I have been using Recode for a couple of years now. I have successfully recoded many VOB files to Nero MP4 digital using Recode 2.
Occasionally, Recode will lock up during the analyze phase (after selecting import a disc). When this happens, it will repeatedly lock up at the exact same percentage on a particular disc. This happens on about 15% of my DVD's. I have successfully taken a disc that won't work with Recode and used shareware rippers. However, the end video quality is not as good as the Nero digital.
The DVD's in question are created using a camcorder, so no copyright protection is in place.
I eventually take the Nero digital files into Nero Vision to splice and edit as desired, then export a final video and burn it to DVD. The Nero Vision works well with Nero digital files, but I can't seem to get the widescreen portion to work if I import the VOB file directly to Vision.
You should not have to go through this whole process...Vob-mpeg4-Vob, it is a little counter-productive( absurd I would say!).
If you have NeroVision set-up to "Automatic", it will encode based on the aspect ratio of the video source, which probably is not widescreen when is imported from the DVD off your camera. You should set it to 16:9 instead of "Automatic".
When you encode to Nero Digital, if you encode to widescreen, you import the Nero Digital file to Nero Vision, which will encode to 16:9, based on the source video, your new mpeg-4 video. That's why you get the aspect ratio the way you want using the cumbersome process, converting first to mpeg-4.
In Nero Vision, go to Video Options and set the aspect ratio to 16:9, the quality and resolution that you desire
Thanks for the reply. I believe I tried the manual 16:9 option in Vision previously, but it has been a year or so ago. I will try it tonight.
BTW - I downloaded and tried the free version of DVDshrink to convert to MPEG4. It to failed at the same point, only instead of locking up declared a "cyclic redundancy error".
I also downloaded and tried a program called FreeDVDripper. This one too locked up. However, It has a feature that allows me to select the portion up to but not including the few seconds of the error, and then the portion after the error. So at least I can get most of the footage into Vision.
Usually you get that error when the disc is damaged or dirty, the data(your video file ) is corrupt, or when backing up a store bought DVD, if there is encryption.
No encryption. They are home videos made from my camcorder. I have had it happen with brand new single write -R discs and RW discs.
I have also cleaned them and attempted again. Maybe my camcorder laser is getting weak.
I did notice on a couple of the discs, that it would lock up when the video brightness would change dramatically (due to background lighting while recording).
