I just built a new media server/workstation and decided to give Vista a try. Maybe that was a mistake, but oh well. On my old XP machine I would rip the video folder of my DVDs to hard disk (1:1 copy). Then using PowerDVD version 6.0, I would simply click on the VIDEO_TS.IFO file and the movie would launch with full menu functionality, just like I was playing directly off of the disc.
Of course, PowerDVD 6.0 like many other programs, has some problems with Vista. So I shelled out the bucks for the new, Vista compatible, PowerDVD Ultra, thinking that I might also acquire HD-DVD or Blu-Ray capability in the future. The problem is, now with the PowerDVD Ultra (vers. 7.1), when I click on the VIDEO_TS.IFO files, it just blinks for a moment, but does not start the movie. I can select the various video object files (.VOB) files that compose the movie, manually through PowerDVD and play them back one at a time, but of course, I no longer have the full menu functionality I used to have, which made the experience simple and seamless. Menus are important because I like to watch foreign films with subtitles. Subtitle and audio track selection is not enabled when you play the .VOB files back through manual selection.
Anyone have any ideas how to use PowerDVD in a different manner to gain full menu functionality? Or perhaps someone has some other ideas of how I should be ripping my DVDs to retain full menu functionality?
Incidentally, I can use a freeware player like VLC Media Player and have full menu functionality and normal playback; however, this is at a loss of video and audio quality. PowerDVD does a much better job when it is working.
Of course, PowerDVD 6.0 like many other programs, has some problems with Vista. So I shelled out the bucks for the new, Vista compatible, PowerDVD Ultra, thinking that I might also acquire HD-DVD or Blu-Ray capability in the future. The problem is, now with the PowerDVD Ultra (vers. 7.1), when I click on the VIDEO_TS.IFO files, it just blinks for a moment, but does not start the movie. I can select the various video object files (.VOB) files that compose the movie, manually through PowerDVD and play them back one at a time, but of course, I no longer have the full menu functionality I used to have, which made the experience simple and seamless. Menus are important because I like to watch foreign films with subtitles. Subtitle and audio track selection is not enabled when you play the .VOB files back through manual selection.
Anyone have any ideas how to use PowerDVD in a different manner to gain full menu functionality? Or perhaps someone has some other ideas of how I should be ripping my DVDs to retain full menu functionality?
Incidentally, I can use a freeware player like VLC Media Player and have full menu functionality and normal playback; however, this is at a loss of video and audio quality. PowerDVD does a much better job when it is working.