Preserving menus when editing dvds

[JonDoran]

I have a Pioneer DVR-57H Tivo box with DVD. I like the unit very much, but there is one wish I have.

I would like to be able to edit the shows, to strip content before/after the show. I'm not worried about the commercials right now, but I would like to trim away the excess. For example, when recording a football game I'll usually add an extra hour so that I get the entire game. Sometimes the beginning is pushed back by a previous game. The result is extra junk besides the desired game.

I have tried to rip the disk on a PC and burn a new DVD, but I lose the Tivo menus (which I *like*). The VOB files appear to be MPEG-2 data (and I can edit/play them with no trouble). I don't know anything about the IFO files, but assume the menus are contained in these.

Has anyone succeeded in ripping a DVD, changing the MPEG-2 data, and reburning a DVD?

I'd be even happier if I was able to take one episode of a series off of one DVD, and combine it with others on another DVD (another problem). I might as well throw that out there while I'm asking.

Thanks

[mattack]

Originally Posted by JonDoran

I would like to be able to edit the shows, to strip content before/after the show. I'm not worried about the commercials right now, but I would like to trim away the excess. For example, when recording a football game I'll usually add an extra hour so that I get the entire game. Sometimes the beginning is pushed back by a previous game. The result is extra junk besides the desired game.

I have tried to rip the disk on a PC and burn a new DVD, but I lose the Tivo menus (which I *like*). The VOB files appear to be MPEG-2 data (and I can edit/play them with no trouble). I don't know anything about the IFO files, but assume the menus are contained in these.

I suggest you tell Tivo that you'd like this feature (this is what made me get a non-Tivo hard drive/DVD recorder _along_ with my Tivos btw.. I'd love to have a Tivo with DVD burning where I could edit the recordings before burning to DVD)..

But since you say you already know how to edit the VOBs, why don't you just try it?
Try burning to DVD-RW, editing the VOB file as appropriate, and leave everything
else the same.. and burn to a new DVD.. I'd be interested to know if it works...