How to find layer break position of ISO file

[cautberg]

I'm using IMBburn version: 2.5.8.0 (I'm a novice with this software)

 

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

I need to find the layer break position of an ISO file made with Adobe Encore CS6, which I am preparing for (double layer) DVD replication.

 

WHAT I TRIED ALREADY

When I go (in IMBburn) to Tools > ISO > Display IFO layer break information, more than one option appears. How can I know which one is the layer break point Encore has set (if this is the right place to look for it), I do not know (I presume it is the wrong place - since only one break point should be displayed as there is obviously only one in a  DL DVD).

 

WHY I NEED HELP

I need to know exactly where the layer break is since Encore does not always set reliably the layer break, and I cannot risk replicating 1000s of DVDs with a wrong positioned layer break.

I read in an Adobe forum that the best option, when authoring with Encore, is to check where the layer break occurs with IMGburn. If the layer break is between video files, than it is fine to export the project as DDP file for replication. The DVD I want to author contains 6 videos of relatively equal duration, totaling to about 8 GB.

 

I looked for posts on this topic in this forum without success. I would much appreciate someone to list the steps of how to locate the layer break.

 

Thank you very much.

Ruben

 

[LIGHTNING UK!]

How many options are displayed?

 

Try and take a screenshot (or multiple screenshots of there are loads) and post it/them so we can take a look.

 

An ISO has no physical layerbreak and there's no actual way of recording exactly where it should be going. Ideally, Encore would tell you that info somewhere or record it in another file.

 

Failing that, just rebuild the image using Build mode (extract or mount Encore's ISO and use it as the source) and pick your own layerbreak as per the guides.

[dbminter]

Technically, there's a "layer break," according to IFOEdit, at the end of every VTS, it seems.  Of course, these aren't actual layer breaks, because, as you say, there is only one real one and that's on DL discs.  But, these "layer breaks" are even on DVD-5.  And, for a while, Nero's version of DVDShrink was adding layer break pauses randomly to the output of DVD-9's shrunk to DVD-5.  But, that was 14 years ago I last tried that software, so, hopefully, that's been fixed by now.  I also had a homebrewed DVD where it added a layer break to the stream of a DVD-5.  And I couldn't remove it!  Removing it with IFOEdit broke the navigation of the VTS.

[cautberg]

Thank you very much LIGHTING UK and dbminter for taking time to look at my post and for your info.
 
Below are screenshots of two ISO files of DVD9 projects I've made now for testing layer break position.
 
TEST #1 - 6 x 1 hour videos of ~ 1.3 GB each, totaling 8.42 GB; chapter points every 5 minutes
The layer break most likely has been chosen by Encore to be between video 3 and 4, as this is the middle of the content, and is ideal.
Video arrangement in Encore: [video 1 ~1.3 GB] [video 2 ~1.3 GB] [video 3 ~1.3 GB] [video 4 ~1.3 GB] [video 5 ~1.3 GB] [video 6 ~1.3 GB]. Each video is on a separate Encore timeline (if this matters).
If the screenshot below indicates a good layer break point position, than this is great, as this is the setup and videos I will use for the DVD9 project to be replicated.
 
 
Below is the screenshot of the ISO file. Is this the layer break point Encore has set, since there is only one? Or is this the only layer break point recommended by IMGburn?
 

 

_____________________
 
 
TEST #2 - 7 videos (5 x 1.3 GB each; 2 x ~ 0.65 GB each) totaling 8.39 GB; only 1 chapter point at the beginning of the timeline.
The layer break most likely has been chosen by Encore in the middle of video 4 (see image below of videos in Encore timeline). I deliberately arranged the videos this way to force Encore to place layer break in the middle of a video (which is not ideal), for testing purposes (i.e. to see what layer break point(s) IMGburn shows). As you may see in the screenshot below, three layer breaks are shown by IMGburn. Are these all layer breaks Encore has set (unlikely I suppose), or layer breaks suggestions by IMGburn?
 
Videos arrangement in Encore: [video 1 ~1.3 GB] [video 2 ~1.3 GB] [video 3 ~0.65 GB] [video 4 ~1.3 GB] [video 5 ~1.3 GB] [video 6 ~1.3 GB] [video 7 ~0.65 GB]. Thus middle of 8.39 GB will be half way of video 4.
 
Below is a screenshot of Encore timeline for this test. As you can see, the middle of the 8.39 GB should be approximately half through video 4.
 

 
 
 
Below is the screenshot of the ISO file. I wander which of the three is the layer break point set by Encore, if any.
 

 
 
CONCLUSION AND MAIN QUESTIONS
Test #1 represents the setup I will use for the DVD9 project I want to replicate. Encore was given good chances to choose the layer break between videos, which is ideal.
Test #2 - I do not understand what the three "LBA" represent.
 
Main Questions: How can I know:
a. if the layer break in Test #1 is the one set by Encore, or only a suggestion by IMGburn? And, is this between videos or during a video?
b. which of the three layer break points in Test #2 is the one set by Encore? Or are they only suggestions, and IMGburn does not know where the layer break point was set by Encore?
 
I apologies for such a long message.
 
Thank you very much for your help. I greatly need it as Encore does not always set the layer break reliably and consistently, and I need to know somehow what it managed to do.

Edited January 19, 2018 by cautberg

[LIGHTNING UK!]

When dealing with ISO files, you're limited as to what you can do in terms of trying to align things. You can't pad an ISO without rewriting the file system descriptors - and I don't do that.

 

For test 1, you only have one option. The physical layerbreak should be set to the lba ImgBurn is showing you. Encore has aligned the files so you can set the physical layerbreak to somewhere outside of the actual video content. There won't be any 'pause' when viewing.

 

For test 2, you have 3 choices but only one has the splip flag set to false (which is what gets called the 'layerbreak flag' by lots of software/people). That's the one to use there and the physical layerbreak on the media should be set to the lba value displayed by the program.

[cautberg]

Thank you LIGHTNING UK! for the information.

 

My main concern is to know if Encore has set the layer break in the right spot or not. I'm confused. How can I know where the layer break set by Encore is? Can IMGburn show this or is there another software?

 

Or the only option is to burn a DL DVD, and play few minutes half through to see if the player changes layers correctly.

 

Please note that I'm a novice. I've authored DVD5 only in the past; this is my first DVD9 authoring, and am worried that, as I've read on Adobe forum, Encore is unreliable in setting the layer break.

 

Thank you very much for your time.

[LIGHTNING UK!]

As I said before, you can't set a layerbreak position on an ISO file. They're stupid and have no concept of such things.

 

The options ImgBurn is showing you are perfectly fine and the fact you have any options at all means that's probably where encore has made some attempt to align things within the ISO so that said options exist.

 

Don't overthink it.

[cautberg]

Thank you LIGHTNING UK! for the info.

 

Best wishes.

Ruben