Multi-Angle DVD-9 to Single-Angle DVD-5 help

[rayden54]

I have a DVD-9 disc (Stuart Little) that I want to copy to a DVD-5 disc. Now, this particular title has 2 versions of the movie-widescreen and fullscreen. If I can get rid of the fullscreen version the rest should fit. The problem is, the first thing you see is a menu directing you to choose which version of the movie you want.

I think there's a way to replace the fullscreen movie with a blank VOB and leave the menus intact, but I would rather remove that menu altogether and set the real menu (the one with options like play and chapter selection) as first play. Is there any way to do this?

Please, I'm a total newbie. I can follow instructions if they're explained carefully, but if you leave steps out, I'll probably get lost.

[manono]

Hi-

Is there any way to do this?

Yes. Blank out the fullscreen version using the "Blank" feature of VobBlanker. Here's a guide:

http://jsoto.posunplugged.com/guides/VobBlanker/blanking/index.php

As for bypassing the opening menu where you choose which version you want, PGCEdit is your friend:
http://www.digital-digest.com/~blutach/Jump2PGC/Jump2PGC_guide.html

[rayden54]

Cool. I'll have to check it out tomorrow.

For now, bed.

[Alex_ander]

I think menu bypassing can be done easier (that manual explores the case if someone wants to always start watching a movie from the middle).
In DVDRemake (you can do smth. like this in PGCEdit) expand DVD tree and identify menu pages (the ones with buttons have red icons) for the top menu and the page you want to go to after first play (also easily bypassed if desired by 'adding post- to pre- commands' and hiding). The easiest case is when both pages are in the same VTS menu or in VMG. Then you simply insert a pre-command 'LinkPGC#' to PGC of top menu and type in the # of PGC corresponding to the desired page. If the pages are in different menu domains (e.g. top menu is in VMG and your movie menu is in a VTS), then you can use button command of the top menu leading to your movie. In case the button link has a direct command pointing at some PGC you simply add it as pre-command to top menu PGC. If it has indirect LinkTailPGC command leading to post-commands list, you can find the actual button command in that list and then use it as pre-command. This way you even don't need editing commands linking to top menu from other pages or on events.
Then you can hide ('blank' if VOBBlanker) unnecessary material (incl. menu pages) using right click + hide block (all blocks) command.

[manono]

I think menu bypassing can be done easier

I don't. It takes me about 10 seconds using PGCEdit and it doesn't cost a dime. That guide covers all eventualities and looks much more complicated than it really is.

You open the DVD and turn on the Trace (Trace->Trace Mode). You find the menu where you really want it to start, right-click on it, and hit "Toggle PGC pre/post breakpoint" Then you trace through the opening menu to that menu where you really want to start. Then PGC->Jump To PGC upon DVD Insert. Save and Test. That's all. You don't have to process the whole thing. If you mess up somehow, the original IFOs have automatically been saved. Replace them and start over.

that manual explores the case if someone wants to always start watching a movie from the middle

Well, it explores a lot of possibilities, but I don't think it tells you how to start a movie in the middle. Not too many people would find that very useful. To quote from the guide:

This method allows you to jump to any menu or title on insertion of your DVD, setting the audio and subtitle streams of your choice and by-passing anything in your way (e.g. annoying FBI warnings, studio promos and Dolby Digital trailers) and having all the DVDs internal registers set exactly as they would be if the commands followed the original path.

In this case, it shows you how to easily bypass the opening menu where you choose to watch either the fullscreen or widescreen version of the movie, and jump straight to the widescreen movie menu.

[spyhawk]

Bypassing a menu is easily done in DvdReMake Pro. Just right-click on either the fullscreen or widescreen button in the menu, choosing the version you want to keep, and select 'Bypass menu (auto select button)'. This will automatically blank the menu (you will not even see it during playback) and automatically select the button of your choice. Navigation flow is not altered using this feature.

As for replacing the fullscreen movie with a blank VOB, simply 'Hide all blocks' at the VTS level (for single-PGC VTS only, in case you want to keep other video contents in different PGCs), or at the PGC level containing the movie. This is similar to VobBlanker's Blanking feature.

[rayden54]

Thanks. This worked perfectly.