Experience of lifetime – cut out parts of DVD to make a smaller version

[technogeek]

Experience of lifetime – cut out parts of DVD to make a smaller version

The Project was to cut out different parts of scenes (a certain family video) from 3 DVDs (made by studio fellow) and make it into a smaller compact version of one DVD to enabling shorter viewing time.

How simple and easy it may sound and with my field and years of knowledge of audio video systems it wouldn’t be a difficult job. But it did to an extreme level!

I am a fan of freeware and I do have several programs for various audio video editing work; I used Boil soft video splitter to cut out parts of video after having gone through the video several times. But sometimes due to minor glitches I also used Chopper XP to cut out parts of vob file. The result was I got 26 individual vob files. Next sorted files into three different sizes so as to make one dvd but with three files 892 MB (file 1 to file 10), 1.31 GB (file 11 to 12 and so on), and 765 MB.

Now I combined these vob files using vstrip gui (I have used it earlier also) by putting start LBA as 0000000 and end LBA as 9999999. This way it did combine files into three sizes as mentioned. Next renamed files to VTS_01_1, VTS_01_2 and VTS_01_3. Next opened up ifoedit to create ifo files and religiously used the guides mentioned here and elsewhere. used nero (somebody else’s machine) to burn onto DVD media. And the disc was ready on the 2nd day!

But alas some days later I realized that when it is played on standalone DVD player, the dvd while playing in between skips to the end and then stops playing. So 2nd attempt; this time again extracted few segments with Boilsoft video splitter. Combined old and few new segments. Next joined vobs, this time kept all vobs under 1 GB (total 4 Vobs). Created ifo using ifoedit. Then used imgburn to burn the video-dvd. But again realized next day, that this time the 2nd individual cut segment (which is now part of single vob file) was being played first, then the 1st part and then continuing properly with few glitches.

By this time I was already onto my next day afternoon. I again tried with individual files. Renamed all files properly in sequence. I used vobedit to join and it created three vobs. Maybe I used ifoedit to create ifo also.I created DVD iso file this time using some other programs. I installed Magic ISO magic disk virtual drive program to ensure I don’t burn coasters. Mounted ISO file and checked with power dvd 8 and windows media player. But again the DVD didn’t behave as expected.

Next I understood I need to convert the whole dvd into mpeg 2 format, believing the original vobs are not in proper structure. This way it will unwrap itself, then I can rewrap the mpeg2 file using some authoring program. Using vob2mpg I converted vob to mpg format. I got a single file with mpg extension, that did not work properly. Next fired up virtualdubmpeg2 and tried to convert individual vob to avi uncompressed to that all errors can be eliminated and then I can reencode with some authoring program. But for first file I got error message “Anachronistic or discontinuous timestamp found in video stream 0 at byte postion…..”. for remaining no error. Even virtualdubmod gave me the same error for file1. Research on forums for this, however time was running. Anyways I experimented with file 2, converted into uncompressed format using vdub. Fired up avi2dvd to see if it can pick up avi and convert to dvd. But no after several retries with built in encoders all I got was this:
[11:03:30 PM] AVI2DVD Started !
[11:03:32 PM] Type mode : Avi Input
[11:03:32 PM] Output : Dvd
[11:03:32 PM] Encoder Selected : HCEnc
[11:03:32 PM] Start demuxing the AudioStream No.1 ...
[11:04:50 PM] Demuxing of the selected audio finished
successfully ! [V:\Avi2dvd_temp\Extracted_Audio.ac3
14315520 Bytes]
[11:04:50 PM] Starts Audio correction ...
[11:04:56 PM] Audio Fixed successfully !
[V:\Avi2dvd_temp\Fixed_Audio01.ac3 0 Bytes]
[11:04:56 PM] Starts Ac3->Ac3 convertion ...
[11:04:57 PM] Audio converted in Ac3 successfully !
[V:\Avi2dvd_temp\AudioStream 1 AC3 2CH.ac3 0 Bytes]
[11:04:57 PM] Job NOT Done. There are warnings ... Find
at the log file the 0 byte generated file to focus where
exactly the problem appears
------------------------------

By this time I had already pulled all my hair. Next I used DVDAuthorGui which was real saviour. With a second time try I was able to create the VIDEO_TS folder with ifo files and proper vob files. It did combine itself all individual vob files into one single dvd layer with 3 vob files. Yes there were warnings also. partial log file is as follows:

STAT: Processing U:\new copy2\VTS_01_002.vob...
WARN: Discontinuity of 4320 in audio channel 8; please remultiplex input.
WARN: Previous sector: 0.500 - 0.572
WARN: Current sector: 0.620 - 0.692
STAT: VOBU 123 at 41MB, 13 PGCs
STAT: VOBU 139 at 47MB, 13 PGCs

---
STAT: Processing U:\new copy2\VTS_01_007.vob...
WARN: Audio pts for channel 8 moves backwards by 1; please remultiplex input.
WARN: Previous sector: 4.751 - 4.823
WARN: Current sector: 4.823 - 4.895
WARN: Discontinuity of 1 in audio channel 8; please remultiplex input.
WARN: Previous sector: 4.823 - 4.895
WARN: Current sector: 4.895 - 4.967

---
CHAPTERS: VTS[1/1] 0.000
CHAPTERS: VTS[2/1] 0.000
WARN: GOP may not be closed on cell 1 of source U:\new copy2\VTS_01_002.vob of pgc 2
CHAPTERS: VTS[3/1] 0.000
WARN: GOP may not be closed on cell 1 of source U:\new copy2\VTS_01_003.vob of pgc 3

-----
STAT: fixing VOBU at 3MB (17/5244, 0%)
STAT: fixing VOBU at 8MB (33/5244, 0%)
STAT: fixing VOBU at 14MB (49/5244, 0%)
STAT: fixing VOBU at 20MB (65/5244, 1%)
STAT: fixing VOBU at 26MB (81/5244, 1%)
STAT: fixing VOBU at 32MB (97/5244, 1%)
STAT: fixing VOBU at 38MB (113/5244, 2%)

The complete log file is attached below.

I think maybe dvdauthorgui did fix some errors in vob. Next created iso file, mounted as dvd virtual drive and checked properly. It worked!!! Next day burned the iso on dvd and checked on standalone player it worked, but with one minor glitch, that in first vob file after few minutes that particular chapter can be forwarded, if we do it forwards but when u press play button it comes back to start of chapter. Remaining dvd forwarding was fine. Not that great an error hence burned more dvd copies.

Next to do VCD conversion. Mounted ISO image in virtual dvd rom. Used flaskmpeg and made settings for PAL VCD with resize to 352 x 288 (pal VCD format). Video was uncompressed. Got 16 GB single file. Next used avi2vcd to encode into proper VCD file format. However towards the end power outage made my file incomplete. However somehow got the job done few hours later with two VCD complaint files. Although poor quality of video. Used Ashampoo burning studio and made VCD copies. With a big sigh, task finally complete.!!!

I did happen to go through other software like tmpeg, dvd shrink, dvdx (for vcd conversion), bbmpeg but of no use.

I am yet to find the most fool proof and efficient (no error method) way to create proper dvd with the complex vob structure built properly.

[guns1inger]

I have only skimmed the content. but what does stand out to me is that you have managed to turn taking a simple exercise of taking a few select scenes from a few DVD videos discs and compiling them into another DVD of highlights into the most needlessly convoluted way of producing the lowest quality crap possible. If you believe you actually have some idea of how to work with video and audio, you are sadly deluded.

[yoda313]

I am yet to find the most fool proof and efficient (no error method) way to create proper dvd with the complex vob structure built properly.

Streamlined process:

1 - rip with dvdfabdecrypter or dvdshrink if its a homemade dvd which is what it sounds like
2 - cut out what you want with mpg2cut2 - or directly off the disc before ripping with dvdshrink - but it is a little more cumbersome and has a small screen for viewing the cuts - mpg2cut2 is easier once you have the dvd ripped on the harddrive.
3 - load the vobs into avstodvd or multiavchd and author the dvd to your liking
4 - burn to a quality disc like verbatim or taiyo yuden using imgburn

Done.

Finito

Voila

No more steps necessary.

The only thing to make it simpler is to cut and rip with dvd shrink but you may find the sensitivity of finding the exact cut point to be a bit frustrating with dvd shrink. It is much easier to rip the full disc first than cut the vobs with mpg2cut2.

That is your complete freeware guide to cutting and reassembling a dvd.

Fyi of course if you have a payware authoring program you'd like to use you can skip step 3 and load the vobs directly to the authoring program of your choosing. But I'd still author the disc to the harddrive and burn with imgburn - I wouldn't trust the built in burning program of an authoring app to get it right. Use a dedicated program for each step to get maximum results.

[technogeek]

yoda313, thank you for your reply. I will try using your methods. Its a private award ceremony as to the content of the DVD fyi. And to guns1inger, thanks to you to. I never considered myself a pro with audio and video. Read my sign!