Please critique this "practical freeware tutorial" for archiving DVDs

janet <> wrote in
newsfc9j.24771$ et:

> On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 09:23:17 GMT, Jeff wrote:
>> Invest in a program like DVD Fab Platinum which will let them
>> simply deselect the unwanted parts and then go
>> on to finish the job with no further work on the user's part.
>
> Hi Jeff,
>
> There it is again! I'm so confused.
> At first I thought DVDfab HD Decrypter 4 freeware only worked on the
> whole movie and not the main movie only.
>
> Then, I see Ron May implies DVDfab HD Decrypter 4 freeware can work on
> just the main movie.
>
> Then, I see you imply DVDfab HD Decrypter 4 freeware won't work on the
> main movie unless we buy the DVD Fab Platinum upgrade.
>
> Can someone clear up my confusion?
>
> 1st Question:
> Does DVDfab HD Decrypter 4 freeware work on just the main movie or
> not?
>
> 2nd Question:
> If DVDfab HD Decrypter 4 freeware works on just the main movie, then
> what is the difference between DVDfab HD Decrypter 4 freeware and the
> DVD Fab Platinum upgrade?
>
> janet

I don't see a post from Ron May on my server.
I did not mean to imply that the freeware version would not work on just
the main movie (in fact it does). However, all it does is copy the movie
to the hard drive, leaving you with the additional steps of compressing it
with one program and then burning it with another.
The Platinum version removes the extra steps. It will do the decrypting,
compressing and burning all by itself.

Jeff

janet <> wrote in
news:tkc9j.6131$ t:

> On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 12:55:11 GMT, gavin wrote:
>> In step 8 is it necessary to burn the AUDIO_TS folder onto the DVD? I
>> always just drop the VIDEO_TS folder into ImgBurn and get perfect
>> results.
>
> Hi Gavin,
> You are totally correct. The zero-sized AUDIO_TS folder is *not*
> necessary. I don't know why it even exists (I read somewhere it was in
> the original DVD specs but never used - but I never checked up on it
> personally).
>
> I burn the empty AUDIO_TS directory 'cuz it's easy enough to burn and
> I *assume* there might be a compatibility problem with some badly
> designed hardwared DVD players; but I've never known a problem to
> arise when I didn't include the empty AUDIO_TS directory.
>
> Does anyone know of any problems if we suggest users always omit the
> rather useless empty AUDIO_TS directory?
>
> janet

I also include the AUDIO_TS folder since it is easy and the space it takes
on the DVD is negligible. Recently I saw a commercially made DVD that did
not have one.

Jeff

On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 17:33:46 GMT, Jeff <> wrote:

>janet <> wrote in
>news:tkc9j.6131$ et:
>
>> On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 12:55:11 GMT, gavin wrote:
>>> In step 8 is it necessary to burn the AUDIO_TS folder onto the DVD? I
>>> always just drop the VIDEO_TS folder into ImgBurn and get perfect
>>> results.
>>
>> Hi Gavin,
>> You are totally correct. The zero-sized AUDIO_TS folder is *not*
>> necessary. I don't know why it even exists (I read somewhere it was in
>> the original DVD specs but never used - but I never checked up on it
>> personally).
>>
>> I burn the empty AUDIO_TS directory 'cuz it's easy enough to burn and
>> I *assume* there might be a compatibility problem with some badly
>> designed hardwared DVD players; but I've never known a problem to
>> arise when I didn't include the empty AUDIO_TS directory.
>>
>> Does anyone know of any problems if we suggest users always omit the
>> rather useless empty AUDIO_TS directory?
>>
>> janet
>
>I also include the AUDIO_TS folder since it is easy and the space it takes
>on the DVD is negligible. Recently I saw a commercially made DVD that did
>not have one.


If you use ImgBurn in "Build" mode and only drag and drop VIDEO_TS
on ImgBurn and then burn the disc, then ImgBurn automatically add
the AUDIO_TS directory on the disc when you burn it.

CoMa

On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 11:46:37 -0500, Susan Bugher <>
wrote:

>janet wrote:
>
>> f) Buy first-quality DVD media based on the Media ID only!
>> http://www.digitalfaq.com/media/dvdmedia.htm
>
>Just FYI
>
>Program: CDR Identifier
>Author: Frank Wolf
>Ware: (Freeware)
>http://www.cdr.cz/software/cdr_identifier/
>http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail...er/970209376/1
>"CDR Identifier lets you read the ATIP of a CDR with the most of the
>current CDR recorders. This information tells the manufacturer and type
>of dye used for this media."


DVD Identifier
http://dvd.identifier.cdfreaks.com/
DVD Identifier offers a reliable method of accurately identifying
a DVD disc's real manufacturer.


>Program: Nero Info Tool
>Author: Erik Deppe
>Ware: (Freeware)
>http://www.majorgeeks.com/download120.html
>"Nero InfoTool is a utility which analyses and displays the most
>important information about a drive, disc, configuration and software.
>The information can also be printed or saved to a text file."

You get a newer Nero Info Tool version at
http://www.nero.com/enu/support-nero...utilities.html



Nero CD-DVD Speed
http://www.cdspeed2000.com/
Support for CD, DVD, BD and HD DVD drives/media
Read/write transfer rate
Create disc/verify function
Detailed disc information
Disc quality tests (PI/PO, C1/C2, Jitter)
TA jitter test
Scan disc
Bitsetting
DAE tests
Erase/format
Overburning test

CoMa

On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 19:05:20 +0100, CoMa wrote:
Hi Coma,
Thanks for the information tools.
There *is* a reason I did *not* suggest use of these DVD-identifier
programs but it's specific to freeware.

My argument that they are not needed is the basic freeware DVD burner
software suggested (i.e., ImgBurn), comes with the DVD media identifier
built in.

So, there is no need for additional programs to identify a disk when the
DVD burner software (which is required) already has that capability.

This is the reason I suggest ImgBurn over all other DVD burning software in
my tutorial although I did say one could use any software (keeping in mind
the seemingly incomprehensible Nero issues with "data" DVD data).

Still, the samples are useful and I thank you for supplying them.

janet

janet

On Sat, 15 Dec 2007 17:35:35 -0800, janet <> wrote:

>6. Then, after ripping the entire movie to your hard drive, run FixVTS
>freeware to fix any bad blocks. Just drag any of the VOB files onto the
>FixVTS GUI and tell it to fix the entire DVD in place (don't bother with a
>backup which takes twice as much time and disk space for no gain).

I would use a program called PgcEdit before I use FixVTS.
http://download.videohelp.com/r0lZ/pgcedit/

If PgcEdit finds anny errors when it loads the ripped DVD
just let PgcEdit fix them.
After the DVD is loaded you go to the menu "DVD" and choose
"Delete Uncalled PGCs" and follow the instructions to fix it.
Then save the DVD (File -> Save DVD).

And after that you use the FixVTS program.

CoMa

One thing that can be useful is to convert big and long animated DVD menus
to small static menus. (you get better main movie quality in DVD Shrink)
The program that can do that is from the Auhtor that made FixVTS.

MenuShrink
http://www.afterdawn.com/software/vi...menushrink.cfm

CoMa

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 17:35:35 -0800 from janet <>:
> I wrote this for a friend and just wondered if experts on this newsgroup
> could critique my explanation and improve the steps for me and my friends.

Janet,

This is something I know little about but want to learn.

It would be great if, after all comments are in, you revise your
original and post it with comments incorporated in the appropriate
places. That would be a lot easier for us to use than a whole thread,
which contains lots of back-and-forth as extra discussion.

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com/
DVD FAQ: http://dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html
other FAQs: http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/faqget.htm

Stan Brown

CoMa wrote:
> On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 11:46:37 -0500, Susan Bugher <>
> wrote:

>>http://www.majorgeeks.com/download120.html
>>"Nero InfoTool is a utility which analyses and displays the most
>>important information about a drive, disc, configuration and software.
>>The information can also be printed or saved to a text file."

> You get a newer Nero Info Tool version at
> http://www.nero.com/enu/support-nero...utilities.html

Many thanks CoMa. One less thing on my ToDo list.

The link to Nero on Erik's download page is dead (I've sent him an
email) and I couldn't find the link you posted when I searched Nero
yesterday - no doubt because of the spelling I used. "Nero Info Tool"
doesn't work. "Nero InfoTool" does.

Program: Nero InfoTool (Nero Info Tool)
Author: Erik Deppe
Ware: (Freeware)

Nero doesn't give version info.
This is the current DL.
ftp://ftp6.nero.com/tools/InfoTool.zip (939 KB)
contains: InfoTool.exe
v 4.4.0.0 per a check of the properties

Susan
--
Posted to alt.comp.freeware
Search alt.comp.freeware (or read it online):
http://www.google.com/advanced_group....comp.freeware
Pricelessware & ACF: http://www.pricelesswarehome.org
Pricelessware: http://www.pricelessware.org (not maintained)

Susan Bugher

"janet" <> wrote in message
news:sk%8j.7838$...
>I wrote this for a friend and just wondered if experts on this
>newsgroup
> could critique my explanation and improve the steps for me and
> my friends.
>
> Here is how to archive your DVDs, using 100% freeware, without
> wasting time
> watching boring and non-skippable idiotic trailers!
>
> 1. Always use DVDShrink freeware first 'cuz it works most of
> the time and
> is easy and takes the least amount of disk space and time and
> effort.
>
> No thinking; just hit the "Re-author" button, choose the main
> movie title &
> press the backup button. Three easy steps.
>
> 2. Run three additional steps that are optional, but which
> result in better
> burns. First, you can hit the "compression" tab in DVDShrink
> and remove
> spurious languages so that you compress less. Second, I
> generally hit the
> "Analyze" button so that every frame is analyzed for custom
> compression.
> Thirdly, you can hit the double-arrow button to clip the
> beginning and/or
> end of the movie so that it starts and ends with just the
> movie and none of
> the "universal studios" logo crap.
>
> 3. Sometimes DVDShrink fails. You'll know it fails if it
> gives any kind of
> error. Or if the main movie shows up as something way less
> than 3 to 6
> Gigabytes. Just give up when you see an error; don't try to
> work around it.
> For example, if the main movie shows up as 500 Mbytes, then
> don't even
> think of using DVDShrink. DVDShrink will fail about 5 or 10%
> of the time
> nowadays. When it fails, you have to add two extra steps in
> front of DVD
> Shrink. These work 99% of the time; and when they don't,
> someone fixes
> these programs (see below) so that they work 100% of the time.
>
> 5. The first extra step that works 99.9% of the time is to run
> DVD HD Fab
> Decrypter freeware. Rip the entire movie to your hard drive.
> I'm not sure
> why; just do it (that is, don't rip just the main movie). This
> will take
> about 9 GBytes of disk space on your hard drive.
>
> 6. Then, after ripping the entire movie to your hard drive,
> run FixVTS
> freeware to fix any bad blocks. Just drag any of the VOB files
> onto the
> FixVTS GUI and tell it to fix the entire DVD in place (don't
> bother with a
> backup which takes twice as much time and disk space for no
> gain).
>
> 7. Once you've run FixVTS freeware on the entire ripped movie,
> then go back
> to step 1 above and use DVDShrink to shrink it to 4.7Gbytes.
> You'll notice
> you need about 9 + 5 = 14Gbytes for the original and shrunk
> version, so
> that is why you don't do this step first.
>
> 8. Once you have a DVDShrink result which works, the last step
> is to burn
> the 4.7GB VIDEO_TS and (empty) AUDIO_TS folders to the root of
> a
> good-quality DVD disc as data. I use ImgBurn freeware because
> it's a fine
> program by a fine programmer; but you can use whatever you
> want.
>
> 9. Lastly, use only good-quality DVD disc media. You must know
> the "Media
> ID" of your DVD discs. This sucks but that's the way it is.
> See this URL
> for a description of good-quality DVD media. Within certain
> constraints,
> quick practical advice is three steps. First, print out the
> Media ID guide
> located at http://www.digitalfaq.com/media/dvdmedia.htm
> Second, "try" to select a brand/model from that guide. Third,
> use your
> ImgBurn freeware to identify the "Media ID" (it's in the log
> file) when you
> burn your DVD image to disc. If you're lucky, you bought
> good-quality
> media. If not, try again until you find good-quality media.
> Once you have
> good-quality media, stick with it.
>
> 10. Enjoy your archived movie, without all those annoying
> trailers! When
> your backup gets scratched, repeat the procedure keeping your
> original DVD
> dics pristine.
>
> Please critique this process so we all learn better
> techniques.

Some things observed in reading your script and the replies:

1) DVDFab Platinum (or HD Decrypter) should not need FixVTS, or
its like, ever. That particular ripper is still updated, almost
daily, by its Chinese authors. Needless to say, AnyDVD seems to
be updated as well, but it is fee only.

2) ImgBurn, as you noted - a superb burner, works with - or
first creates - IFO files. DVDShrink will produce IFO files
directly, regardless of its feature set employed. DVDFab,
however, does not do this, as the platinum version - and perhaps
the gold - includes a burner. With IFO files, there is no
semantic issue regarding DATA or VIDEO. I might add too that
not all stand-alone DVD players have an issue with DATA mode
DVDs. Most players which are divx or MPEGISO capable do not
adhere with the same rigidity to the decade old spec. There is
a caution here, in that what plays on your or my player may not
play on someone else's.

3) Other features of DVD Shrink include splitting DVD9s across
two DVD5s using re-author (or, depending upon file sizes, this
could include menus on one or both discs by alternating use of
still pictures/images). It is amazingly simple, using Shrink,
to edit in your own headers and trailers (still or motion video)
to discs which will not have menus preserved. For example, one
can insert bonus material between the last scene of a movie and
the closing credits, if there's enough space on the target disc.

An excellent, and free, JPEG editor is IrfanView. One can
quickly add text to a photo to include as separators, when
preserving bonus materials. The skip button on your remote will
advance whether or not there are menus.

4) As someone else mentioned, fee based DVDFab Platinum, does
the whole job - shrink or split, remove or edit some items while
retaining menus, and burn. Its "re-authoring," to remove
headers and trailers, is more awkward than Shrink's.

General notes:

I no longer burn DVDs, instead I archive on 750 GB hot-swap hard
drives. The saving in shelf space alone makes up for the
trivial incremental cost over buying DVD blanks and cases.
Never-the-less, I still endeavor to conserve space and embellish
the result as outlined in your post and the above notes.

While both MPC and VLC player software will play HDD resident
ISO files, they both behave more naturally when playing data
files from an HDD. However, when using a program such as Daemon
Tools to "mount" an ISO as a drive, both of these programs
operate exactly as they would from DVD.

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