Wow am I stuck

[Chad Byrum]

I am beginning to think that technology has passed me by....

My Problem.... Many years ago, I had some old family videos that I converted from VHS to DVD, so I thought. I now want to covert these to a digital file, that I can edit, Post and distribute to my kids. I can view the videos when I put them in my computer, because they auto start, but there are no visible files for me to 'rip' or import into any software. I am not sure if my DVD was ever 'finalized' or if there is a way for me to recover these files. I am not sure where to turn to get info. Any advice would be appreciated.

[Quint]

Try MAKEMKV: https://makemkv.com/download/
You have to re-install it every few weeks, the current key is always found here: https://forum.makemkv.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1053
The results, MKVs that contains MPEG2 plus AC3 sound should be readable almost everywhere.

Here is a thread that deals with unfinalized DVDs:
https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/253701-Pulling-data-from-an-unfinalized-DVD

Good luck!

[ProWo]

When you insert the DVD into your computer,
you should find two file folders in the DVD drive in Windows Explorer, AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS.


[Attachment 87223 - Click to enlarge]

In addition to ifo and bup, there are also VOB files in the VIDEO_TS folder. Your videos are compressed in these.
The VIDEO_TS folder can have several title sets, each title set is a separate video.
In the picture you can see a DVD with 3 title sets, i.e. 3 movies.
Title set 2, which consists of two VOB files, is outlined in red.


[Attachment 87226 - Click to enlarge]

Since your DVD is not copy-protected, the easiest way is to use clever FFmpeg-GUI.


[Attachment 87225 - Click to enlarge]

In the example you can see how Titleset 2 is ripped. To do this, click on
Select Source file and search for VTS_02_1.VOB in the Explorer, i.e. the first file of Titleset 2.
Answer the question as to whether the entire video should be ripped with yes.

The movie is then ripped.
The ripped streams are then automatically displayed.

If the file size is not a problem, you can now simply mux the ripped streams into a mp4 (or mkv).
If you want to reduce the filesize, you can recode the mpeg2video stream to h264(avc) and mux it with your source audio stream.

You can then distribute this new mp4 and watch it on all devices.

EDIT:

If your disc isn't finalized, download Imgburn
https://www.videohelp.com/download/SetupImgBurn_2.5.8.0.exe

and install it.
Insert your DVD, start Imgburn.
Click Verify disc, then follow the indications in the picture.


[Attachment 87235 - Click to enlarge]

Click close/disk and the DVD will be finalized.

Then repeat the actions above.

[aedipuss]

no you can't - "If the file size is not a problem, you can now simply mux the ripped streams into an mp4". vobs contain mpeg-2, you'd have to re-encode it to h264 as mp4 requires it.

[cholla]

@ Chad Byrum,
As advised in the second link in post #2.
Try IsoBuster.
ImgBurn can tell you if a dvd has been Finalized.
It will say Complete in Status.
Nero CDSpeed will also show closed.

@ProWo ,
Not all DVDs will be like you posted.
This is a DVD written by my Magnovox DVR.
It is not finalized,This is because it has space to record more video on it.
I suspect this is what Chad Byrum's DVD looks like.
This is in Windows Explorer:

[Attachment 87228 - Click to enlarge]
This is the same DVD in IsoBuster:

[Attachment 87229 - Click to enlarge]

[ProWo]

no you can't - "If the file size is not a problem, you can now simply mux the ripped streams into an mp4". vobs contain mpeg-2, you'd have to re-encode it to h264 as mp4 requires it.

You are wrong. See here:


[Attachment 87237 - Click to enlarge]

[Chad Byrum]

I appreciate the responses. I noticed that all of the responses that I received were possible solutions for a Windows computer. Unfortunately, I have a Mac. Are there any similar programs that might work on a Mac? I could download Wine to run ISObuster, but I am not sure how difficult it would be.

After reading some of the posts, I think that my DVD is finalized because it will play, just no files are shown. Once I insert the Dvd in my external drive, the DVD player starts and auto plays it.

@prowo: you are correct. Those 2 files are not shown. I cannot even copy the DVD to my hard drive because there are no files to select.

[ProWo]

Try this:


[Attachment 87251 - Click to enlarge]

[Alwyn]

Re MPEG 2 in the MP4 container, my LG TV will not display/list such a file through the network media server but will play on the TV from a USB stick. It will display and play an MPEG 2 video in the MPG container.

[TreeTops]

Chad, Can't you turn off 'autoplay' (or 'autostart' as you noted in post 1)so that you can navigate to the files on that disk? After you turn off autoplay do this: "To see your files on a Mac, use the Finder application."

[cholla]

@ Chad,
I have no experience with a Mac.
So I do not know if IsoBuster will use Wine.
What unit did you use to do the original conversion from VHS to DVD ?

@Alwyn,
I will convert a test .mp4 to see if my TV or BD player will play a .mp4 with MPEG 2 in it.
I usually use a USB flash drive or HDD for playing videos on my TV or BD player.
Is this what you use ?
Give this .mp4 a try. I just created it with Clever.
I muxed it from a .vob file.
I plays on my Sharp TV &Panasonic BD player from a flash drive.
It will not even display on my Sceptre TV.

[Alwyn]

I usually use a USB flash drive or HDD for playing videos on my TV or BD player.
Is this what you use ?

I play them through my network using the Serviio media server.

Give this .mp4 a try. I just created it with Clever.

No go through the network, but yes, it will play from a USB stick into the TV.

[cholla]

@ Chad,
I believe you solutions might be these:
1.See if Wine will allow you to use IsoBuster on your MAC.
2. Check what a professional business can do to recover the discs.
3. Buy a used or refurb computer with Windows already installed.
Then install IsoBuster on it.
#3 is no guarantee that IsoBuster can view the folders & files.
It works for the DVD discs I have used it on.
Where Windows Explorer or other software could not view the folders & files.
Or rip the folders & files because they could not view them.
If you go the #3 route I usually run them through DVDShrink afterwards.
This results in a better burn to a new DVD.
Also do not use the long analyze in DVDShrink for this.
It works well on movies but for me it resulted in a worse quality DVD.