IFOedit and DVD Patcher to fix a DVD, make it widescreen. But...

[gastrof]

My DVD recorder is dumb. It can take a widecreen source and record it, but it has no way of marking the recording as being widescreen.

Newer TVs seem able to handle the playback fine, but an older TV...

The video plays back non-anamorphic. It fills the 4x3 screen, everyone looking tall and thin.

A few days ago a few people told me I need more than DVD Patcher, that I need IFOedit as well.

Those two seem to have done the trick.

Thanks guys!

Only thing is, on the menu screen, the highlighting that marks each video title is "off". It tries to mark the screen as if the menu screen were still 4x3. (The menu has also been converted to 16x9, but the highlighting doesn't seem to realize that.)

Any idea what I did wrong or failed to do?

Also, one other question-
DVD Patcher clearly shows the 352x480 .vob files were converted to 16x9 (and DVDs burned play looking fine), but MediaInfo reports those files as having an aspect ratio of 1.738, which I assume means 1.738X1.

That'd be 15.646x9, not 16x9.

Again, did I do something wrong or fail to do something?

[Cornucopia]

In that other thread, you were warned specifically NOT to modify/patch the menu VOBs, for the very reason that menu highlights would not line up. Looks like you did anyway.

Also, in the DVD-Video spec, 352x480 (aka 1/2 D1) size is ONLY allowed a 4:3 DAR, so if your menus or titles are formatted that way, you could be screwed. Players (some?, most?) might NOT honor a change there, even if you crossed all your T's and dotted all your I's - it's just not "legally" allowed.

And actually, that could have been your problem all along. If your "dumb DVD recorder" was set to use "Long Play" or similar recording format (something that fits >3 hours on a disc), it is probably doing so by using 1/2D1 or 1/4D1 formats, so it would be no wonder that it forced your image into 4:3 DAR. That is all that is available to it (Full D1 formats are the only ones legally allowed to be 16:9 DAR on DVD-Video).

Can't say where you got the 1.738:1 (aka 15.646:9). Depends on what you actually put down in DVDPatcher. And which field(s) MediaInfo is pulling that info from.

Scott

[gastrof]

In that other thread, you were warned specifically NOT to modify/patch the menu VOBs, for the very reason that menu highlights would not line up. Looks like you did anyway.

Also, in the DVD-Video spec, 352x480 (aka 1/2 D1) size is ONLY allowed a 4:3 DAR, so if your menus or titles are formatted that way, you could be screwed. Players (some?, most?) might NOT honor a change there, even if you crossed all your T's and dotted all your I's - it's just not "legally" allowed.

And actually, that could have been your problem all along. If your "dumb DVD recorder" was set to use "Long Play" or similar recording format (something that fits >3 hours on a disc), it is probably doing so by using 1/2D1 or 1/4D1 formats, so it would be no wonder that it forced your image into 4:3 DAR. That is all that is available to it (Full D1 formats are the only ones legally allowed to be 16:9 DAR on DVD-Video).

Can't say where you got the 1.738:1 (aka 15.646:9). Depends on what you actually put down in DVDPatcher. And which field(s) MediaInfo is pulling that info from.

Scott

Thanks for the reply, Scott, but I'm a babe in the woods. Someone else apparently warned me about not touching one of the .ifo files as well.

Thing is, I'm a dumb bunny. I don't know which .vob and .ifo files are for the menu only and which ones aren't.

Can you help me out? (When I tried to change only the numbered .vob files, that wasn't enough, and the virtual DVD played thru VLC as still 4x3. Obviously, I needed to change something else too...apparently ONE .ifo file?...and apparently went too far.)



Oh, and as for the settings on the DVD recorder, nah. It's just a dumb machine that lacks the ability to create anamorphic widescreen discs. I could feed widescreen material in and record at HQ, and on playback it'd still come out as squeezed into a 4x3 presentation. It just can't mark the DVDs as 16x9, which is why I'm involving the computer.

Naturally, the latest model of the recorder does have the ability to create 16x9 discs, but it costs about $300, and there's no reason to buy another at that price when the computer can achieve it...provided I know which .vob and .ifo files to change, and which ones to leave alone.

[LMotlow]

I don't know which .vob and .ifo files are for the menu only and which ones aren't.

https://www.videohelp.com/dvd#struct

[nic2k4]

Don't change anything in VIDEO_TS.IFO

In VTS_01_0.IFO don't change the menu entry (in red)

[gastrof]

I don't know which .vob and .ifo files are for the menu only and which ones aren't.

https://www.videohelp.com/dvd#struct

Thank you!

The only thing is, the DVD-Rs my recorder produces have these two folders in them-

VIDEO_RM
VIDEO_TS

No VIDEO_RM folder appears on the linked page. That may contain the .ifo file that wouldn't let me change it with IFOedit anyway, so maybe it makes no difference?

As for the VIDEO_TS folder, the files I should NOT change (the menu files) are these?

VIDEO_TS.IFO
VIDEO_TS.VOB

Is that correct? But the VTS files are the ones that should be changed, both .IFO and .VOB?

Thanks for your help.

[nic2k4]

Forget the VIDEO_RM folder, think of that one as only for internal use by the recorder. Typically, recorders use VIDEO_TS.??? for the menu. The IFO contains the navigation info and the VOB has the actual menu (video and audio). In theory you could leave it at that, but it's possible that a recorder could save a track menu in VTS_01_0.VOB, so it's best to leave the menu info alone in VTS_01_0.IFO.

But the VTS files are the ones that should be changed, both .IFO and .VOB?

I've never had to mod the VOB, but as Scott pointed out, you might have to hack it too.

[gastrof]

Forget the VIDEO_RM folder, think of that one as only for internal use by the recorder. Typically, recorders use VIDEO_TS.??? for the menu. The IFO contains the navigation info and the VOB has the actual menu (video and audio). In theory you could leave it at that, but it's possible that a recorder could save a track menu in VTS_01_0.VOB, so it's best to leave the menu info alone in VTS_01_0.IFO.

But the VTS files are the ones that should be changed, both .IFO and .VOB?

I've never had to mod the VOB, but as Scott pointed out, you might have to hack it too.

But aren't the VTS .VOB files the ones that DVD Patcher works on when it's changing the aspect ratio?

[usually_quiet]

Forget the VIDEO_RM folder, think of that one as only for internal use by the recorder. Typically, recorders use VIDEO_TS.??? for the menu. The IFO contains the navigation info and the VOB has the actual menu (video and audio). In theory you could leave it at that, but it's possible that a recorder could save a track menu in VTS_01_0.VOB, so it's best to leave the menu info alone in VTS_01_0.IFO.

But the VTS files are the ones that should be changed, both .IFO and .VOB?

I've never had to mod the VOB, but as Scott pointed out, you might have to hack it too.

But aren't the VTS .VOB files the ones that DVD Patcher works on when it's changing the aspect ratio?

Yes, VTS .VOB files the ones that DVD Patcher works on when it's changing the aspect ratio.

Some DVD players automatically follow the aspect ratio in the IFO, but other DVD players also look at the aspect ratio in the VOB and won't display video using a 16:9 aspect ratio unless both the IFO's aspect ratio and VOB's aspect ratio are set to 16:9.

[manono]

Open the VOBs in DGIndex and save out the video and audio (File->Save Project and Demux Video). Open the M2V in ReStream and flag it as 16:9. Open both the video and audio in Muxman and reauthor it as a DVD.

[gastrof]

Open the VOBs in DGIndex and save out the video and audio (File->Save Project and Demux Video). Open the M2V in ReStream and flag it as 16:9. Open both the video and audio in Muxman and reauthor it as a DVD.

If I'm remembering right, the original question, in the first thread, had to do with why DVD Patcher wasn't enough.
(EDIT)https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/369365-Trouble-getting-DVD-Patcher-to-convert-succe...sfully-to-16-9

Then, someone recommended IFOedit.

I could have used AVIdemux on the VOB files and re-encode them as 16x9, but the join points weren't playing nice.

I could use VLC to record the DVD's content as an .mpg file and then author a new DVD using AVStoDVD.

I didn't want to do either. I wanted to fix the original DVD's content, nice and simple.

Looks like using DVD Patcher and IFOedit on the VTS files should do the trick. I'm satisfied with that.

The only problem I've had is the menu (described in the first post in this thread), and it turns out I patched/edited files that shouldn't have been touched. Now that I know that, I can go back and re-do, and hopefully the results will be fine for both the video and the menu.

When I have time this weekend to do just that, we'll know for sure how this worked out.

[gastrof]

Forget the VIDEO_RM folder, think of that one as only for internal use by the recorder. Typically, recorders use VIDEO_TS.??? for the menu. The IFO contains the navigation info and the VOB has the actual menu (video and audio). In theory you could leave it at that, but it's possible that a recorder could save a track menu in VTS_01_0.VOB, so it's best to leave the menu info alone in VTS_01_0.IFO.

But the VTS files are the ones that should be changed, both .IFO and .VOB?

I've never had to mod the VOB, but as Scott pointed out, you might have to hack it too.

But aren't the VTS .VOB files the ones that DVD Patcher works on when it's changing the aspect ratio?

Yes, VTS .VOB files the ones that DVD Patcher works on when it's changing the aspect ratio.

Some DVD players automatically follow the aspect ratio in the IFO, but other DVD players also look at the aspect ratio in the VOB and won't display video using a 16:9 aspect ratio unless both the IFO's aspect ratio and VOB's aspect ratio are set to 16:9.

Thanks, guys. Looks like I'm on my way.

[Cornucopia]

If you continue to have trouble picking out the correct assets to change (without picking additional ones), manono's workflow is the surefire, recommended safe alternative (without re-encoding).

Scott

[manono]

If I'm remembering right, the original question, in the first thread, had to do with why DVD Patcher wasn't enough.

And wasn't that explained later?

Then, someone recommended IFOedit.

It's much easier to accomplish the same things with PGCEdit.

I could have used AVIdemux on the VOB files and re-encode them as 16x9, but the join points weren't playing nice.

I could use VLC to record the DVD's content as an .mpg file and then author a new DVD using AVStoDVD.

Why would you want to waste time and degrade the quality by reencoding?

I didn't want to do either. I wanted to fix the original DVD's content, nice and simple.

Apparently not so simple as you couldn't manage to do it correctly.

When I have time this weekend to do just that, we'll know for sure how this worked out.

Good luck and I hope it works out for you.

[usually_quiet]

I could use VLC to record the DVD's content as an .mpg file and then author a new DVD using AVStoDVD.

Why would you want to waste time and degrade the quality by reencoding?

VLC's record function does not re-encode. It gives you the original MPEG-2 video and DVD-compliant audio. It seems unbelievable, but I have tried it. There might be faster ways to accomplish the same thing but the OP prefers his way to the others.

[manono]

VLC's record function does not re-encode. It gives you the original MPEG-2 video and DVD-compliant audio. It seems unbelievable, but I have tried it.

You're right, it's hard to believe.. But I'll take your word for it as I have no intention of ever doing it that way, even as a test. It may not degrade the quality but it will waste your time. Thanks for the correction.

[Skiller]

Don't change anything in VIDEO_TS.IFO

Why not? Aren't the Title Set attributes stored in both VIDEO_TS.IFO and VTS_xx_0.IFO?

[Cornucopia]

Not at home right now, but pretty sure VIDEO_TS refers to Vmgr & disc-wide attributes, while VTS_xx refers to title sets.

Scott

[gastrof]

Once again guys, thanks.

I'm not so sure I agree with the approach a certain forum member took to this, but I guess some of us forget that everyone at one time we lacked knowledge of how to do this or taht, and that learning is how people end up knowing.

So much help was given here, and now the method's pretty well grasped.

Much appreciation to those who helped and didn't degrade.