How to convert Titles to Chapters

[Psymon007]

Does anyone know how to convert a title to a chapter? Does anyone know what format I need to convert my video to in order to do that? I want to keep it at maximum possible clarity.

[redwudz]

I'm not clear on what you are asking, but the general answer would be to use a DVD authoring program. You can try the freeware GUI for dvdauthor. Authoring to DVD won't cause any quality loss if the video is already DVD compliant.

And welcome to our forums.

[Psymon007]

My goal is to take two separate titles, combine them, and put it into one title. The midway point would be the end of the first chapter.

Thanks for the warm welcome!

[hech54]

http://members.dodo.net.au/~jimmalenko/test.htm

[Psymon007]

Hech,
I tried converting using VOBedit and ISOedit, but when I burned the movie, it stopped 30 seconds into it.

I tried changing the vob files into mpeg2 and then adding them to DVD Lab Pro, but now the sound doesn't work. I used DVDtoMPeg (I think that's the name of the program).

Redwudz, didn't get a chance to try your idea last night. That's next on the list.

[Safesurfer]

Why not just import the VOB files (let DVD Lab demux them), put the first one in as Movie 1, and the second as Movie 2 in the same title set. Set the connections so that Movie 2 is played after Movie 1. You don't need to add any chapters, as the end of Movie 1 will be set as a chapter.

[Psymon007]

That's what I originally did and it worked great. But now I have more than 99 titles which DVD Lab can't handle. If I combine them, I can mark chapters at each movie and cut down on the time it takes to open and connect each title.

[Safesurfer]

So we've now gone from two to >99 titles! Gotta love the trickle down information approach!

See this in DVD-Lab Pro's online help section, bit of work for you in preparation, but should work.

Joining VOB files
When importing source VOB files, DVD-lab offers a third option. That is, for DVD-lab to join together source program VOB files into one rather large but continuous file. VOB files are divided into 1GB blocks for compatibility with older systems. For joining purposes, DVD-lab requires that your first selected file is the first of the VTS_ named files such as VTS_XX_1.VOB. If you were to then select file names: VTS_XX_1.VOB , VTS_XX_2.VOB, VTS_XX3.VOB (etc.) and Drag & Drop these files into your Assets / Video & Audio Bin, DVD-lab will offer a third option to join all sequential VOBs. When this option is selected, a prompt appears for the disk location of the resulting joined.VOB file which will be a very large file. Consider going out to lunch when this process starts.

When joining is completed. you will notice a joined .VOB file in your Assets / Video & Audio Bin. To make this joined .VOB file into compliant elementary stream files, first remove it from your Assets / Video & Audio Bin with the red X (Remove Asset). Recall that this removal just takes the file out of your Bin but does not delete the file from your disk. Next, open the DVD-lab File Manager, find the joined .VOB file and double-click it to start the demultiplexing dialog as above.

[Psymon007]

In the event I'm doing this in the evening, do I substitute Lunch with Dinner? I just don't want to mess up the final product.

Thanks! I'll give this a shot tonight. Sorry for the trickle down information, I just don't want to fill up these messages with information until it's necessary. I'll let you know if it works tomorrow.

[Psymon007]

I'm using DVD Lab Pro, but I don't see any option for combining the VOBs. Can you explain the three options? I tried clicking and dragging multiple movies into Lab Pro, and it just added it. I tried opening them through the "Open" feature, but no option to combine them there either. I can't find anywhere that says, "Click me to combine VOBs."

[Safesurfer]

Ah, you didn't read carefully enough.

DVD-lab requires that your first selected file is the first of the VTS_ named files such as VTS_XX_1.VOB. If you were to then select file names: VTS_XX_1.VOB , VTS_XX_2.VOB, VTS_XX3.VOB (etc.)

This is only going to work if the VOBs are encoded at the same bitrate.

[Psymon007]

Oh I read carefully.

I labeled the movies, dragged them both in at the same time, they are both from the same movie, so the bitrate is the same, and it still didn't ask if I wanted to combine. I also named them VTS_01_1.vob and VTS_01_2.vob, so I covered that as well. It just put the movies in there the same as if I had dragged movies into it individually.

What version of Lab are you using, perhaps I have an older version?

[Safesurfer]

Oh I read carefully.

I labeled the movies, dragged them both in at the same time, they are both from the same movie, so the bitrate is the same, and it still didn't ask if I wanted to combine. I also named them VTS_01_1.vob and VTS_01_2.vob, so I covered that as well. It just put the movies in there the same as if I had dragged movies into it individually.

What version of Lab are you using, perhaps I have an older version?

I have version 1.53.

Check your project properties, you may have the Demultiplex settings for VOBs set differently to mine.

From the menu, go to Project>Project Properties>Click on the Options tab>Look at the entry under Demultiplex options for VOB files, mine is set to Always Ask.

[Psymon007]

That did it! Thanks! I can now combine movies of equal bitrate. Now...how does one change the bitrate of the movie? Or is that something I will have to live with all my life like my neighbor with his wife?

[Safesurfer]

Now...how does one change the bitrate of the movie? Or is that something I will have to live with all my life like my neighbor with his wife?

The only way to change the bitrate would be to extract the MPEG2 from the VOB and reencode, but you'll lose quality.