Problems while opening IFO file

[Ghostrider]

I have a problem while opening the IFO file from the DVD "The Abyss".
Flask reports some kind of : "there was an error while opening the ifo file, see help for more information". Does anybody know, where the problem could be? Is that a problem of Flask (I am using the version 0.6)? Or is it the problem of the IFO file itself?

BTW, I tried to copy the relevant BUP file (whis is - as I knew - the backup file for IFO), then rename it to IFO and parse, but the problem was still there. Does anybody have an idea how to solve this problem? Thanks in advance for any answers.

[orm]

If this is the special edition of the Abyss it has a kind of "multi-story" option (as in T2 special edition) where you choose between the original and the longer special edition movie, all crammed into one disc. This is done by just adding the extra scenes to the original movie, saving a lot of space.
I don't know if it has anything to do with this, but maybe its worth checking out. I know that some software DVD-players has problems with this movie

[UncasMS]

have you tried smartripper with movie-mode?

[khp]

Do not under any circumstances use movie mode in smartripper, when useing ifo-parsing in flask, it will strip all but the main video stream from the vob-files.
This will cause exactly the kind of errors reported by Ghostrider.

UncasMS will try to covince you otherwise, because he is on a personal mission to prove to the world that flask is a piece of crap.

But I have never heard of any such failure when using backup mode in smartripper, and flask 0.6 with subtitlesfix. The Thunder mism plugin on the other hand might well cause u problems.

[UncasMS]

1. i dont have to prove that flask is crap and full of bugs.
all those error messages and complaints are sufficient proof

2. how come tools like mpeg2avi, virtualdub or better nandub do not have to cope with these kind of problems?
simply enough they are better tools and do not have to rely on ifo parsing!

3. what would this sign "?" mean?
question or advice?

+++++

4. open the first vob instead of the ifo file in your case!
i guess opening 'normal edition' will make flask run just fine and opening the 'special edition' will crash flask?

[Ghostrider]

Thanks to all for helping suggestions...

To Orm:
Maybe you are right, I had a 2CD version of The Abyss, with some extra bonuses and games or whatelse. Could be the reason, why I was not able to open the IFO file.

To UncasMS:
I do not think that you want to prove the world, that Flask is a piece of crap (so I cant agree to the opinion from khp). I ripped that DVD using Clad DVD 2. I had a smartripper version 222, which didnt worked, so yesterday I tried the version 235 ripping "The Hunt for Red October" - in movie mode. The ripping was OK, i started the conversion thru Flask at 0:00 am, it finished about 9:45 am, but because I am at the office at the moment I was not able to check the results. We will see....

[UncasMS]

pls use the latest smartripper 2.40!

from 2.36 on vob access was changed, 2.37 + 2.38 were a little buggy, so pls use 2.40

you will find it on my page, in case you want to give it a try.

good luck!

[Ghostrider]

Uncas, thanks a lot!

Hi Uncas, thanks a lot for the good tip for the Smartripper, I will try it ASAP.
BTW, your site is in German, does that mean, that you are German? If so, you will be welcome to write to me in German (of course if it doesnt offend other members of the forum)
Best regards
Jan

[khp]

2. how come tools like mpeg2avi, virtualdub or better nandub do not have to cope with these kind of problems?

Because SmartRipper does the ifo parsing for them (and strips the unwanted parts), you will never be able to properly encode multiangle movie with out doing ifo parsing at some point.
With the subtitlesfix for flask version 0.6 it became mature enough to do multiangle movies without interference from smart ripper.

4. open the first vob instead of the ifo file in your case!

That would sort of defeat the primary advantage of using flask.
Without ifo-parsing, flask would be just another encoding tool, with a poor set of features compared to the competition.

[UncasMS]

hi khp,

thanx for your reply.
dont get me wrong, i dont want to discredit flask let alone flask-user in any way.

i used flask in the early days as well and i know what kind of problems occured over and over again, till implementations like 'madman jerkiness fix' enabled even flask to correctly transcode movies like stigmata or sixth sense without the 'usual stuttering'.

miha peternels idct's then made flask run much faster but ever since, flask hasnt become as good as other software for the job in need!

it is slow, instable and reluctant when it comes to certain titles (lets not speak of insufficient de-interlacing).

if at all, i'd use xmpeg

mpeg2avi, virtualdub or nandub never let me down with any title, flask error messages, however, turn up, whereever i read about transcoding to mpeg4.

so i'd rather have it, that user learn how to handle the stuff, instead of letting one tool do all the work in a mediocre way.

spend a little time on the usage of nandub (which i consider the best tool available) and you'll never want to transcode movies any other way.

just my 2 cents and of course i'm above all trying to help (even flask users )

no offence, guys!


++++++++++

@ jan

in der deutschen rubrik gerne, aber da wir uns hier in der englischen sektion befinden, möchte ich anderen lesern nicht die möglichkeit verwehren, ihren teil beizutragen respektive etwas vom inhalt mitzubekommen.
daher würde ich bei jedem anderen auch darum bitten, hier nicht plötzlich auf deutsch oder wie auch immer weiterzumachen und werde das selber natürlich auch in keinster weise tun.
also bis dann

[khp]

Hi Uncas

Many thanks for your reply.

I wasn't around in the early days, and have only seen the good times

I agree that getting flask to run stable can be a bit of a trial.
But with the subtitles-fix on a win2k platform, it has only crashed on me once, when I tried to use ogg vorbis sound codec.

I have sucessfully converted movies with just about any tool out there. When I come back to flask it's primarily because I can setup an encoding with embedded subtitles in less than a minute (from the point where the dvd has been ripped to hd).
And embedded subtitles is a must for me (I use divxplus for playback).

I enjoy spending time figureing out how this stuff works, but absolutly hate the time I spend doing the same thing over and over again.

I'am currently playing around with the new version of gordian knot*, but still, setting up an encoding takes the better part of 10 minutes (again from the point where the where the the dvd has been ripped to hd).

*GKnot by the way is one cool tool, offering all features found in flask and alot more. Still some stuff I have not gotten quite right yet, but like I said I enjoy figureing out these things myself.

[khp]

Oh, and sorry about any offence I might have caused you, in my first post in this thread.

Kind Regards
khp

[UncasMS]

you're right that flask doesnt take too much time setting up and of course that is an important factor.

setting up nandub on the other hand takes me 10 if at all including dvd2avi + vfapi procedures.

therefore, i dont consider it complicated or time-consuming.
what i like, however, is the fact that nandub gives me 2 (near) perfect avis, when setting the desired filesize to 695 x 2.

i can rely on the fact that 2 (or sometimes 3) cds are used to the max due to nandubs smart bitrate control.
of course the output quality is awesome, too (which flask's quality is as well, i know!) and speed doesnt matter for me, i prefer the highest possible quality and these transcodings take place on a second pc

[crazyCelt]

I'm new to DivX encoding and I'm having this exact same problem. I have Flask .6 WITH the subtitle fix and I still can not open the IFO I want to because it gives " An error occured when opening this file." I ripped the DVD files with Smartripper 2.4 too. Is the IFO file bad?

UncasMs, ich kann auch ein bisschen Deutsch.

[UncasMS]

hi crazycelt

since smartripper DOES ifo parsing, sometimes the ifo will have to be changed.
thus, the file might not work with flask anymore.

to tell you the truth (or as you might have noticed already ) i'm not a flask expert.

perhaps xmpeg 4.2 (which is a flask derivate) might help - perhaps not- i dont really know; i dont use these tools.

perhaps khp can tell us some more workarounds!?

+++

wo lebst du, cc?
irland, schottland?
falls ja, handelt es sich bei dir ja auch um rc2 dvd's.
falls du interesse hast, solltest du mal nandub ausprobieren. es ist wirklich nicht so kompliziert!
im meinem guide steht der weg, den ich mit nandub benutze und welchen ich für gut aber auch relativ einfach halte.