Burnt DVD with vob problem (not playing on computer)

[lamaddvd]

Hi all. I have a problem with DVDs burnt on a hard disc recorder Panasonic DMR EX75. When I record stuff - tv programme via a digital receiver, not copy protected or anything - on the harddrive and then burn it to DVD, those DVDs work okay on other standalone DVD players (I've tried on several standalones, the burnt DVDs played fine on all of them). I am using various discs, though mainly Verbatim +R and +R DL, I don't record high speed or anything, I just use the normal copy function the Panasonic offers.

However, when I put them into my computer (Win2000) I have this problem: The DVD can be read and all the files are shown, I can also copy them (either by drag and drop or ripping) on my computer harddrive. But the dvd won't play properly: When opening it in Power DVD I get an error code saying "The DVD disc might have been damaged so as to inhibit playback operation".

I can open the vob files separately, BUT the first one seems to have a problem; the image is pushed to a corner so that only part can be seen and it is pixelated and jittery, or it just flickers black and green. I have this effect with various dvd software (Power DVD, VLC, Windows Media Player just plain crashes with an error message before opening any image at all) and with both my disc drives. I have also tried it at work on different pcs and with other drives and software. The VTS_01_1.VOB just won't play right. The second or later vob files usually play okay (won't work with VLC sometimes).
Screenshots for comparison of non-working compared to working vob file from the same disc see below, captured in Power DVD:
http://www.absoluterabbit.com/pix/screen-vob1-2.jpg

Given the fact that the DVDs are finalised and do play without a problem on standalone players, and that the files can be copied or ripped, I would think that the vob files and the data as such are not totally corrupt? But with 1.VOB displaying the same problems when opened in any of my dvd software, there must be *something* wrong somewhere.

I really need those DVDs, or rather the vob files, to work on my pc (and I also want to be able to work with them; i.e. edit them, convert to avi etc.), therefore I am desperately looking for a solution, but I am not clear where the problem lies, as I don't know much about the finer technical details of vob file content and all that.

The content of the VIDEO_TS looks like this (example):
VIDEO_TS.BUP
VIDEO_TS.IFO
VIDEO_TS.VOB
VTS_01_0.BUP
VTS_01_0.IFO
VTS_01_1.VOB (0.99 GB)
VTS_01_2.VOB (428 GB)

So all the files seem to be there. I was hoping that someone could point me in the right direction - I don't know if this is a problem associated with burnt DVDs from dvd recorders when using them on computers - and what I can do to find out what's wrong with the vob or any other file and data, and if it is possible to correct that.

I have tried to find information on the web and on here, checking about bad/corrupt/problem vob topics, but couldn't find anything relating to this exact problem (maybe because I'm not sure what to look for, because I don't really know why this is happening - some sort of corruption, format problem etc.).

I'd be very glad about any help regarding this, thanks!

[redwudz]

I do find it a bit odd that they play fine on a settop player but not a PC. That seems to rule out media or the burning procedure. You might try extracting the MPEG file from the DVD with VOB2MPG and reauthoring it with a program like GUI for dvdauthor.

Other than that, it sounds like there is a flaw in the authoring. There are a few tools to help with this, but I have no experience with them. FixVTS, PgcEdit, are a couple that come to mind.

Maybe others have some better ideas.

And welcome to our forums.

[lamaddvd]

Thanks for the answer and the nice welcome. I've found lots of help on this site over the past few years, but can't quite get around this problem.

If the problem is with the authoring of the Panasonic that'd be annoying because there's probably not much I can do about that. It actually has crossed my mind that the recorder writing/authoring might be the source of the problem. What does confuse me though, is that the dvds work fine with other standalone players, so on the other hand the authoring can't be that off the mark otherwise I'd think the playback would not work outside of the Panasonic recorder?

Even IF that's where the problem lies, I hope that there can be a way to mend it; i.e. I can rescue the vob data and work with it on the computer. Unfortunately I don't know which software(s) best to use in order to have a look at the content of the files on the dvd and see what might be wrong with them, plus, even if I had I don't have much of a clue what to look for that might not be right and give the computer these problems.

I will try with VOB2MPG and see what that brings.

[lamaddvd]

I have now tried:

VOB2MPG - creates a 1.43 gig mpg or so file from the vobs, then tried to author this with GUI for dvdauthor. There it said "no real mpg file" and "no sequence header found" (I installed the German version but this is how I would translate the error messages that came up).

FixVTS - no effect, the created 01_1.VOB still plays faulty

PgcEdit - result says "Missing VOB file VTS_01_0.VOB, when trying to preview the full dvd, and error message comes up saying "Error while loading VOB file ....\VTS_01_1.VOB Could it be encrypted?"
screenshot from PgcEdit:
http://www.absoluterabbit.com/pix/pgc_screen.jpg

Does any of this help to determine what is wrong with that VOB file? This confuses me more by the minute; the thing plays fine on my standalone player so the data must be hidden SOMEWHERE in there, why in the world can't any of the software progs work with it?

[davexnet]

Have you tried dragging the bad VOB into virtualdub to see how it looks?
You'll need the mpeg-2 plugin for virtualdub first:
http://fcchandler.home.comcast.net/~fcchandler/Plugins/MPEG2/index.html

[offshore kiwi]

Hello. I don't have a magic answer for you, but at least a workaround & a couple of tidbits of information:

I've had a Panasonic DMR-EX77 for the past 8 months or so. A fortnight ago I recorded a TV program via timer recording, using FR (flexible recording) mode. Afterwards I copied it to DVD & then successfully sucked all four VOB files into VirtualDub (with the fccHandler MPEG-2 plugin). I'd never copied anything off the Panasonic before, but it worked. So far, so good.

Then last week I recorded the next episode of the same TV program. The only difference was that this time I used Panasonic's "Auto renewal" recording mode. I then copied the recording to DVD as per the previous week and moved to the PC. But this time the first VOB file (VTS_01_1.VOB) appears corrupted.
- VirtualDub reports it as having a frame size of 352x240 (instead of the expected 720x576), and refuses to do anything with it.
- But the DVD playsokay on the Panasonic and also on the PC (using several players).
- Note that VirtualDub coped with the remaining three VOB files just fine - it's just the first one that is the issue.

Is the "Auto renewal" setting the problem, or just a red herring? Was it just luck that my recording the previous week copied successfully? Sorry, but I haven't had a chance to look any further.

Anyway; I tried editing out the first few seconds of the recording on the Panasonic HDD recording, and then copyiong to DVD again, but the result was the same.

After a hunt around I downloaded the 30 day evaluation of DVDFab. I used this to read the DVD created by the Panasonic (using customize mode). DVDFab then recreated the full DVD content on my PC HDD, and surprise, surprise - all four VOB files that it created imported into VirtualDub without problem.

So; not a solution, but maybe a workaround for you in the meantime. If I find anything else I'll post it.

[usually_quiet]

I have now tried:

VOB2MPG - creates a 1.43 gig mpg or so file from the vobs, then tried to author this with GUI for dvdauthor. There it said "no real mpg file" and "no sequence header found" (I installed the German version but this is how I would translate the error messages that came up).

I find GFD works better with elementary (demultiplexed) audio and video files than with the .mpg files that I create or .VOB files from my Pannasonic recorder.

[qpskfec]

Try to open the vob files with VideoRedo (free trial), it has the ability to fix some stream problems.