Special features backup suggestion...

[Zisguy1]

Here's something I do fairly often with TMPGEnc DVD Author & DVDShrink. Sometimes you run into a 2-disc set that are both DVD-9's... the main movie + some special features on the first disc, and special features only on the second. This is how I usually approach it:

(1) First back up only the main movie onto one DVDR using DVDShrink in reauthor mode (least possible compression this way).

(2) Use DVDShrink in reauthor mode to select special features from both the main disc and the special features disc. Often it's easy to fit most special features from both discs into the space of one DVD-5 with minimal compression. Easy to leave out ones you don't want too.

(3) Use TMPGEnc DVD Author to put together the selected special features as clips and make a menu. Then I burn a second, customized "special features" disc with menus.

Anyone else ever tried this? Works well when you run into that situation with special features on both discs in a 2-disc set and not enough room for the main movie to do a full DVD9 to DVD5 backup.

[guns1inger]

I have been doing something similar since I first got my DVD burner, except I usually keep the original menu for the features. I create a still image in photoshop that tells the viewer the main movie is on disk one. In Shrink I replace the main movie with the still (compression settings, still image). It only takes up 200mb or less, which is usually fine on a features only disk. Saves me having to re-author anything outside of Shrink.

[Zisguy1]

Keeping the original menu is always best... usually I only use the above technique when (A) The main movie disc also has a lot of special features, and (B) There's a second special features disc. A good example is the director's edition of "Red Dragon" which has tons of features on both discs.