Multiple complete DVDs to single Blu-ray

[jandjfrench]

Hi,

As a single 25GB blu-ray disc has enough space to accommodate 3 DVDs, I was wondering if it's possible to copy the 3 discs to a Blu-ray disc, maintaining the complete contents of each DVD?  That is, when the Blu-ray is started a simple menu is shown allowing selection of any of the DVDs and when selected the result is indistinguishable from the original DVD.

Jim F.

 

Edit:  I'm assuming that the DVDs are not encrypted.

Edited January 15, 2017 by jandjfrench

[LIGHTNING UK!]

I've never seen anything that can do that myself. It certainly isn't possible with ImgBurn and is an authoring thing rather than a burning thing.

[dbminter]

There is no software I know of that does this for Blu-Ray.  DVDReMake supposedly let you put 2 DVD's on 1, but I don't know how it did that.  And that's only for DVD's.

 

 

The closest you'll get is to use reauthoring software to remake the DVD contents into new streams for Blu-Ray content.  However, you will lose all of the original DVD menus from the source DVD's.

[Ch3vr0n]

Well he can do what he wants if he burns as data disc. It can contain the full structures for storage but that's it. Only thing that will work is pointing a software player to the DVD's main folder for playback.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6P with Tapatalk.

[dbminter]

I know that doesn't work on the Playstation 3.  I tried that, both putting VIDEO_TS in the root directory and trying to play a BD with a VIDEO_TS on it and also putting the VIDEO_TS in a subfolder structure.  Trying to load the contents that way doesn't play on the PS3 either.  It seems the PS3 actually checks for the physical type of media inserted and tries to play the contents based on the appropriate folder that should be on it.

 

 

So, it seems the player has to be specifically programmed to open VIDEO_TS.IFO files in order to play them as the PS3 apparently doesn't.

 

 

Well, I am talking about physical, stand alone, dedicated Blu-Ray players.  If he uses PC software, he can play the VIDEO_TS.IFO contents from the Blu-Ray if the player supports opening .IFO files, like Media Player Classic Home Cinema.

[Ch3vr0n]

The ps3 isnt a software player which I clearly said. The ps3 can play DVD's but it can't play video structures on a data disc. A data Blu-ray disc with multiple dvd video structures on it doesn't suddenly turn it into a super sized DVD. The file structure doesn't match, the filesystem won't match,... Result: invalid disc for hardware players. Software players don't have that problem, you point them to the DVD root folder and they start playing.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6P with Tapatalk.

[dbminter]

Ah, you did say software player.  Hm, I read your post twice and both times failed to see that. 

 

 

I still think it was a poor decision not to enable DVD-5 or DVD-9 sized VIDEO_TS content to playback if you put it on a BD disc.  And I think it would have been easier from a programming stance to just make players detect what folder contents are on a disc.  Except for CD's, I'd guess, as I don't think there is an actual physical folder structure on audio CD's.

[zurst]

I started to do that some years ago, because nowadays Blu-rays are more cost-effective than DVDs:

 

1 spindle DVD Verbatim DVD+R 16x 4.7GB (50 discs) has a price of 10,78 €, so 4,7 GB x 50 = 235 GB

1 spindle DVD DVD+R DL 8x 8.5GB Verbatim (10 discs) has a price of 10,34 €, so 8,5 GB x 10 = 85 GB


1 spindle Blu-Ray 25GB 6x HTL Verbatim (10 discs) has a price of 10,57 €, so 25 GB x 10 Unidades =  250 GB

 

I took those prices from an old post mine in another forum, now I'm getting Blu-rays even cheaper with good quality also (I hope so).

 

ADVANTAGES:

 

- Price

- Durability of the media (I hope so)

- Saved time (several DVDs copied in a single disc, at same speed . . .)

- More speed reading and copying files

- No layer break issues with DVD9 discs

 

DISADVANTAGES:

 

- Only playable on the PC

 

Not only playable on the PC as I supposed, in the beginning I also thought about a reauthoring tool, but I was convinced that must exist a device that could read my 'sessions'. Have a look to these:

 

http://dune-hd-usa.com/Products/DuneHDMAX.aspx

 

http://dune-hd-usa.com/Products/DuneHDSMARTB1.aspx

 

Video file formats: MKV, MPEG-TS, MPEG-PS, M2TS, VOB, AVI, MOV, MP4, QT, ASF, WMV, Blu-ray-ISO, BDMV, DVD-ISO, VIDEO_TS

 

As you can read, it can idem VIDEO_TS folders, so I guess the problem is solved. I don't own neither of these ones or a different hardware player able to read VIDEO_TS folders, so I can't test it and confirm.

 

Kind regards

[dbminter]

I use BD media for backups even if they fit on double layer DVD.  They've gotten to the point where they're cheap and they last longer.  Plus, as single layer BD's, there's no second layer problems to worry about.  No worry that in some years time, the 2nd layer can't be read.

 

 

The thing to worry about when it says it plays VIDEO_TS, that might mean natively.  Meaning, it will read a DVD with VIDEO_TS on it.  It doesn't say it reads IFO or VOB files.  VIDEO_TS MIGHT mean IFO and VOB.  However, if I had to make a guess, that just means it will play a VIDEO_TS if it's on a DVD media.  However, it does say it plays ISO files, so supporting IFO and VOB is not entirely out of the question.

[zurst]

I use BD media for backups even if they fit on double layer DVD.  They've gotten to the point where they're cheap and they last longer.  Plus, as single layer BD's, there's no second layer problems to worry about.  No worry that in some years time, the 2nd layer can't be read.

 

 

The thing to worry about when it says it plays VIDEO_TS, that might mean natively.  Meaning, it will read a DVD with VIDEO_TS on it.  It doesn't say it reads IFO or VOB files.  VIDEO_TS MIGHT mean IFO and VOB.  However, if I had to make a guess, that just means it will play a VIDEO_TS if it's on a DVD media.  However, it does say it plays ISO files, so supporting IFO and VOB is not entirely out of the question.

 

 

Read it again carefully

 

Video file formats: MKV, MPEG-TS, MPEG-PS, M2TS, VOB, AVI, MOV, MP4, QT, ASF, WMV, Blu-ray-ISO, BDMV, DVD-ISO, VIDEO_TS

 

Even more:

 

Optical disc formats: data discs (CD/DVD/BD) (MP3, JPEG, etc), Audio CD (PCM/DTS), DVD-Video (retail and user-authored discs), Blu-ray (retail and user-authored discs)

 

As I said, I can't confirm it, but I think these players can do the job. And if these ones can't, there must exist some kind of device able to do it.

 

Kind regards

[dbminter]

It does say VOB but not IFO.  IFO is how a DVD is played.  VOB is the video object being played.  You can load a VOB, but a DVD movie is usually split into multiple 1 GB chunks.  Without the IFO, the player has no idea how to navigate between the parts.

 

 

So, you can put all your VIDEO_TS folders on the BD, but you won't get the menu you're looking for.  You won't get any menus.  You may only be able to load the individual VOB.  It says it supports VIDEO_TS, but I still don't know for sure it supports IFO.  VIDEO_TS IMPLIES it does, but I've learned to always look for the gotchas with what tech companies tell you and the actual fine print.

[zurst]

It does say VOB but not IFO.  IFO is how a DVD is played.  VOB is the video object being played.  You can load a VOB, but a DVD movie is usually split into multiple 1 GB chunks.  Without the IFO, the player has no idea how to navigate between the parts.

 

 

So, you can put all your VIDEO_TS folders on the BD, but you won't get the menu you're looking for.  You won't get any menus.  You may only be able to load the individual VOB.  It says it supports VIDEO_TS, but I still don't know for sure it supports IFO.  VIDEO_TS IMPLIES it does, but I've learned to always look for the gotchas with what tech companies tell you and the actual fine print.

 

 

Yes, you're right, I agree with your comment.

 

Kind regards

[dbminter]

I just now realized.  Yeah, you did say VOB and I failed to see it at first.