Authoring DVD R

Hi, I've ripped a 6.5 GB movie using SmartRipper and recoded using ReMPEG2. As anticipated I now have a .m2v file and a .ac3 file which together would fit onto a DVD-R. I guess I need now to simply author the results but the question is.... with what? I downloaded the demo version of the now expired SpruceUp but unfortunately this doesn't support sound. Ulead MovieFactory refuses to recognise the files... I don't want to spend much money. Any suggestions would be gratefully received. Thanks.

 

Im really new to this but I thought you could remux (In the vob extras menu) using ifoedit and put the .m2v file back into the movie vob files and throw away the .ac3. If you had the movie on your h/d you can open the movie with ifoedit , say vts_01_0.ifo , then with vob extras you can remux , correct vob units , ifos and create new video_ts.ifo and vts_01_0.ifo . select new destination directory and location of the .m2v file and of you go . This creates a new smaller version of the old film without menus etc but you may be able to put these back in , I dont know I havent tried that yet

 

Well I found a work around. After ripping the movieusing Smart Ripper and re-encoding the m2v file using ReMpeg (if over 4.3 GB), I then dealt with the troublesome .ac3 file by converting it to .wav using AC3 decoder. TMGEnc then puts the two files together and finally, the inexpensive authoring programme Ulead MovieFactory accepts the resulting MPEG file and burns the DVD direct. I was able to drop menus altogether and now can backup movies of any size that play automatically when popped into the player. This is all I wanted but phewwwww it was a lot of time getting there. Part of the problem I've had here is finding clear, detailed instructions anywhere. This is all 'simple' stuff, I suppose, and if anyone knows a simpler I'd be pleased to listen. Is your method simpler, Pipster? Thanks

 

I thought my method was simpler so I'll try and go through it step by step so you can decide
1st Rip all files using smart ripper to folder A
2nd Open with Ifoedit the Ifo of the film vob in folder A , usually VTS_01_0.IFO. Using vob extras menu , enable strip streams , correct vob-unit , correct IFO tables and create new VIDEO_TS.IFO & VTS_01_0.IFO . Set a new destination directory , say folder B , press ok . This will then ask which streams to strip , choose them and away it goes . This will give a working film in B but stripped of menus extra audio etc
3rd Using smart ripper select the dvd or folder A . Press movie on left and go to stream processing tab . Tick enable stream processing and select the same streams as previous step . Highlight each stream and select demux to extra file . Select new destination at bottom , say folder C and press start . This gives you the m2v and ac3 files in C
4th Bin the ac3 file and rempeg (or tmpgenc maybe) the m2v file by your chosen scaling factor
5th With ifoedit open VTS_01_0.IFO of the working stripped movie in B . Press vob extras and this time select re-mux instead of strip streams , other 3 settings just below the same as before . select m2v file you have just made smaller in folder C and set a new and final destination directory , say D , press ok
6th In D you should have a working but smaller version of the movie with no extras or menu but maximum quality .Probably should open VTS_01_0.IFO in D with ifoedit and press Get VTS sectors before you burn it . Rename D to VIDEO_TS and burn with nero or prassi etc
This has worked for me with Swordfish and long time dead but the Rempeg part took 8 hours on an XP1900
Hope this makes sense to you , I'll be happy to clear any part of it up if you need me to

 

I'll try it later and report back. Thanks.

 

Just realised that stripping streams with Ifoedit doesn't always give the same result as stripping streams with Smartripper . Sometimes there is and extra little logo or something that one misses and the other doesn't , this will mess everything up when you come to remux the tracks .
So perhaps the workaround would be in step 3 to use smart ripper on the already stripped and working film in folder B , cant test it yet cos my machine is rempeg-ing a film
Only found this out after going through all the process only to find a warner bros logo in the film start that i was trying to remux over with a rempeg-ed version that had the logo missing so i lost all the sound after the logo

 

Hi Pipster

I've had more problems with DVD-R disks than with the method. Inexpensive Princo DVD-RW work well for my set top box and seem very reliable in RW also. The system I've worked out seems pretty infallible at least for my components so I shall stick to it, there is at least 12 hours processing power per movie (P4 2 GHz, 2 x 40 GB IDE hard disks and 512 GB DDR RAM). I guess the motto here, is, if it ain't broken, don't mend it!

Regards

 

hi there!

@fen: try not to convert ac3 to wav files, 'cause you lose the 5.1 channels (you downmix the surround information to 2 channels)

Also: Is there any tool other than REMPEG2 to transcode the mpeg movie? Or any info for updates???

We REALLY need faster encoding... cause it takes me 8-10 hours , P1.8,512DDR,2x100GB ATA100 - Rempeg2 Options: Progressive/Prediction/Integer iDCT)

 

There are other encoders like tmpgenc and cce but they are not free although tmpgenc has a demo you can try for free . The problem for me is that I use Ifoedit to remux the new video file back into the vob files so its easy to burn and I dont need to author it cos I dont have the software or the know how yet. Im not sure but I believe that Ifoedit will only remux a Rempeg-ed movie so Im stuck with it , not that Im complaining , its free and seems to work well enough for me . I know 8+ hours is a long time but the others aren't a great deal faster , we're still talking quite a few hours . People do say the quality is better with the others but I think as long as you dont go too mad with the compression its just fine with Rempeg , I've knocked 25% off a film and not seen any problems but I think any more than that and It'll go on 2 disks
I've been using Princo disks too and I've had no problems with them at all , I think I got 25 for about £15 and would love to get some more at that price

 

Last night's surfing gave me this diamond! :

http://www.fukrulez.com/

It has some tutorials, also a good tutorial/starter for MAESTRO authoring.

@pipster: I use the same technique as you, i've no argues with quality but it's very time-consuming!! ... btw, you gave me a shock! here the best i can buy is "princo" 1x-speed & "creative" 2x-speed dvd-r @ 3.60 euro (but both work at 1x speed .. That's the bad thing about living in Greece

Regards

 

Thanks Liquidgr

Some of these sites are a bit unnerving the way they send you an executable as soon as soon as you hit them.... still fukrulez.com is definitely worth a visit. I have plenty to learn in this field, no doubt about that.

 

Hey liquidgr have you tried some of the UK sites for dvd-r , I cant see why they wont post them to Greece . Have a look here
http://www.bigpockets.co.uk
http://www.digitalpromo.co.uk/erol.html
http://www.121cdr.co.uk/
You can find 90 bulkpack gen 3 for less than £40 and surely postage will be no more than £10 , you could always email them and ask

 

@pipster:
Bow Bow Thanx a lot, i'll check them out!

 

Hey PIPSTER...

I was following your method described and I think I got stumped when you said in step 4, "Bin the ac3 file and rempeg..." What exactly is "Bin the ac3 file". I got to step 6 and realized I have no audio. The file is downsized and all the files are in directory D as you suggested. The movie "The Messenger" is just great in viewing but I think it would be nice to have the sound...

Since the ac3 file is the sound, I would guess it would have something to do with what i did for step 4. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

Every body that is paying more than £0.50 for DVD-R disc goto www.121cdr.co.uk
Many more good deals available
L8TR

 

dRD
Being the the top dog in this site you probably get sick of all the same questions
BUT being a "newbie" and trying to understand the "thread speak" I'm a little confused.
Have printed and read lots of info and have gained lots of understanding BUT why the F**** is it that one day I was able to copy DVD's using Spruce and the next day the damned program goes and packs up on me, Can I recover using the time lock (system restore on XP).
If another program is required to do the same job then can you tell me what program that is.

Much appreciated
SNU

 

Hey satanic , sorry didnt notice the thread had been updated . What I meant when I said bin the AC3 file is just what you thought , throw it away , because when you use Ifoedit to remux the .M2V that you have Remepeg'ed it merges the new .M2V with the old .VOBs which still have the sound in them . So it creates a new set of .VOBs which are smaller because the movie part of them has been reduced but the rest of the .VOBs is just the same as before ie the sound and stuff is untouched .
Its easy to calculate the scaling factor too , you dont need all this bitrate stuff . If your complete movie folder is say 5500k and when you demux it the movie alone is say 5000k you know that the sound and everything else is 500k (cos thats the difference). You know a DVD is 4500k approx so you have to make your film 4500k-500k for sound etc that leaves 4000k . Desired size/Actuall size 4000/5000 = 0.8 thats 80% call it 79% just for safety and away you go , no need to know bitrate or film length etc

 

Brilliant!

For me personally, this has been a very productive thread.