DVD shrink quality issues, alternatives?

[supraman215]

I have a 52" TV and I can easily see every defect in the recompression process. More people have smaller TV's so when you compress a DVD movie to 60% of it's original size you can't tell. Everything is magnified with the large format TV.

My point is, how can I take a 2 layer disc and turn it into 2 single layer discs without compressing it at all. I know with DVD shrink you can remove audio tracks or video tracks but some DVD's don't list their tracks independently so this is impossible, and even after taking all the extras off the video is still compressed to maybe 70% of it's original size.

I've been able to rip a DVD with DVDdecrypter into to seperate files around 4.37gb a piece but when I try to reburn with DVDdecrypter it starts burning on the disc then stops at 50% and fails.

Anyone know how to do this? I would appreciate any tips. Thanks.

Jeff

[Justin42]

Are you compressing the whole disc or just the movie?

EASIEST, not necessarily best, is to use DVDShrink's re-author mode. Drag just the movie to a new disc layout-- you should be able to get most movies on a single disc without much compression, sometimes without any. Especially if you're willing to drop a PCM audio track, or a DTS track (and keep the AC3). If nothing else, the compression should be much less than it was before. This gives you JUST the movie, no menus or anything.

Then, you can use the "normal" DVD shrink mode and compress the movie as tight as possible, taking out ALL soundtracks, etc, and leave the extras as uncompressed as possible. Then burn that.

If you actually want to split the movie in half, you're going to have to actually re-author it, you probably won't be able to just use a tool like DVD Decryptor to do that (you'll use it to rip the files, but then you'll need to do something else to re-author). Check the guides at www.doom9.net .

[supraman215]

Well typically that's exactly what I do, I'll set the extras to "Still Image" and the movie to the lowest compression possible. Then do the reverse for the next disc, but a lot of times even without the extras the movies are still compressed to like 60% which I see noticable problems with the transcoding.

I'll check those guides and see what I can come up with, thanks.

[burninfool]

There's a program called DVDFab that can split to two DVD's.
Another possibility is to buy a DL writer and use DVD-9 discs.

BTW...the reason DVDDecrypter failed was because you didn't properly author,the second disc didn't have .IFO and .BUP files.

[hoxlund]

DVDFab splits movies

you can split with just movie or whole movie, and then add a picture saying please insert disk 2

its kinda nice, especially for hdtvs or any kind of high def tv

[GrrRon]

You can split a DVD into 2 discs with DVDshrink too!
Just use re-author mode and select the chapters or split to a point of your choosing, see "Set Start/End frames".

[redk9258]

Are you compressing the whole disc or just the movie?

EASIEST, not necessarily best, is to use DVDShrink's re-author mode. Drag just the movie to a new disc layout-- you should be able to get most movies on a single disc without much compression, sometimes without any. Especially if you're willing to drop a PCM audio track, or a DTS track (and keep the AC3). If nothing else, the compression should be much less than it was before. This gives you JUST the movie, no menus or anything.

Then, you can use the "normal" DVD shrink mode and compress the movie as tight as possible, taking out ALL soundtracks, etc, and leave the extras as uncompressed as possible. Then burn that.

If you actually want to split the movie in half, you're going to have to actually re-author it, you probably won't be able to just use a tool like DVD Decryptor to do that (you'll use it to rip the files, but then you'll need to do something else to re-author). Check the guides at www.doom9.net .

You can set start / stop places with DVD Shrink in reauthor mode.

[hoxlund]

dvdfab is a little easier to use, buts its also not free

[Jim]

CloneDVD2 will split the disc too. DVDRebuilder with CCE as the encoding engine blows any transcoder right out of the water. It's only for high HP computers though.

[supraman215]

DVDFab splits movies

you can split with just movie or whole movie, and then add a picture saying please insert disk 2

its kinda nice, especially for hdtvs or any kind of high def tv

Yeah I'll try that program, that's exactly what I have a 52" HDTV. I'll also try to find the function where you can set the start and end frames too. Thanks.

[ClayBuster]

I have a 60" Sony Grand Wega HDTV and have ZERO problems. Maybe your DVD player isn't up to snuff?

[rdgrimes]

I use a 52" HD monitor and have NO complaints with Shrink. In fact it is superior to all the others IMHO. Your problem is that you are not using it right. Compression beyond 80% will always be noticable, depending on the particular movie you can sometimes get down to 60%, but that's rare.

You must use the latest version, and enable the quality settings with it set to "sharp" as well as the deep scan option. Now, get familiar with re-authoring mode, cause on may movies that's what you will need to use. Drag only the main movie to the compilation, then de-select everything but the one audio stream you want. Audio streams are always shown in decending order the same as they are in PowerDVD, the bottom ones will be languages and director's comments, etc. If you use DVDDecryptor and save the ISO, you can always go back and re-do if you screw up, the deep scan will not be repeated.

The quality of the output is directly related to the quality of the movie you are starting with. Low bitrate movies will compress poorly, and less than high bitrate movies. Movies with more action will compress poorly, etc., etc. Properly compressing will always be slow, so be prepared to let it run for 30-60 min depending on your system. Movies that are being compressed more will be slower, as will high-action flicks. That's the quality option doing it's job.

If you keep it above 80% compression and use the quality settings, you will be pleased.

[ETP]

Hey! I can usually get close to 85-90% on those long movies by using reauthor and delete all extra audios except 5.1, drag title 1 or as appropriate, and shrink the movie by deleting the credits and intro. That is your best bet for a simple solution.
Dual layer will be nice if the price ever comes down for media. Its cheaper to buy another movie at this point in time, and I think that is what the studios want.

[jberry]

re-encode the movie....use DVD Rebuilder

go over to doom9 and check out the DVDrebuiler forum

[spryfly]

There's a program called DVDFab that can split to two DVD's.
Another possibility is to buy a DL writer and use DVD-9 discs.

BTW...the reason DVDDecrypter failed was because you didn't properly author,the second disc didn't have .IFO and .BUP files.

their are two versions. i use the freeware one. it can be a little confusing trying to find it though.....use this link: http://www.mrbass.org/dvdfab/

[spryfly]

re-encode the movie....use DVD Rebuilder

go over to doom9 and check out the DVDrebuiler forum

dvd rebuilder takes a lonooooooog time for quality backups.

[jberry]

just overnight...unless you machine is clogged

[hoxlund]

haha just overnight, yeah almost sounds worth it

i do way to many movies in a day to be waiting 1 hour +

[jberry]

way too many movies in a day..............

hahahahahahah

[supraman215]

As for the quality questions, I don't do the deep scan or the quality settings to sharp. I figured that would take a lot longer and time is also a factor here.

Yes I agree if you compress the video to 80% of it's original size or more it's fine, I have MANY movies though that are 7-8gb which requires you to compress to 60-50% of original size and this is where I begin to see the problem on the 52" Hitachi Screen. It's not the reader, though I'm sure that could be higher quality (Phillips 642.)

Example, Seven: Criterion collection, 8.5gb movie only, yes with some extra audio tracks like DTS, 5.1, prologic, however if my DVD's are ever lost destroyed or stolen I want to be able to have all that stuff, in case in the future I get a DTS receiver, or if I take the DVD to someone's house that doesn't have 5.1. Bottom line, I want everything I paid for in the DVD in my backup, that includes the level of quality of the video, but I don't want to have to pay for another copy of it, and I don't want to pay $5 a disc for dual layer.

I tried DVD FAB and noticed that it only works when you copy the individual files over not with ISO's so I think I'll try the set start and stop frames thing with DVD shrink with no compression.

Too many moives in a day huh? I have the same problem. I'm doing like 5-10 movies a day. If I don't have to use my p4 celeron 2.0 to crunch the numbers needed for compression I think I'm much better off

Jeff

[SkaarjMaster]

I'm having problems with AvsP and DVD Shrink 3.1.7. Maybe someone could help so I don't burn another coaster. Here are some quotes from a thread at Digital Video forum and then the link to page 2 of that thread:

"I just finished burning a DVD-R backup of AvsP with DVD Shrink 3.1.7 and it used Nero 6.3.1.6 to burn it. I also took out Audio of Main Menu and Extras, then all Audio of Main Movie except AC3 5.1; everything else I did was the same. I had approx. 87% compression (used deep analysis) and it seemed to play fine in my Toshiba DVD player until I noticed a little blur around the faces like it is trying to focus and the subtitles that show locations is a little messed up. Besides that it is fine. I've backed up all 3 Matrix movies with this method and they play flawlessly in the DVD player. I haven't tried it on the computer yet with PowerDVD5, but plan on it very soon. Could not using DVD Shrink 3.2 have that much of an effect on the burn? The only reason I didn't upgrade before the burn is someone else I know had trouble using DVD Shrink 3.2 and Nero on a new system, so I thought I'd try something that I know worked before on other movies. Any ideas on what might have gone slightly wrong?"

"Well, I tried it again encoding from one DVD-ROM and then another DVD-ROM and no dice. I just burned two more coasters. Both burns were done with all extra programs off and with low priority mode off unlike the first burn, but everything else was the same with same result. My burner is the Lite-On LDW-851S and the two DVD-ROMs are Lite-On SOHR-16P9S and the Asus E616P3 all with latest forum-recommended firmware. Any ideas on what's wrong?"

"I just watched it directly from the hard drive and still is screwed up, so it looks like an error in the encoding process and not the actual burn. All I have are DVD-Rs (the good Ritek RiData variety -- purplish-pink bottom -- before they went and started making bad discs). I can try it with these though. So, you didn't see anything I did wrong as far as the settings? If not, I'll try the 3.2."

"I was wondering if burning at 2X instead of 4X would help? Or do you think version 3.1.7 isn't programmed to deal with AvsP and 3.2 is?"

http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthr ... 268&page=2

I did see rdgrimes mention something of interest in this thread and I think I might try that with version 3.2 next, but are there any more settings I need to worry about? Thank you.

[jbelder]

As for the quality questions, I don't do the deep scan or the quality settings to sharp. I figured that would take a lot longer and time is also a factor here.

Yes I agree if you compress the video to 80% of it's original size or more it's fine, I have MANY movies though that are 7-8gb which requires you to compress to 60-50% of original size and this is where I begin to see the problem on the 52" Hitachi Screen. It's not the reader, though I'm sure that could be higher quality (Phillips 642.)

Example, Seven: Criterion collection, 8.5gb movie only, yes with some extra audio tracks like DTS, 5.1, prologic, however if my DVD's are ever lost destroyed or stolen I want to be able to have all that stuff, in case in the future I get a DTS receiver, or if I take the DVD to someone's house that doesn't have 5.1. Bottom line, I want everything I paid for in the DVD in my backup, that includes the level of quality of the video, but I don't want to have to pay for another copy of it, and I don't want to pay $5 a disc for dual layer.

I tried DVD FAB and noticed that it only works when you copy the individual files over not with ISO's so I think I'll try the set start and stop frames thing with DVD shrink with no compression.

Too many moives in a day huh? I have the same problem. I'm doing like 5-10 movies a day. If I don't have to use my p4 celeron 2.0 to crunch the numbers needed for compression I think I'm much better off

Jeff

Why is time such a factor when it involves time and energy doing this. I always use deep scan and the quality settings even on all my movie only ones It does take a lot longer but quality should be the key factor shouldn't it.

[ETP]

Nice avatar!