[Help] Blu-ray PiP (Picture-in-Picture) ripping/archival

[bobbster574]

I did this recently for Underworld: Rise of the Lycans and several years ago Romeo + Juliet.

Download BDInfo: https://www.videohelp.com/software/BDInfo

Either browse to the BD folder's location or paste it at the top and click 'rescan'.
Find the appropriate length playlist for the full movie.  If there is more than one, the lowest number is usually right.

Open tsMuxeR: https://www.videohelp.com/software/tsMuxeR and drag/drop or click add and navigate to the playlist folder and select the one you found in BDInfo.

Uncheck all tracks except the PiP ones.  The video will probably be the second track and standard definition.  The audio track for the PiP, usually is English in low bitrate.  I've seen AC3 stereo and DTS Express (which you may want to re-encode for compatibility later on).

You can now extract them separately, remux (like I do) or rebuild them as a Blu-ray all to themselves.  I've occasionally had to adjust the aspect ratio.

I don't know if this will help with the discs you're working with though.

thanks for the input!

unfortunately, this isnt quite what im trying to do here. this gives me a video file that only contains the PiP video/audio, whereas i would like to have a video file where its just as the PiP feature is shown on disc: with the primary and secondary video/audio being played simultaniously.

[Bigrob]

What's some good examples of discs that have it? I'll run to the library later and see if I can pick one up and try testing it out.

a few discs i know have PiP include:

The Matrix (as "In-Movie Experience")
The Mummy (as "U Control")
The Mummy Returns (as "U Control")
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (as "U Control")
Shaun of the Dead (as "U Control")
Hot Fuzz (as "U Control")
The World's End (as "U Control")
How to Train your Dragon (as "Animators Corner")

"U Control" is basically Universal's name for a subset of bonus features that could play alongside the main feature (like as well as PiP it included trivia and stuff) im not sure when they stopped doing it but i imagine there are quite a few titles with it. the cases don't mention it explicitly so your milage may vary.

add Poseidon to that. the HD-DVD had an amazing PiP feature that was sadl ynever ported over to Blu-ray

[NeonBible]

Is it possible to view the Java source code which is used to instruct the player how PiP should be displayed? Or is it encrypted?

If possible you could use it as a guide to where video and audio are faded in and out as you say, in order to reconstruct the experience.

I’ve not tried it myself but I believe Avisynth has a Layer command which would allow you to overlay one video over another.

[bobbster574]

Is it possible to view the Java source code which is used to instruct the player how PiP should be displayed? Or is it encrypted?

If possible you could use it as a guide to where video and audio are faded in and out as you say, in order to reconstruct the experience.

I’ve not tried it myself but I believe Avisynth has a Layer command which would allow you to overlay one video over another.

ive tried to look into the java stuff, it seems i can open the .jar files just fine in 7zip but i am completely unfamiliar with java so its not something i can decypher at the moment; the file names are the super helpful "a.class" and "aa.class" and so on. im guessing its compiled on some level, encrypted or not im not sure, but opening them in notepad shows the occasional word so maybe not?

if anyone is able to ofgarding java stuff id be most thankful

[Doctor M]

Is it possible to view the Java source code which is used to instruct the player how PiP should be displayed? Or is it encrypted?

If possible you could use it as a guide to where video and audio are faded in and out as you say, in order to reconstruct the experience.

I’ve not tried it myself but I believe Avisynth has a Layer command which would allow you to overlay one video over another.

ive tried to look into the java stuff, it seems i can open the .jar files just fine in 7zip but i am completely unfamiliar with java so its not something i can decypher at the moment; the file names are the super helpful "a.class" and "aa.class" and so on. im guessing its compiled on some level, encrypted or not im not sure, but opening them in notepad shows the occasional word so maybe not?

if anyone is able to ofgarding java stuff id be most thankful

Does one of the subfolders of JAR have a "pipgfxeventsinfo.xml" file? I believe the secondary video clip runs at all times, just not on screen. The .xml file seems to indicate when it is visible and what its location is.
I don't know how you'd create a disc that utilizes this feature though.

[bobbster574]

Is it possible to view the Java source code which is used to instruct the player how PiP should be displayed? Or is it encrypted?

If possible you could use it as a guide to where video and audio are faded in and out as you say, in order to reconstruct the experience.

I’ve not tried it myself but I believe Avisynth has a Layer command which would allow you to overlay one video over another.

ive tried to look into the java stuff, it seems i can open the .jar files just fine in 7zip but i am completely unfamiliar with java so its not something i can decypher at the moment; the file names are the super helpful "a.class" and "aa.class" and so on. im guessing its compiled on some level, encrypted or not im not sure, but opening them in notepad shows the occasional word so maybe not?

if anyone is able to ofgarding java stuff id be most thankful

Does one of the subfolders of JAR have a "pipgfxeventsinfo.xml" file?  I believe the secondary video clip runs at all times, just not on screen.  The .xml file seems to indicate when it is visible and what its location is.
I don't know how you'd create a disc that utilizes this feature though.

ive gone through all the .jar files for 2 discs (The Matrix and How to Train your Dragon) and neither contain such a file i may go through my other PiP discs when i have some more time to see if its in any of those but no luck for now

[alleycat]

The software I use (Blu disc Studio) can produce a picture in picture disc but unfortunately not the version I use. I use standard which does not have it's own muxer so it uses TSmuxer - which cannot handle PiP. The MX version has it's own muxer which is capable of PiP - but it's more money and a difference licence.

If interested though the user guide is here:

https://www.blu-disc.net/downloads#guides

Third link down under Theo de Klerk "User’s Guide to Authoring a Blu-ray Disc with Blu-Disc Studio Standard/MX", pages 383-392 detail the process of authoring a PiP video including limitations.

[Hydra Spectre]

All but three of the Japanese Studio Ghibli Blu-rays include storyboard workprint versions of the films.
Said storyboard workprint versions have PiP features in Japan that have the final animation presented in the corner. Too bad it covers up a large chunk of the storyboards this way. But it can be turned off and you can watch the film with just the storyboards.

[Pineapples101]

If it helps, I've just been working on the same kind of thing - preservation of HD-DVD special features.
Using an X-Box HD-DVD add-on drive I've had MakeMKV recognise a few of the discs and extract some documentaries, deleted scenes etc, but as others have found it won't recognise any of PIP features, so I bought a 4K HDMI to USB Video Capture Card (basically just a dongle with HDMI in and USB-C) hooked up my X-Box 360 and HD-DVD drive to the HDMI, and UCB into my laptop and used OBS Studio to record the PIP stream.
Not ideal, but it captures in 1080p, so if all these HD-DVD's eventually rot, there is at least some record of these PIP features out there.

These are the HD-DVD PIP features I have recorded, if anyone wants these, just drop me a PM and I can share asap.

Troy - Theatrical HD-DVD
High Definition Exclusive Bonus features: "In-Movie Experience" video commentary

American Gangster HD-DVD
Theatrical Cut - High Definition Exclusive Bonus features: - "U-Control" Picture-In-Picture video commentary (with cast and crew interviews and "Behind-the-Scenes" footage)
Notes: I can confirm that the "U-Control" PIP feature is exclusive to the HD-DVD theatrical cut. There is a PIP feature on the Blu Ray, but it's on the Extended Cut. As far as I can tell, all the PIP segments on the HD-DVD theatrical cut are also on the Blu Ray Extended Cut PIP feature, but for the sake of being complete I thought I should mention it here.

Poseidon HD-DVD
"In-Movie Experience" video commentary with actor Josh Lucas

[RumourdProd]

this is an idea ive had for a good while, but haven't really gotten that far: Blu-rau PiP (Picture-in-Picture) ripping/archival.

PiP is a kind of bonus feature where a secondary video stream is presented simultaniously alongside the main feature presentation. it allows interviews/commentary, BTS footage, etc. to be shown at relevant parts of a film, and imo its pretty neat. 

(etc)

Hello,

I know you posted this well over two years ago, but I've been laboriously ripping/reconstructing PiP tracks for years now, and for almost all of them, I've combined the old Blu-Ray PiP layer with 4K disc rips of the movie, as close to their original appearance as possible (when playing on a standalone player).  The 4K rips are converted to .709 colorspace in Handbrake to match the PiP colorspace; they look agreeable in SDR.

It's time-consuming and uses about 6 different softwares to achieve and render out, but it's doable:

1. MakeMKV
   
2. MKVToolNix
   
3. Handbrake
   
4. Pazera Free Audio Extractor
   
5. Topaz Video AI (when PiP is sub-480p quality)
   
6. Vegas Pro 18
   

I've reconstructed the following PiPs (Blu-Ray where indicated):

• American Graffiti
  
• Animal House
  
• Casino
  
• Ghostbusters (1984)
  
• Goonies (BLU)
  
• Labyrinth
  
• Scarface (1983)
  
• Silence of the Lambs
  
• Stand by Me
  
• Super Troopers (BLU)
  
• Star Trek TOS (1966) - 8 episodes 
  
• Terminator 3 (BLU)
  

I'm currently working on American Gangster...