Convert VIDEO_TS to Disk Image?? (.img or .iso)

Disk Utility.app can do this, as well as the command-line hdiutil utility (using Terminal.app).

To do it with Disk Utility, create a folder with the name you want your disk to have. Copy the VIDEO_TS directory to that folder. In Disk Utility, select "File > New Image From Folder...". Select the folder you just put the VIDEO_TS directory in. Select "DVD/CD Master" from the "Image Format" drop-down and click the Save button.

In Terminal.app:

*hdiutil makehybrid -udf -udf-volume-name NameOfYourDVDHere -o ImageFileName.iso /path/to/VIDEO_TS/parent/folder*

... and, if you don't like either of those, there's perhaps 2 or 3 dozens commercial and shareware apps that do the same thing. You can also write an Automator flow or AppleScript to do it similarly as easy.

Mark Williams3 wrote:
I have several VIDEO_TS folders that I want to turn into a disk image - either .img or .iso

What programs if any, can do this?? - Thanks in advance!

Toast does it. At least burns it so a DVD format. Not sure about iso or img, but why they are usually reserved for data.
I use Toast all the time. It takes a VIDEO_TS folder directly and burns the DVD.
There may be other export options, I have never looked for them.

There are also some freebies out there that were recently mentioned.
You can search the boards for "Video_TS" and probably find them.


I just looked at the export options. Here they are. The list says that this is "some" of the options.

Some of the options available include:
■ DV: Creates a standard definition DV file that can be used with
iDVD and iMovie.
■ DV 16:9: Creates a widescreen DV file that can be imported into
iMovie HD, Final Cut Pro or Express.
■ HDV 720p: Creates a high definition DV file for use in iMovie
HD, or Final Cut HD projects. Recommended if your content is
HD 720p.
■ HDV 1080i: Creates a high definition DV file for use in iMovie
HD, or Final Cut HD projects. Recommended if your content is
HD 1080i.
■ QuickTime Movie: Offers full access to all possible QuickTime
codecs, selected from the Options... button.
■ MPEG-4: Creates an MPEG-4 file using Apple’s MPEG-4 codec.
Recommended for converting to lower resolutions and for
streaming applications.
■ H.264: Creates an MPEG-4 Advanced Video codec file using
Apple’s H.264 codec, offering high quality at lower bitrates.
■ 3G: Creates an MPEG-4 file using Apple’s 3GPP codec.
Recommended for playback on portable and handheld devices
such as mobile phones.
■ DivX: Creates a DivX AVI file, offering high quality and low
storage requirements. Recommended for portable DivX players.
■ iPod: Creates an MPEG-4 Advanced Video Codec file using
Apple’s H.264 for use with your iPod.
■ iPhone / iPod Touch: Creates an MPEG-4 Advanced Video
Codec file using Apple’s H.264 for use with your iPhone or iPod
Touch.
■ Apple TV: Creates an MPEG-4 Advanced Video Codec file using
Apple’s H.264 for use with your Apple TV.
■ For PSP: Creates an MPEG-4 file formatted for playback on the
PSP (PlayStation Portable).
■ For iTunes: Extracts the audio portion of the video and creates
an M4A audio file for use in iTunes.
■ Ogg Vorbis: Extracts the audio portion of the video and creates
an OGG audio file.

Message was edited by: nerowolfe

Message was edited by: Theodore

Mark Williams3 wrote:
This worked - Thanks!

However - I realized the files are about 7.6GB - and I believe I only have a single-layer burner (4.7max). Is there a way to compress this, without losing any quality? Thanks again

In general you cannot compress without losing something. Just compare an MP3 to the original CD.
It's known as a gain/bandwidth product. With most music and video files, there are no "blank spots" as there are in data files to use to compress losslessly. MP3 uses a lossy compression algorithm as does any video compression engine. Some are better than others, but if you compress a movie 2:1 you lose 50% of something or it would not have needed the original size, right?

Toast compresses to fit, but you can also use DVD2One which I also use on occasion.
Both work OK.

Your Macs probably have SuperDrives (except the G5) that can burn DVD+R DL (dual layer), you need only buy dual-layer media.

Aside from that, yes, you can down-sample the already compressed MPEG2 video. The result will look just awful, but it's possible. For that operation, however, I'd recommend researching some tools that will streamline the process because it will involve you recreating the VTS, BUP, and IFO files as wel as the actual video files (VOB).

As a rule, you really want to encode from the higher-quality source video assets rather than the drastically compressed video assets. MPEG2 to MPEG2 at half the bitrate is going to look like a 2nd or 3rd generation copy of a VHS video tape (not good).

this program did indeed make a disk image for me, an .img file, but it still won't play in iDVD...

iDVD is for making DVDs, not playing them. Double-click the disk image file to open it, then start DVD Player. it should play it. If you use Disk Utility to burn the disk image file to a DVD, it should act like a normal DVD, and play in DVD player, or start the OS X DVD player if you insert the DVD in your Mac.

noideawhatsoever wrote:
when i try to do this with disk utility, i get a .cdr or a .dmg file. neither will play as a dvd.

I, too, got a .cdr file. How did you get it to be an .img file as you describe in your next post?

Thanks!

Deborah

DVD Imager will create disk image files from VIDEO_TS folders
<http://lonestar.utsa.edu/llee/applescript/dvdimager.html>

when i try to do this with disk utility, i get a .cdr or a .dmg file. neither will play as a dvd.

this program did indeed make a disk image for me, an .img file, but it still won't play in iDVD...

yeah, sorry, i get those two names mixed up.

i see now, i thought dvdplayer would open it, or i could open it in dvdplayer. didn't realize i had to open it first.

thanks.