What to use for DVD reauthoring directly from Vob files

[tommyoz]

What authoring program do you use for reauthoring your DVD's directly from Vob files. I am just getting into doing this and am interested in knowing what everyone is using.

Tmpgenc DVD Author is mentioned a lot but what else is out there that can import Vob files. Adobe Encore? Womble mpeg video wizard?

Is there support for AC3 audio?

[housepig]

DVD Lab will accept .vob file input, and will support ac3.

[tommyoz]

DVD Lab will accept .vob file input, and will support ac3.

Does this come with a recommendation or is it just another one out there?

[bigb_y2g]

Does this come with a recommendation or is it just another one out there?

Works for me. I would recommend DVD Lab

[housepig]

it's totally a recommendation - it's a fantastic piece of software that gives great results, excellent customization possibilities, and it's reasonably priced.

[SaSi]

Although DVDLab doesn't internally provide any support for multiple audio tracks or subtitles, you can give it a VOB file with any number of audio (up to 8) and subtitles (up to 32) and it will accept them.

You can get the VOBs either by ripping a DVD and giving them to DVDLab or by creating them with IFOEdit. IFOEdit let's you create a single movie DVD with multiple audio and subtitle parts but no menu. You can use IFOEdit's output as input to DVDLab and author a very nice looking DVD with multiple menu's and transitions.

The only real shortcomming of DVDLab currently is that you cannot use the full DVD navigation logic (like play single title or all in sequence, select which chapters to play to include optional ones or leave them out, and the like).

[bigb_y2g]

The only real shortcomming of DVDLab currently is that you cannot use the full DVD navigation logic (like play single title or all in sequence, select which chapters to play to include optional ones or leave them out, and the like).

So, If I have subtitles in a VOB that I want to use in DVD Lab it cannot be episodic (multiple episodes) but one long movie? If so this would explain a problem I've been having with my sub stream not working.

[tommyoz]

Is there any specific version of DVDLab that I should look out for?

[SaSi]

The only real shortcomming of DVDLab currently is that you cannot use the full DVD navigation logic (like play single title or all in sequence, select which chapters to play to include optional ones or leave them out, and the like).

So, If I have subtitles in a VOB that I want to use in DVD Lab it cannot be episodic (multiple episodes) but one long movie? If so this would explain a problem I've been having with my sub stream not working.

No, this is not what I meant. You can have 4 separate episodes that you can select each from a menu. If you encode the episodes separately, into 4 discrete files, then you can select each one and view it. If you encode them into a long file, then you can still select each one by setting chapter points and seeking into the file, but then, when an episode finishes the next one starts automatically without returning to the menu.

[SaSi]

Is there any specific version of DVDLab that I should look out for?

In general, the latest would be the best one since minor bugs get ironed out all the time. However, the latest version is a beta (it works fine though), and it also is a PRO kind of version allowing multi-VTS DVDs.

To start with, I would recommend to try version 1.3, since it is simpler to use.

One issue I still have with DVDLab is that it sometimes doesn't compile the project succesfully, failing to multiplex one of the sections. It's not really an issue with the MPEG-2 files, as Scenarist succesfully authors a DVD with them, although re-encoding them fixes the problem.

In any case, and despite the small problems, DVDLab is a fine tool, especially since it can accept VOB files with multiple audio and subpictures. Haven't yet tried the Tmpgenc DVD Author, so I can't compare.

[Bob W]

I use NeoDVD Plus to import VOB files directly.

[ktnwin]

I use neoDVD sometimes for video with single audio stream and use IFOEdit for VOBs that have two audio streams.
neoDVD is known to keep only one single audio stream and throw away the rest !!!

[dun4cheap]

I have a DVD I have created with 3 motion menus, 2 leadin videos to two of the menus and many chapter points that I created with Studio 8. The dvd works great but I want to convert the audio to ac3, will any of these programs allow me to re-edit my current dvd structure and encode the audio into ac3? Remember I don't want to lose my Menu abilities, I want to keep them intact.

thanks

dun4cheap