Save As Disc Image with re-encoding from PAL to NTSC does not run to completion

[gentle breeze]

I'm getting the following two error messages while trying to save a Toast8 project as a disc image with NTSC encoding, starting from PAL source material**:

The file VTS_02_4.VOB could not be accessed. (Data fork, -39)

Couldn't complete the last command because of a Mac OS error.

Result code = -39

**The aforementioned PAL source material is made up from components I selected from a download of a (copylefted) movie, which upon download turned out to consist of a VIDEO_TS folder plus three related jpeg files (stills).

 

The VIDEO_TS folder contains files with the following names, and of the following sizes:

VIDEO_TS.BUP 12 KB

VIDEO_TS.IFO 12 KB

VIDEO_TS.VOB 4.3 MB

VTS_01_0.BUP 72 KB

VTS_01_0.IFO 72 KB

VTS_01_1.VOB 1,024 MB

VTS_01_2.VOB 1,024 MB

VTS_01_3.VOB 1,024 MB

VTS_01_4.VOB 427.2 MB

 

As I'm new to video authoring and Toast, I have very little idea of what all of those components of the VIDEO_TS folder are.

Nevertheless, what I did was to select, in turn,

A. the VIDEO_TS.VOB, which is a brief lead-in animation, and

B. the VTS_01_1.VOB file, which, like each and every one of the last four files in the VIDEO_TS folder, seems to me to be the main movie, and

C. the three jpeg files

and I drag-dropped each of them into the main window of Toast8/Video/DVD-Video.

Then, after some titling of menu buttons and selection of some other options, I commanded File/Save As Disc Image/disc_image_name , using Toast8.

 

Note that in Toast8/Preferences/Audio & Video/Video Settings, I had previously set TV Standard as NTSC.

 

After I have commanded File/Save As Disc Image and have specified a location, Toast 8 states,

The TV standard is currently set to NTSC, but all your content is in PAL format. Do you want to write a PAL disc or re-encode all content to NTSC? Re=encoding can take a long time, but it may be required for the disc to play on your NTSC player.

and then I select

Reencode to NTSC

 

Toast then makes it about 96% of the way to producing the intended disc image before throwing up the two error messages I quoted at the beginning of this post.

 

What do I need to do to get a good disc image with NTSC encoding?

 

[And also, by the way, what are the three other VTS_01_x.VOB (n = 2, 3, 4) files for anyway, please? They look to me, in my video ignorance, to be superfluous functional duplicates of the VTS_01_1.VOB file.]

[theoldarchiver]

The VIDEO_TS folder contains files with the following names, and of the following sizes:

VIDEO_TS.BUP 12 KB

VIDEO_TS.IFO 12 KB

VIDEO_TS.VOB 4.3 MB

VTS_01_0.BUP 72 KB

VTS_01_0.IFO 72 KB

VTS_01_1.VOB 1,024 MB

VTS_01_2.VOB 1,024 MB

VTS_01_3.VOB 1,024 MB

VTS_01_4.VOB 427.2 MB

I don't know about your error, but here is a nice description of the content of a VIDEO_TS folder.

Your main feature is split in 4 files (VTS_01_1.VOB, VTS_01_2.VOB, VTS_01_3.VOB, VTS_01_4.VOB) because of the 1 GB file size limit for DVD. It has no consequence for playback, tho'; a DVD player will find the next part seamlessly.

[tsantee]

It sounds like you didn't use the Media Browser to first extract the MPEG video from the VIDEO_TS folder. Place the VIDEO_TS folder on the desktop (or in the Movies folder), choose DVD with the top button of the browser. Use the lower button to access title or chapter levels. Add the titles or chapters you want to the Video window. When the extraction is completed you can proceed.

[gentle breeze]

Thank you, theoldarchiver.

Though I had tried, apparently I hadn't tried hard enough to find a description of content of a VIDEO_TS folder.

Your main feature is split in 4 files (VTS_01_1.VOB, VTS_01_2.VOB, VTS_01_3.VOB, VTS_01_4.VOB) because of the 1 GB file size limit for DVD. It has no consequence for playback, tho'; a DVD player will find the next part seamlessly.

I think you mean, then, that I need to add all four file (VTS_01_1.VOB, VTS_01_2.VOB, VTS_01_3.VOB, VTS_01_4.VOB) to the Video window in Toast.

However, when I do that, by drag-dropping them individually from the Media Browser, it appears to me that the Video window then contains four exact duplicates of a file named VTS_01_1. Each of the four has identical length and video and audio summaries, as displayed in the Video window. Also the video thumbnail of each, in the Video window, appears to be identical, as judging from the effect of the sliders beneath, each one spans the entire movie. Furthermore, there is then a menu button corresponding to each of the four files.

I don't know what, if anything, distinguishes each of the four files.

That's why in my efforts before my original posting I added only the first of the four, i.e. VTS_01_1.VOB, to the Video window.

Would you clarify, please?

[gentle breeze]

It sounds like you didn't use the Media Browser to first extract the MPEG video from the VIDEO_TS folder.

Actually, in my efforts prior to posting, I did both - i.e. in some attempts I used the Media Browser, and in others I did simple drag-dropping. Either way it seemed to me I had access to the same files within the VIDEO_TS folder. I'm happy to comply in future; and am curious to understand any insistence/recommendation to use Media Browser, as opposed say to drag dropping.

[Probably I should mention that from memory I don't remember any difference in the effect (of using the browser versus drag-drop) on my early attempts to make a disc image with NTSC encoding. I do recall that while at some point somehow I did get a disc image that I thought was NTSC encoded, nevertheless when I burned it to DVD disc (using Copy/Image File, together with drag-dropping) sound was missing from the last half or so of the movie. I'm sorry that my description of my early attempts is so imprecise; and I'm happy to perform better documented experiments under tutelage.]

Place the VIDEO_TS folder on the desktop (or in the Movies folder), choose DVD with the top button of the browser.

As the VIDEO_TS folder (that I originally downloaded) is in a folder on the Desktop, and not on a disc, I left it there, and I chose File with the top button of the browser, and then selected and drag-dropped from the contents of the VIDEO_TS folder. Is that OK?

Use the lower button to access title or chapter levels.

I don't understand that. At the bottom of the browser, there are THREE buttons: +, finder/spotlight icon, and ->. The browser already shows contents of the VIDEO_TS folder down to the level of VTS_01_1.VOB etc; and neither of the three buttons at the bottom seems to get me to any lower level from which to select and then add to the Video window.

 

Lastly, tsantsee, I wonder whether you have any comment on my reply to theoldarchiver, preceding.

[tsantee]

As the VIDEO_TS folder (that I originally downloaded) is in a folder on the Desktop, and not on a disc, I left it there, and I chose File with the top button of the browser, and then selected and drag-dropped from the contents of the VIDEO_TS folder. Is that OK?

No. Place the VIDEO_TS folder itself on the desktop; not inside any other folder. Use the DVD button.

 

I don't understand that. At the bottom of the browser, there are THREE buttons: +, finder/spotlight icon, and ->. The browser already shows contents of the VIDEO_TS folder down to the level of VTS_01_1.VOB etc; and neither of the three buttons at the bottom seems to get me to any lower level from which to select and then add to the Video window.

The lower button I'm referring to is the one at the top just beneath the button where you selected DVD. You'll see that this second button lets you select individual titles or chapters from the contents of the VIDEO_TS folder. When you select what you want, click the + button or drag the selections to the video window.

 

Lastly, tsantsee, I wonder whether you have any comment on my reply to theoldarchiver, preceding.

Toast 7 and 8 are not designed to work with VOB title sets. That's why you use the Media Browser to extract MPEG files from the VOBs. As you point out it sometimes works okay but oftentimes parts of the video don't make it through the process. It's particularly messy if your source VIDEO_TS folder is from a standalone DVD recorder. Another nice thing about the Media Browser is after extracting the MPEG you can select the specific audio track you want when there are multiple audio tracks available. Dragging the VOB means Toast takes audio track 1; hopefully that's what you wanted.

[gentle breeze]

No. Place the VIDEO_TS folder itself on the desktop; not inside any other folder. Use the DVD button.

The lower button I'm referring to is the one at the top just beneath the button where you selected DVD. You'll see that this second button lets you select individual titles or chapters from the contents of the VIDEO_TS folder. When you select what you want, click the + button or drag the selections to the video window.

Aha! When I do that, including selecting DVD in the upper button near the top of the Media Browser, and also using the lower of the buttons there, then the content of the Media Browser window looks very different.

In that lower button I see the following options: All Discs; Desktop: VSO SOFTWARE (DVD-video); Title 1.

In the Media Browser window I see four chapters of Title 1. I do not see any separate items, for example for audio tracks.

[Also, I don't know where the company name VSO Software came from. Do you?]

 

Now, if I select Video/VIDEO_TS Folder at the left hand side of the Video window (before adding the chapters from the main title), then I see no options for also adding content from the VIDEO_TS.VOB file and the additional jpeg stills. Neither do I see options for altering the thumbnails and creating a menu, etc.

Alternatively, if I select Video/DVD-Video at the left hand side of the Video window (before adding the chapters from the main title), then it seems to me there may be a way to add the content of the VIDEO_TS.VOB file plus the additional jpeg stills, by selecting Files in the top button of the media Browser. Consequently, I'm thinking that's the way to go. However, would you tell me the proper way to add extra content, please? Otherwise, it appears there are many wrong ways I might try it.

 

By the way, VIDEO_TS.VOB file in the original VIDEO_TS folder as I downloaded it corresponds to a 9 second animation depicting the subtle theme of the movie; and throughout that animation there is a little red button, to be clicked upon for starting play of the main title. Can that 'start play' functionality be easily retained, or will I have to configure a new Menu in Toast that will include a start button?

[tsantee]

The name that appears in the browser window is the creator of the VIDEO_TS folder.

 

To see the audio tracks you must first extract the video to the Video window with DVD Video selected as the format. Click on the extracted title and click the Edit button. If there are multiple audio tracks the description of the audio becomes a button that has a drop-down menu.

 

DVD Video from VIDEO_TS is only for duplicating existing VIDEO_TS folders. It retains the existing menu as Toast does no authoring or re-encoding (although it can do fit-to-DVD compression).

 

Because you need to change the video's format Toast needs to reauthor a new VIDEO_TS with its own menu. You cannot retain anything from the original menu. Toast has an option to Auto-play disc on insert in which the menu is still available by clicking the menu button on a remote control. If this option is unchecked the menu appears upon disc insert.

 

Adding additional content depends on what kind of content you're adding. If you want to add a slide show of stills that play in the DVD player just put those photos in a folder and drag them to the video window. If they are in an iPhoto album you can use the Media Browser's Photos button to select that album. If you want added content that only is seen by a computer then add that to the Data window with DVD-Rom selected as the format. Name the Data directory the same as you name the video DVD (default is My DVD). In the Options section at the bottom of the Video Window's left panel click More then choose Add Data Content. Burn the disc from the Video window.

[gentle breeze]

Hi tsantee

Thank you very much for your help.

With your help I've been able to accomplish my current DVD authoring goals! Hooray!

I don't find Toast protocols intuitive enough that I could have figured all of this out by myself.

Neither was hunting through Toast Help ever going to work for me.

Now I'm wondering, in case I don't author discs every week - which is most probable - how can I best keep the rules and instructions that you've provided available, to keep me right.

 

To see the audio tracks you must first extract the video to the Video window with DVD Video selected as the format. Click on the extracted title and click the Edit button. If there are multiple audio tracks the description of the audio becomes a button that has a drop-down menu.

Maybe that's in Toast Help somewhere, but I didn't light upon it. If it's not, then it would be a useful edition to revised Toast Help.

DVD Video from VIDEO_TS is only for duplicating existing VIDEO_TS folders. It retains the existing menu as Toast does no authoring or re-encoding (although it can do fit-to-DVD compression).

 

Because you need to change the video's format Toast needs to reauthor a new VIDEO_TS with its own menu. You cannot retain anything from the original menu. Toast has an option to Auto-play disc on insert in which the menu is still available by clicking the menu button on a remote control. If this option is unchecked the menu appears upon disc insert.

 

Adding additional content depends on what kind of content you're adding. If you want to add a slide show of stills that play in the DVD player just put those photos in a folder and drag them to the video window. If they are in an iPhoto album you can use the Media Browser's Photos button to select that album. If you want added content that only is seen by a computer then add that to the Data window with DVD-Rom selected as the format. Name the Data directory the same as you name the video DVD (default is My DVD). In the Options section at the bottom of the Video Window's left panel click More then choose Add Data Content. Burn the disc from the Video window.

All of that seems very useful to know. Again, I wonder whether that is explained in Toast Help; and if not whether it could be added.

 

By the way, when I returned the VIDEO_TS folder back into its original folder on the Desktop again, after having moved it onto the Desktop in order to access it using the Media browser, the Title was removed from the saved .disc file for my authoring project!

If, alternatively, I were to keep the VIDEO_TS folder inside a folder that's (several layers down) in the User/Movies folder, would I then be able to load the Title directly into the Video window from there using the Media Browser, and consequently not have to do anything that alters the saved .disc file for my authoring project?

 

Also, I very easily run out of space for text in menu titles.

In the 'Corporate' Menu Style, at least, I haven't seen how to vary font size, o how to get a 'carriage return' (to a second line).

[Out of the ten available Menu Styles in Toast 8, only Corporate appears to be without 'funny' (read 'generally inappropriate') stylized designs. If that's all that's available, I'm surprised at how limited the choice of Menu Styles is.]

 

Also by the way, tsantee, in case it's still of any interest to you, I wonder whether you noticed I added a response to our other topic at

This URL

[tsantee]

Toast Help provides a good getting started guide but a lot of advanced options aren't described. That's what this forum and to a lesser extent the Toast knowledgebase articles try to fill in.

 

I can't think of any reason the .disc file would change because you moved the VIDEO_TS folder back to its original location. After extracting the video using the Media Browser Toast has no interest in the VIDEO_TS folder. Instead it is concerned with the files written to Roxio Converted Items folder. When you save a Toast project the .disc file will point to those extracted files and not to the VIDEO_TS folder.

 

However, the default preference is for Toast to automatically empty the converted items folder whenever you quit Toast. So if you didn't change that preference the files that the .disc file is pointing to are no longer on your hard drive. So your .disc file is useless and you might as well trash it too.

 

I've changed my Toast preferences to never empty the converted items folder. Instead I manually trash things from the folder that I never want to re-use. Another approach is to choose Save as Disc Image which keeps are burnable copy of your project on your hard drive. Burning a disc image using the Image File setting in the Copy window is identical to duplicating an existing burned DVD.

 

The limitation for menu text is a bother. I've noticed there may be room for longer title descriptions if you choose to place fewer titles on each menu page. Each menu has an option for forcing how many thumbnails appear per page. I don't guarantee changing this will satisfy you need, however.

[Dmacfarl]

[i get the same 9011 error as soon as I complete the extraction of one chapter with Toat 8 titanium.

What's up ?

 

Duncan