Tools & Guides

GSpot

Video Identifier (AVI)

{Codecs, Codec/Video Identifiers}

Freeware

user comment: "Absolutely required if you download a lot of AVI's. This single tool tells you if you have the software to playback an AVI. With all the video and audio codecs floating around, this tool greatly simplifies things."

NOTE: program primarily designed for providing AVI / DivX file info. If used on an MPEG file, values may not be precise.

download/view further info/ view screenshot (videohelp.com)

latest version [as Jan 2005]:
GSpot252b01.rar (v2.52 ß01 Build 040915) [183 KB]
aka Version 2.5.2.1; built 15 Sept 2004

~ program name is in reference to finding the "sweet spot" in AVI encoding, where all settings are balanced...

view sample

Freeware (no trial period)
Installation Details:
no installation/uninstallation: just make a new "GSpot" folder in your "Program Files" folder, and extract the .rar files to there. Don't forget to make a shortcut as well.

DVD Patcher

Guides / Download Link: (videohelp.com)
doom9 (S)VCD to DVD-R guide
How to author a working DVD containing multiple SVCD's
How To Use DVD Patcher to Create Mixed DVD’s

Freeware (no trial period)
Installation Details:
no installation/uninstallation: just make a new "DVD Patcher" folder in your "Program Files" directory, and extract the .rar files to there. Don't forget to make a shortcut as well.

- Appends one avi file to another
(puts avi files together into one file)

- Splits Avi files (so you can have two smaller files)

- Can re-encode files if encoding codecs are available

nandub and VirtualDubMod support MP3 VBR audio.
Vitrual Dub (standard) does not.

Guide: Using VirtualDub: Joining AVI files (afterdawn)
Guide: AVI Join With VirtualDub (afonic)
Guide: AVI Split With VirtualDub (afonic)

Example of using VirtualDub to encode:
Using DivX Pro with VirtualDub to re-enocde a file to DivX
(DivX pro is a commerical product: $20)

According to the download page "TMPGEnc is an excellent shareware MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 encoder that can be used also for muxing, [demuxing,] cutting, merging, etc."

 Canopus ProCoder

($500)

update from doom9, Oct. 21, 2005:
" After a long time of no activity, there's a new DVD2SVCD. Version 1.2.3
build 1 can convert AVIs with an 1:1 aspect ratio, uses DGIndex instead of DVD2AVI, supports the latest QuEnc and its special matrices, the finalize tab changes according to the output type you select and a few bugs have been squashed as well. "

According to shoey:
If you want the best possible video playback (SVCD), then use DVD2SVCD using Cinema Craft Encoder or Canopus ProCoder. I've been backing up DVD's to SVCD for over 2 years and have yet to find any better encoders m8. Any expert in this field will tell you the same.

Ripper, DVD Authoring

Trialware: $10

- Creates DVDs from SVCDs (or from MPEG files, VCD files, or AVI (DivX, Xvid) files.)

This program assumes you have a bunch of .mpg files, each equaling one move (or CD). You then make a menu button (VTS) for each movie (consisting of one or more .mpg files). Output is IFO and VOB files (DVD-Video files), ready for burning.

go to http://www.svcd2dvd.com/

SVCD2DVD is "one click" software for
transferring VCD or SVCD (mpeg files) to DVDR, with menus.
It automates the process of creating DVD-SVCDs and DVD-VCDs: putting VCD and SVCD content onto DVD without re-encoding video streams.
Version 2 also supports AVI/DivX/XviD to DVD,
PAL to NTSC, NTSC to PAL framerate conversion and much more.

Guide: simple guide - mpg files to BUP/IFOs/VOBs files (with menu) for burning
Guide: (version 1 software) rip .mpg or CUE/BIN; author by making titles and chapters, then let proggy convert audio frrom 44.1 kHz to 48kHz; burn the resuling VIDEO_TS folder (VIDEO_TS.IFO file).

Tip: SVCD2DVD only make a .m2v file? (videohelp.com boards)

Menu Editing (DVD Re-Authoring)

Pay program: $25

Trial does not allow export

What does it do?

Summary: Remove video you don't need but still keep the DVD movie menus functioning

+ Remove any scene

+ Remove: credits; embedded studio logos; commercials; FBI warning/rating screens; menu transitions -- in other words, remove any chapters, scenes, extras or parts of the video while retaining the original menu.

+ Disable menu buttons to material you have removed (note: Hiding a button will not change menu graphics. To change the graphics used in the menu, it is necessary to reauthor the menu.)

+ clear all restrictions / enable all operations (i.e. fast forward through or skip the FBI warning)

+ insert a new chapter into a DVD movie while keeping menus

+ Remove unneeded angles from multiangle disks.
+ Delete menus for a selected language

replacement program for "MenuEdit"?

Guide: The dummies guide to a perfect DVD backup (this is a self-promoting guide for DVDRemake product)
favorite quote: "If you have a DTS enabled sound system backup only the DTS soundtrack. It’s the best audio quality, and it’s also the best way to check the stability of your walls and make your neighbors insane in the shortest possible time. "

After movie is trimmed down (removing extras using DVDRemake), if you need to transcode it then blast your favorite transcoder then after transcoding do the burn.

Download page

+ Allows for the editing of an MPEG file (remove scenes or commercials; remove beginning; remove ending) without re-encoding the video / audio.

+ "Frame Accurate" MPEG editing

+ Compensation algorithms for handling the correct syncronization of Audio streams to Video streams (rumored but unconfirmed).

+ Built-in joiner to concatenate multiple MPEG files into a single stream.

[ get it here ]

DETAILS/ NOTES (Sept. 2005; includes info on Trial version)

Overpriced.

+ Cut segments out of MPEG (esp. remove commercials) and export back to MPEG with no loss in quality.

+ Mux MPEG video and MPEG audio (back) together.

+ Built-in joiner to concatenate multiple MPEG files into a single stream.

DVD Shrink

Ripper (copying),
Transcoder
(encoding/re-encoding)

+ allows you to remove items from source (menus, subtitles ("subpictures"), certain audio, etc.) to more easily fit movie onto 1 DVD-5 disk

+ key functionality is removing Audio Tracks (for example, remove the 5.1 track, or remove a foreign language track) and Subtitles ("subpictures") [as these use a lot of megabytes]

+ compresses (re-encodes) source material so that it will fit on one disk.

+ You can select a different encoding quality level for each piece of video (for example, higher compression/lower quality for extras, lower compression/higher quality for main movie).

+ can make a disk Region free prior to burning

- if you recompress or remove video, the DVD menu will no longer work

- requires a different program, such as DVDReMake, to keep the existing menu working (menu will play as just another video if you remove or recompress anything)

Important thread:
discussion of Recode 2 vs. DVD Shrink vs. DVDXCopy

Important thread:
splitting movies (for 2 DVD-r's) using DVD Shrink

DVD Shrink has a "plug-in" to Nero: this means that you can select burning options within the DVD Shrink program (but Nero does the actual burning). Output choices are:
- an ISO image (using "Image Recorder)
- a VIDEO_TS folder (using "Hard Disk Folder")
- your DVD burner

"... but you forgot the most important feature of DVDXcopy! It splits dual-layer DVDs (at chapters you want) easily! That's the only reason why I still prefer DVDXCopy to DVD Shrink. Who cares about the stupid DVDXcopy screen in the beginning! I don't want to spend more than 5 seconds splitting a movie. "
"Here's a little proggy that works with your XCopy and get's rid of that silly little screen - It's called, 321 GONE ! Here it is - http://psidoc0.tripod.com/
[ DVD X Copy Express Info Screen Removal Tool ]"
"You can always try DVDFab - it does the same thing (DVD-9 to 2 DVD-5's) with no screen -" [more]

"When using Shrink I can remove all the extras that I don't want,"

"I would think that DVD Shrink and CopyToDVD would be a "Heck" of a combo too. DVD Shrink is an excellent ripper, and the fastest burner most anyhere would be CopyToDVD.

"I have no reason to NOT use XCOPY, but I like shrink and it reminds me every time I use it that I didn't need to buy XCOPY <rdrr> "

Transcoder

Freeware

(open source DVD Transcoding program)

DVD Decrypter

The RIAA gestapo closed this one down. Hard.

You can't download it anymore, but there's lots of alternatives.

official description: "DVD Decrypter is a highly versatile VOB-ripping utility."

Downloaded.
links:
Copy DVD to DVD-R using DVD Decrypter (DVDs smaller than 4.36GB)

Read our DVD backup guides and learn how to copy DVDs to DVDR, SVCD or XviD!

Guides:

BASIC: How to rip a DVD to the hard disk using DVD Decrypter (afonic dvd guides)
SVCD with DVD2SVCD+D2SRoBa

Ripping a section of a DVD using DVD Decrypter (riphelp.com) note: guides on this site are OLD.

Note: The DVDDecrypter website claims help is available on the forums (InVision Power Board), but you must register. Last time I checked, the forum was locked (no new registrations). See also the links page.

Nero Recode 2

~ source : either a DVD disk, or a local VIDEO_TS folder on your hard drive

Does pretty much the same thing as DVD Shrink:

+ allows you to remove items from source (menus, subtitles ("subpictures"), certain audio, etc.) to more easily fit movie onto 1 DVD-5 disk

+ key functionality is removing Audio Tracks (for example, remove the 5.1 track, or remove a foreign language track) and Subtitles ("subpictures") [as these use a lot of megabytes]

+ compresses (re-encodes) source material so that it will fit on one disk.

+ You can select a different encoding quality level for each piece of video (for example, higher compression/lower quality for extras, lower compression/higher quality for main movie).

+ You can insert either a picture or a slide-show of the removed content to replace a section (feature or scene) that has been deleted.

Can also:

+ re-encode a DVD to Nero's MPEG-4 format (competitor to DivX)

DVD Authoring

Trialware
($40)

Ulead
DVD Workshop
2

see also:
DVD MovieFactory (burning, backup) & Ulead VideoStudio

DVD Authoring /Menu Creation

(30-day trial available)

$400

edit subtitles on DVD [note]

dvd menu creation

see Tutorial: Adding Subtitles to Your DVD using DVD Workshop

also:
http://www.ulead.com/tech/dws/dws20_updatepack.htm and
DVD Workshop 2.0 Update Pack (Build Number: 2.231, Release Date: 2004/10/06)

The DVD Workshop 2.23 Update Pack provides DVD Workshop 2 users with additional program fixes as listed below. The patch also includes all the fixes from the 2.011 and 2.22 update patches.

Bugs Fixed: * Fixed the insert blank segment in subtitle dialog box which earlier ca used the program crash.
* Fixed the program crash issue seen earlier when using the 2-pass encode to convert DV type clips.
* Fixed the issues seen after DVD Workshop 2.21 updated that the imported TXT files of Hebrew, Russian, Greek and the other subtitles become question marks (???). Click here to know how to import these languages correctly.
* Fixed the subtitle truncation problem.
----
Problem: * After I updated to DVD Workshop 2.21, the subtitle editing didn't seem to work normally. *
Solution: Sorry for the inconvenience. Please upgrade to latest DVD Workshop 2.231 Update Pack from http://www.ulead.com/tech/dws/dws_ftp.htm. The new update pack includes some fixes for known issues.

DVD Authoring

Freeware

~ This program will tell you a lot of detail about the structure of your DVD.

~ input:
a DVD compliant MPEG2 file (for example, file.m2v, a 720x480 video-only file without audio) + a DVD compliant audio file (for example, file.mpa or file.mp2) + (optionally) a text file with chapter defintions (CellTimes.txt)

~ ouput: VOB/IFO files, ready for burning. Example:
    VIDEO_TS.BUP
    VIDEO_TS.IFO
    VTS_01_0.BUP
    VTS_01_0.IFO
    VTS_01_1.VOB
    VTS_01_2.VOB
    VTS_01_3.VOB

~ a note from doom9.org: "Just a warning: IfoEdit does not like MPEG-2 video streams containing rff flags (in other words: progressive 23.976fps NTSC streams), so you shouldn't use it for that kind of content."

Sample Guide: Authoring a DVD from Digital Video files using IfoEdit (doom9)

Guide: Idiots guide to keeping original Menu in DVD backup

Guide: PAL to NTSC DVD Conversion (patch method) using IfoEdit
(dvdhelp.com)

MuxMan

~ input:
   - one or more video-only files (e.g. .mpv)
   - .bmp image files (optional), as MPEG video
   - up to 4 audio files (ac3, dts, .mpa, or lpcm)
     [previously demuxed from video,
     or your own new audio file]
   - Subpictures (subtitles)

~ ouput: VOB/IFO files
   - makes a working DVD with one VobID
   (as of version 0.14g)
   [not MPEG, as sometimes claimed]

TMPEGEnc DVD Author

DVD Authoring

DVD Menu Creation

Trialware
($70)

[Update, Sept. 2005: $30, "free upgrade to version 1.6"]

~ create chapter points, remove some frames from movie,
then create a simple menu

~ input: DVD compliant MPEG-2 files or VOB/IFO files from hard drive

~ output: VOB/IFO files, ready for burning

Guide: DVD MPEG to DVD-R by Authoring using T-MPG Author (simpleguides):
1. Add file (for .mpg); Add DVD video (for VOB/IFO).
2. add chapters, remove credits (optional)
3. create "home-made" menu + chapter menu
4. create dvd folder (VIDEO_TS, AUDIO_TS)
Note: needs better guide to creating menu; need guide for making original .mpg files.

from the product description: "DVD Authoring for everyone! "
"With TMPGEnc DVD Author you can now author your MPEG-1 / MPEG-2 files to DVD-Video structured files. Using high quality MPEG files converted from AVI format by the supplied DVD Source Creator or captured by a third-party MPEG capture device, it is possible to perform your own DVD authoring quickly and easily."

"We support inputting files made by the TMPGEnc series, but files made from other sources might not be compatible. Please use your 30 days free trial to test whether your files are compatible." (quote, Sept 2005)

Plugins:
- VobSub for DirectShow
- VobSub for VirtualDub
- VobSub for AVIUtil
- TextSub for VirtualDub and Avisynth

Utilities:
- Subresync
- Submux

Versions last time I checked: 2.23 or Gabest 2.33

Again, who knows. Something to do with "Frameserving", whatever that is. The whole 'making scripts' thing is confusing... Comprehensive documentation included, but still complicated as heck, as it goes from A to C (assumes you already know how to do B). Wasted too much time looking at old forums and outdated web pages to figure this out. Alternative: use GK or AutoGK.

From the included guide: "The simplest thing you can do with AviSynth is the sort of editing you can do in VirtualDub."

From the included documentation:

"First, you create a simple text document with special commands, called a script. These commands make references to one or more videos and the filters you wish to run on them. Then, you run a video application, such as VirtualDub, and open the script file. This is when AviSynth takes action. It opens the videos you referenced in the script, runs the specified filters, and feeds the output to video application. The application, however, is not aware that AviSynth is working in the background. Instead, the application thinks that it is directly opening a filtered AVI file that resides on your hard drive. " Sounds simple, right? Only if you know how to write, save, create an avs file, and call the script...

(quote)"ffdshow is DirectShow and VFW codec for decoding/encoding many video and audio formats, including DivX and XviD movies using libavcodec, xvid and other opensourced libraries with a rich set of postprocessing filters."(un-quote)

How to use it? No idea.

latest build: Oct. 27, 2005 (according to afterdawn)

Not clear what happens if you have this AND DivX Codecs installed...

System crashes after you install all this junk (tip from Microsoft):

This crash may be due to the following:

A corrupted media file or files (either partially downloaded or in some other manner corrupted).
A corrupted audio or video codec being installed. A codec is software that is used to compress or decompress a digital media file, such as a song or video. The media player and other programs use codecs to play and create digital media files.
Note: You will know if a file is corrupted if your media player crashes when you try to play the file.

If you find that there are many corrupted files, uninstall any recently installed programs (such as audio or video compression or editing tools) that may have installed any media codecs, including Divx , mped2dmx.ax, or ffdshow.ax/libavcodec.dll.

To uninstall a program:

Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
Click Add or Remove Programs.
Under Pick a task..., click Remove a program.
From the list of currently installed programs, select a program, and then click Change/Remove or Remove.
If these steps do not resolve the issue please continue to submit crash reports and we will continue to investigate.