saves alot of time using Irfanviewer's batch resizing when you have alot of subpictures.

As for my guide, you can use either TMPGenc, avisynth, or VFAPI. You don't have to use all. For TMPGEnc, any version will do. If its not accepting d2v files by default then go to TMPGEcn's homepage and get the DVD2avi VFAPI plugin. After installing it, it should work.

As for avisynth, did you look at the main page of my guide? I have links to all the software I use and mpeg2dec is there. There are multiple versions of Avisynth and many versions of mpeg2dec. Only certain combinations can be used. The latest versions of each can be found at doom9.net. If you just want to get up and running then get both avisynth and mpeg2dec from the links on the main page of my guide.

As for VFAPI, this could be a limitation of your version. Just use one of the other methods.

My guide is in sorrry shape. It hasn't been updated in a long time so there are some dead links and anomolies here and there. I haven't bothered updating it because, well its for SVCDs and nobody seems to care about those anymore.

[12 gage]

there is a tool called NuMenu4U and it will demux your menu, encode it with CCE, and recompile it using Sonic Scenarist. There an the option to change the avisynth before starting, I tried just changing the framesize to 720/480 but it always crashes in Scenarist. Maybe someone else know how to remedy this, hope this helps.