How to Burn an HD-DVD to Blu-Ray

Step 1: Rip Data From HD-DVD

* Ripping the data from your HD-DVD is more complex than simply copying its contents in Windows Explorer. To get around the encryption, you will need software that can first decode it before it can be copied to your hard drive. There are two popular programs that can both do so relatively simply:

1. DVD Fab HD Decrypter
* -DVD Fab's website contains a useful tutorial that covers all the program's features, but you'll only really need to read its "DVD to DVD Modes" section for now.
* -The free version includes all the functions you'll need to use for the purposes of this guide, although paying for the full version will include a more advanced features like ripping only specific sections of your HD-DVD.
2. SlySoft AnyDVD HD
* -Slysoft provides an overall guide to AnyDVD, this guide is more straightforward with the specifics needed in this guide.
* -The website provides a trial version of the program which includes the full set of features, but is only valid for a 21-day evaluation period.

* Both programs will decrypt and rip your HD-DVD's data to .EVO files in a location of your choosing. The largest file contains the main movie, and the rest are various extras on the DVD. All of these files are playable on your computer, provided you have enough hard drive space for all the movies you want to backup from your collection. Converting these files to a playable Blu-Ray format will require some more work, though.

Step 2: Separate Video and Audio Streams

* The .EVO files you just ripped contain both video and sound data, both of which need to be separated, or demuxed, before you move on to the next step. The recommended program to demux your .EVO files is the aptly-named EVODemux. As for using EVODemux, Step 2 in the Doom9 guide is better supplemented with a graphical guide on the Ultimate DVDR Forums.

1. Load the .EVO file with the main movie into EVODemux.
2. The program will take some time to read the file, at the end of which it will display video and sound information about the file.
* HD-DVD video will be encoded in one of two ways, VC-1 or H.264, and this step will list which of the two your HD-DVD is, information that is important in the next steps.
The world of ripping and converting all this high-definition data can be a bleak, unforgiving desert. Stick close to the steps in this guide so you don't get lost. (Photo by Rene Asmussen)
The world of ripping and converting all this high-definition data can be a bleak, unforgiving desert. Stick close to the steps in this guide so you don't get lost. (Photo by Rene Asmussen)
3. Open the Video/Audio tab.
4. Make sure there is a mark by the video stream.
* If your HD-DVD is VC-1, it will read VC-1.stream.0.
* If your HD-DVD is H.264, it will read H.264.stream.0.
5. Choose an audio stream and make sure it is the only one marked; any other streams aren't necessary and will only take up more space on your final disc.
6. Make sure to note how the audio stream you choose is formatted. This will be important later when you process the audio stream.
* Dolby TrueHD will be marked truehd, and is the highest quality.
* DTS-HD Master Audio will be marked dtshd.
* Dolby Digital Plus will be marked ddp (note: not dd+) and is the lowest quality.
7. Open the Subpicture tab and make sure nothing is marked.
8. Click on Demux.
9. Rename the resulting .mpa file with a suffix that corresponds to how it was encoded.
* Example: If EVODemux generated audio.mpa from an audio stream marked ddp, rename audio.mpa to audio.ddp.

Step 3: Process Video Stream

* Now that it has been separated from the audio, it's time to transcode—convert from one encoding scheme to another—the video into a format that a Blu-Ray player will be able to recognize. What you use to do so depends upon the format of your video, which you determined in the last step with EVODemux.

* Note that the next few steps require knowledge of command line interface rather than the GUI, or graphic user interface, that you just used with the programs thus far in this guide. If you've never used Command Prompt in Windows before, now would be a good time to look over Mahalo's guide on How to Use Command Prompt.

* For VC-1 Video:

1. Download VC-1 Elementary Stream Converter.
* If you're having a hard time finding it on the page, look for the link under vc1conv - VC-1 Elementary Stream Converter marked Source and Command Line Executable.
2. Unzip the file somewhere easily navigable in Windows Explorer (for example: C:\vc1conv).
3. Open Command Prompt.
4. Navigate to the folder where you unzipped vc1conv.zip.
5. According to the readme file packaged with the program, vc1conv is activated by the command: vc1conv .
* For example, if your original file is stored in C:\LOCATION\VIDEO.vc1 and you want it to be placed in the same folder, you would type vc1con C:\LOCATION\VIDEO.mpv C:\LOCATION\NEWVIDEO.mpv.
6. Use the file you demuxed in EVODemux as input, and specify the output location.

* For H.264 Video:

1. Download H264info.
2. Open h264info.exe.
3. Use the file you demuxed in EVODemux as input.
4. Put a mark next to Remove Pulldown.
5. In the box next to Input frameRate (25, 29.97...), enter the number 23.976.
6. Click Start.

Step 4: Compress Audio Stream (Optional)

* Unlike the video stream, the audio stream can technically be used as it is when you recombine the two. However, depending on how big your movie is, the combined file size may be a problem when it's time to burn everything to Blu-Ray, which has a size limit of 25GB (although you may want to keep it closer to 23GB).

* If you want to go ahead with this step, eac3to is the recommended program to use, and will be accessed through Command Prompt just like VC-1 Elementary Stream Converter did. eac3to's creator has posted an overview of the program and the audio decoders it supports which, depending on the format of your audio stream, you may also need to install so you can properly compress your audio.

1. Open Command Prompt.
2. Navigate to the folder where you unzipped eac3to.zip.
3. Start typing the command eac3to like you ran vc1conv: eac3to , but do not hit Enter yet.
4. You will also need to specify a decoder and bitrate, depending on the format of your audio stream.
1. If your audio stream was in Dolby TrueHD, add -libav -640 to the end of the command.
* The full command should look like this: eac3to "C:\LOCATION\audio.thd" "C:\LOCATION\audio.ac3" -libav -640.
2. If your audio stream was in DTS-HD Master Audio, add -sonic -640 to the end of the command.
* The full command should look like this: eac3to "C:\LOCATION\audio.dts" "C:\LOCATION\audio.ac3" -sonic -640.
3. If your audio stream was in Dolby Digital Plus, add -nero -640 to the end of the command.
* The full command should look like this: eac3to "C:\LOCATION\audio.ddp" "C:\LOCATION\audio.ac3" -nero -640.

Step 5: Recombine Video and Audio Streams

* Now that they've been properly formatted, it's time to cram the two streams back into a single cozy, Blu-Ray friendly file before you can finally burn it your backup disc.

1. Download tsMuxeR.
2. Unzip tsMuxeR_1.2.9.zip and open the folder.
3. Open tsMuxeRGUI.exe. (Yay, no more command line!)
4. Load both the video you converted in either in H264info or with vc1conv into tsMuxeR.
5. Change the video FPS to 24000/1001.
6. Click on .ts Muxing and choose an output path.
7. Click on Start muxing.

* Now that the files have been rejoined, the output has to be converted one last time into a Blu-Ray format.

1. Download TsRemux.
2. Open tsremux.exe.
3. Load the .ts files that came out of tsMuxeR into TsRemux.
4. Since you've worked so hard to get them into the right format, so in the box labeled Select the elementary streams you want to keep: make sure to put a mark next to both Video and Audio.
5. Under Output Format make sure to choose Blu-Ray.
O brave new Blu-Ray world... Welcome your newly converted HD-DVD movies to the baffling future. (Creative Commons photo by everyone's idle)
O brave new Blu-Ray world... Welcome your newly converted HD-DVD movies to the baffling future. (Creative Commons photo by everyone's idle)
6. Choose a chapter length, which by default will be 5 minutes.
7. Click on Remux.

Step 6: Burn Disc Image to Blu-Ray

* Glen8's guide provides specific instructions on burning with Nero, which you may or may not have. As Nero is not freeware you can also use ImgBurn, available as a free download, to (finally) burn your converted HD-DVD Movie onto Blu-Ray.

Conclusion

* That was some sort of technological odyssey, wasn't it? Rest easy though because now, armed with everything you've picked up along the way, it doesn't matter whether you're looking to concede HD-DVD's defeat with quiet grace by converting your collection to Blu-Ray, or just trying to find a way to watch HD-DVD exclusive movies on the Blu-Ray setup you've owned all along. You've got the knowledge and know-how to convert any HD-DVD to Blu-Ray. Just do your best to spend at least as much time watching your HD movies as you do converting them.