I just don't f'g get it! How do I keep the damned menu?!

[jbenj01]

I followed Derrow's guide at the IFOedit site very carefully (well, in my mind atleast) and am just f'g clueless..

Backing up Signs:

-Used the built-in DVD player to find out which titles/sets to keep and copy over (named the directory: Menu_Movie\VIDEO_TS)

-Stripped movie down to just English and AC3 streams (movie went from ~5.2G to ~4.4G), which created a new video_ts.ifo file and main movie vts_01_1.ifo file (place all files into a directory: Test\VIDEO_TS)

-I copied all files except the main movie files from Menu_Movie\VIDEO_TS -

But there's two sets of VIDEO_TS.IFO files now, no?? Which VIDEO_TS.IFO files do I keep?? I tried both and when I tested them in PowerDVD, the only thing that kept playing was the FBI warnings and the studio logo.. in every IFO file that I played.. ???

Oh, and yes, I did do a 'Correct VTS Sectors' before attempting to play in PowerDVD.. On the last attempt, IFOedit did tell me that it couldn't find a "menu table" .. ??

Man, I'm batting 2-4 at movie-only backups and I'm 0-3 at menu+movie backups.. Someone PLEASE give me some 'batting' lessons.. Thanks.

[VOYAGERXP]

Hi friend,
I am new at this my self . I think you have to keep the original ifo files to the movie because when i put the new ifo files that was made with my compressed movie the menu did not work. I have made 3 movie's whith all the extra's and menu intact.

[thingimijig]

voyagerxp is right, you just swap the original vobs with the new vobs then run ifoupdate.

thingimijig.

[jbenj01]

OK.. got it.

So all I do is replace the original VOB's with the new VOB's created by IFOedit (after stripping), right? However, before I run IFOupdate, I've got to re-author, correct? This leads me to another issue..

I'd like to use CCE to re-encode.. but that renders my ability to re-author with IFOedit .95 (from what I've read) void. Most every guide suggest using Maestro, but I don't have Maestro.. I'd really like to use IFOedit to re-author.. Suggestions??

Also, what is more efficient-- re-encoding the movie or the menu/xtras??

[JasonK]

If encoding the extras will get you down to 4.3 gig total without reencoding the movie go for it. If you can strip the extras to avoid reencoding the movie do that. But either way, you may need to reencode the movie to get it (or to get everything) to fit because it's the bulk of the DVD.

There is some issue with IFOedit and NTSC because of a pulldown bug, but I use Maestro. You could use SpruceUp, or if you can mux your AC3 & m2v, you can import into Workshop.

[VOYAGERXP]

Hi ,
I don't understand what you mean because you can auther vob's with ifoedit. At the top of ifoedit you select dvd auther. You don't need DVD Maestro. Go to dvd2dvdr.com and there is a flash version walkthrough of all the dvd ripping you need.

VOYAGERXP

[JasonK]

I don't understand what you mean because you can auther vob's with ifoedit.

Who are you talking to? And you don't know what "who"means about what? If it was me, as I said, the bug is with IFOedit and NTSC, in which the bugs have been discussed multiple times in multiple forums.

See IFOedit & NTSC bug

[jbenj01]

OK, now that I've re-encoded w/CCE re-authored with IFOedit .95, I've got a new set of IFO's and VOB's.. Do I again only swap the original VOB's with these new CCE/IFOedit-created ones or do I need to swap the IFO files too??

BTW, CCE re-encoded the movie down to 2Gb from ~4.7Gb.. does that sound right? I used CCE 2.64 using only a single-pass, which didn't allow me to plug in an avg. bit rate.. ?? Does that sound right?

Thanks for the help..

[jbenj01]

Didn't work.. again.

I swapped the re-encoded/newly-created VOB's with the stripped VOB's, which were sitting in a directory with the IFO and VOB files for the main menu.. Here's what happens when I play it..

1. the FBI warning plays
2. studio logo plays
3. main menu pops up with buttons working.. (great up to this point)

When I press play on the main menu, what comes on is the main menu without the buttons.. ?? the menu plays thru (eg, main menu plays for ~1 minute, then setup menu plays for ~1min, etc.. ) ???

Then movie begins with chapter points all incorrect---but the movie does play fine/all in tact.. I'm losing what little hope/courage I thought I had remaining.. '-) Help, please. Thx!

[thingimijig]

first, their is no mention of you doing ifoupdate (did you?).

second, when you authored did you put the chapter file in.


thingimijig.

[jbenj01]

thingimijig,

You're correct, I didn't.. I'm doing it right now.. I've plugged in the original IFO path for the movie (VTS_01_0) and then the newly authored IFO (VTS_01_0 in a different directory).

It's now asking for a backup file--I'm assuming for the newly authored IFO, yes?? But the only thing is, IFOupdate defaults to a .bak file.. ?? Should I just change the suffix to .bup??

BUT.. before I do any of the above, should I swap the old VOB's with the new ones before or after the above IFOupdate process? Sorry, it seems so simple but I'm completely confused.. thx.

[thingimijig]

ok.
change your vobs.
put in your original ifo.
put in your authored ifo.
then a location where you want the .bak file (its just a back up of your original cause its making changes to it.)
let it do its stuff but make sure you get vts sectors (should ask you).

thats it, its changed the ifo (you dont need to move any more files around, now try before you burn and if its ok.
burn.

thingimijig.

[jbenj01]

OK.. I did something wrong again-- IFOupdate gave me an error:

ERROR: Original IFO's PGC are is not large enough to hold new PGC. ABORTING

In the text portion of IFOupdate, it says the original IFO had 22 chapters while my new IFO has 26 chapters.. How the heck did I accomplish that?!

[jbenj01]

Sorry, 2 more discrepancies/errors:

original IFO had 2 PGC's; new IFO has 1 PGC
original run time: 1:46; new run time: 1:52

[thingimijig]

lol, talk about bad luck.

how did you end up with 4 more chapters?
how did you get the chapters in the first place?

if i had the same problem i would swap back the vobs then check on the chapters first.
and if it does show 22 chapters i would reauthor making sure 22 go in.
then try again.

thingimijig.

[jbenj01]

OK, I fixed part of the problem - I was plugging in the IFO prior to stripping... This fixed the number of PGC's problem and narrowed the difference in number of chapters to 23 in the original IFO and 22 in the new one.. But I still have the run time difference of ~5mins.. ??

[jbenj01]

Well, I think this is the problem.. my menu somehow got imbedded into the first VOB of the main movie (VTS_01_01.VOB), whereas, the main menu usually has its own VOB (VTS_01_0.VOB), correct??

How do I correct? Or do I have to start all over?? thx.

[thingimijig]

dont even bother messing about.
start again.

thingimijig.

let us all know how you went on.