Australian PC User contributing editor
Problems with DVD-HD 2009 and VOB files?
In case you’ve been trying to encode VOB files with DVD-HD 2009 and finding that the encoding tool hits 100% but keeps on encoding, here’s a quick rundown on what’s happening:
* first up, the chances are ffmpeg, the encoding engine, is not picking up the run time (duration) of your video file correctly and that’s affecting everything else.
How to fix it
In the short term, there’s no immediate fix and it seems to only happen with some files. With these files, I’ll need to add in the option to manually add in the run time and release an update but that won’t happen for a few days due to some pressing deadlines.
HOWEVER, there is a way I think will work – it’s not pretty – but it should work.
And that’s the encode the video file twice. The first time, let DVD-HD 2009 encode the file even if it says it’s at 100% and still seems to be encoding. If you click on the output tab, you’ll see that ffmpeg is actually still encoding the file. Let it go through it’s two passes and when it’s done, load the new file in and encode it again. This time however, it should show up with the correct duration in the info panel (step 1). From there, you should be able to encode the file and everything should work correctly.
FFmpeg appears to have trouble picking the duration in VOB files at the moment but using this process, which granted is not ideal, should work.
To get the best quality, set the file size to “8.5GB DVD DL capacity” to ensure that ffmpeg uses the highest bit rate to maximise the quality on the first encode. Then when you load this encoded file back in, choose your final disc capacity and it should work.
I’ll work on an update with manual run-time entry and let you know when it’s ready.
UPDATE: Actually, I’ve just given ffmpeg a bum steer. It’s actually not ffmpeg causing the problem but video files that are not correctly annotated with their run time. This seems to happen from VOB files that have been ripped and joined together. If you try playing a file that doesn’t appear to work properly with DVD-HD 2009 on Media Player Classic or Windows Media Player, you’ll find they don’t give the correct run-time either.
The only way around this problem as I mentioned before is to either use some other method of creating the original file or encoding it into a new format and then loading that created file into DVD-HD 2009.
I’ll work on a manual run-time entry option in the meatime.
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| Print article | This entry was posted by Darren Yates on November 7, 2008 at 12:22 pm, and is filed under Darren's software, PC User software. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site. |





about 1 year ago
I’ve got a bigger problem with DVD-HD 2009, the software is not on my cover disk!
“The file /D:/resources/featured/PCUser DVD-HD/PC User DVD-HD 2009.exe cannot be found. Please check the location and try again.”
I do not have a folder called “featured” within the resources folder, neither can I find the software using windows explorer.
Reply
about 1 year ago
Same problem here Darren. The PCUSER DVD-HD 2009 software wouldn’t instal and when I explore, it’s not there. I am about to shoot off request through PCUser website quoting the the CD code for this month. Other software on this disc has no problem installing. Can you confirm problem at PCUser end please as I’m not too tech savvy and problem maybe at this end.
Thanks
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about 1 year ago
Damn. Looks like there’s been a bit of a stuff-up on the cover DVD.
The software is there – you need to navigate to:
[D]:\tutorials\featured\PCUser DVD-HD
where [D] is the drive letter of your DVD drive.
Reply
about 1 year ago
Thanks. Found it now at [D]:\tutorials\featured\PCUser DVD-HD
Reply
about 1 year ago
I have an issue with DVD-HD 2009 I get NilObjectException error when I try to start the program. I have tried to reload but I get the same message.
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darren Reply:
November 24th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Garry, what operating system are you using?
Reply
Garry Reply:
November 25th, 2008 at 6:03 am
I am using Vista Business.
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Jason Reply:
December 19th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
I’m getting the same error message.
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darren Reply:
December 20th, 2008 at 11:56 am
You may need to right-click on the DVD-HD 2009 application file and choose “run as administrator”.
See if that works.
Cheers,
Darren.
Reply
about 1 year ago
Hi Darren
Have you had time to work on a manual run-time entry option for DVD-HD 2009 yet.
Regards Bill
Reply
darren Reply:
January 28th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Hi Bill,
I’m testing a concept version for manual run-time entry for a separate tool but the source code should still work.
If it works successfully, I’ll port it across as soon as possible.
Cheers,
Darren.
Reply
about 1 year ago
Darren, i have mislaid my copy of the disk containing dvd-hd 2009..is there any way i can download a copy of it?
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stephen parker Reply:
March 30th, 2009 at 12:01 am
Darren.. went to mag shop trying to find a copy of December 2008 Magazine, but shop hasn’t got that mag listed as available. shows 2006 magazines not 2008 ones.
thank you
Reply
about 1 year ago
is there any way i can download a copy of hd-dvd?
i have the jan 09 mag and want to burn 4 1.5 huor movies to 1 dvd
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Darren Yates Reply:
March 18th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
No, it’s not available for download. You can get a copy of the December 2008 issue of PC User with the software on the cover disc from http://pcuser.com.magshop.com.au
Cheers,
Darren.
Reply
stephen willmann Reply:
March 18th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
is there a way to do the same thing with PC User rockpod 2009
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about 1 year ago
why can’t i encode two movies at once. Everything works fine when Two applications are running but when it says it’s done the file are corrupt and they don’t work. But when I encode only one file it works fine. The reason why I want to run two PC user DVD hd 2009 at the same time is because I am running my processor at 4 GHz and I have plenty of processing speed to run two applications at the same time.
Reply