.VRO files ... joining and maybe converting

[Tafflad]

I have just stripped out a lot of recordings from my Panasonic DVDR by copying to a DVD-RAM disc, and then copying to PC
The typical format is a VR_MNGR files (.IFO file) and the combined video & audio file VR_MOVIE (.VRO file)

The files will play on PC if I use VLC .. so getting them off the DVDR has at least worked.


I have 2 questions that may well link ...

For some of the larger recordings, I had to split it on the DVDR in order to fit on the single sided 4.7GB DVD-RAM discs, so consequently for some recordings I have sets of VR_MNGR & VR_MOVIE files ... all same names but I have copied into separate part a, part b folders etc.

It would be nice to join them back up to single files ... is there a suitable piece of freeware that can do this, thought I would be able to use VirtualDub but it does not support .VRO


Secondly to aid watching them with ease (on TV for example) .. thinking that if I could convert to MKV that might be easiest , I can then simply put onto a USB flash drive to watch wherever.


I could as a plan B .. drop the files into Sony Vegas, simply joining appropriate segments, and then 'render as' creating and mpg file or similar (no MKV option) .... just the render process will take a lot of time, and in effect I am then transcoding all files ... is there a simpler way.

[Baldrick]

Where are your .mov files? Change the thread title(click on edit and go advanced) and you might get some better help.

You could try rename them to vob/mpg and see if you can load them directly in mkvmergegui (included in mkvtoolnix).

[Tafflad]

Not sure why I put MOV in subject line must have been thinking of movies. - corrected

[pippas]

Using this https://www.videohelp.com/tools/DVDVob2Mpg should allow you to convert your vro files to mpg

[Tafflad]

After some intensive Googling came across CUDA Videconverter 7 (free)

This does accept .VRO files ........ and has a whole host of output formats .. including MKV, and has built in merge ... capability

I just tried one .VRO to .MKV .. but was surprised that the MKV files was more than 2 X the files size of the .VRO

For example inputs files 1.94 GB and 3.74GB ... merged and converted to MKV 12.4GB
That is a very hefty overhead going from VRO to MKV ...

[Baldrick]

Lower the video bitrate to get smaller size.

But you shouldn't need to reconvert. You can put vro(mpeg2) in a mkv. Did you try dvdvob2mpg and then put the mpg in a mkv with mkvtoolnix.

[Tafflad]

Not yet, will try it tonight ..

[DB83]

To repeat what has been said.

Your vro files are 'wrapped' mpeg2. Use the suggested tool to extract that mpeg2 file - no re-encoding so file size is more or less the same.

Then use the other suggested tool to create the mkv. Again no re-enconding.

The problem with these free converters is that you can have little control over what they do( yu could even end up installing some nasties on your PC - nothing is 'free'). You might end up with that mkv file but is it still a mpeg2 wrapper or another format ?

[Tafflad]

I'll try it ..
The CUDA tool is by NVIDIA, and came direct from their web site. They know a thing or 2 about video, so pretty sure it will not be malicious.

[hech54]

I'll try it ..
The CUDA tool is by NVIDIA, and came direct from their web site. They know a thing or 2 about video, so pretty sure it will not be malicious.

Nobody said anything about malicious.

Your vro files are 'wrapped' mpeg2. Use the suggested tool to extract that mpeg2 file - no re-encoding so file size is more or less the same.

[Tafflad]

[QUOTE=hech54;2380279]

I'll try it ..
The CUDA tool is by NVIDIA, and came direct from their web site. They know a thing or 2 about video, so pretty sure it will not be malicious.

Nobody said anything about malicious.



well it was said "installing some nasties on your PC" that sounds malicious to me ............ but no worries I'll go try that other tool.

[Tafflad]

OK ... some things found during testing.
Task was to find a way to get Panasonic VRO files onto a USB stick to allow them to be played on SMART TV

# Found mpg files would play direct on TV - so no need to convert to MKV

# Maybe no need to use DVDVob2mpg .... simply changing .vro to .mpg seems to have exactly same effect (as far as I can see) Mediainfo shows exactly same resultant file structure.

# mpg to MKV was tried (nice interface on MKVToolNix) ... and MKV files almost the same size at original mpg (not 2.5 times as previously)


When I tested I found that the original .VRO files will also play direct anyway .... so I don't have to convert at all - ... lightbulb moment

Anybody know a way to join VRO files together ? ......... if not I will continue and use DVDVob2mpg but not convert to MKV

So original request taken an alternate direction - but for me interesting items learnt.

[DB83]

Don't think you can join vro natively as vro.

Simply renaming to mpg can work but since the vro is a container it can store more than one recording. So you can get a bit of one and another in the same vro.

Vegas can join those but if the recordings are not exactly the same bitrate etc it could well re-encode.

It was not my intention to scare you but there is often a payload attached to a 'free' program. And there was no indication of the source in your earlier post.

[Tafflad]

OK .. thnx.
I'll use dvd2mpg to join them and create the mpg files.

[sambat]

Maybe like joining mpeg files?

copy /b 1.vro + 2.vro new.vro