Dual Layer - Break selection Error

[NoMention]

I have a Toshiba DVD set top player that plays my discs flawlessly. I have been recording TV series on my HTPC and have finally started to put them onto Dual Layer Verbatim discs. I am using TMPGEnc Author 1.6 to build the DVD Video and menu. When I burn with IMGBurn, it prompts me to choose where I want to layer break. I select right before the 5th episode, VTS_05. Ther are 9 episodes per disc. It burns without problem. On my menu, I choose the 5th episode. DVD player starts making a sound as if the laser is continuously searching. If I choose episide 4, no problem. If I choose episode 6, no problem. Episode 5 locks up my DVD player to the point where I have to unplug the power.

 

This never happened with any DL discs I burned with Nero. Nero added the layer break wherever and it was a real pain to have the thing pause for a second or 2 in the middle but it at least allowed me to play it completely.

 

Anyone have any ideas?

 

I know I'm new to this forum but I'm not that new to this kind of stuff.

Thanks in Advance.

[NoMention]

Here is a screenshot of exactly what ImgBurn preselected for the layer break point. Is this the best? Or should I have chosen the VTS_05.VOB?

 

What does SPLIP mean?

[blutach]

If yes, it means playback is seamless (ie you won't notice the layer break like you do on commercial DVDs). However, if the LB cell is marked as seamless, you must try this on one burn first to ensure all your players are OK with it (most modern players seem to be).

 

As for your issue with ep 5, please post a burn log (see help menu). There is a chance that you got a bad burn. Try doing a scan in DVDInfoPro or Ner0 CDSpeed.

 

Regards

[NoMention]

BURN LOG:

 

; //****************************************\\

; ImgBurn Version 2.3.2.0 - Log

; Sunday, 09 September 2007, 22:30:40

; \\****************************************//

;

;

I 20:58:36 ImgBurn Version 2.3.2.0 started!

I 20:58:36 Microsoft Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600 : Service Pack 2)

I 20:58:36 Total Physical Memory: 1,048,036 KB - Available: 743,372 KB

I 20:58:37 Initialising SPTI...

I 20:58:37 Searching for SCSI / ATAPI devices...

I 20:58:37 Found 1 DVD±RW!

I 20:58:56 Operation Started!

I 20:58:56 Building Image Tree...

I 20:58:56 Checking Directory Depth...

I 20:58:56 Calculating Totals...

I 20:58:56 Preparing Image...

I 20:59:57 Using Layer Break LBA: 1675423 -> 1891344 (VTS_05, PGC: 1, Chapter: 1, Cell: 1, Vob/Cell ID: 1/1, Time: 00:00:00, SPLIP: No)

I 20:59:57 Checking Path Length...

I 20:59:57 Image Size: 7,746,945,024 bytes

I 20:59:57 Image Sectors: 3,782,688

I 20:59:57 Operation Successfully Completed! - Duration: 00:01:00

I 21:36:17 Operation Started!

I 21:36:17 Building Image Tree...

I 21:36:17 Checking Directory Depth...

I 21:36:17 Calculating Totals...

I 21:36:17 Preparing Image...

I 21:36:27 Using Layer Break LBA: 1675423 -> 1891344 (VTS_05, PGC: 1, Chapter: 1, Cell: 1, Vob/Cell ID: 1/1, Time: 00:00:00, SPLIP: No)

I 21:36:27 Checking Path Length...

I 21:36:27 Image Size: 7,746,945,024 bytes

I 21:36:27 Image Sectors: 3,782,688

I 21:36:27 Operation Successfully Completed! - Duration: 00:00:09

I 21:36:41 Operation Started!

I 21:36:41 Building Image Tree...

I 21:36:41 Checking Directory Depth...

I 21:36:41 Calculating Totals...

I 21:36:41 Preparing Image...

I 21:36:44 Using Layer Break LBA: 1675423 -> 1891344 (VTS_05, PGC: 1, Chapter: 1, Cell: 1, Vob/Cell ID: 1/1, Time: 00:00:00, SPLIP: No)

I 21:36:44 Checking Path Length...

I 21:36:44 Image Size: 7,746,945,024 bytes

I 21:36:45 Image Sectors: 3,782,688

I 21:36:51 Operation Successfully Completed! - Duration: 00:00:10

I 21:36:51 Operation Started!

I 21:36:51 Source File: -==/\/[bUILD IMAGE]\/\==-

I 21:36:51 Source File Sectors: 3,782,688 (MODE1/2048)

I 21:36:51 Source File Size: 7,746,945,024 bytes

I 21:36:51 Source File Volume Identifier: DRAGONBALLZ_D9

I 21:36:51 Source File Application Identifier: IMGBURN V2.3.2.0 - THE ULTIMATE IMAGE BURNER!

I 21:36:51 Source File Implementation Identifier: ImgBurn

I 21:36:51 Source File File System(s): ISO9660, UDF (1.02)

I 21:36:51 Destination Device: [0:0:0] PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-108 1.20 (Y:) (USB)

I 21:36:51 Destination Media Type: DVD+R DL (Disc ID: MKM-001-00) (Speeds: 2.4x, 4x)

I 21:36:51 Destination Media Sectors: 4,173,824

I 21:36:51 Write Mode: DVD

I 21:36:51 Write Type: DAO

I 21:36:51 Write Speed: 4x

I 21:36:51 Link Size: Auto

I 21:36:51 Test Mode: No

I 21:36:51 BURN-Proof: Enabled

I 21:36:51 Optimal L0 Data Zone Capacity: 1,891,344

I 21:36:51 Optimal L0 Data Zone Method: IFO Cell Boundary, 'SPLIP' Flag Not Set

I 21:37:17 Filling Buffer... (40 MB)

I 21:37:19 Writing LeadIn...

I 21:37:20 Writing Image... (LBA: 0 - 3782687)

I 21:37:20 Writing Layer 0... (LBA: 0 - 1891343)

I 21:48:58 Writing Layer 1... (LBA: 1891344 - 3782687)

I 22:00:57 Synchronising Cache...

I 22:00:58 Closing Track...

I 22:01:04 Finalising Disc...

I 22:01:39 Image MD5: cd26d5e65220a94455c4e5c24e6bda98

I 22:01:39 Operation Successfully Completed! - Duration: 00:24:47

I 22:01:39 Average Write Rate: 5,342 KB/s (3.9x) - Maximum Write Rate: 5,592 KB/s (4.0x)

I 22:30:40 Close Request Acknowledged

I 22:30:40 Closing Down...

I 22:30:40 Shutting down SPTI...

I 22:30:40 ImgBurn closed!

 

 

VERIFY LOG:

 

; //****************************************\\

; ImgBurn Version 2.3.2.0 - Log

; Thursday, 13 September 2007, 22:42:37

; \\****************************************//

;

;

I 22:14:44 ImgBurn Version 2.3.2.0 started!

I 22:14:44 Microsoft Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600 : Service Pack 2)

I 22:14:44 Total Physical Memory: 1,048,036 KB - Available: 686,884 KB

I 22:14:44 Initialising SPTI...

I 22:14:44 Searching for SCSI / ATAPI devices...

I 22:14:44 Found 1 DVD±RW!

I 22:18:08 Operation Started!

I 22:18:08 Source Device: [0:0:0] PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-108 1.20 (Y:) (USB)

I 22:18:08 Source Media Type: DVD+R DL (Book Type: DVD-ROM) (Disc ID: MKM-001-00) (Speeds: 2.4x, 4x)

I 22:18:08 Source Media Sectors: 3,782,688

I 22:18:08 Source Media Size: 7,746,945,024 bytes

I 22:18:08 Verify Against Image File: No

I 22:18:09 Verifying Sectors... (LBA: 0 - 3782687)

I 22:18:09 Verifying Layer 0... (LBA: 0 - 1891343)

I 22:27:05 Verifying Layer 1... (LBA: 1891344 - 3782687)

I 22:36:00 Device MD5: cd26d5e65220a94455c4e5c24e6bda98

I 22:36:00 Operation Successfully Completed! - Duration: 00:17:51

I 22:36:00 Average Verify Rate: 7,070 KB/s (5.1x) - Maximum Verify Rate: 10,157 KB/s (7.3x)

I 22:42:37 Close Request Acknowledged

I 22:42:37 Closing Down...

I 22:42:37 Shutting down SPTI...

I 22:42:37 ImgBurn closed!

[blutach]

I 21:36:51 Destination Device: [0:0:0] PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-108 1.20 (Y:) (USB)

I 21:36:51 Destination Media Type: DVD+R DL (Disc ID: MKM-001-00) (Speeds: 2.4x, 4x)

I 21:36:51 Write Speed: 4x

Writing at 4x over USB is dangerous. Even though you have verified OK, it would seem you have an unreadable burn on the outside of layer 1. Slow it down to 2.4x

 

Regards

[NoMention]

One final question on this...

 

How does ImgBurn decide what to make available for a break point? I put 9x20 minute episodes onto a dual layer disc. The ideal transition break is right after episode 4 finishes before episode 5 starts.

 

On my most recent compilation, ImgBurn does not even give me any options that it ranks above average. How can I make it insert a layer break where I want it to?

[LIGHTNING UK!]

It lists every cell that has any chance of being aligned so L0 >= L1 (size wise) and where the Start LBA of that Cell is a multiple of 16 (ECC Sector Boundary).

 

The rating is only for the cell as it currently stands, based on a certain set of rules.

 

i.e. going by that exact screenshot, if one of the entries had SPLIP = No, it would get a 'Good' flag as it's more likely to already a decent place of the LB to go.

 

Unless you tell ImgBurn otherwise, the Cell you select WILL have it's 'SPLIP' value changed to 'No' - as typically that's how layer breaks are done.

 

You can't just randomly insert a layerbreak wherever you like, as mentioned above, at the very least the split has to be where L0 >= L1.

 

As you can see from your screenshot, all the cells from 5 through 8 have been listed. Try and get to any before that and L1 would become bigger than L0. Try and get any after that and L0 is too big to go on the disc.

 

The only way to get more options is to physically insert more cells or to shrink the source files a bit more so there's extra 'spare room' to move around it. Both of those require 3rd party tools.

[blutach]

To make it better (ie to break at the start of an episode - which would be "excellent"), you would need to re-author the disk (ie move the VTSs around). This is not all that difficult to do - In PgcEdit, use DVD--> Remap Titlesets.

 

Ensure that the data on L0 (the lower numbered VTSs) is greater than on L0. You might need a calculator to do this.

 

PgcEdit will ensure that the episodes are played back in the right order. Always test by tracing before burning.

 

But, in today's world of seamless layer breaks, I wouldn't worry too much.

 

Regards