(These instructions might be modified in the future if I find some additional optimizations)
For this example, I will be using the 2004 DVD release of "Star Wars IV - A New Hope"
Here are the aspects of this DVD that made it 'tricky' for me to backup and the characteristics I wanted to preserve.
- WMV or AVC-HD file that could be played through my XBox 360 as a Media Center Extender.
- 5.1 Stereo sound preserved
- Sub-titles permanently burned into the movie - Forced subtitles only
- Other language 'angles' for the begining text scroll had to be removed.
Required/Used Software
- AnyDVD HD - bypass DVD security
- DVD Decrypter - copy movie stripping out the other 'angles'
- SubRip - obtain an SRT of the forced subtitles
- RipBot264 (and all its associated software) - create the final AVC-HD file
- Install AnyDVD HD and get it running. This will get you past any security on the DVD.
- Use DVD Decrypter to get a copy of the DVD with the extra angles stripped out.
- Launch DVD Decrypter
- Select "File" Mode
- Tools -> Mode -> File
- Choose to only use Angle 1
- Tools -> Settings
- Choose the 'File Mode' tab
- Check 'Multi Angle Processing'
- Choose to Retain Angle 1 in VOBs
- Click 'OK'
- Use 'Source' to select your DVD, and select all the files on the DVD.
- You may not actually need all the files, so feel free to optimize if you know better.
- Select an appropriate 'Destination' on your harddrive
- Start the 'Copy'
- File -> Decrypt
- DVD Decrypter will now process the DVD. This will take a few minutes, and it will make a really annoying sound when it is done. (unless you happened to have also turned off the Success sound)
- Use SubRip to get an SRT copy of the forced subtitles.
- Launch SubRip
- File - Open VOB(s)
- In the Vob(Sub) files: section select 'Open Dir' and choose the largest VOB in the directory where you just used DVD Decrypter to copy the movie. It will automatically select all the other appropriate VOB files and display them
- Next choose the correct Language stream. Star Wars 4 and 6 are tricker than some, it puts the forced subtitles into a seperate stream, as opposed to embeded inside the main stream. So select "02 - English 1, (caption/normal size char) wide"
- Click "Start"
- Now it will start processing. You may need to assist the program by identifying letters or letter combinations. It should not take too long before the program knows the entire alphabet/letter combinations to do the rest automatically.
- When it is done, you will have a window open which is your SRT file. In that window choose 'File -> Save' and save your SRT file to a known location.
- Use RipBot264 to backup your movie
- Launch Ripbot264
- Click "add"
- Select the largest VOB file from your DVD Decrypter copy of the movie
- Now, the program will take a few minutes to process the DVD. There is no good feedback, but expect it to take a few minutes.
- When you get control back...
- Choose 'Save As' AVCHD (its at the bottom)
- Under 'Audio' (right hand side)
- select the '...' button and make sure you choose the biggest file marked as 3.2 (top right)
- Note, its frequency is 448, so choose that one under the Audio Profile. (5.1 Aften AC3 448 kbps [cbr])
- Turn Normalize to 'Off' (this is important if you are using a decent receiver)
- Language to English
- Under Video (left hand side)
- Profile choose [High 4.0] HD, BluRay, Consoles
- Mode CQ
- CRF 20
- Click Properties
- Crop - Automatically
- Size - HD-Ready 1280x720 [2,35:1]
- Permanent Subtitles - Select "Build in Picture"
- this opens a file select dialog, select the SRT file you just saved with SubRip
- Click OK
- Make sure the Output is where you want it. It will create a BD subdirectory under the location you specify.
- Click 'Done'
- Make sure your new job is checked
- Click 'Start' - wait a few hours for the job to complete.
- When its done, you will find your .m2ts file with the movie in the BDMV\STREAM subdirectory of the location you specified.
