Can't get Menushrink to work??!

[TRAVELMAN]

Hi all,

After ripping a file (in file mode) with SHRINK I've tried dragging & dropping the video_ts file and also the individual file named (can't think of it now but I followed instructions to the letter!!) & the 'proccess' button does not appear (ie stays grey-if you know what I mean!) the version is 2.30. Any ideas-sure it's something simple!!! I know i can reduce file size by 'clipping' the start/finsih using shrink but thought Menushrink would give a better finished product??

Thanks!

Chris

[blutach]

MenuShrink only works on menus (as its name suggests). DVD Shrink can not do anything to the menus by using start/end frame.

Drag and drop the folder containing your project onto the menushrink screen. Click process! That's it.

Regards

[techreactor]

Either you are not dropping the folder onto Menushrink properly or the rip is bad, have you tried playing from the ripped folder, does it play ???

Before dropping the folder,Close DVD Shrink first, could be an access related problem

[TRAVELMAN]

Guys-yes-copies were fine so rip was ok. Even tried deleting & re-installing Menushrink & version 2.2!

At the top of the 'box' it says 'scanned xxxxxx folder' (correct folder with files in) & at the bottom of the 'box' it gives the file size-so it knows the file is there but can't get the process button to appear....!!!??

Any further ideas?

[blutach]

Tick advanced and make sure the VTS's are checked.

Regards

[TRAVELMAN]

Blutach-sorry-not that technical...only things i could 'tick' once i'd pressed the 'advanced' box was 'preview select'??! It's seen the file as it has the file name at top & size at bottom....I'm completely stumped by this!

Chris

[blutach]

Then you have not loaded in the project correctly (or there are no menus).

Do it again - rip in file mode, all files. Drag the ripped folder on your hard drive over the menushrink window.

Regards

[TRAVELMAN]

Hi all-you'll be sick of me!

Ok...please bear in mind I'm still fairly new to this....so any answers in 'baby' language please!

SUCCESS! Copied ALL files with DVDDCRPTER (previously I'd re-authored them with SHRINK) in fil mode to a folder on my desktop. I'm now in SHRINK (after clicking to get straght there from MENUSHRINK) & it's analysing (deep) after I re-authored & just pulled in the 2 episodes-NO extras, directors voice...etc

I think where I went wrong was that I re-authored & did not save ALL files. So am I right in assuming that my finished ISO file to burn will have no 'moving' introduction at all-just a picture & the audio (I'm sad but I like the theme tune!). the saving was a whopping 750MB!

So for future attempts please clarify that 1)-I must copy ALL files un-shrunk to folder (no re-authoring prior to just get the main films) & THEN use shrink to compress (if needed) & save image to burn? 2)-Can I use SHRINK to save the FULL files (in folder form) to desktop (seem's to have not worked well with shrink but that's probably because I re-authored, etc BEFORE trying menushrink) or is DVDDCRYPTER the best one to use?

Thanks all....I'm getting there (!!)

Chris

[jeanl]

Travelman,
If you reauthor with DVDShrink, you don't get a menu: the dvd starts with the movie as soon as you put it in the player. As a result, menushrink was able to open it, but didn't find any menu to shrink, so it was not enabling the process button... It all makes sense.
Indeed, if you want to keep your menus, you don't want to use DVDShrink's reauthor mode, but rather the full backup mode. So the sequence of operations in that case is:
- Rip to disk in file mode with DVDDecrypter
- Open with Menushrink and click process.
- Open with DVDShrink (using the button in menushrink for example) and shrink as you normally would.

To answer your question: your finished ISO will have no moving menus IF you did process with menushrink (you didn't state that clearly, but I guess you did).

jeanl

[TRAVELMAN]

Thanks!

Jeanl,

THANKS!

I now realise where I've gone wrong (!). I only starting this lark on 29 November so (in my mind anyway!) I've come on leaps & bounds!

Will be using MENUSHRINK to re-author a depeche mode concert which at 2 hours long + shrunk to an 'ok' copy....not fab! Reckon now with the help of MENUSHRINK I'll re-copy it & the extra MB will make for a much clearer better backup.

One last very thick question....does menushrink reduce the opening/closing music/credits (if a tv series compilation) to a single frame (with or without audio depending if ticked in menushrink) or is it just the interactive menu's, ie click here for song one etc....I'm nearly there!

Chris

[jeanl]

Travelman,
Indeed, you're nearly there!
- The amount of space you'll save is directly based on how much space was taken by the menus originally. This can be large in some cases, it can be quite small in others.
- Menushrink will only compress things that are in the menu domain (i.e., in video_ts.vob, vts_01_0.vob, vts_02_0.vob etc). So depending on how your DVD was authored, the opening credits will or will not be compressed. For example, the ending credits of a movie are almost always attached to the movie itself, in the title domain, and menushrink can't do anything about that. However, the animated intro to menus that you often see are always in the menu domain and these can be compressed to still if you want to.
- Once you get a bit more familiar with the app, check out the advanced options and in particular the "preview select" option. This will let you pick the frame you want to keep for each menu, and also allows you to keep some parts of the menus animated, if that's what you want...

Jeanl

[TRAVELMAN]

Jeanl-THANKS! One other question not related realy to menushrink (as you're 100% more clued up than me on this!) wen re-authoring with dvdshrink I untick all audio apart from one that says 'english AC 35.1-ch English & also just leave English as the only ticked 'subpicture'. I'm guessing by taking out 'unwanted' audio I'm freeing up more MB? Read this on a guide somewhere....hope I'm doing this right?

Also-what the hell is 'directors comment' (I never tick this)??! And is it possible to make the copy full screen not wide screen (I saw on the MRBASS guide there is a menu you can click for wide/full screen?? For the life of me can't find it!) as I've lost my TV remote & tried ENDLESS times to programme a new one-with no success??

Sorry to keep asking quiestions....worth a cheap holiday (I'm a self-employed travel agent) for any answers (!!!)

Sorry (!!!)

Chris

[jeanl]

TRAVELMAN, there are others more qualified than me to answer questions on DVDShrink, but I'll try: Yes, by removing audio you free up space, exactly how much is indicated in DVDShrink, right next to the stream in question. Usually I don't bother removing subtitles as they're very small.

Director's comment" is usually an audio track (or a subpic track) with the director talking about the movie in the background.

I'm missing the connection between losing your remote and wanting your movie to be full-screen! Do you mean your TV has an option for zooming?
In any case, as far as I know, Shrink does not have an option for turning a wide screen into a full screen. Doing that is quite an involved project...
jeanl

[TRAVELMAN]

Jeanl-thanks for your prompt reply! What I meant re: widescreen/screen is that I'm sure on mrbasses guide a drop down menu gave the option to enable this-if the DVD offered a choice! I'm sure from 3 years back my remote for the tv could change the screen but 3 years is a long time when you're near 40....(!!!) Will have a play with some RW media to see what happens...thanks for your help so far.

I'm still learning.....I'm full of cold (or 'manflu' as my other 1/2 calls it-claims men moan when they are ill...never??!) & live in cold old Yorkshire. Very quiet time for me (they all book holidays in January!) & I have been fascinated by the enthusiasm, willingness to help & info. available on the web in regard to backing up DVD'S (& have had the time to do it!). My little girl (6 bless her!) has a disney video (recent!) which in 2 weeks she's scratched, dropped, etc....I've managed to back it up for her (admitedly 10% compression & a few 'tweaks') using the tools (Menushrink helped a lot) & advice on here. the little one can't tell the difference!!! Mum reckons within a week the original will be spoilt, lost, scratched......so I'm well chuffed!

Again-thanks all!

Chris

[jeanl]

Oh I see. If there are two versions of the same movie on the DVD (one widescreen and one fullscreen) it's true that DVDShrink can keep only one of them. But when you get more familiar with all the tools, pgcedit or vobblanker would be the way to go for that...
Anyway, there are plenty of guides out there, take your time, and read up.

jeanl