downsizing DVD movies

[G16aByT3]

Hey Gang,

What is the best way to downsize a DVD9 movie to a DVDR? I am currently trying this and I am having a lot of problems. Here is the process:

1) rip DVD with smartripper to HD
2) demux audio to HD
3) calculate new bitrates for putting it in a dvdr DVDR (5 chapters X 920MB = 4.6GB/100MB left over for extras)
4) use ReMPEG2 to create movie file from vob file using new bitrates
5) use streamweaver to make a vob file of each of the m2v files and ac3.
** the problem streamweaver complains about frame 47 being corrupt and I have redone this many times :smashead:

I haven't gotten a vob file yet. any help would be appreciated.

thanks

G16aByT3

[onerose]

you best try to get some 9.4g dvd-r's from http://store.yahoo.com/cd-recordable-dot-com/
that shold end some of your downsizeing issues

[TedRogers]

:smashead:

[TedRogers]

1) smartripper - allow direct stream A+V only and ensure you demux to extra files. In settings set 'set vob to max filesize and change to 9999'. This should create an m2v and a ac3. If less than [B]4.28[GB] you can author and burn. Note a 4.7 dvdr can only accept 4.38GB (allow 100meg).
2) DVD2AVI - open m2v and save project (d2v)
3) VFAPI converter - convert to avi file
4) encode your movie (if required) using cinemacraft 2.5 - Drag and drop the avi into the encoder. Dbl-click and uncheck Video Info file and Audio file. Click the video button and check progressive, dvd compliant, 0 to 255, auto precision, and DAR 16:9. Click the quality button and uncheck Anti noise filter. The last and most important setting is Bitrate - this determines your size. I think about 5500 is 100%. You may have to experiment here (if film is 5GB bitrate 4500 to get down to around 3.8GB).
5) This creates an .mpv file which you should rename to .m2v
6) rename ac3 and m2v to same basename ie movie.ac3 and movie.m2v (relevant only if using spruceup - you may need to convert ac3 to wav for other authoring software)
7) author and burn

Note:Cinemacraft takes much much less time than TMPGE and ReMPEG

This is perfect for 4:3 aspect ratio films but spruceup does not allow anamorphic production (major drawback)

I am looking for some authoring software that would help me if anyone is willing to point me in the direction of some professional app. (Not MyDVD, QBuilder, DVDJunior or Scenarist NT) - thanks - PLATFORM - Windoze 98

[G16aByT3]

I will have to try it. The movies are actually japanese animes that have been authored using spruce up @ 4:3 ratio.

[G16aByT3]

smartripper has a problem with the d2v files... apparently it causes syncing problems. Will have to figure something out.

G16aByT3

[G16aByT3]

Tedrodgers.

I am stuck on step 3. for some reason it will not create a n avi file, it just creates a 0 byte file. when I use save avi it asks me for a filename then asks me if i want no recompression or full frame uncompressed. Is there something I need?

please help

G16aByT3

[TedRogers]

Hiya m8

you need to goto the folder where vfapi is installed. Within that folder there should be another folder named codec.

Just enter that folder and double click vifpset.bat icon.

you should now be able to open your dvd2avi file and convert (only takes 2 seconds in vfapi - then encode it)

PS - Vfapi wont create an avi, it'll just allow cce to recognise it - example name is movie_d2v-vfapi

Regards.

TR

[TedRogers]

Hiya m8

you need to goto the folder where vfapi is installed. Within that folder there should be another folder named codec.

Just enter that folder and double click vifpset.bat icon.

you should now be able to open your dvd2avi file and convert (only takes 2 seconds in vfapi - then encode it)

Regards.

TR

[G16aByT3]

Well,

I downloaded DVD2AVI 1.76 and looked at the files and there is a file called DVD2AVI.VFP but do not see any other files that you mentioned.. Am I missing something?

G16aByT3

[TedRogers]

goto this link and download vfapi:

http://www.divx-digest.com/software/vfapi.html

when unzipped you should have the vfapi prog. and the vifp.bat - before running the prog execute the vifp.bat

after converting your dvd2avi file in VFAPI cce will recognise it and allow you to reencode it.

process:

1) smartripper
2) dvd2avi - creates .d2v file
3) vfapi - open d2v file and convert to create an .avi
4) cce - open .avi and reencode - this creates an .mpv file which you need to rename to an .m2v
5) author in spruce or scenarist

Note: spruce does not support 16:9

Good Luck.

[levystr]

Where can i find scenarist ?
FREE (sure)

[G16aByT3]

Thanks Ted,

As a question do I need to use cinemacraft as you mentioned in the previous post/process? or do I use the method recently mentioned?

BTW if you want Spruce Up I do have it and some other stuff that goes with it. Email me if you want it.

G16aByT3

[TedRogers]

Sorry G16aByT3

Point 4 - CCE is CinemaCraft Encoder - you only need to use it if you need to downsize your movie. Alternatively, you could use ReMPEG or TMPGE but i find these take far too long on my pathetic p3 450.

Thanks but i am okay for software

TR

[levystr]

I would to have it,please G16aByT3. (spruceup)
Thanks.

[G16aByT3]

TR,

Thanks for the help!!! I will have to try it and let you know my results.

levystr pm me if you want it.

G16aByT3

[G16aByT3]

TR,

Does VFAPI create small AVI files from the VOB files? I have 8GB of files and it created a 16MB file????? Does the this work under XP or am I missing something?

:smashead:

G16aByT3

[TedRogers]

yep,

vfapi creates a farty little file (little grey camera, i think) - just drag and drop into cce.

Regards

TR

[G16aByT3]

TR,

are you using CCE-lite or pro or SP. Wouldnt it be better to use VBR instead of CBR?? if you have SP could we talk?

thanks

G16aByT3

[Taurus]

Hi All,
I' m in the same boat. Thanks for the instruction. I finished up to the step Cinema Craft Encoder. But I don't have spruce or scenarist. Anythings else could I use to replace its? Thanks

[tonyf2001]

Hi
I dont think a 9.4g disk will do the trick. They appear to be double
sided , so unless the software allows you to stop partway through a burn and turn the disk you still have a problem.
The only way I can think of is to find a way of removing unwanted
video section. etc . Foreign language clips and the like until
the vob is of a manageable size. Anyone?

Regards
Tony

[G16aByT3]

Thanks for the offer Taurus as I've just gotten it. Now since a movie can be in excess of 4.7GB then you have 4 alternatives.

1) re-encode the DVD to slower bitrates to make smaller files and then use a DVD authoring program to accept those files and try to keep the menuing the same.

2) re-encode the DVD and split them to 2 DVDs, but you will have to recreate the menuing system so that it works.

3) split the DVDs into 2 DVDs and just recreate the menues for them.

4) cut all of the extras and what nots out of the DVD and just include the movie. You still have to create a menu or just an auto-run to the movie.

Right now, I am just experimenting and learning what needs to be done. Thanks goes to TedRogers for the big help there. :angelgrn:

G16aByT3

[levystr]

Thanks for spruceup dvd maestro.
Very great software,but for the moment ,i learn how use all of
options...
No limitations with 5.1 files.:angelgrn:

[TedRogers]

G16aByT3

You're Welcome ;-)

[ilscuro]

Tonyf2001 use dvddecryptor steam processing feature then just deselect all the foreign language and subtitle streams and start ripping
using this method you will find a lot of movies come out under 4.3gb














You reap what you sew

[xDJx KinetiX]

do i have to use spruce to burn the dvd? can i use DVDit PE?

[ilscuro]

use spruceup dvdit or maestro to author and nero to burn

[CGreenlawMD]

I use three methods to reduce the size of larger DVD's. If the DVD isn't extremely large and has two channel english sound, I use SmartRipper and process just the video and sound to AC3 and mpv files then I use DVDit (not LE) to burn the DVD. If the movie is much to large for this, I simply capture the DVD playing directly from my stand-a-lone DVD player to my RadionVideo capture into MPEG2 files and burnit in DVDit. I also have purchased Dazzle DVD Creation Station 200 which has a built in MPEG2 decoder chip which is fast. However, the capture program that goes with this device is difficult to figure out. You can capture into the programs (DVD Complete & Movie Star 5) but then your not utilizing the MPEG2 decoder chip and the quality isn't as good and many times can't keep up with the movie despite the fact I'm using an AMD 2200 processor, 1 gig of ram and GeForce video.

[CGreenlawMD]

I forgot to mention two important aspects of DVD creation station 200 and DVDit prof, in the former if you play the ripped DVD from any player to capture it in another computer, it is displayed with a boarder which I don't think can be removed. With respect to DVDit pro, when you produce the AC3 file, it has to be 2 channel as it can not produce a DVD using a 6 channel AC3 file. A lot of DVD's don't seem to have 2 channel English files other than comment files.

[ilscuro]

For those who dont have hardware encoder cards the easist and quickest way is to CCE use min bitrate set to zero in cce and max set to whatever is needed to get a specified output size (use tmpgenc to work out file size needed). for example do a 3 pass encode set minimum to 0 maximum to 8000 and average to 2000 (or whatever to get your specified output size) and let cce crunch away final file will be around 1.5 meg so you could get 2 or3 films on a dvdr and its very hard to notice any difference from original film.
i use new cce ver2.66 which lets me frameserve from virtualdub

[Praetorius]

I like to use:
Smartripper
Bitrate Viewer
DVD2AVI
VFAPI
DVD-R Calc
CCE
Pulldown
DVDMaestro
Gear DVD Pro

My method involves burning twice. First burn is a test burn to a DVD-RW. I see how much space is remaining on the DVD-RW then recalculate the avg. bitrate lower or higher depending on how much space is left and reencode, compile and do my final burn to a DVD-R. This way it's at the highest bitrate possible using all available space on the DVD-R. There must be an easier way but this works for me.

I just did "The Sum Of All Fears" and used up exactly 4488 MB of DVD-R space. It's packed to the max.