After much testing with the Cucusoft DVD to Ipod suite I have determined there is a bug in the way it calculates the number of frames in a mpeg or VOB. If you go to Output Settings and put a check in the checkbox for "Whole Movie" it will greatly shorten the movie during conversion. Examples: Napolon Dynamite VOB Actual running time: 94 min. Cucusoft: 75:55 HP & Prisoner of Azkaban (ART): 144 min. Cucusoft 94:33 Star Wars A New Hope (ART) 128 min. Cucusoft 84:42 Blackhawk Down (ART) 144 min. Cucusoft 112:45 I have confirmed that the VOB's I am trying to convert are whole by using nero to look at the end of the movie. In all cases thay are complete. Cucusoft will calculate a number of frames for the whole movie and show you how much of the "Whole Movie" is will convert right below the check box. It will convert that number of frames and then it stops saying the conversion is complete. The workaround: I have found that removing the check from the "Whole Movie" check box and manually entering the number of frames will result in a fully encoded movie. I calculate (actual running time in minutes)*1800 and enter that for the number of frames. It will convert the whole movie and play fine. You can only do this for one movie at a time. I tried two movies of the same length and it cut both of them short. The first was longer but both were incomplete. It would be great if someone else could repeat this test. 1. DVD decrypter to rip the main feature and 6ch audio english to hard drive. 2. COnvert to mp4 with Cucusoft DVD to iPOD Converter. FILE|Open VOB or mpeg. Point it at the Video TS folder created by DVD decrypter and select the VOB file within. SETTINGS| Output Settings Check Whole Movie checkbox. Encode the movie. Let me know how it works out. WS
I would like to offer that the workaround is not in fact a work around in all cases. I have been unsuccessful at converting Blackhawk Down for the full running time. I can only get 1:51 minutes of the 2:23 minute program. The nagging part of all of this is that there is no way to tell if it's going to work until it actually doesn't. This is usually more than an hour of time waiting to find out. Very frustrating. I would like to add that I have had absolutely no problem creating or importing files that will play on the ipod. I see dozens of posts from people who can't even get a playable file or one they can import. Ironic that my problem (which I seem to be alone with) is that I cannot get a full movie without hours and hours of trial and error.
