Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Gl3nn]

I have several VOB files on my hard drive that play very well in "PowerDVD" but fail to run in MC13.  Am I missing a plugin of some kind?  Do I need to convert these files to another format? 

I tried renaming VOB to MPG and that, in fact got the video part going, but the audio was almost inaudible compared to the music.

What am I missing?

Very new at this for video so pardon dumb questions...

[imugli]

Yes. .vob get played natively, no need to change extensions or rename or what have you.
If you place your VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS Folders in a folder with the name of the movie, MC will import that name automatically.

[Gl3nn]

I'm doing something wrong then. 

I imported the 1 VOB show file only (not menus, etc) and I keep getting: "Media Center encountered errors while trying to play the last several files.  Please make sure that the path in your media library points to the right location" when I click to play it."  Several?  I only tried playing the one after import.

The same 1 file will play correctly in PowerDVD (I only copied the one file to the HD).

The name of this particular file is VTS_03_1.VOB

There happen to be four of these show files per disk (VTS _04_01... etc) and I'd like to create four separate video entries in MC.

I went ahead and converted the VOB to an AVI using a freeware piece of software and the AVI works fine when imported.  I'd just like to avoid going to all that trouble (I have 7 disks x 4 shows each) if possible.

Thanks again for any help.  I'm learning more than I want to so far! 

[imugli]

My apologies.

I think MC actually plays the IFO file, which points to the VOB files.

I can replicate this if I take a .vob file out of the VIDEO_TS folder.

[Gl3nn]

I'm sorry.  I just can't make this work.  Can someone please provide some explanation of exactly how one goes about importing IFO and VOB files?  Is there a specific directory structure which must be maintained?

The root directory of the DVD has an AUDIO_TS and a VIDEO_TS directory.  There's nothing in AUDIO_TS.

VIDEO_TS has a whole series of IFO, BUP, and VOB files, many of which are menus and extras which I do not want.  I've learned by converting the files to an AVI (successfully) that the files I want are

VTS_03_0.IFO
VTS_03_0.VOB
VTS_03_1.VOB
VTS_03_2.VOB

So, what do I do with these?  Where can I copy them?  Can I rename them?

I'm just totally lost - everything I've tried results in the same error message.

[imugli]

The root directory of the DVD has an AUDIO_TS and a VIDEO_TS directory.  There's nothing in AUDIO_TS.

This is normal.

VIDEO_TS has a whole series of IFO, BUP, and VOB files

They are all part of the DVD structure.

many of which are menus and extras which I do not want.

You're talking about re-authoring the DVD structure. Google, obtain and use DVDShrink to do this and backup your DVD. DVDFab also does this.

Once you've done one you'll be fine 

[zxsix]

out of all those files in the dvd folder structure, just import the video-ts.ifo file and edit the tags as you wish.

you may also need to install a codec pack, most here would suggest using the cccp codec pack.  This is free and can be found via links on this site or google.

[imugli]

out of all those files in the dvd folder structure, just import the video-ts.ifo file and edit the tags as you wish.

Does that not still leave him with a whole bunch of menus etc that he doesn't want?

[badger]

I believe the bottom line is MC13 will not play a native VOB file by itself (although I'm not sure of this).  To play the DVD you'll need to import the entire VIDEO_TS folder (including the video_ts_ifo file....which controls how all the VOBs will play).

You'll have to re-author the DVD (as imugli says) to tell the video_ts_ifo file not to play stuff you don't want (DFab decrypter, DVD shrink, VOB Blanker).   In this case you still need to import the entire video_ts folder.

Or encode the VOB files to standard MPEG-2 (VOB really is MPEG-2 of sorts...I'm told)....or AVI, and then import to MC13.

Edit
Or...rename the VOB to .mpg and tell MC13 to use PowerDVD to play them in Tools...Options...File Types....mpg...Playback method.  That might work.

[Alex B]

I believe the bottom line is MC13 will not play a native VOB file by itself (although I'm not sure of this).  To play the DVD you'll need to import the entire VIDEO_TS folder (including the video_ts_ifo file....which controls how all the VOBs will play).

Correct, in MC vob playback works only when the complete DVD structure is available.

You'll have to re-author the DVD (as imugli says) to tell the video_ts_ifo file not to play stuff you don't want (DFab decrypter, DVD shrink, VOB Blanker).   In this case you still need to import the entire video_ts folder.

Or encode the VOB files to standard MPEG-2 (VOB really is MPEG-2 of sorts...I'm told)....or AVI, and then import to MC13.

Or...rename the VOB to .mpg and tell MC13 to use PowerDVD to play them in Tools...Options...File Types....mpg...Playback method.  That might work.

... or just change the filename extensions to .mpg or .m2v and play with MC. It will work if you have suitable DirectShow filters installed.

I prefer to use the .m2v extension with "vob" files so that I can use a separate DS filter setups for them and for some other MPEG files that have the .mpg extension.

If the source is a DVD video disc it is easy to use DVDdecrypter in the IFO mode and extract only the desired "tracks". After the filename extensions are renamed the individual vob files can be used like any other MPEG2 files.

DVDdecrypter is no longer developed, but Google can find download links.

[Alex B]

I tried renaming VOB to MPG and that, in fact got the video part going, but the audio was almost inaudible compared to the music.

This problem is not related to the vob and mpg filename extensions. Most likely it could be fixed by adjusting the audio decoder's settings. The AC3Filter DirectShow audio decoding filter would provide lots of settings that you could try.

[Gl3nn]

Thanks again for all the updated info.  After some further experimenting I also found how easy it is to import the entire DVD into MC13 by simply copying the full directory structure.  It works great and at some point when I do want to have an entire disk in the library, I'll do just that.  But that doesn't help me now.

I know about DVD Decrypter, and I probably even have a copy somewhere, but if I'm going to go to all that work, I'll probably just go ahead and convert the specific VOB files I want to just one AVI.  Yes, it takes time but I can run it unattended on a spare machine and the output also works very well in MC.  File size is about the same.  I also like the fact that I can have one file instead of several with confusing names (the whole VIDEO_TS/IFO/VOB/BUP thing is an eye-crossing mess!... to a novice who just wants to play some simple video segments).

I've used MC (and Media Jukebox) before for many years for audio, but this is my first foray into video.  I just don't have many DVDs.

I think, as a video newbie, I was incorrectly assuming that "importing a VOB file" would be similar to "importing an mp3".  I mean, it's pretty darn simple to pop a CD in and only rip 3 out of 14 tracks, having them conveniently placed in a neatly named and ordered directory of your choosing.  Not so with a DVD!  I'm having to do some major extra work to accomplish essentially the same thing.  But maybe most folks just copy the whole thing and leave it go at that.  Like I said, I probably will too when I import the few movies I've collected.

Anyway, I believe the convert-to-AVI direction is what I'll take.  I think that'll work OK.

Thanks again for the guidance.

[imugli]

Anyway, I believe the convert-to-AVI direction is what I'll take.  I think that'll work OK.

That will work fine but bear in mind AVI is a compressed file format so if quality is what you're after, do yourself a favour and use DVDShrink to rip it directly to your HDD. The software is free and it takes no more than 5 minutes to re-author and rip a direct copy of a movie DVD to your HDD. A DVD with 6 epdisodes of a series can be done in 20 minutes flat.

You will still only see one file in MC and the quality will be recognisably better.

Either way, good luck. You're on a good thing with Media Center 

[Gl3nn]

This problem is not related to the vob and mpg filename extensions. Most likely it could be fixed by adjusting the audio decoder's settings. The AC3Filter DirectShow audio decoding filter would provide lots of settings that you could try.

Playing around some more, I downloaded a trial copy of 'CloneDVD' (couldn't find DVD Decrypter) and successfully re-authored the portion of the DVD I wanted.  Yes, it was quick.  Interestingly, though, the total file size was only 1% larger than the "compressed" AVI I had on "high quality", and my old eyes couldn't discern any difference.

The sound (voice), however, was still extremely muted.  I found the AC3Filter and - wow! - talk about more settings than I can ever possibly understand.  I throttled some of the volume bars upwards to their max but the sound is still less than in the corresponding AVI.

Any suggestions on which "settings I could try"?  And to what level?

[Alex B]

Playing around some more, I downloaded a trial copy of 'CloneDVD' (couldn't find DVD Decrypter)

If you want to try DVDdecrypter you can download it e.g. from:
http://www.soft32.com/Download/Free/DVD_Decrypter/4-75586-1.html  or
http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/DVD_Decrypter/1011845169/1

and successfully re-authored the portion of the DVD I wanted.  Yes, it was quick.  Interestingly, though, the total file size was only 1% larger than the "compressed" AVI I had on "high quality", and my old eyes couldn't discern any difference.

Did you select the Xvid codec (= most common) when you created the AVI? You are just wasting storage place and lots of processor cycles if the resulting file is not significantly smaller than the MPEG2 source file. For instance, a very generous Xvid quality setting usually compresses a 7-8 GB dual layer DVD to 3 GB or so.

If the file size is not an issue, you should keep the original format. Probably CloneDVD was fast because the file was not re-encoded, though I don't know what options it provides.

The sound (voice), however, was still extremely muted.  I found the AC3Filter and - wow! - talk about more settings than I can ever possibly understand.  I throttled some of the volume bars upwards to their max but the sound is still less than in the corresponding AVI.

Any suggestions on which "settings I could try"?  And to what level?

The audio track has probably been automatically converted to stereo MP3 in the AVI file. Is the original source in 5.1 multichannel format? What is your speaker setup? If you have only stereo speakers you may be missing the center channel.

Have you set AC3filter to use the correct output format and does MC actually use AC3Filter? Right-click MC's display during playback and select "DirectShow Filters" to access DirectShow filter info.

If the problem is not caused by incorrect channel mapping you could try the DRC feature. It is a dynamic range compressor that can make the quiet passages louder. You can find more info here: http://ac3filter.net/guides/dynamic_range_compression and some other AC3Filter guides here: http://ac3filter.net/guides.

[imugli]

I downloaded a trial copy of 'CloneDVD'

DVDShrink is completely free (as in free beer free, not free to do what you want with the code free)

http://www.afterdawn.com/software/video_software/dvd_rippers/dvd_shrink.cfm

Did you select the Xvid codec (= most common) when you created the AVI? You are just wasting storage place and lots of processor cycles if the resulting file is not significantly smaller than the MPEG2 source file. For instance, a very generous Xvid quality setting usually compresses a 7-8 GB dual layer DVD to 3 GB or so.

If the file size is not an issue, you should keep the original format.

What he said.

As for the DVD sound - try this. You normally shouldn't have to but give it a go...

Right Click while playing a DVD and select DVD playback settings.
In the audio section find the codec that was installed with PowerDVD (most probably PowerDVD Audio Decoder or similar) and try using that.

[Gl3nn]

If you want to try DVDdecrypter you can download it e.g. from:

I mistyped.  I meant DVD Shrink.  That's the one I couldn't readily find.

Did you select the Xvid codec (= most common) when you created the AVI? You are just wasting storage place and lots of processor cycles if the resulting file is not significantly smaller than the MPEG2 source file. For instance, a very generous Xvid quality setting usually compresses a 7-8 GB dual layer DVD to 3 GB or so.

No, it was something called DivX 50, I believe.  I've downloaded so many trials, freebies, and what-not to the point that I don't remember what came from where.  Not very rigorous, I know, but I didn't set out to learn about all this stuff... just to get my few DVD "rips" to work! 

The total size of the VOBs in one of the sequences it about 1gb.  The AVI is also about 1gb.  The "normal" setting would have given a finished file of about 700mb.  I chose the "high" quality setting.  I don't have a lot of these to do - maybe 25 or so - so I'm not concerned about the size.  If I could have just copied the VOBs and used them as-is, I was OK with that.

The audio track has probably been automatically converted to stereo MP3 in the AVI file. Is the original source in 5.1 multichannel format? What is your speaker setup? If you have only stereo speakers you may be missing the center channel.

My setup is 5.1 surround.  The PC feeds the AMP with a single digital cable.  Works flawlessly when playing movies via PowerDVD.

I think the source DVD in question here is probably simple stereo w/ 2 channels.

Have you set AC3filter to use the correct output format and does MC actually use AC3Filter? Right-click MC's display during playback and select "DirectShow Filters" to access DirectShow filter info.

No, I'm using something called "ffdShow" with the AVI (clueless as to where that came from) so I downloaded and installed the AC3Filter package.  I was then able to use the directions in the link you provided and got the voices to sound much better in the re-authored version I was playing with.

So, I've got an AVI which is about 1gb which used ffdShow and plays and looks just fine.  It's one file.  And then I have a directory with 2 VOBs, 2 IFOs, and 2 BUPs for the reauthored version.  Also about 1gb.

Honestly, I think the AVI looks and sound a "bit" better.  And I like having just the one file.  And I like being able to play the video and select a thumbnail along the way.  The downside has to do with the gymnastics of converting the format, but it's not THAT bad.

Is there any quantitative method of comparing both resulting videos and determining which is of better quality?  My somewhat worn-out vision tells me they're at least a wash.

Thanks for your help - I appreciate the time and effort.  If I've typed something stupid, well... I'm on the bleeding edge of the learning curve on all of this! 

[Gl3nn]

Right Click while playing a DVD and select DVD playback settings.
In the audio section find the codec that was installed with PowerDVD (most probably PowerDVD Audio Decoder or similar) and try using that.

Wow.  When I did that I got an error message telling me that it wouldn't work and that I might want to either reinstall PowerDVD or download some Intervideo codec or other.  I bailed and went the AC3 route (see message above).