MenuShrink ver 1.0 - utility for shrinking DVD motion menus to still frames

[jeanl]

Thanks man! Appreciate the feedback!
Jeanl

[jeanl]

Originally posted by nwg
My paths are the default ones.

I have the PowerDVD shortcut next to menushrink anyway.

The menus are large for R2. They often have menus in different languages.

I remember what the 700MB menu I had. It was Pulp Fiction R2.

nwg, I think I suspect where your problem comes from. Do you have spaces in your path to the DVD? If you do, the buttons don't work in the current version of MenuShrink (bug!!).
Try the unofficial beta version here:

http://jean.laroche.free.fr/MenuShrink/Binaries/MenuShrink1.01.exe

It's got a fix for the path. It also works quite a bit differently from the 1.0 (produces VOBs that are much more legit)...
Give it a shot!
Jeanl

[nwg]

That was the problem. It didn't like the space in "Program files". It worked with PowerDVD and Media Player Classic

I do have a small suggestion. Could there be a "choose directory" button to change the path of the player/Shrink?

I had to copy and paste the paths in when swapping software players.

[jeanl]

mmm, I'm not sure I understand your request. You can change the paths to shrink and the player in the advanced option panel. You mean you'd rather have a button?
Blutach suggested that the 2 paths, and the 4 paths to the F1 buttons should be changeable with a button (that would popup a "path" panel). I think that's a good idea. Is that what you had in mind?
jeanl

[nwg]

At the moment, it looks like the only possible way to change the path is by typing out the path, or copy and pasting one in.

I was thinking of a "change path" button next to the path text box. It would make changing the player a lot easier. The person would then go to the folder with the player and then click on player.exe. The new path will now be shown in the path box.

Does that make sense?

[jeanl]

yes, sorry, I see what you mean now. Adding that to the wish list!
jeanl

[nwg]

Originally posted by jeanl
yes, sorry, I see what you mean now. Adding that to the wish list!
jeanl

Thanks.

[nwg]

I think I have found someperfect DVD's in my collection for this software.

I like the menus for the Star Wars DVD's. The R1 of the Phantom Menace takes up 800MB and consists of at least three complete set of menus. They come up randomly.

I wanted to keep that random effect and managed to get all the menus down to 37.53MB with audio and 16.37MB without audio.



Thought of another suggestion.

How about a history of past processed DVD's. I have been processing and restoring DVD's while experimenting. I have been going back and forth between DVD's.

update.

I loooked at the menus in DVDRemake and managed to get the all the menus down to 8MB (saving of 792MB). There was some redundant menu stills leftover from the motion video.

[blutach]

Nic - Be careful before you burn SW backups. Jean has been working on some enhancements. This was giving trouble in some players - notably SONY (although it played just fine in PowerDVD, but not Media Player Classic).

It is hopefully ironed out now and a new version will be posted soon.

And yes, those PGCs with a few seconds of transitions (no buttons) can be killed and the VCIDs eliminated, saving even more space.

Regards

[jeanl]

Originally posted by nwg
I think I have found someperfect DVD's in my collection for this software.

I like the menus for the Star Wars DVD's. The R1 of the Phantom Menace takes up 800MB and consists of at least three complete set of menus. They come up randomly.

I wanted to keep that random effect and managed to get all the menus down to 37.53MB with audio and 16.37MB without audio.



Thought of another suggestion.

How about a history of past processed DVD's. I have been processing and restoring DVD's while experimenting. I have been going back and forth between DVD's.

update.

I loooked at the menus in DVDRemake and managed to get the all the menus down to 8MB (saving of 792MB). There was some redundant menu stills leftover from the motion video.

nwg, I know these DVDs almost by hard (not from watching then, from menushrinking them. They've been the most problematic so far!!!
I personnaly could use a most recently used list of DVDs (and I know blutach too!). I'm not sure if that will make it into the next version, because of the way MS works with drag/drop.

Yes, you can still save some more if you use a tool that can remove stuff. MS can't remove a cell entirely from the VOB (that would pose all sorts of problems with having to renumber the following VCIDs etc).

And yes, like blutach says be careful with these difficult ones. Star wars menus processed with 1.0 may not play right with media player classic (and on Sony DVDs).
I'm hurrying to post a new version for that.
jeanl

[nwg]

I wasn't thinking of burning it. I just like experimenting.

It works fine in PowerDVD and media player classic. Anyway, I always use a +RW before burning a -R.

I have three Sony players. Is it worth burning it on a RW anyway and see what happens?

I do it tomorrow (it is 2AM).

[jeanl]

nwg, if you can experiment a little, please get the latest version, 1.04 which I'm putting on the web site. Here's the link:

http://jean.laroche.free.fr/MenuShrink/Binaries/MenuShrink1.04.exe

This is a much better algorithm, especially when you're not keeping the audio. It creates much more compliant VOBs, and it works on sony players (according to Blutach!). It took us quite a while (blutach and me) to figure out what was going wrong. But I think we nailed it....

Thanks for any feedback, good night!

jeanl

[blutach]

@nwg - a little tip: don't burn the whole thing, use PgcEdit to blank out the titles and so you only need to burn a few Mb.

Sorry if you knew this already. Just trying to be helpful.

Regards

[nwg]

Originally posted by blutach
@nwg - a little tip: don't burn the whole thing, use PgcEdit to blank out the titles and so you only need to burn a few Mb.

Regards

I know, thanks.

I like to keep the first chapter so I know the film starts ok from the menu.




Jeanl,

I got that version and have a go with it tomorrow.

[nwg]

I have done some tests with The Phantom Menace (R1).

I did a disc with MenuShrink 1 and another one with 1.04.

Both tests behaved exactly the same and as expected. There was no problems. I reloaded the disc several times to cycle the different menus.

I tried the discs on five players Sony NS900, Sony NS525, Sony NS585, Cyberhome CH 4000 and a Panasonic HS2.

The discs and files of the hard disk played fine in both PowerDVD and Media Player Classic.

I think the behaviour of Sony players can differ depending where it was bought.