Okay I figured I'd also share my DVD to avi method with you guys since some of you are having troubles... This is what I do to get dvds to an avi so I can use virtualdub and convert to an axim usable format. After you use this guid, you still have to use the other guide to reconvert for the axim. This method is slow I know, but it allows you get deinterlace and get subtitles,choose audio tracks pretty easily and not have to rip vobs off of dvds. It allows direct DVD in your drive to AVI files etc. If someone has a faster/better/easier way please post.

this method also requires 2-3 gigabytes of disk space for a DVD

You will need to download and install FlaskMpegDeCSS_0594.exe
Goto
http://www.digital-digest.com/dvd/do....html#0594_mod

Download and install and run...


First run your normal DVD playing program and load the disk. Then hit stop and quit (This unlocks the dvd drive)

Now go back to flask
Now go to "file" Choose "open dvd"

Go to your DVD drive... and into the VIDEO_TS folder. You will see a bunch of ifo files. Here's where it gets a little messy

Skip Video_Ts.ifo as it's nothing and open up an ifo file starting with VTS_01_0.ifo

It will display the duration of the track it encodes.. if it's not the length of the movie you are looking for then click the close button at the top of the window (Note, some of the ifos that are really short (15 seconds or less) can cause flask to crash. Just close the app and start over on the next ifo file.

then go back to "file" -> "Open DVD" and choose the next ifo file (VTS_02_0.ifo, VTS_03_0.ifo etc) until you find your movie...(usually this is easy to tell as the movie is like 2 hours and has a bunch of audio tracks and subtitles.

Once you have found your movie's ifo, instead of closing the window, chose your audio track (usually the first one) There are a few because some are DD5.1 some DD2 some DTS and some director's commentary etc.

Select the subtitles of your choice if you want to use them. Else leave it alone and hit "flask this dvd"

Now go to "run" -> "player" and hit "play>>" (note there will be no sound.) Now drag the slider bar to the middle of the movie. and let it play for 2-3 seconds. Then hit "stop" and "Seek first"
Now look at the box that says "Video Structure" and check if it says "interlaced" or "progressive" Make sure you check in the middle of the movie as the initial reading is not indicative.

Now hit "Exit"

Next go to "Options" -> "Global Project options"


Under the "Video" Tab

Select "MMX iDCT" under "iDCT options"
Set your width at 320 and your height at 240 (even if it's widescreen... we take care of that in a second)

Under "Time Base (fps)"

If your film was "progressive"
Select 23.976
Check the "Reconstruct Progressive images" under video structure.

Or If your film was "interlaced"
Select 29.97
Check the "Deinterlace video (slow)" under "video structure".


Under the "Audio" Tab
Select "Decode Audio" under "Audio mode"
Uncheck the "Same as input box under "Sampling Frequency"
Select "44100 Hz"


Under the "Post Processing" Tab
Select "HQ Bicubic Filtering" under "Resizing Quality options"

Now if your movie is NOT widescreen, skip to [1]

If your movie is widescreen, click the "Show output pad" button
Check the box that says "Crop"
Now click the "-" button next to "height" to cut out the black and click the "+" button next to "Top offset" a few times to move the picture up...
Repeat until you have your desired movie size...
(if you mess up, Uncheck crop to reset the original values and recheck it to start again Do not click the Reset settings button)

You should have no or very little black bars around your movie at this point depending on your preference.

Now click the "Hide button"


[1] Under the "Files" Tab, Choose the name and destination of your avi file... (you'll need 2-3 gigabytes of disk space at least here)


Now clixk the "OK" button at the bottom...

Go back to "Run" -> "Player" and click "Play"
Move the slider on top around the video and make sure it looks right. Then click "Stop" and "Seek first" (very important) then click "Exit"

Goto "Options" -> "Select output format" and choose "AVI output"

Goto "Options" -> "Output format options"

Click the "select codec" button under Video
In the "Compressor" drop box, find and select Divx 5.0.3 then click "Configure"

Under the "Profiles" tab
Make sure the "1 - choose your profile" box is NOT checked. (uncheck it if necessary)

Under the "General Parameters" tab
Make sure all the boxes are unchecked, except for "Psychovisual enhancements" which should be checked
"Source Interlace" should be set to encode as progressive (as it is already taken care of by flask) "Make sure the Basic video Deinterlace box is not checked"

Under the "Bitrate control" Tab

Select "1-pass quality-based" in the "Variable Bitrate mode" box
Enter 6.3 in the Quantizer box

Then click "Ok" and "Ok" again in the "choose video compressor" window

Now click the "select codec" button under audio
For "Format" Choose "PCM"
And under "attributes" select "44.100 kHz, 16 bit, Stereo"
Then click "Ok"

click "Ok" again to close the AVI plugin window

Now go to "Run" -> "Start conversion" and wait for a few hours...

Then you can recompress the avi using virtualdub and the other guide....

Another great instruction post!

Thanks, "teach"

Jeff

Learn as you go - share what you know

Wow! It worked! You should write a book! I know I'd buy it. After much frustration and confusion, your method (contained in both guides) is fairly straight forward and simple. It worked beautifully to rip and convert an interlaced and a progressive DVD (both in NTSC format).

My only problem now is that I can't seem to get the Flask (CSS version) to read my DVD directly. I've had to rip the entire DVD to my harddrive first with SmartRip or something. Obviously, this means I have to keep a very large amount of space open on my drive to make this work. Any suggestions?

Thanks again for a fantastic job of explaining a very complicated process. I know I'm not the only one who appreciates it.

Don't believe me? Aximifuwanna!

Try opening the dvd with a dvd player on your pc and playing it. Then hit pause while it's playing. Then try to access the dvd. The decss version should be able to access directly from the drive.

Sorry, I should have clarified. I followed the instruction you gave, as well as those in the text file that comes with FlaskDSS and it didn't work.

I first tried to open the DVD with ATI's DVD player software and then with PowerDVD. I tried playing the disk a little then stopping it and quiting the software, then running Flask. I tried playing it a little, pausing it and running flask. The same thing would always happen. When I run flask and select "Open DVD" from the file menu, it would freeze up. All the menu options like "File" or "Video" and "Audio" would just be a white bar and it would just sit with an hour glass for ages.

It's strange. I considered maybe trying the version 6 preview with the DVDripping add-ons, but I don't know if it will mess up what I already have working.

Any thoughts?

Don't believe me? Aximifuwanna!

Sorry, I should have clarified. I followed the instruction you gave, as well as those in the text file that comes with FlaskDSS and it didn't work.

I first tried to open the DVD with ATI's DVD player software and then with PowerDVD. I tried playing the disk a little then stopping it and quiting the software, then running Flask. I tried playing it a little, pausing it and running flask. The same thing would always happen. When I run flask and select "Open DVD" from the file menu, it would freeze up. All the menu options like "File" or "Video" and "Audio" would just be a white bar and it would just sit with an hour glass for ages.

It's strange. I considered maybe trying the version 6 preview with the DVDripping add-ons, but I don't know if it will mess up what I already have working.

Any thoughts?

Don't believe me? Aximifuwanna!

Well... flask .594 is buggy... so if the 6 preview with the dvd add ons works, then it should be fine as the guide should work for the .6 version as well...

Thanks for the guide!

One question. I am trying to rip the movie Sneakers. I follow your instructions for determining Progressive/Interlaced and I can't get a conclusive answer. Sometimes it's progressive and sometimes it's Interlaced.

Has anyone run into this?

Rodney

Some movies do this... you might have to just go with the Deinterlace (as part of the movie is interlaced...) It will just make it slower...

*bump*

this could use a "pin" or a "sticky" - whatever

Learn as you go - share what you know

hello, i have a question. istead of using virtualdub, can you use windows media encoder to change it to a wma file to play in windows media player? thanks

EDIT: I did everything you said, converted it windows media encoder, and got a 140mb file of Office Space. nice. thanks for the tips. But what sux it that it turned my widescreen version to regular? oh well.

Current PDA: Treo600,ipaq 1935

Past PDA's : Palm 3xe, Handspring Visor, Sony S300, Sony S320,Sony N710C, Ipaq 3765, Ipaq 3870, Ipaq 1910, Dell Axim Advanced, Ipaq 5455, Hitachi G1000

I have a question, say I only want part of the DVD? I don't want the whole thing in an AVI, is there a way to do that?

I successfully compied my son's Veggie Tales Bible Hereos DVD, but it contains 3 episodes, that I would like to split up into 3 different files. Is this possible?

Thanks!

Tom Keyes, Principal Certified Lotus Professional

Vdub will allow you to trim .avi files before processing. Use the slider bar to make selections. Mark beginning and end points of sections you want to delete.

Other programs may be easier.

Learn as you go - share what you know

3 Cheers for this guide, I'm very impressed.

I have a very simple questions. I only have access to a DVD burner through a MAC, I'd like to "backup" personally owned DVD movies to play on my Axim.
How would I be able to format a DVD through MAC onto a CD-R and then work on it through my regular pc?

Eclypse

What's the typical size of the .AVI after its been reencoded?