DVD Rebuilder backups

[theKramer]

Is it possible to compress a DVD to 50% of its original size with DVD Rebuilder.
I want to fit two movies on to one DVD.
Thx.

[guns1inger]

I would use DVD Shrink in reauthor mode to build the dvd with both movies. Set the size of the output to be large enough not to recompress, but to just create the vobs. Then load these into DVD Rebuilder to reduce the size down to DVD-5. DVD Rebuilder expects to see a valid DVD as it's source, so you need to create this first. DVD Shrink is a simple way to do this (You wont have menus though, just two titles on one disk)

[archaeo]

Yes, gun1slinger is correct - reauthor each movie in shrink at a NO COMPRESSION setting. This will give you two separate VTS files, at full size w/no loss. Then use RB to create the DVD-5, using at least 2-3 passes w/ CCE. If you reauthor in Shrink however, you will not have any menu control. You basically have to skip through chapters if you want to get to the second movie. I've used RB w/ CCE 2.69 at 50% and it has provided excellent results.

[theKramer]

So I load the two sets of VOBs of the two different movies into DVD Shrink and then use RB to make it into one DVD, is that correct??!!
How do I do that??
Forgive my ignorance. I have used both programs, but not extensively.
Thx.

[Shocker Milwaukee]

No, Silly Wabbit, DVD Shrink makes the two movies into one DVD. RB reduces the size of that DVD to fit to DVD-5.

[theKramer]

Ok gotcha,
Stupid question #2:
Is there any way to split it, after I use RB, into two separate movies again.
I want to be able to access both movies with a basic DVD menu on my DVD player.

[archaeo]

Is there any way to split it, after I use RB, into two separate movies again.
I want to be able to access both movies with a basic DVD menu on my DVD player

No you will lose the original menu functionality in both movies when you reauthor, but I believe there may be some programs out there that you can use to create new menus...

[theKramer]

Could it be possible to have a program such as Tmpg DVD Author create a menu that would reference the starting chapter of each movie, which has been coverted into one large movie by RB??
So then I could have a menu entry for each movie, even though they are all part of one set of VOB's
Man that is beginning to seem like a pain the ass!!!

[archaeo]

Could it be possible to have a program such as Tmpg DVD Author create a menu that would reference the starting chapter of each movie,

I haven't used that program... but I would like to know myself, because I will occasionally put two flicks on one disc. Give it a try and let us know!

[guns1inger]

Another alternative would be to use DVD Decrypter or DVD Shrink to extract just the movie VOBs into their own VTS, as discussed previously, however this time keep the movies seperate (i.e. do it once for each film). You now have two seperate sets of VOBs, one for each movie.

Use DVD Lab to load, join and demux the VOBs, create the menus, then recompile as a single DVD.

Finally, use DVD Rebuilder to compress them down to DVD-5 size.

You can simplify the first step by usinf DVD Decrypter to extract just the main movie, however I have never done this, so I can't help you with the how. If you can do this, then you probably wont need to use Shrink at all.

[LeeBear]

Just a suggestion to save some time with the encoding in DVDRebuilder you might want to try the "One Pass VBR (w/analysis)". It'll encode the video in one pass by using a quality prediction algorithm. So far the algorithm has been pretty good, it usually slightly undersizes (~200 MB) but it cuts encoding time down to a quarter of the 3-pass mode. Give it a try.

-LeeBear