Windows DVD Maker Telling Me That Edited VOB File Will Not Fit

[Heathsideboy]

Hi, newbie here,

I have a problem that is baffling me and perhaps somebody may be able to explain my problem. Let me start at the beginning.

I had a bunch of VHS tapes of my family that I decided to have transferred on to DVDs. Now that they are on DVDs, I was hoping that I could use some software to split and edit parts that I choose from each DVD and put them on a new blank DVD and use Windows DVD Maker for the menus. I had some success with a software called DVD Shr**k.

This is the funny thing. Once I put the whole DVD with the original VHS scenes in DVD Shr**k, they come out on the computer as "VOB" files and Windows DVD Maker is allowing me to select the whole DVD with one of its menus. On some (not all), when I edit certain sections from that DVD and then put them in Windows DVD Maker, then I am being told that they will not fit. They are still backed up as "VOB" files and obviously smaller in size than the whole original DVD, (that Windows DVD Maker accepts and will burn to a blank DVD with menus) but the edited smaller versions or scenes will not fit on DVD Maker or so it is telling me.

Can anybody tell me why this is happening and how I get around this situation so that after I have edited the scenes from the original DVD, they will fit in Windows DVD Maker so that I can then use their excellent menus? Just in case you want to know what software I used to edit with, that was DVD Shr**k.

Is there something else I need to do so that it works?

Thanks in advance.

HB

[DB83]

Your dvds will have been created at a certain bitrate. For example, you could get 1 hour of video on to a 4 gig dvd with a bit rate of 8000 kbps or 2 hours of video with a bit rate of 4000 kbps.

Inport the vobs into Windows dvd maker and it may select a higher bitrate than the original recoding which will then mean that the total size is greater than originally.

Look for a setting that allows you to reduce the bitrate or use a different program.

[Heathsideboy]

Your dvds will have been created at a certain bitrate. For example, you could get 1 hour of video on to a 4 gig dvd with a bit rate of 8000 kbps or 2 hours of video with a bit rate of 4000 kbps.

Inport the vobs into Windows dvd maker and it may select a higher bitrate than the original recoding which will then mean that the total size is greater than originally.

Look for a setting that allows you to reduce the bitrate or use a different program.

As far as I can see, there is no setting to reduce the bitrate in Windows DVD maker. The reason I wanted to use Windows DVD maker is because their menus are far superior to other video software I had seen.

You say use a different program. What program do you suggest that reduces the bit rate and how do you do this? What I mean is, how would I know what to set the bit rate at in a program you recommend?

Thank you

HB

[hech54]

Stop worrying about VOB files....they are only useful on a DVD....for editing you need to revert them back to their original MPEG form.....do your edits and author a new DVD.
VOB2MPEG is the place to start.

[OldMan64]

"As far as I can see, there is no setting to reduce the bitrate in Windows DVD maker."
I do not use Windows Movie Maker but did find this: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/create-custom-movie-settings-for-wind...ws-movie-maker
Perhaps that will solve the problem of settings

[Baldrick]

Or maybe it's worth getting something like tmpgenc authoring works.

Or if you like free software then dvdstyler.

[Heathsideboy]

"As far as I can see, there is no setting to reduce the bitrate in Windows DVD maker."
I do not use Windows Movie Maker but did find this: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/create-custom-movie-settings-for-wind...ws-movie-maker
Perhaps that will solve the problem of settings

I was not talking about Windows Movie Maker, I was talking about Windows DVD Maker. They are two different programs. Windows DVD Maker have some excellent menus to work with your edited films. That's why I particularly wanted to use that software.

Perhaps I should just take up Hech's idea and change the VOB files that are on my DVD to MPEG first.
I can try this and then report back to tell you how I got on.

Thanks

HB

[hech54]

There are plenty of free MPEG editors. I actually prefer AviDemux and cut on key frames. If you only cut on key frames you can use:
COPY
COPY
MPEG-PS
and output a new MPEG file that is not re-encoded - identical to the original.
I also use MPEGVCR - best $19 I ever spent. There are also free versions/variations of that one too.

COMBINE all of your VOB files together. Again....stop messing with individual VOB files and work on a "DVD level", not a file level.

[Heathsideboy]

Okay, thanks very much for the advice