Target Sectors for Dual Layer discs?

[laserfan]

I've searched but could find no discussion of using DVD-RB Pro with dual-layer discs e.g. DVD+R DL. I want to try combining two dual layer DVDs into one (maybe Pearl Harbor for example).

Presumably this is as simple as setting the Hidden Option correctly, after I've combined the movie w/say Shrink?

If anyone has done this please post, especially what Target Sectors value works. Thanks!

[UncasMS]

combining disc should rather be done via vobedit or remake or shrink but i wouldnt use rb for this task

[laserfan]

Sorry, I don't understand. One can take a DVD-9 and re-encode to a DVD-5 w/RBPro; why can't it be used to re-build an (admittedly) un-burnable titleset of, say 12Gb and re-encode to 8.5Gb for burning to dual-layer disc?

Sound(ed) simple enough to me; that is, to tell RB it's encoding target is 8.5Gb.

What don't I understand about this? TIA for your explanation please.

Oh, I figured I'd either let RecordNow 7.3 set the layer break, or that IfoEdit or PgcEdit might be able to let me set it?

[UncasMS]

rb relies on the ifo files

in the cases you're are talking about you would have two separate folders containing vobs + ifo

you simply cannot load BOTH into rb

thus you'll have to merge the two discs BEFORE using rb

merging could be done with the tools mentioned before
dvd remake, however, should be the only tool being able to keep menus if i remember correctly

of course you can merge the files first and then use rebuilder to reduce the filesize to whatever you prefer (dvd5 or dvd9)

[laserfan]

I'm sorry, I wasn't clear up-front--all I intend to do is merge the two discs in MOVIE-ONLY mode, no menus at all.

OK then can you or someone else here suggest a "safe" number of sectors for a DVD+R DL disc, for the accuracy of the RBPro encoding process? Thanks.

EDIT: From the dvdlab site, I got for DVD+R DL:

Sectors=4,148,992

I also found info saying these had 8,152MB or 8,547,993,600bytes

Finally robot1 here said: "In RB-Opt I use this formula: actual=targetsectors*2*1.013/1024
Usually it comes within an error of 3-4 MB."

When I apply the sectors above in this formula, I get 8,208 so I'm not sure what to believe...

[blutach]

Hi laserfan - use the default sectors in PgcEdit's setup. Should work.

Regards

[laserfan]

Thanks Les, I managed to trip-across this when using PgcEdit to apply a layer break to my titleset.

I managed to make a disc, without using Rebuilder, but I can't say that I'm completely happy with it (either the process or the disc). I wanted to make a single DL disc of Pearl Harbor (3hour 7mins over 2 discs) and I stumbled-around a bit:

1. Ripped the discs in ISO mode w/DVDD
2. Mounted w/Daemon tools and attempted to merge using Nero Recode
3. Recode crashed or otherwise didn't work directly; didn't like the "angles" in the main title on Disc 2 (simply a 2nd angle w/French closing credits)
4. So I used Shrink to make another, cleaner ISO w/o the extra angle
5. Tried again w/Recode to merge the titles. Didn't work! The resulting titleset wouldn't play across the "2nd disc" bridge.
6. Considered stripping that blasted Recode off my puter entirely. The damn thing has never worked for anything I've tried it with!
7. Used VOBedit and IfoEdit instead to join the two discs and create a new IFO set
8. Could NOT find a place to insert a layer break (w/PgcEdit) that would work--the filesizes were such (the titleset just slightly too big) that I couldn't find a chapter point to insert a layer break
9. Shrunk the whole thing just a little with Shrink (~98%)
10. Found an OK point to insert a layer break
11. Test, and burn to DVD+R DL using RecordNow7.3
12. It works, though the break is in a slightly awkward place, and the subtitles got hosed somewhere along the line (I didn't test well enough)

OK I have a playable disc, but I can't say it was worth all the effort, nor can I suggest where DVD Rebuilder might have been used to help me out (maybe if it were savvier about DL discs i.e. help assign a layer break?).

In the end, given you can't really (easily) combine two discs w/different menu systems anyway (or wouldn't WANT to) and there are no doubt VERY FEW movies that couldn't be combined as above w/out any recoding at all (or very minimal), this no doubt isn't a big enough oppty to get jdobbs interested! But thanks to all who've read this far, anyway!

[blutach]

Not sure I'd use ISO mode to rip cos you can't write to an ISO. Rip in file mode, all files and no need for D-Tools. To join, I always use the Vobedit technique - it works!

I'd then use DVDRB to get it to size. DVDRB can't be bettered quality wise.

If no LB (strange, but that's the way the cells were, I guess), you can use DVD Remake Pro to make new cell boundaries at a place which is aesthetically pleasing.

As for combining 2 disks with different menus, you can - but the process is a bit laborious. Check here or again, DVD Remake Pro is the tool for you. But in your case, you just want the movie to continue, so it is easier to do what you did. Unusual that side 2 has different angles to side 1. But anything's possible!

Regards

[blutach]

Oh yeah - for subbies, the stream IDs will need to be the same on both sides. So if English subbies are 0x20 on side 1 but 0x21 on side 2, you will need to reassign side 2 to 0x20 before joining. But this would be strange to see the disks authored this way.

Regards

[laserfan]

...If no LB (strange, but that's the way the cells were, I guess), you can use DVD Remake Pro to make new cell boundaries at a place which is aesthetically pleasing...

Thanks Les for your comments. The LB question was owing to having started with 2 dual-layer discs--each disc had a LB inappropriate to a single DL version of the movie. So I had to remove the originals.

I can't rationalize spending $$ on DRP for just this purpose (LB), and in this case too DVD-RB Pro seemed overkill time-wise to the project (I only needed to shrink a little). If DVD-RB Pro had a LB feature that would be very nice.

The Subtitle issue was the one where the colors/fonts gets jazzed-up, i.e. what I needed to do was copy & paste the original ST info into the compilation after I had IfoEdit rebuild the IFOs. I just don't do this often enough to be good at it yet.

[blutach]

Yes, you need to copy the CLUT (Colour LookUp Table) over. PgcEdit does this automatically for you in v6.1 (to be released soon) and is easier than IfoEdit in copying CLUTs.

DVDRMP is very versatile software and can do lots of things. At least have a look at the website and see all the features.

Good luck.

Regards