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  1. Member
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    I am still new to all of this video stuff... and it keeps getting confusing the more I read.

    I have some ISO images of some DVDs that I ripped using DVDSHRINK and I am trying to find out if there is a way that I can convert these ISO images to another type of file that I can store and view on my pc without having to burn the ISO images to a disc first?

    As far as I understand once you have an ISO image you have to burn the image onto a blank disc and then rip/convert the disc to the file format that you want... right? So... anyways around this???

    Also, what file format do you recommend nowdays to someone that would like to store their DVDs/videos onto a pc for viewing? A format that won't take TOO MUCH hard drive space and that still looks decent? I also would like to be able to have a format that I can easily convert them and use them on my two portable devices; ZUNE and PSP.

    I thank you all kindly for your input...
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  2. Mod Neophyte Super Moderator redwudz's Avatar
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    Don't know about Zune or PSP, but you can use Daemon Tools to make your ISO show as a file, then you can do what you want with it.

    Or much easier, DL FairUse Wizard 2.8. It can accept ISO files. You can convert to Xvid or H.264 or other formats to save them on your hard drive in a more compact format. If you get the pay version, it can also output to formats that may work with your portable players.
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    Or even use VLC ... it'll play the ISO directly - internally "mounts" the image & plays the DVD inside it.

    Trevor
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    thank you both for the replies.

    i have VLC as well as another program here that i forgot the name that i can plug in the ISO image and play on my pc...

    but the whole idea that i want is to be able to CONVERT my ISOs into SMALLER files that have decent video quality so i can store on my PC and play them off of my pc as well as back all of them up onto a blank disc... so this way i can fit more onto the discs.

    i don't want to back up my ISO image directly onto a blank dvd... because i want to fit more files of course onto a blank DVD.

    did i explain it right? i am sorry if i confusing you all... trust me... i am confused myself
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  5. Always Watching guns1inger's Avatar
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    If you shrink them by using a codec with better compression you will

    1. Lose all your menus
    2. Not be able to play them on a standard DVD player

    If you are happy with that, I would suggest you mount the ISO with Daemon tools, then use AutoGK to convert the files to Xvid at around 100 MB per 10 minutes of running time. These files will be playable on DVD players with Divx certification or some chinese knock-offs.

    You will get better quality at smaller sizes if you use H264, but playback will be limited to your PC and some portable devices.
    Read my blog here.
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    thank you again for all the responses. ok... so let me see if i understand this... if i use a program like DAEMON TOOLS, i am able to mount the image and then from there convert the ISO image onto another type of format, right?

    would the software alcohol 120% and SUPER do the same then? because I have both of them already...

    ***edit*** i just tried mounting the image with alcohol 120%, i then used SUPER to convert the files... but once i got to the drive D which is where my ISO image is mounted i get two fodlers, VOB video and the audio folders.

    so if i want to convert these to another format like xvid or lets say another one... how do i do this? choose the VOB video files? what about the VOB audio?

    i am a bit confused, i thought i would just choose the whole mounted image and then convert the darn thing.

    sorry guys... i am really trying hard to understand this. i thank you for your patience and help
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  7. Always Watching guns1inger's Avatar
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    The VOBs contain the video and the audio, as well as subtitles and menus etc. Frankly, while SUPER can be handy for quick conversions of odd codecs, quality is not it's strong suit, and AutoGK will give you a much better results. Also, AutoGK encodes for playback on standalone players. The files SUPER produces may not play on other players.
    Read my blog here.
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  8. Mod Neophyte Super Moderator redwudz's Avatar
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    Did you try FairUse Wizard? It can convert your ISO directly to Xvid or other formats. And it's freeware. Other than that, if you mount it in Daemon Tools, you can use the VIDEO_TS folder now showing in some programs to convert that DVD file to other formats. AutoGK is one that may work.

    Alchohol 120% is just a copy program and SUPER is a bunch of free encoder tools bundled together. But I doubt it can read a VIDEO_TS folder to be able to convert it.

    The AUDIO_TS folder on a DVD is almost always empty and can be ignored for any conversions. The audio for a DVD is in the VOBs in the VIDEO_TS folder.
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    thank you guns1inger. ok, so i am going to check this AUTOGK out.

    so when i see the two folders of my ISO image, the VIDEO TS and AUDIO TS, i just then have the choose ALL of the VIDEO TS files, right?

    the program that i am using to convert then will add all of these VIDEO TS files and make it one big file, for instance, an xvid file?

    i think i know understand this ISO image stuff better then...

    ***to redwudz*** i guess we were both responding to this thread at the same time... did not see what you had said before i wrote the msg above.

    i will try these software that you mentioned. so i guess i just have to choose ALL of the VIDEO TS files inside the VIDEO TS folder and let the program convert them and piece them together.
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    hello again... i am not sure what i am doing wrong. i have downloaded ALL the programs you guys have suggested here and i am still not able to get my ISO files converted. bellow is what i have tried;

    1. using DAEMON TOOLSs i mount the ISO image, i run the AUTOGK software, i try to choose the ISO file mounted and the program tells me, UNSPORTED FILE TYPE.

    i then try to go into the ISO image to access the VIDEO TS folder and in there i see tons of files... if i chose one of the files VIDEO_TS.BUP i get an error message saying UNSUPORTED FILE TYPE, if i chose a VIDEO_TS.IFO file i get the error message ERROR PARSING IFO FILE and if i chose one of the files VIDEO_TS\VIDEO_TS.VOB i don't get an error message but i then can't click on the start button on the bottom because it is grayed out.

    so what i am doing wrong?

    2. i then tried the software FAIRUSE but this one doesn't let me pick the ISO image file direclty that i just mounted using DAEMON TOOLS. i can only access the VIDEO TS and AUDIO TS folders wit this software. i then chose the whole VIDEO TS folder but then i click on NEXT and get the error message THE PROJECT FILE COULD NOT BE CREATED. ACCESS IS DENIED.

    arghhhhh... and i am readin the help me files but i don't see what the heck i am doing wrong...

    so then i decided...what the heck i am going to try mountin the iso and using SUPER to do this just to check it out. so i then choose ALL of the files in the VIDEO TS folder, it converts them to MP4 but instead of having 1 single MP4 file i have the same amount of MP4 files as the VIDETO TS files. i was under the impression that once i convert them the program would then add all of them together and make it ONE file so i can play it.

    i am about to pull my hair out... can someone give me a hand again please? i would really appreciate this from the bottom of my heart
    amd athlon 64 processor 3000+ 2.00 GHz
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  11. Always Watching guns1inger's Avatar
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    I really don't understand why people use ISO files when they aren't going to actually burn them.

    Try this :

    1. Mount the ISO in daemon Tools

    2. Copy the video_ts folder out to your HDD

    3. Use VOBMerge to create a single, large VOB file.

    4. Load this VOB file into AutoGK.

    Now comes the tricky bit : learn how AutoGK (and all the other tools, for that matter) work before you start dicking about with them. To get you started, have a read of this : http://www.divx-digest.com/articles/autogk.html

    We simply do not have the time or space to re-write detailed instructions for every tool because posters can't be bothered doing a bit of research themselves. Most tools have guides and tutorials written for them, and the tools section has links to many of them. The link I just posted (above) comes from the AutoGK page. You should, after reading it, be able to finish off the process.

    In future, if the destination is going to be conversion to another format, avoid the ISO format
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  12. Mod Neophyte Super Moderator redwudz's Avatar
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    OK, with FairUse, you were likely trying to put the project file into the ISO container would be my guess for that error.

    You don't need to use Daemon with FU.
    This is from a FU guide for H.264, but Xvid or Divx is similar: http://www.dvd-guides.com/content/view/160/59/



    1. The project name is just any name you want to use.
    2. This is where you want the finished file to go.
    3. Then click 'next' and that page will ask you where the original file is located.

    From there, you can use 'Auto' most times and not have to set much of anything, just let it run.
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  13. I think the misunderstanding here is what an ISO file is and why it needs Daemon tools (or an equivalent utility) in the first place.

    The ISO is NOT the video files or sound files or anything else that can be directly played, it's a kind of snapshot of the whole original DVD, including all the formatting and DVD stuctures. Obviously, it contains the video and sound but in format that a normal DVD player would accept and extract them from. For normal playing, these extras are only used by the electronics inside the player to tell it about the type of disk and where things are physically stored on it. What Daemon Tools does is fake a real drive by using clever software. When the ISO file is loaded, as far as it is concerned and as far as the computer is concerned, it is on a real DVD and back in a real DVD drive. In other words, the computer thinks you have the original disk inserted. When it mimics a drive it allocates a drive letter to it and the operating system thinks that letter refers to a real peice of hardware.

    Now you effectively have a new drive and the DVD in it, you can use other tools to manipulate it and re-encode it as you wish. Looking into the fake drive you should see the IFO,BUP and VOB files exactly as though you had the original disk in it and you can use them as you wish. Remember that to reach your source files you use the drive letter allocated by Daemon Tools, not the drive with the ISO on it. You should make sure the destination drive, the one your re-encoded files goes to, is a real hard disk, not back to the fake one.

    Clear as mud...

    And before anyone comments... I do know VLC plays ISO directly and can even transcode directly.
    Brian.
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  14. Member
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    Thank you ALL for the replies. I have read all of them and will follow up on every single suggestion you guys gave me as well as read all the guides/links you have provided. I am willing to learn how this whole thing works... I will take my time and try out all the programs you have suggested and take it from there.

    I am aware that ISOs are not the best types of files to have to use on a project if you are not planning on burning them but unfortunately at this time I only have the ISOs of this very important video.

    Thank you all for the info... I kindly appreciate your advise.
    amd athlon 64 processor 3000+ 2.00 GHz
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