Can I combine two VIDEO_TS files?

[Levina]

Here's the thing: I have two VIDEO_TS folders containing the exact same material, but
folder 1. has better quality but some subs have been left out
folder 2. has all the subs but quality is less.
So, my question is: can I somehow migrate the subs from folder 2 to folder 1?

[terryj]

(easiest) With an authoring Program such as DVD Studio Pro.
Demux the files in the VIDEO_TS folders, export or better embed,
the good subs in the stream, and then take all assets and
re-author a new Video_TS.

(Harder) well, I'd rather not discuss it.

[Levina]

Since I am not prepared - or willing (or able!) - to spend 500 dollar on this, it cannot be done . However, if it's a question of demuxing and rejoining, wouldn't ffmpegX be able to do that? Probably too simple a thought, huh?

[Case]

Wouldn't ffmpegX be able to do that?

It could. Lots of work, though. You would need to rip the subtitles to .srt. The OCR (optical character recognition) tool to make the DVD subtitle images into text based .srt isn't all that good; you would need to tell the app what character it is, quite often. Then you need to spellcheck the end result, changing "1"s to "l"s, "0"s to "O"s, "m" to "rn", etc.
After that you could let ffmpegX mux new subtitles and the other extracted MPEG file into a new authored VIDEO_TS folder, hoping that the timing is exactly the same on both source discs.

[pixel zombie]

you should be able to use dvd2onex

[Case]

you should be able to use dvd2onex

How would that help with mixing subs from one with the video from the other?

[terryj]

it won't.
Pix was thinking probably of a straight up merge between
two Video_TS folders to make one simple Video_TS.

But in this instance, the OP needs the good video from 1 Video_TS,
and the Good Subs from the OTHER Video_TS,
and that level of complex mix/matching can only be handled
easiest from DVDSP.

I also forgot to mention the adjusting of timing that may need
to occur on the sub stream, if say the bad video/good subs
Video_TS is shorter in run time than the Video_TS of good video/bad subs.

No way that can be handled with ffmpegx and say Subtitler or TitleLab.
But thanks for pointing out the hard way Case....I shuddered
just at the thought of posting it.


To the OP...it comes down to HOW BAD DO YOU WANT THIS VIDEO?
Invest $500, get done from existing assets, and burn
or
Invest $15 for ffmpegx, a BOAT load of time, and get it done for free
or
Just find a good source for the Video on DVD and buy it?

choices, choices......

[Levina]

First of all thank you all for being so helpful. It is much appreciated. Right then, what I understand from your responses is that first I need to extract the subtitles into an .srt file. Extracting an .srt file with ffmpegX is something I have never been able to do so far, but I have D-Subtitler for that. Works like a charm (although here too of course, there's quite a bit of editing to do after). Ok, so now I have my .srt file. How do I proceed? Case, you mention 'the other extracted MPEG file'. Does that come with the extracting process in ffmpegX? I have no such file. So I guess, my question now is: how do I add an .srt file to a VIDEO_TS file? Can it be done without re-encoding/converting? And will the menu's all still be there? And -very important- will the subs be soft? (I don't mind a lot of work on this, for me that's half the fun... )

ps: a thought - why .srt, why not VobSub (idx+sub), since, if I recall correctly, the subs in a VIDEO_TS file aren't text based either.

[Case]

How do I proceed?

Use MacTheRipper to extract the feature from the disc to a single file VOB on your hard disk. Rename foo.vob to foo.mpg .

how do I add an .srt file to a VIDEO_TS file?

Tools tab, Author sub-tab. Add an .srt subtitle file to an .mpg file and author as DVD (VIDEO_TS).

Can it be done without re-encoding/converting?

The subs will be converted, but the video and audio will stay as-is.

And will the menu's all still be there?

No, not supported by ffmpegX.

And -very important- will the subs be soft?

Yes.

ps: a thought - why .srt, why not VobSub (.idx/.sub)

ffmpegX does support extraction to idx/sub, but it does not support taking idx/sub for input.

[Levina]

Wow Case, you are great, not to mention faster than lightning! That's it, all my questions on the subject have been answered. Why, it turns out to be as easy as can be (as always when someone provides all the answers... ).
Thank you so much.

[Levina]

It turned out that I couldn't use MTR to make a single VOB file, so I've used MPEG Streamclip instead, but the resulting MPEG file is then 'unrecognized' by ffmpegX (Tool > Author). I'm probably doing something wrong, but I have no idea what. So I'm back, eating my words that it's 'as easy as can be'...

[terryj]

what version MTR? Perhaps you need to upgrade to the newest?

Is this disc badly scratched or damaged you are trying to extract from?

In MpegStreamclip, can you save the VOB instead as DV Stream,
and then use that in ffmpegx to author?

[Case]

Besides ripping issues, note that MPEG Streamclip writes .mpeg files,
and the Author tool in ffmpegX wants the suffix .mpg.

[Levina]

Case and terryj: Sorry for not answering your last contributions. My Superdrive gave in, my iMac went to the shop, they put in a new SD, I didn't like that one so it had to go back to the shop etc., etc. In short: I, or rather my Mac, was busy for some time. But, after catching up on some other, more important things (things that pay the bills that is), I'm back on the subject now and want to give a follow-up on things. I searched the forum a bit and found a little droplet called Make DVD-IMG (version 2). With the image created with that, I could get MTR to work and I got my single VOB file. I then put it in ffmpegX, added the srt file and it worked just fine. So, although a bit late, thanks very much for your help.

[terryj]

u r welcome.