Author one Blu-ray Disc from multiple DVDs? (MultiAVCHD hangs)

[Brad]

My goal is to combine ten "4GB" TV DVDs into one BD50, with basic menu. The menu only needs text allowing an episode to be selected.

MultiAVCHD is hanging, so please suggest alternative solutions if that will be easier than trying to make it work.

My compilation is 28 episodes. MultiAVCHD processes the first 23 episodes without issue, but then hangs on the 24th file. The step is shown as "Extracting DVD audio..." with a stuck progress bar.

The status window shows:

[12:47:36] Processing (DVD (04) T:\[path]\VIDEO_TS\)...
[12:47:36] Pre-processing DVD input (T:\[path]\VIDEO_TS\)...
[12:47:37] *** Detected duration: 00:22:56
[12:47:37] !!! No subtitles found!
[12:47:37] *** Extracting audio (mplayer)...
[12:47:37] *** Extracting ac3 track #128 (eng)...

mplayer.exe shows 25% CPU usage on my 4-core.

Troubleshooting:

• All episodes = hang
• First 23 eps only = success
• 24th ep alone = hang

Clearly, mplayer doesn't like something about this particular file. I don't know where to go from here, though.

[johns0]

What i do for tv dvds is encode them with vidcoder to the desired size so in my case i encode 22 episodes at 900mb each and then author the 22 episodes onto one bd-r,never get any issues doing that way.

[Kerry56]

One way to do this is with BD Rebuilder. Set it to Quick-Play Backup under Mode. Set Output to 50gb size.

You'll have to have all of the DVD's decrypted and ripped to the hard drive in one folder. So this is what it should look like...a top folder, lets call it the name of your tv series, and a few folders within that top folder. Each of those folders would be an individual DVD with the episodes....Disc 1, Disc 2, and so forth.

Now click on File-->Import-->DVDs Quick Reauthored and select your top folder as input. This will bring up a list of titles (episodes) that the program can find. You may want to rename them at this point if you know the episode names. Hit Save and Continue. It will take some time before BD Rebuilder finishes examining the files and preparing them for Blu-ray format, but once it does finish with preparations, you will need to click on Backup to build the Blu-ray.

I've never done this with more than 15 episodes, so I'm not certain that it will work with 28. You'd just have to try it.

[DarkPhoenix77]

One way to do this is with BD Rebuilder. Set it to Quick-Play Backup under Mode. Set Output to 50gb size.

You'll have to have all of the DVD's decrypted and ripped to the hard drive in one folder. So this is what it should look like...a top folder, lets call it the name of your tv series, and a few folders within that top folder. Each of those folders would be an individual DVD with the episodes....Disc 1, Disc 2, and so forth.

Now click on File-->Import-->DVDs Quick Reauthored and select your top folder as input. This will bring up a list of titles (episodes) that the program can find. You may want to rename them at this point if you know the episode names. Hit Save and Continue. It will take some time before BD Rebuilder finishes examining the files and preparing them for Blu-ray format, but once it does finish with preparations, you will need to click on Backup to build the Blu-ray.

I've never done this with more than 15 episodes, so I'm not certain that it will work with 28. You'd just have to try it.

This is good stuff. Helped me as well. thanks so much for posting as well as the in-depth instructions.
I don't wan to hijack the thread but I have a related quick question: I have Blu-ray discs I purchased where 1 part is on one disc and part 2 is one a second disc. I'd like to have them both on the same disc in continual play. Will this also work with 2-part DVDs/Blu-rays?

[Kerry56]

One way to do this is with BD Rebuilder. Set it to Quick-Play Backup under Mode. Set Output to 50gb size.

You'll have to have all of the DVD's decrypted and ripped to the hard drive in one folder. So this is what it should look like...a top folder, lets call it the name of your tv series, and a few folders within that top folder. Each of those folders would be an individual DVD with the episodes....Disc 1, Disc 2, and so forth.

Now click on File-->Import-->DVDs Quick Reauthored and select your top folder as input. This will bring up a list of titles (episodes) that the program can find. You may want to rename them at this point if you know the episode names. Hit Save and Continue. It will take some time before BD Rebuilder finishes examining the files and preparing them for Blu-ray format, but once it does finish with preparations, you will need to click on Backup to build the Blu-ray.

I've never done this with more than 15 episodes, so I'm not certain that it will work with 28. You'd just have to try it.

This is good stuff. Helped me as well. thanks so much for posting as well as the in-depth instructions.
I don't wan to hijack the thread but I have a related quick question: I have Blu-ray discs I purchased where 1 part is on one disc and part 2 is one a second disc. I'd like to have them both on the same disc in continual play. Will this also work with 2-part DVDs/Blu-rays?

Yes. The same instructions apply, you just have to go to File-->Import-->BD's Quick Reauthored instead. Depending on the size of the movies, the program might have to re-encode them to fit. And of course, you lose original menus and extras.

Quick Play mode may not be necessary, its just the way I've done it in the past. The mode may be disabled when using the Import function for multiple DVD's and Blu-ray, but I don't know this for certain. Would have to look it up over at doom9.

Edit: Oops, I notice that you said continual play. You won't get continual play this way. You'll have two titles, which you can select from the very basic menu that is created. To have continual play you'd need to extract the m2ts files and combine them before authoring back to Blu-ray format. You can join them with the Append function in AviDemux if you get lucky. It is a bit buggy. Output as an MKV file using the MKV muxer, then import this into tsMuxeR and create a new Blu-ray without a menu.

[DarkPhoenix77]

Yes. The same instructions apply, you just have to go to File-->Import-->BD's Quick Reauthored instead. Depending on the size of the movies, the program might have to re-encode them to fit. And of course, you lose original menus and extras.

Quick Play mode may not be necessary, its just the way I've done it in the past. The mode may be disabled when using the Import function for multiple DVD's and Blu-ray, but I don't know this for certain. Would have to look it up over at doom9.

Edit: Oops, I notice that you said continual play. You won't get continual play this way. You'll have two titles, which you can select from the very basic menu that is created. To have continual play you'd need to extract the m2ts files and combine them before authoring back to Blu-ray format. You can join them with the Append function in AviDemux if you get lucky. It is a bit buggy. Output as an MKV file using the MKV muxer, then import this into tsMuxeR and create a new Blu-ray without a menu.

Yeah, i've also had some not so fortunate luck with AviDemux. I'm actually on a Mac and usually run the suggested programs via Windows 10/Bootcamp. I need to see if there is a substitute for AviDemux. I don't want the quality to suffer and hope to put it all on a blu-ray DL

[Kerry56]

Apparently tsMuxeR can be used to join the two m2ts files, assuming your two Blu ray discs have only one main m2ts file apiece. You can add the first one, then use the join button to bring in the second. Output to a new Blu-ray.

I haven't tried this, but it seems a better solution than AviDemux.

[DarkPhoenix77]

Apparently tsMuxeR can be used to join the two m2ts files, assuming your two Blu ray discs have only one main m2ts file apiece. You can add the first one, then use the join button to bring in the second. Output to a new Blu-ray.

I haven't tried this, but it seems a better solution than AviDemux.

You really know your stuff. Thanks, man. I'll try this tonight. And not to look 'a gift horse in the mouth' but is there no way to have a basic menu as well? The goal is to combine the 2 Blu-ray Discs into 1 disc with continual play but allowing for it scene selections at maybe 15 or 20 min intervals.

[Kerry56]

Apparently tsMuxeR can be used to join the two m2ts files, assuming your two Blu ray discs have only one main m2ts file apiece. You can add the first one, then use the join button to bring in the second. Output to a new Blu-ray.

I haven't tried this, but it seems a better solution than AviDemux.

You really know your stuff. Thanks, man. I'll try this tonight. And not to look 'a gift horse in the mouth' but is there no way to have a basic menu as well? The goal is to combine the 2 Blu-ray Discs into 1 disc with continual play but allowing for it scene selections at maybe 15 or 20 min intervals.

I'd combine the the m2ts files then use MultiAVCHD to make your menu with chapter points. Yes its the program at the start of this thread. It is known to be buggy, and takes a great deal of patience, but is the only reasonably good Blu ray authoring program that is free to use.

[Brad]

One way to do this is with BD Rebuilder. Set it to Quick-Play Backup under Mode. Set Output to 50gb size.

Thanks for the instructions, and sorry for not responding earlier.

BD Rebuilder also gave me an error message, which led me to more troubleshooting. After I tried to open the disc with MakeMKV, it became clear that all of the issues are due to some sort of problem with the original DVD; I believe an authoring error rather than an actual video or audio error.

It's a fan-made DVD, so I've contacted the guy who made them for himself and shared them with me. I own the actual retail release, but it was edited from the original broadcasts, so this is to fill in the gaps.

[philamber]

Edit: Oops, I notice that you said continual play. You won't get continual play this way. You'll have two titles, which you can select from the very basic menu that is created.

You can alter the Import settings in BD Rebuilder so as to have the titles play consecutively rather than returning to the basic menu when a title is finished (i.e. the equivalent of a "Play All" button) so you would get continuous play if that option is selected.