Converting DVD's to HDD format only

[1337assassin]

there are a lot of guides about backing up and converting to HDD but I havent read anything which addresses my need

I want to back up my DVD collection, its quite extensive, comprised of VCD's, DVD5's, DVD9's, Blu-Ray DVD's and 3D Blu-Ray DVD's

i want them all playable on my HDD, from my HDD, with all menus, subtitles, languages, Commentaries, and other options in tact.

I dont want all of the previews and extra junk though

And I want to keep the same DVD Quality, i dont mind "compression" in the realm of converting one 8GB movie into 3 or 4 GB, but thats about it, i would prefer all VOB's stay as they are, without any conversion at all

The problem I'm having is getting them to play properly, i often use Cyberlink PowerDVD 10

Currently, I copy the VIDEO_TS.IFO file, and the VTS_03_1.VOB, VTS_03_2.VOB, VTS_03_3.VOB, etc, where "03" is the number of the stream of the 1GB video file series, with the last one being less than 1GB

and I copy the VTS_03_1.IFO file, with the same name as the first 1GB file

I do not usually copy the VTS_03_0.VOB file

and only some of the DVD's have a VIDEO_TS.VOB file, which hasnt proven very useful at all.

there are often 17 different IFO files, and several other series going up to 07 or higher, some often contain an additional 1GB or more per series, adding a substantial amount data to the overall size

i dont want to use all of the other streams, like the VTS_04_*.VOB series, the VTS_01_*.VOB series, the VTS_07_*.VOB series etc..

but i often click the VIDEO_TS.IFO file and it plays on some of the more simple DVD's, but on more complex DVD's, with a lot more material, previews, and other mandatory screens, etc, it doesnt play

and I have also never been able to view the 2D stream only in 3D Blu-Ray movies from my HDD

can anyone tell me how to preserve the Entire DVD without the extra crap, in VOB format, uncompressed, and easily readable from my Computer, regardless of the complexity of the folder-structure, and what additional files are included?

sometimes, even with the entire DVD in the folder on the HDD, it doesnt work with menus from clicking on the VIDEO_TS.IFO file.

if I click directly on the 1GB VOB file, i lose all control over subtitles and languages.

and clicking on the 1GB VOB file also plays instantly in 3D, without being able to see a 2D version, which is available from the menu

i would appreciate any thoughts and information as to the details of how to bring the Movie completely to the HDD with full compatibility and full, future-proof- quality

because lets be honest, it wont be long until we are all using 1.5 petabyte drives

then 1.5 exabytes, then 1.5 zettabytes, then 1.5 yottabytes

and just as everyone was kicking themselves for converting all of their CD's to low-quality MP3's to fit on the largest 512 mb mp3 players available, and throwing out their CD collection, so too will everyone be kicking themselves for losing any quality on their movie collection in a few years from now.

[1337assassin]

almost every guide i've seen which claims to be a back-up guide is actually a compression, ripping, and converting guide

i really just need to know how to bring my VOB files to my HDD from my DVD and be able to change subtitles and languages, i dont care about root menus, but i need to be able to read the language and subtitle info from within the player

does VOB2MPEG keep all of the languages and subtitle streams selectable during playback?

thanks

[hech54]

DVDFabDecrypter. Copy the whole damn DVD or Blu Ray disc to your hard drive....done.

[1337assassin]

I guess i didnt make it very clear, the reason i created a new thread

let me give it another go

I dont have any trouble getting them onto the HDD from the DVD, as the DVD's in my Region do not require all the Encryptions used in some other countries

what I would like to do at this point is create a reliable way to play DVD files with all selectable Audio and Subtitle Streams, without clicking on a separate VIDEO_TS file

and I want them at the same DVD Quality, without conversion or loss of video or sound quality

I would also like the Extra previews and other non-movie clips removed from the movie folder completely

thats what I am going for here, is it a tall order?

any advice on those lines would be greatly appreciated

[hech54]

I guess i didnt make it very clear, the reason i created a new thread

let me give it another go

what I would like to do at this point is create a reliable way to play DVD files with all selectable Audio and Subtitle Streams, without clicking on a separate VIDEO_TS file

I watch ripped VIDEO_TS folders almost on a daily basis...and select between two languages and two subtitle languages with Power DVD. Simply open the VIDEO_TS folder, right click on the VIDEO_TS.IFO file, Open With: PowerDVD...and Power DVD plays the folder EXACTLY as if it were playing a DVD in the drive. The buttons to switch between languages and subtitles are right there below the screen...available at any time.

[hech54]

I would also like the Extra previews and other non-movie clips removed from the movie folder completely

Also easily done with DVDFabDecrypter, or even DVDShrink. What you are talking about is re-authoring the DVD...to remove all of the unwanted material.....and no you do NOT need to change the image quality if you do not want to. All of these softwares have the ability to NOT compress your DVD. Just because it is called DVDShrink doesn't mean it always "shrinks" or compresses the video. It can and WILL output without compression.

[1337assassin]

ya, i know, i do that too, but i dont like doing it because it doesnt work on every type of DVD, I have found that certain DVD's with complex file structures and play components do not function properly when clicking on the VIDEO_TS.IFO file, especially if only the Movie VOB's and the corresponding IFO are in the folder, with all other additional and extra content like previews, splash screens, information screens, etc etc, all removed and I wanted to find a more reliable way thanks for your reply though

[1337assassin]

so what you are saying is that its only possible by re-authoring the DVD, and how long does that process take? i dont really want to search through every DVD and select the same stuff over and over again, browsing every component.

but, if thats the only way, could you tell me a bit more about what it entails, thanks

[hech54]

It's actually VERY easy....especially with DVDShrink....and DVDShrink will open the folders you already have on your HDD....no need to re-rip the original or anything.

[hech54]

Basic re-authoring guide for DVDShrink:
http://www.dvdshrink.info/re-author.php

This guide is for an OLD version of DVDShrink....it is actually even easier with the last version of the program.

[1337assassin]

thanks.. so it outputs VOB files, is that right? and what kind of "Compression" does it use to reach its target sizes,

i have some trilogies or Dilogies where the first movie came out a long time ago and the second movie is newer and much bigger, i thought of making them the same size.. not sure why i thought that really.. uniformity i suppose

and the output will be Video_TS.IFO, and the VTS VOB files, just like the DVD? thanks for the link

[hech54]

DVDShrink will output a DVD (VIDEO_TS folder). Output size depends on how much you remove from the original. Again...you DO NOT NEED TO COMPRESS anything. If you do not want DVDShrink or DVDFabDecrypter to compress(or transcode) the video...they will not compress the video.

[1337assassin]

i cant get dvdshrink to open the files from my hardrive, it says the system cannot find the specified file, or if i drag it to stage, it says it says DVDshrink encountered a problem

any ideas?

[1337assassin]

its not half bad, takes about a long to reauthor it from the DVD Drive on disk as it does just to copy the DVD disk to my hard drive, minus about a minute and half of authoring work to select everything for the DVD

Its too bad it cant reauthor functioning menus... but no menus is just fine

it can run multiple instances of DVDshrink, so i guess I can do 4 at a time on my two computers, which isnt that bad

its just like re-ripping all my DVD's again, which im not looking forward to, i only hope the data on the DVD disks is still in tact.. those stupid Disks are so fragile

If they would make a little mini solid-state media cartridge to replace Disks, we probably wouldnt even need to worry about putting them all on a HDD, except that its essential for Home Entertainment set ups

but home Systems would be best served with complete intact functionality of menus from Movie selection from Hard Drives

America is silly with the whole pirate thing, they seem almost brain-damaged.. they ruin the entire media experience because their own greed and power-mongering, worrying about a few bad apples who think their DVD movies need to be given away freely to the world. When in fact, its simply normal and decent minds which realize that the DVD is your own personal property, and for use in your own storage devices, for your own pleasure and entertainment. they are so anal over the whole pirating thing that they are destroying the rights of normal people, enslaving and oppressing us all into a state of misery and suffering because of their own naivety in believing that they can somehow control every single person's actions on the planet in order to scrape up that extra 10 dollars for their 3rd swimming pool or Lamborghini, destroying the lives of millions of honest people who are forced to behave like silly little wankers in order to try and abide the mythical whims and the fancies of Hollywood day-dreamers which cannot exist in its current state as anything more than a threat and tyrannical oppression and a gross abuse of power, in the name and guise of justice, which is just an excuse to exploit and destroy all of our rights in the name of trying to make sure that nobody will ever be dishonest, in the biggest pipe-dream ever to hit the American public.

Its like making everyone buy certain clothes, that can only be worn with the tag on the outside of them, and a security barcode on the sleeve, which prevents you from attending a variety of social activities, just because they think it will help stop a very limited few people from stealing clothes

its ridiculous, perpetuated by people who dont know anything about rights or the internet, and cant see past their own next large and extravagant purchase, etched into the minds and lifestyles of the largest concentration of narcissistic megalomaniacs on the planet, Hollywood

[bendixG15]

1337assassin - I see that you are a newbie.

Your rant on America and the pirates is against the rules here.

We keep politics out of discussion to keep people from throwing rocks at each other.

Please comply.

[hech54]

i cant get dvdshrink to open the files from my hardrive, it says the system cannot find the specified file, or if i drag it to stage, it says it says DVDshrink encountered a problem

any ideas?

You need to open the VIDEO_TS folder.

[1337assassin]

1337assassin - I see that you are a newbie.<br />
<br />
Your rant on America and the pirates is against the rules here.<br />
<br />
We keep politics out of discussion to keep people from throwing rocks at each other.<br />

Please comply.

<br />


I really didnt think there was anything political about that, nor anything which anyone could rebut or feel upset about

i really dont think there is even an opposite point of view to that

I think i was really just stating the laws, and im quite disappointed that there seems to be a growing number of people who think that discussing laws should be punishable, and something to fear, in silence, for fear of tyrannical and empirical actions of private interest groups

this is not anything political, please understand the difference between saying something political, and simply stating facts or discussing laws and their implications

i dont think we need to further the dark silence of fear which is already strangling out most free and intelligent thinking in the world today.

[1337assassin]

i cant get dvdshrink to open the files from my hardrive, it says the system cannot find the specified file, or if i drag it to stage, it says it says DVDshrink encountered a problem

any ideas?

You need to open the VIDEO_TS folder.

I do, i think the problem is that I dont have the entire contents of the DVD in that folder on my HDD, i only have the Movie files, the corresponding IFO, and the Video_TS files

Im sure its impossible to read and reauthor a DVD when half of the information is missing, so it looks like I'm stuck with having to do them all again from the original disks

[1337assassin]

I originally didnt plan to have a need for subtitles to my English movies, but after i put them all on my HDD, with half a mind to convert them all to around 4 GB someday perhaps, and i included the IFO files so that everything would be present, the Audio, the subs, and the video.

and those should theoretically all be playable from the Video_TS file, actually they should really be selectable from clicking on any of the movie VOB's, but they arent, they only work if you begin the movie from the Video_TS file , which in turn doesnt work sometimes if other files are not included

its not a big problem to not have video and subs selectable, except that my GF needs the English subtitles, so now i have to go back and redo all my work with DVDshrink i guess

[fritzi93]

and what kind of "Compression" does it use to reach its target sizes

If you really want to know, then here:

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?&threadid=63587

Not to belabor the obvious, but transcoding is not the same thing as re-encoding. For your purposes it's all bye-the-bye, no compression is needed.

If you want to remove unwanted streams and still keep functioning menus, you need VobBlanker.

[EDIT] Oh yeah, the long-time members here are pretty jaded about that political stuff, we've heard it all before. So knock it off, will you?

[1337assassin]

If you really want to know, then here:

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?&threadid=63587

Not to belabor the obvious, but transcoding is not the same thing as re-encoding. For your purposes it's all bye-the-bye, no compression is needed.

If you want to remove unwanted streams and still keep functioning menus, you need VobBlanker.

[EDIT] Oh yeah, the long-time members here are pretty jaded about that political stuff, we've heard it all before. So knock it off, will you?

thanks.. would you mind giving me a model workflow for DVD to HDD?

does VOBblanker just blank them and you are good to go? can it read from the disk or do you need to copy them to the HDD first? and does it have to re-assemble the VOB's, IFO's and TS files, and create them in a new output Video_TS folder? or do the original DVD files just work where they are on the HDD, with the original files just undergoing a quick 'blanking'?

thanks alot for your help

[fritzi93]

VobBlanker will remap the structure and output a new folder. There are a number of guides for it, just click on VobBlanker and look for them partway down the page. Better for you to just read through a well thought-out guide rather than me posting a few things off the top of my head.

[1337assassin]

VobBlanker will remap the structure and output a new folder. There are a number of guides for it, just click on VobBlanker and look for them partway down the page. Better for you to just read through a well thought-out guide rather than me posting a few things off the top of my head.

ok thanks, but VOBshrink isnt working as well as I had hoped, and VOBblank will no doubt have similar issues or look similarly strange on playback in my Home Entertainment Media Devices

the best solution seems to be playback directly from an ISO image file on the HDD

thanks for all your help though