How do you eliminate layer breaks

[WaxhawRon]

I see that I am not supposed to mention specific software, but I have used several different programs for burning DVD's and all of them leave a short break (upwards of a full second) where the files change--i.e. where VTS_1.1 ends and VTS_1.2 (or VOB 1.1 to VOB 1.2) starts there will be a break of up to a full second in the recording of the DVD.

One shrinking software that I tried even noted that it removed layer breaks, but it did not. The audio and video just freeze up for a second or so before continuing. This is very annoying, and there must be a way to eliminate this, but as a newbie, I need to be clued in.

Thank you in advance to whomever will help me resolve this problem.

[UncasMS]

take a look at imageburn and layerbreak options:

http://forum.digital-digest.com/search.php?searchid=2039865

[WaxhawRon]

Hi UncasMS,

Thank you very much for your reply. I have been using ImgBurn 2.4.2 which I will now update, but this is past the point in the software's development where the layer break problem was said to be resolved.

I tried using just one long VTS file, but my DVD player won't accept it (as the DVS 3.2 software warned was possible.

Re the posting on layerbreak options, I just don't understand this. (I am a newbie, after all).

I use Memorex blank discs, and have been using them for CD and DVD burning all along and have not had problems--unless this layer break problem is because of this brand of disc.

I actually get the shortest layer breaks--and they are still noticeable but not nearly as long as I get otherwise--by converting VOB to AVI and using a simple free easy video joiner.

Can you please have pity on this newbie and be more specific with your advice?

Thank you again,
WaxhawRon

[MilesAhead]

When you say "layer break" are you talking about dual layer DVD9 or are you just using that term to mean that every time you come to the end of a 1 GB Vob file, you get a hesitation?

I'm just wondering because it sounds like there's more than one break(I don't burn DVD9 so I don't really know what I'm talking about. Just want to find out.)

[UncasMS]

hi WexhawRon,

take a look at this guide (especially step 6 ff):

CLICK

IMGBURN will only use the layerbreak it finds/which has been set before so you will have to provide decent input.

[WaxhawRon]

Hi MilesAhead and UncasMS,

I am not using dual layered DVD's. I just use standard DVD5's.

I am referring to the hesitation you get each time you come to the end of a 1GB VOB file. On a 2 hour movie, for example, there can be as many as 6 of these breaks. That's annnoying enough, but when it's a two hour concert video and you get 5, 6, or 7 freezes of up to a second or so each, it ruins the experience.

It is worse with ISO files. I convert these to AVI files and join them with an easy file joiner program and the breaks are shorter but are still there. The AVI breaks are like blips, the ISO breaks are complete freezes for up to a second or more. Either is enough to ruin the rythm of a good concert video, opr disrupt your attention from a good movie.

Regards,
WaxhawRon

[MilesAhead]

Have you tried the DVDs on several different stand-alones? I found DVD-R I burned at 8x on my first PC with a burner, played fine on Philips pre-divx support player, Philips dvp642 and Oppo. Since then I purchased a Philips dvp 5990 and those 8x burns often get a pause near the spot where I think the burner changes speeds(from 4x up to 8x.) DVD+R I burn at 16x plays fine.

Seems like the sensitivity varies by the player, but I'd also watch the burns and see if you get "troughs" in the speed. Like it's normal for the speed to drop a bit when changing to higher speed in the course of the burn, but if it dips way down to 2x or so, it might be problematic.

I'd try to clean up the input videos as much as possible, then try a few different brands of DVD blank. Every time I get a new PC with a DVD burner, if it doesn't like the blanks I'm using, I go buy 5 packs of various ones until I find one it "likes", then I use DVD Info to find out who made the disc(for instance one PC liked Memorex, really made by ProDisc, so for awhile I bought ProDisc from SupermediaStore until they started not to work so well.) It's a crap shoot. You can try the "best name" discs, but on my burners TY 16x often only wanted to burn at 4x, whereas Verbatim DVD+R 16x burned fine at full speed and played fine. It's what seems to work best on your gear. With stuff like Memorex though, the manufacturer can vary by the batch. Might be Ritek or ProDisc or some other. Once you know what your gear likes then I'd buy direct from an outfit like SupermediaStore or Meritline and just get the ones labeled by the maker, instead of a marketing name. I've had good luck for awhile now using Verbatim Datalife DVD+R 16x in several PCs but that doesn't necessarily guarantee that's the one for you to buy. Try a 5 pack first.

[WaxhawRon]

Hi MilesAhead,

Thanks very much for the idea. I've always bought name brand discs, whichever had the best price at the time I walked into the store. Looking at my collection, I've got mostly Memorex but also a few Verbatim discs. Got the same "hesitation blues" on all of the discs, which is why I was hoping that there was something that could be done with software (preferably freeware) to resolve the problem.

I looked at those discs that had to have the content compressed versus those that didn't, but I've got the same problem on all of them. Multiple VOB's or VTS's and get get about 1 GB between blips.

I've got three players to play the discs on--desktop, laptop, and Toshiba stand alone--and the hesitation is about the same on all three players. In fact, you can see it on the audio track's oscillation, but I'm not good enough to try to edit out a second or less of track without screwing up the music on my concert videos. Besides, I just shouldn't have to.

Guess I'll keep looking for a software idea--that I can understand (very important consideration!)

By the way, do you have this problem?

Thanks again for your good thoughts. Guess I'll do some CD's for a while (-:

WaxhawRon

[UncasMS]

hmm, i've never encountered any such "gaps" with whatsoever media on any player.

do you have any disc that plays fine with your equipment?

i usually use half of the maximum write speed of the given media - have you tried with different write speeds yet?
( i cant think of any good reason though why a too fast write speed could result in dropouts after almost every single vob)

have you tried any of your disc on somebody elses player?

[MilesAhead]

No, on my videos I only got the freeze a few minutes into the movie. I'm pretty sure it was when the burning bumped up from 4x to 8x. Only other suggestion I would have is take a VIDEO_TS folder that burned with the problem and see if you can burn it on somebody else's burner. Basic scheme of narrowing down the problem is divide and conquer. First division is hardware/software. Do whatever you can to change the hardware variables around and see what happens.

I don't think I've run into any post with this exact problem before. If you find out the cause please post because I'm sure a few here will be curious.

[WaxhawRon]

very interesting...I usually use a very slow burning speed 2X, rarely 4X. I want to get the best recording I can. I've got the same problem on all 3 of my video players, but I will check to see if it happens with one of my recorded discs on a friend's stand-alone DVD Player.

Thanks very much to both of you for the help and support.

WaxhawRon

[WaxhawRon]

UncasMS suggested: "take a look at imageburn and layerbreak options".

I went to the link. Response: "Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms."

[MilesAhead]

It sounds like each different video is being burned as a separate title. You might try some authoring software that can merge them all into one title. Not one file, but one title(the way the "main movie" in a conventional movie DVD can be 2 1/2 hours long)

When I burn DVD video with multiple titles I'll notice a very slight hesitation as one ends and the next begins, but not pronounced like you are talking about. Still, I think authoring is likely where the solution lies, if there is one.

[WaxhawRon]

Thanks, MilesAhead, I'll give it a try.
Best regards,
WaxhawRon

[WaxhawRon]

hasn't made any difference which brand of DVD+R I use.