Is there a way to split the disk and keep the menus when the episodes are all merged as one. 1-4 episodes on disk1 are merged into one title so you cannot select the individual episodes to burn and keep the compression down and also keep the menus. I have also seen the episodes merged as one title on other episodes of different shows. Season 1 of Smallville is not done this way. I'm not sure about the other seasons.
I have tried to split it using ifoedit but could not.
I know I can re-author with DVDShrink by using start-stop function but
I would lose my menus. Anybody run into this problem? Thanks.
And here is a possible free method (But you have to do it manually). Also, before reading this and going nuts, make sure I understood you correctly;
****You want to take 4 episodes of Smallville, which are part of 1 Title and split them by twos. Then take two episodes and put them on 1 disc and the other two and put them on another disc. Also, you want to have all the menus working. If so read on:
This one may be a tricky beast to tackle though. I theoretically know how to do it, but without testing it (troubleshooting, trial & error, etc...), the method I provide may completely fail.
Ripping certain parts should not be too bad. Even if it is combined in 1 Title, you can set Decrypter to rip PGCs. If there are 4 episodes in the VTS, then it should have 4 PGCs. Here is how to tell;
Launch DVD Decrypter, and go into IFO Mode. DVD Decrypter will auto select a PGC. if you see more than 1 PGC in this VTS, then you got yourself a way to rip each episode individually. Just highlight an episode and press the Decrypt button.
I would assume you should stop after the second episode since you say you want 2 per disc, or do you mean it has total and you want 4 per disc. Whatever the case, stop after you rip the last one.
If this is not the case, the episodes will still be split in some way. Rip. Set up DVD Decrypter to Split the VOB by VOB ID (if not, they authored it like a low budget movie). Do this either in IFO Mode or in File Mode (movie only). Each episode will be a different VOB.
If even this does not work, you can rip in IFO Mode, but rip a certain amount of chapters at a time. Just play back the movie and see what chapters the episodes cut off at and take note of this.
Remember, to only leave the first half of the episodes in the folder and put the other half in a separate folder, otherwise it will just reconmbine.
Now in order to get the DVD to work properly, you will have to tell the IFOs that the VOB is different than before. Download and Launch IFOEdit. Then open the main movie's IFO. Select "VOB Extras=>Strip Streams". I say strip streams, because using "create new IFOs" will involve 1 extra step to edit the Audio Streams. You do not have to strip any audio or subs. Just keep the ones you want checked. Set a destination and click OK.
Now IFOEdit has created a new VTS containing only the 2 (or 4) episodes. When it is finished. Drag and dro pfrom the new folder to the original the new files created. Then launch IFOEdit again and open any IFO. Press "Get VTS Sectors". After that press "DVD Play". If it works fine meaning the menu works, and the episodes play fine, try to import it into DVD Shrink. If DVD Shrink accepts the DVD Folder, create an image and burn with Decrypter. If Shrink Fails, create an image in IFOEdit by pressing the "Disc Image" button. Burn on an RW if you have one. I am not sure how this will work out.
If it works out, repeat the process for the next set of episodes. All you will have to do is delete the main movies from the DVD Folder and then rip the rest of the PGCs with Decrypter. Then begin with the "Strip Streams" step.
Possible issues include:
DVD Freezing after the final episode of the first Disc plays
Chapter Select Menu may not work correctly
"Play All" button may not work on the second disc
Disc 2 may fail to Burn
There are probably more issues, but that is all I can think of. I have never tried such a task, so again, this is just a theory and may not work. I know I would be able to figure it out with the DVD in hand, but I do not have Smallville Season 4. I am sure there will be several other posts to help you out.
