DVD reauthoring

[Meagain]

Hello all,

what would be, in your (hopefully informed) opinion the best software to rip a DVD and get rid of the irrelevant stuff in the process.
I have tried DVDShrink, but I feel it's to involved - there ought to be an easier if not better way.

Thank you

[guns1inger]

DVD Shrink is about as simple as it gets, so if you think it is too involved, you may have picked the wrong hobby. Other free alternatives are VobBlanker, Titleset Blanker and PGCEdit. DVD Remake is not free, but is very powerful when it comes to re-authoring.

[Meagain]

DVD Shrink is about as simple as it gets, so if you think it is too involved, you may have picked the wrong hobby.

You may well be right, friend. I'll check out your suggestions though.
Thanks for your reply!

[filmboss80]

There are lots of helpful guides and tutorials for DVDShrink, both here and on sites like Doom9. Using the program's Reauthor mode, it is just about as easy as you're going to get.

[OldeMan]

guns1inger is right on...

I have a video hobby (we say that at the beginning of the AA meeting). I create DVDs of a Barbershop group for their internal (not for sale) use.

DVD structure is complex and relevant documentation is hard to find. There are countless apps (pay and free) for creating a somewhat workable DVD. DVD re-authoring is not easy. There are few apps just for re-authoring. The free re-authoring apps will work IF you know what you're doing. they are not forgiving enough for the casual user.

DVD Remake Pro is simply the best Re-Authoring app available for the home user.

Its forgiving (built in UNDO functions) and extremely powerful. A well thought out and almost bug free product.... for the casual user. It is for Re-Authoring NOT for creating a DVD from your camcorder.

I use DVD Remake Pro to "polish" (make it operate exactly the way I want) a DVD after building it from scratch with Sony Vegas products. I have also used it to tidy up DVDs created by DVD Lab which is very good at creating DVD menus and compliant DVDs.

This reads like an sales pitch but I think DVD Remake Pro is way under rated.

I have no ties to any of these products other than personal use. 8)

p.s.
Wouldn't you know it...soon as I finish this post I see that a new version of PGCEdit has been posted... It is the best of the free re-authoring app. Worth checking out..

[Meagain]

guns1inger is right on...

I have a video hobby (we say that at the beginning of the AA meeting). I create DVDs of a Barbershop group for their internal (not for sale) use.

DVD structure is complex and relevant documentation is hard to find. There are countless apps (pay and free) for creating a somewhat workable DVD. DVD re-authoring is not easy. There are few apps just for re-authoring. The free re-authoring apps will work IF you know what you're doing. they are not forgiving enough for the casual user.

DVD Remake Pro is simply the best Re-Authoring app available for the home user.

Its forgiving (built in UNDO functions) and extremely powerful. A well thought out and almost bug free product.... for the casual user. It is for Re-Authoring NOT for creating a DVD from your camcorder.

I use DVD Remake Pro to "polish" (make it operate exactly the way I want) a DVD after building it from scratch with Sony Vegas products. I have also used it to tidy up DVDs created by DVD Lab which is very good at creating DVD menus and compliant DVDs.

This reads like an sales pitch but I think DVD Remake Pro is way under rated.

I have no ties to any of these products other than personal use. 8)

Hello OldeMan, from one oldie to another (I'm 51 - ancient by todays standards) and thank you for your well-formulated, informed and instructive reply.

First off - let me wish you all the best as far as sobriety goes (your reference to AA, if it was not in jest) I am myself an AA member here in Sweden, and I know perhaps better than most what you have to face each and every day. My heart goes out to you and everybody in this predicament

I was struggling with 'cleaning up' a film (the Prestige - great film btw!) when your reply came in. Because that is what my reauthoring efforts are all about, getting rid of all the dire warnings and...well you know. I want just the film.
"DVD structure is complex and relevant documentation is hard to find" you say. No sh*t! I find myself viewing every (.VOB) file on the disc using mplayer classic and crossing out the unwanted stuff. Still, that's not foolproof so I write the result of my efforts to an RW DVD.

Perhaps some day I'll get the hang of this, who knows? By the by I am using DVD Remake Pro and trying to learn it so perhaps it won't be such a monumental task each time to re-author a DVD.

Again thanks, and my heartfelt best wishes for you OldeMan!

Goran

[XyBeRz]

DVDFab Platinum is easy and works great. Try it out and I'll think you'll be happy.

[Meagain]

DVDFab Platinum is easy and works great. Try it out and I'll think you'll be happy.

Thanks a lot, i'll try it immediately!

[fritzi93]

For "getting rid of irrelevant stuff", DVDShrink is rather limited. But it's easy.

Free and not too difficult: VobBlanker, TitlesetBlanker.

Free and quite difficult: PgcEdit.

Good luck.

[manono]

If you want to keep the menus and be selective about what you want to get rid of, then I second VobBlanker as being the easiest and best. It'll easily get rid of useless text screens such as the warnings. It can easily keep this extra and get rid of that one. It can easily still menus, so they don't take up as much space. It can easily get rid of this audio stream but keep that one. If you only want the movie, then Shrink in Reauthor Mode is the way to go. Here's a guide to blanking with VobBlanker:

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

PGCEdit can do all of those things as well (and a lot more), perhaps in conjunction with VobBlanker or FixVTS, but has a much steeper learning curve.

[Meagain]

OK, thanks fritzi93 and manono for your answers!