In need of help backing up Band of Brothers

[midimidi]

Goals:

1) Get all of episode1 on one DVD and all of episode2 on a second DVD - no compression
2) Get all of the extras on one dvd or all extras on both.

Layout of the DVD:
VTS_01_0 = all menus
VTS_01_1 = 2nd movie up to a little after start of CH4
VTS_01_2 = next up to someplace in CH5
VTS_01_3 = ID1 = last part of part2, ID2 = start of part1
VTS_01_4 = more of part1
VTS_01_5 = more of part1
VTS_01_6 = more of part1
VTS_01_7 = more of part1

VTS_02_0 = 55mb - tons of menus

Try #1 - tried DVDXCopy - it cuts the dvd not quite at the end of ep1, i.e. the last chapter of episode1 ends up on dvd2. Extras get copied to both. Even after removing the extras from DVD1 and removing the menu, it won't let me get that last chapter on the first disc.

Try #2 - DVD Decryptor - IFO mode - copied VTS1/PGC1, removed some extra audio streams/subtitles. Did the same for VTS1/PGC2. File mode - copied all of the VIDEO_TS, VTS_01_0, and VTS_02 files to both dvds.

For DVD1 I loaded VIDEO_TS.IFO in IFOedit and chose Create new IFO's rewriting over existing. For DVD 2, I didn't (hoenstly forgot...not sure if I need to do this anyway...)

IMGTool -> made an image. Opened with Daemon Tools. Loaded DVD in WinDVD.

My results are mixed.

For both DVDs, I can scroll through the menus fine. THe removed streams are definitely gone.

For DVD2, the main movie works perfect. Chapters are fine, movie plays fine. For DVD1, the movie is strangely split...i.e. it goes back to the menu at what I believe is the layer change. If I skip around though, choosing the chapters manually, I can see the whole film is all there.

In both DVDs, the extras are non-functional. Choosing them normally, the DVD locks up (just hit menu, and it goes back)...choosing the title forcefully it just plays through the stills like a movie.


SO - clearly, I'm missing an extra step before making the ISO. I've been reading guides all over the place from here and Doom-9, and honestly, my head is just numb from it all, since every DVD has its own little quirk sometimes. Just tryingto learn this stuff...

All help and ideas are appreciated. Would like to keep with the tools listed, or at least free tools.

Thx!! I love this forum!

[sfxwe]

I just did a BU of my B Of B set. I would like to tell ya how I did it, and for me it worked GREAT. This method keeps each episode on one DVD with workable menus and extras, using DVDShrink V2.3.

Example with DVD 1:

Select the 2nd episode, make the video into stills and unselect the audio etc. This should leave you with all the menus, audio and episode 1 UNCOMPRESSED, with no quality loss. The menus will work the extras will be there etc. You just won’t be able to watch episode 2.

For Disk 1 episode 2, just reverse the process and make episode 1 stills and uncheck the audio etc. This should leave you with all the menus, audio and episode 2 UNCOMPRESSED, with no quality loss. The menus will work the extras will be there etc. You just won’t be able to watch episode 1.

Repeat this process for each disk. It worked great for me. I kept all the menus, extras, subs audio for each episode etc……but you will have double the discs, lol.

Hope this helps and I hope I explained it right.
If not, let me know.

[sfxwe]

PS.

DVDShrink is free and V2.3 KICK's A$$

[midimidi]

thx sfxwe - seems like i need to install yet another tool just about everytime i backup a new dvd...anyone else?

[midimidi]

OK

So I opened DVDShrink for DVD1 (episode1 of 2) -

chose View-> RAW mode
chose VTS1->Title2 - Still Pictures.
Unfortunately, this still leaves the movie over 5gb...how did you get this down to DVD5 size?

I first removed all audio and subs ofr Title2 - close by a hundred megs or so, but still not enough. I had to go into VTS1 Menus and choose level1 compression to get it down far enough. Fortunately, this doesn't have anything but the menus in it, though notice that one of my goals was no compression!

Maybe if I remove the HBO and warning screens? Just curious what else you got rid of...

[mkelley]

Haven't done BofB (recorded it on HBO when it was on, so never bought the disks) but are you using version 2.3 of DVDShrink? It just didn't sound like it.

If so, you ought to be able to view exactly what you're reducing to still images. I've never seen an episode disk that couldn't be split properly -- worse comes to worse you can use the "reauthor" mode and drag that first episode over. You won't get menus, but you will get that first episode with no compression on one disk.

Sometimes when I am doing my STTNG disks (my ongoing project -- it is taking forever :>) I will find a disk that *looks* as though I might have to compress an episode slightly. However, I run DVDShrink anyway -- it's pretty conservative it its estimates and 9 times out of 10 if you are *close* to getting all green it will still work. That might be the case here as well -- after you shrink all the extras and that other episode to still images if you are just a little on the red side you should go ahead and give it a try.

[sfxwe]

I apologize, on disk 1 after I made ep 2 stills and removed the audio, it was a little over the legal size needed. I ran it through DVDShrink again and compressed the stills as much as possible, I may have even had to do it twice, but DVDShrink is pretty fast so it didn't take long. For disk 1, when doing the other episode, I don't think you will have to compress the stills, and I don't think you will have to do this for any of the rest. The rest of the disks split very easy with the method I mentioned above.

I think disk one was the only disk I had to do this on, and if I remember right it was only for one of the 2 episodes on that disk.

I hope this helps......

[midimidi]

agreed - thx for the replies guys. i'm learning more every day. will try out your revisions when i get home tonight.

i have to admit this has been one of the nicest software additions to the family on my HD - i really liked DVDXCopy and DVDFab, but i think i might give this one a chance since i dont have to go through the laborious process of removing the 321 intro and DVDFab doens't have as many options...just seems the dvd is laid out better in the software and i can get rid/compress things a lot easier here than in other software, without thoroughly understanding and researching through the dvd itself.

though i'm sure sooner or later i'll find one particular dvd that won't work with it - and then i'll move on to something else...its been like that almost daily for a week now!

[midimidi]

worked great - thx!

[sfxwe]

Your Welcome.......

[ryn05]

I recently backed up my band of brothers set. I used dvd shrink 2.3 as well. I put two episodes on one disk, here is what i did...

1. Select re-author when dvd shrink opens...
2. Drag title 1 and 2 over
3. Edit the start and end of the episodes to where it starts when it says, "Part 1 ...." and then cut it off right when the credits start.
4. Then take out the audio you dont need, just leave ac3 6. Then you just have to compress it by 10% (you can't tell the difference).

Hope this helps, using 5 discs instead of 10 helps out tremendously, plus you dont have to watch all that preview crap, gets right to the show!!!!

[midimidi]

I recently backed up my band of brothers set. I used

4. Then take out the audio you dont need, just leave ac3 6. Then you just have to compress it by 10% (you can't tell the difference).

not too worried about the number of discs if it means better quality...you may not be able to tell the difference, but i sure do. again, one of the goals here was zero compression...

thx tho - likely helpful for others who dont care as much about 1:1 perfection

[midimidi]

Alright guys - down to the last disc...

Disc1 is easy - did stills for all the extras, and have the rest on the 1st dvd.

Disc2 however comes to 4.890 gigs...can't quite compress the menu down enough to get it in range...the Main Menu after Still Pictures comes to 300mb, so even if that was removed, I still wouldn't have enough room - besides the fact that I wouldn't be sure how to do that anyway (but would love to know how to successfully!)

Question2 - how much can you overburn by? Is there a percent like with CDRs? My Sony supports it...

Just curious what you specifically did for the last one now...thx!

[midimidi]

anyone?

[funkguy4]

You got a DRU-500AX, because if so, I also want to know how much overburn capacity I have!

[mkelley]

anyone?

Perhaps someone who has done "Band" will respond to you -- but it seems to me you are down to two possibilites (all assuming you want zero compression on your disks -- this is what I want so I totally understand).

1) Use the reauthor mode and drag over each episode, one at a time, onto it's own disk. You won't have menus at all with this approach (the episode will start playing the minute you put the disk in) but it ought to work no matter what.

2) Use a program like DVDLab (free 30 day fully functional trial) and essentially "reauthor" your disk yourself. This will allow you to put your own menu in, but will involve *somewhat* more effort (rip the individual episode VOBs using DVDDecrypter and use as is in DVDLab).

[midimidi]

note that this is only for the 6th disc - all bonus material.

i couldn't everburn even by 10 megs (level1 compression on the second group of bonus materials)...nero wouldn't let me (though overburn is checked in the info tool).

I ended up compressing the second portion of bonus material (not the main documentary) by about level2...details are at home...all is well!

You got a DRU-500AX, because if so, I also want to know how much overburn capacity I have!

[funkguy4]

Then I bet the maximum capacity of DVD is supposed to be to the very edge, unlike CD...