Remove Chapter From DVD

[slash75]

I have a DVD with 6 chapters. I want to remove the first chapter and then burn a new DVD with 5 chapters.
Is there an easy way to do this? Or would I need to export the DVD, edit the video - then setup the new chapters in a DVD authoring program? Any help would be great. Thanks.

[manono]

There's an easy way.

Open the DVD in VobBlanker. Highlight the video in the top panel so it appears in the lower panel. Highlight it in the lower panel and hit 'Cells' to the right. In the new screen highlight that first chapter and hit 'Blank' to the right. 'Apply', give it an 'Output Folder, 'Process', and test before burning.

[slash75]

Thanks for the reply. I just tried this following your instructions.
When I open the new VOB file, chapter 1 still shows up. It will not play though.
The DVD starts on chapter 2 now.
This is what I want to happen except for chapter 1 still showing up.
Is there a way to remove that?

[manono]

If you followed the procedure correctly, your chapter one was blanked - replaced by a black screen lasting something like an eighth of a second. Yes, it's possible, but more difficult to get rid of that very short black screen (using PGCEdit), although I don't know why you'd want to. If the entire chapter is still there (can see it when playing the VOB), then you did something wrong. Open the edited one in VobBlanker and go to that same cells screen. If it lasts something like 0.12 of a second, it's not really there. Highlight the chapter and hit the 'Prev/Cut' button to the right. Do you see black, or do you see the original chapter. If you see the original chapter, then you did something wrong.

[slash75]

Yes, chapter 1 shows blank and doesn't play when I open in Windows Media Player. What I meant was that the Chapter 1 title still shows up. That is what I wanted to remove. When I open the cells window all of them show blank for chapter 1.
I added a couple of screen shots below to try to explain better.

[manono]

What are you showing me with that VobBlanker cells screen, the original DVD before blanking? After blanking it should have almost no size and last almost no length. I ask again, why do you want to remove all traces of it since, when played, you'll notice no glitch or anything at all to indicate there's a chapter there?

Does this thing have a menu? If not, you can reauthor it using DVD Shrink, I think (I don't use it, myself) by dragging all the chapters but the first over to the left side. The way I'd do it, if I thought it worth doing (which I don't, unless you come up with a good reason), would be in PGCEdit. Chapters can be completely deleted in it. But if there's a menu it's going to wreak havoc with the menu navigation unless you know your way around menu commands.

[slash75]

Maybe I am not explain correctly. I original DVD had a menu with 6 chapters.
I just wanted to remove the first chapter. The new DVD would then have 5 chapters.
I went ahead and burned what I had done originally and the new DVD no longer has the first chapter (It starts right on the 2nd one). The first chapter does still show up even though it is blank (That is what I was showing in the screen shot)).

The disc plays fine - I was just wondering why chapter 1 still showed up on the new disc after removing it.
If there are now only 5 chapters why does it still show that there are 6 even thought the first is blank?
I guess what your saying is that I can't remove that with this software. I think I am just over complicating things.

The other screen shot was of the VOBBlanker cells screen after blanking...

Thanks for all your help. I appreciate it!

[manono]

If that VobBlanker pic is of the edited and finished DVD, then you did something wrong. After blanking there should be just a single frame black screen. The chapter doesn't get removed, only blanked. This way menu navigation is maintained.

That's right, VobBlanker doesn't remove it. To remove it completely is a bit more difficult, and PGCEdit is the preferred software for that. But it may also require some additional work afterwards. If you want to try, open the DVD in PGCEdit. Double-click on the video and in the new 'PGC Editor' screen hit 'Remove Cells'. In the new 'Remove Cell' screen go Remove Cell->Cell 1 (which is the default setting). I didn't do anything after that as I didn't really want to remove a cell in the DVD with which I was testing. There may be some messages and warnings.

[slash75]

Ok thanks - I Will give it a shot.