PGCs too short?

[VRYK]

Thanks for your reply.

> You can even "delete" the second stream from the IFO in Domain Stream Attributes.<
I couldn’t find how to do this (in Domain-Domain Streams Attributes).

> You did not tell how you have created the highlights<
The highlights were created by first checking the highlight/background colours used in the other menus by saving the subpic as a .bmp file in DVDSubEdit. The menu image file was used in PS Elements for positioning the highlights (which in this case are rather thin underlinings – hence the uncertainty about positioning)).
I added a button covering the entire menu surface, leaving the opacity values as for the other menus (varying between 3-9). Still no hand, still no reaction. This is the first time I have experienced this.

The BOVs are in (VTST1-2) TTN1 and not TTN2. I had initially tried using the very helpful command editor, but was unsuccessful.
In a different context some time back I tried to concoct the command: If gprm(12)= 0 Then Set Highlight button =(mov) 1024. I ended up using a workaround.

[r0lZ]

The way to remove a stream from the IFOs may not be very intuitive. You have to disable it in all PGCs of the domain, with the PGC Editor. (Double-click the PGC to open the Editor, then click the stream you want to disable, and finally click Disable. Repeat for all PGCs in the domain.) When that's done, go to Domain Stream Attributes. You'll get a message similar to this:

*** Dialogue title: "Verify number of tracks (in current domain)"
*** Dialogue type: warning
*** Dialogue message:
There are 1 subpic tracks defined for the VTST domain
in the VTSI_MAT table of the VTST 3.
0 subpic tracks are really used by the PGCs.

Fix the number of subpic tracks in VTSI_MAT to 0?
*** Dialogue buttons: [Yes] [No]

Answer Yes to delete completely the reference to the stream from the IFOs.

Note that a stream can be deleted only when it is at the end of the list of streams. For example, you cannot delete stream 0 if it is followed by the non-disabled stream 1.

[VRYK]

Thanks for your reply.

The text in the PGC Editor ‘s top-right corner states:
“Sub-picture VOB’s Decoding Streams, for 4:3, wide, letterbox, pan&scan.
(Given the current domain streams attributes, only the 4:3 stream is used”
Although, as you have confirmed, two subpic streams are created automatically, I take this to mean that there is no pan&scan subpic stream reference to delete – is this correct?

I still need help for navigating from the VTSM RootMenu to the BOVs at VTST1-2 TTN1 and also for the conditional setting of a highlight button.

[r0lZ]

Oh, yes. Just be sure to set all decoding stream numbers to 0 (the first stream in the VOB).

I gave you the command to go to TTN 1. (I used TTN 2, but it's only one param to change.)

I can't explain how to conditionally highlight a specific button, as I don't know which condition should be used. If it's, say, the chapter number, you have to use a sequence of pre-commands such as this one:

[61 00 00 00 00 84 00 00]   1  Set gprm(0) =(mov) sprm(4:Title number in volume) 
[20 B6 00 00 00 01 04 01]   2  if ( gprm(0) != 1 ) then { LinkPGN Program 1, button 1 (1024) } 
[61 00 00 00 00 87 00 00]   3  Set gprm(0) =(mov) sprm(7:Chapter number (or PGN)) 
[00 F1 00 00 00 01 00 09]   4  if ( gprm(0) < 1 ) then { Goto line 9 } 
[00 D1 00 00 00 06 00 09]   5  if ( gprm(0) > 6 ) then { Goto line 9 } 
[75 00 00 00 04 00 00 00]   6  Set gprm(0) *=(mul) 1024 
[46 00 00 00 00 00 00 00]   7  (SetHL_BTN) Set Highlighted Button =(mov) gprm(0) 
[00 02 00 00 00 00 00 00]   8  Break 
[30 06 00 00 00 00 00 00]   9  (JumpSS) Jump to First Play PGC

Note the lines 1 and 2. They check if the last played title is the main movie. If it's not the case, button 1 is selected, and the nav plays the first cell.
Lines 5 and 6, returning to the FP-PGC, are safeguards in case the chapter number is out of range. Of course, you may want to specify another target.
This example is for a simple chapter menu with only a single page.

Here is a more complex example, with several pages with 4 chapter buttons in each page. (Change the constant "4" to any other value if there are more or less buttons.) In both examples, it is assumed that the chapter buttons are in the correct order. The second example assumes that each page is in its own PGC. If they are in different cells of the same PGC, you should use the LinkPGN command instead of LinkPGCN.

[61 00 00 0F 00 84 00 00]   1  Set gprm(15) =(mov) sprm(4:Title number in volume) 
[00 B1 00 0F 00 01 00 13]   2  if ( gprm(15) != 1 ) then { Goto line 19 } 
[61 00 00 0F 00 87 00 00]   3  Set gprm(15) =(mov) sprm(7:Chapter number (or PGN)) 
[00 D1 00 0F 00 13 00 13]   4  if ( gprm(15) > 19 ) then { Goto line 19 } 
[74 00 00 0F 00 01 00 00]   5  Set gprm(15) -=(sub) 1 
[77 00 00 0F 00 04 00 00]   6  Set gprm(15) %=(mod) 4 
[73 00 00 0F 00 01 00 00]   7  Set gprm(15) +=(add) 1 
[75 00 00 0F 04 00 00 00]   8  Set gprm(15) *=(mul) 1024 
[46 00 00 00 00 0F 00 00]   9  (SetHL_BTN) Set Highlighted Button =(mov) gprm(15) 
[61 00 00 0F 00 87 00 00]  10  Set gprm(15) =(mov) sprm(7:Chapter number (or PGN)) 
[74 00 00 0F 00 01 00 00]  11  Set gprm(15) -=(sub) 1 
[76 00 00 0F 00 04 00 00]  12  Set gprm(15) /=(div) 4 
[73 00 00 0F 00 01 00 00]  13  Set gprm(15) +=(add) 1 
[20 A4 00 0F 00 01 00 05]  14  if ( gprm(15) == 1 ) then { LinkPGCN PGC 5 } 
[20 A4 00 0F 00 02 00 07]  15  if ( gprm(15) == 2 ) then { LinkPGCN PGC 7 } 
[20 A4 00 0F 00 03 00 08]  16  if ( gprm(15) == 3 ) then { LinkPGCN PGC 8 } 
[20 A4 00 0F 00 04 00 09]  17  if ( gprm(15) == 4 ) then { LinkPGCN PGC 9 } 
[20 A4 00 0F 00 05 00 0A]  18  if ( gprm(15) == 5 ) then { LinkPGCN PGC 10 } 
[00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00]  19  NOP 
[56 00 00 00 04 00 00 00]  20  (SetHL_BTN) Set Highlighted Button =(mov) 1024 (button 1) 
[20 04 00 00 00 00 00 05]  21  LinkPGCN PGC 5

[VRYK]

Yes, all the decoding stream numbers are 0. I find this problem (i.e. non-recognition of the command buttons) utterly baffling.

> I gave you the command to go to TTN 1. (I used TTN 2, but it's only one param to change.)<
Unfortunately, I’m still lost with this one.
VTSM1 2b RootM
VTST1.1 TTN1 Title 1 (main movie)
VTST1.2 TTN1 4b contains the 4 chapter BOVs.
[30 03 00 00 00 02 00 00] isn’t valid since there is no TTN2, while {30 03 00 00 00 01 00 00} navigates to Title 1. It seems to me that I shall have to incorporate these buttons in a VTSM rather than leave them as BOVs. Then I could use [30 06 00 01 01 87 00 00]

>I can't explain how to conditionally highlight a specific button, as I don't know which condition should be used.<
The case in point was set out in my earlier message:
“.... If gprm(12)= 0 Then Set Highlight button =(mov) 1024.”
Thanks very much for your trouble of setting out the two examples which I find very instructive. They confirm my conclusion that the expression can’t be coded directly.

Am I correct in believing that an audio stream cannot be edited (e.g. deleted) at the cell level?

[r0lZ]

Oh, I see. You have authored the menu in the same TTN than the movie. Big mistake! You should have this instead:
VTSM1 2b RootM
VTST1.1 TTN1 Title 1 (main movie)
VTST1.2 TTN2 Title 2 (4b contains the 4 chapter BOVs)


You're right. An audio stream is a whole, and cannot be split per cell. Of course, you may use VobBlanker to extract the cell, then demux the audio from the extracted cell, edit it, and remux it, and finally replace the cell again with VobBlanker. But it's complex and unless you really need to do it, I suggest to demux and remux the whole domain instead. It's usually easier.
Anyway, you must keep the audio in the cell in exactly the same format than the original stream, even if its audio content has changed.
It is still possible to change that. Clone the 2nd PGC, but this time, be sure to select the option to create a new Title. Then, use Remap PGCs to move the VTST1.2 TTN1 to the end of the domain, and delete it. You should now have the configuration above, and it will be easy to jump to the PGC with the BOVs.

[r0lZ]

Am I correct in believing that an audio stream cannot be edited (e.g. deleted) at the cell level?

Yes. You can edit it (for example to mute it), but the audio stream itself must be continuous through the whole domain.

[VRYK]

I fixed the VTS structure as per your instructions and the video is now working fine.

Thanks for the confirmation re editing an audio stream. Incidentally, while DVDSubEdit can be sued for syncing subtitles, could you recommend an applic for syncing audio?

[r0lZ]

I don't know a program to do specifically that. Usually, I use MKVMerge GUI. (It's a part of mkvtoolnix.) It can mux the VOB to MKV and you can specify an audio delay. With some tries and errors, it is usually possible to obtain good results.

Of course, it you need to stretch the audio, it's more complicated. You have to sync a part at the beginning of the movie, then a part at the end, and use the difference to compute the stretch value. (Maybe you can also try to stretch the audio with MkvMerge, but I have never tried.)

[VRYK]

Many thanks for the information.
I have run into a video with 3 audio tracks, one of which is so weak as to be practically inaudible. I tried de- and re-muxing (PgcDemux and Muxman), but this, of course, didn't help. I found a thread on the subject in Doom9 where in particular BeSweet and DVD-Rebuilder are cited. I ran the free version of DVD-Rebuilder, but this didn't help. [BeSweet doesn't seem to be very "user friendly"]. Since the thread dates from 2006, I wonder what application(s) might be available now to boost an audio stream's volume level?

[r0lZ]

If the audio is in mono or stereo, you can use any (good) audio editor. It's more difficult for 5.1, as many editors do not handle more than 2 channels at the same time. You may have to convert each channel to WAV, boost all channels separately, and re-combine them. Usually, I use foobar2000 for the conversion part, Adobe Audition (expensive!) for the edition, and the WAV to MP3 encoder to rebuild an AC3 5.1 stream. It's even more difficult for DTS. Anyway, you will have to experiment. It is not always easy to obtain good results. I'm not a specialist of audio conversion and edition, and I can only redirect you to the hydrogenaudio forums, the best place to find info about audio editing and encoding.

[EDIT] I forgot to write that you can use MP3Gain or foobar2000 to boost MP3 audio tracks without re-encoding them. No quality loss! But MP3 is rarely used on DVDs (and it is even illegal to include only a MP3 audio track).

For audio conversion, you can also try eac3to, but it's a command-line tool. (You can perhaps find a good GUI.)

[VRYK]

Many thanks for the audio references. I am now trying to absorb this material. Fortunately, my case is relatively straight-forward – the problem stream is dual channel (AC3) while the other two are single-channel.
Given the complexity of DTS, it would seem easier to invest in an ear trumpet!
As for command-line apps, I grew up on DOS, but Windows spoiled all that.