Cell Blanking problem!!!

[techreactor]

If I blank out a cell in a title, usually the end credits. I found that the compiled DVD will not go past or over the blanked cell during playback in the SAP. Although the software player, plays it fine.

It happens with some DVD's not all. The time counter on my player gets stuck just before the blanked cell and only if i press Fast Forward/next button on the remote does it go past the blanked cell and shows up the menu.

The solution I found to overcome this to cut the cell out instead of blanking it.

Now I dont know whats causing the problem, since it could be a wrong blanking routine or even my SAP !!!

Does anyone has similar problems or can do a similar test ???

[jsoto]

How do you blank the cell?
Do you mark the cell and the next one (if there is) as non-seamless joined and STC discontinuity in the PGC?

The second thing (marking the cell and the next one as non-seamless joined) usually does the trick.

jsoto

[blutach]

Yes, I had this problem, too sometimes. Follow jsoto's advice (cell flag = 2) and add one little thing (for picky players).

Add a cell command to the last cell before the blanked one to LinkTailPGC (oftentimes there will already be a cell command to do this anyway with blank cells at the end).

A mock strip can also sometimes help. But the cell command works 100%.

Regards

[techreactor]

@ Jsoto,

Sometimes, I blank the complete cell and sometimes I cut the end part(credits) of it, since the begning has the movie still playing.

@ Blu

How do I "Add a cell command to the last cell before the blanked one to LinkTailPGC".

I have seen the LinktailPGC being used in the POST commands of PGC.

Any screenshots and/or steps will definitely help.

Thanks.

[blutach]

In PgcEdit, go to the PGC for the title. Click on ********cell commands:. Click Add After. A NOP cell command is born with a command number (if there were none present before, it will be command 1). Now, double click on NOP and change it to LinkTailPGC in the command editor (click on Alphabetically and find LinkTailPGC).

Now double click on the PGC itself to bring up the PGC Editor. Go down to your tiny cell and in the one before it, add the number 1 in cell command (assuming your cell command that you added is command #1). OK. Save.

We're outa here.

Regards

[techreactor]

I am afraid none of the suggested solutions are working, I had cut the last cell to remove the credits using Vobblanker in this DVD.

EDIT: I checked the timeline and found that it is 2:03:25 but my SAP gets stuck at 2:03:23, i.e. its not able to play the complete PGC and hence cannot read the next commands. It could be problem in the "Cut" routine with VOBblanker.

[techreactor]

@ Jsoto,

Since I was getting nowhere so I made few tests till I succeeded. Probably these will help you in finding the source of problem.

This time instead of using the "Cut" routine, I selected the "Keep" routine and selected the movie from Start to End (before the credits).

With this setting, the DVD played fine and was returning back to the Menu without any problems.

[blutach]

Do a mock strip of the titleset after cut and see how that goes.

Interesting that "keep" works.

Regards

[jsoto]

@ Jsoto,
This time instead of using the "Cut" routine, I selected the "Keep" routine and selected the movie from Start to End (before the credits).

Mmm, strange... both routines should do the same... in fact the difference is minimum, both call the same internal procedures...I'll look into it when I find some time.
jsoto

[techreactor]

Mmm, strange... both routines should do the same... in fact the difference is minimum, both call the same internal procedures...I'll look into it when I find some time.
jsoto

I'll wait for an update on this, btw, both output work fine in software players but not in SAP

@ Blu, sorry, I feel too lazy to go thru the mockstrip specially now, since after my HDD crash, I dont even have IFOedit on my PC.

[jsoto]

I dont even have IFOedit on my PC.

IMHO, IFOEdit is still essential...

[blutach]

@jsoto

I did a cut of the last cell using the "keep method" last night. One thing it did change was the cell flag - introduced a non-seamless flag (because of the broken GOP at the cut point? which became the end of the VOB). I undid this, as I knew the start of the cell was muxed OK for seamless.

You might like to look at this.

Regards

[techreactor]

I am afraid none of the suggested solutions are working, I had cut the last cell to remove the credits using Vobblanker in this DVD.

I tested once more and these solutions work falwlessly if you have blanked a cell (or two) completely and not when you removing a part of cell and keeping the other part of it.

Just for Info.

[notec]

In PgcEdit, go to the PGC for the title. Click on ********cell commands:. Click Add After. A NOP cell command is born with a command number (if there were none present before, it will be command 1). Now, double click on NOP and change it to LinkTailPGC in the command editor (click on Alphabetically and find LinkTailPGC).

Now double click on the PGC itself to bring up the PGC Editor. Go down to your tiny cell and in the one before it, add the number 1 in cell command (assuming your cell command that you added is command #1). OK. Save.

Referring to the 2nd paragraph: (Go down to your tiny cell and in the one before it, add the number 1 in cell command (assuming your cell command that you added is command #1), where do you add the number 1 - in the "Cell Cmd #" data input field of the last cell that contains the end credits (see attachment)? Before the 2 VB SPLIT cells created from a SPLIT?

I'm experiencing similar behavior as original post. Play hangs at end credits and doesn't switch to Main Menu.

[blutach]

Yep - perfect. If you wished, you could add them into the next 2 cells, too. The flags will turn pink alerting you to turn off the seamless flag (untick that box). OK you are done.

Regards