How to merge several tv series DVD into one huge DVD

[eddie200112]

HI i apologize if this is a repost of somewhere, maybe im just not asking it the same way.

OK i want to be able to, for example take simpsons season 2 all 7 discs. i have ripped to the hard drive and have kept all the extras, menus etc, they are full rips. and want to make a super menu that will combine all the discs by acting like a dvd that is simpsons season 2 and have a menu to pick disc 1 through 7 then use the original disc menus to navigate each disk from there, like picking each episode etc.

ultimately id like to make a structure of simpsons dvd, thne a menu to pick season, then a menu to pick disc, then use the original menu for the rest..

im doing this cuz i want to be able to use media centers library to pick the show but the way it is now each disc shows up in the menu as its own movie and thats a lot when urr talkin about 7 discs per season times 20 seasons etc.

im hoping there is a freeware solution to this. i have dvd shrink and anydvd right now....

[netmask56]

There may be freeware solutions but for me I use ConvertXToDVD as it does exactly what you want. You can download a trial.

[eddie200112]

ok thanks im looking at it now, any chance u could give me a breif run through on how i might do that with the software? thanks again

[jagabo]

Where do you get a "huge DVD" that can hold all the simpsons episodes?

[eddie200112]

im just keeping them on my network hard drive so i can access them from windows media center as one dvd icon that i can then menu to each disc and episode from

[jagabo]

Can't you just put them in separate folders? Isn't there a folder navigation option?

[eddie200112]

i dont want them in seperate folders, i want them in one. so that only one image shows up in media center library for the whole series

[netmask56]

ok thanks im looking at it now, any chance u could give me a breif run through on how i might do that with the software? thanks again

There is a good help guide on line - just look under help menu. Basically tho' you just keep adding episodes as video files in the menu. Choose the type of menu you want.
But basically you simply have to try all the options and explore for yourself, that's how I learnt to use the program.

[eddie200112]

so i wont be able to keep the original disk navigation once im into a disk?

[guns1inger]

The only solution I have seen for (relatively) easily combining DVDs and keeping menus intact is DVD Remake Pro, but it may not give you something you really want to live with. You can merge up to four discs into one, which gives you a new menu at the top level to let you choose a disc. Once chosen, the original menu kicks in. If you wanted to merge 7 discs then you would have to merge four into one and call it disc 1, then merge the other three into a disc and call it disc 2, then merge the new disc 1 and disc 2 into your final disc. At this point you now have three levels of menu to navigate through to get to the episode you want to watch. Frankly, more hassle than it is worth.

[netmask56]

so i wont be able to keep the original disk navigation once im into a disk?

ConvertXtoDVD inserts chapter points every (configurable) say 5 minutes in each title (episodes) on the disk but you can move them to suit. You could extract the timings of the original chapter timings of the original DVD's with chapterXtractor (google for URL)