Getting Video To Import Into Final Cut Express

[360Spider]

I have done numerous searches here and spent hours converting video with no solution to my problem. So here is what the deal is:

My video camera does not have a Firewire port on it, however it does record to DVD's. So what I do, is rip the DVD to my computer and use Handbrake to convert it into a viewable file. I have found by doing that though, that Final Cut Express will not accept any of the files that Handbrake converts to. Therefor I'm now completely lost and I cannot find an acceptable video converter out there besides MPEG Streamclip that will then convert the video file into a usable .mov for FCE. The problem though is that MPEG Streamclip is VERY slow and tends to freeze up quite a lot while I am converting my video which is only 40min long (and I have a 2.8Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo too). I would directly open up the DVD in MPEG Streamclip and then convert it from there without Handbrake but there is no MPEG-2 support and I am not paying $20 to get it as I don't think to highly of the program to begin with.

So basically, I'm at complete loss here. Is there a type of freeware or open-source program out there for Mac that will take my VIDEO_TS folder and convert it directly into a file acceptable for Final Cut Express? I have done searching, and gone through way too much trial and error, so now I'm seeking help.

Please help me!

Thanks!

[terryj]

I have done numerous searches here and spent hours converting video with no solution to my problem. So here is what the deal is:

My video camera does not have a Firewire port on it, however it does record to DVD's. [snip]The problem though is that MPEG Streamclip is VERY slow and tends to freeze up quite a lot while I am converting my video which is only 40min long (and I have a 2.8Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo too). I would directly open up the DVD in MPEG Streamclip and then convert it from there without Handbrake...

Changing your workflow will speed it up, as I suspect the freezes are reads from the optical drive.

Your steps are slightly off:

1. Copy the Disc to your HD (Desktop). Since it isn't a commercially pressed disc, it should copy through the finder fine.
2. Once on your HD, eject the disc from the drive.
3. Launch MpegStreamclip, which will now Read from the Faster Internal HD, rather than the slower Optical Drive,
and it will process faster.
4. Convert the files from the DVD ( .vob) to DV Stream for ingestion into ANY Apple Branded NLE app
(iMovie, FCE, or FCP) as this is what Apple Branded NLE's prefer.
5. Edit to your heart's content.

...but there is no MPEG-2 support and I am not paying $20 to get it as I don't think to highly of the program to begin with.
So basically, I'm at complete loss here. Is there a type of freeware or open-source program out there for Mac that will take my VIDEO_TS folder and convert it directly into a file acceptable for Final Cut Express? I have done searching, and gone through way too much trial and error, so now I'm seeking help.

Please help me!

Thanks!

No.

MPegStreamclip is it. $20. Your paying for the MPEG-2 license, which Apple or 5Squared could have charged you for,
but instead they pass it along to you, as you don't necessarily need it to own any Mac, nor
do you need it necessarily to run MpegStreamclip ( if you aren't converting .VOB files that is.)

Other apps that will do what you want cost just about the same:
ffmpegx ($15)
VisuallHub (if found, $30)
Quicktime Pro ( $20 for plugin, $30 for PRO capabilities)

[360Spider]

So basically what your saying is that I would absolutely have to purchase the MPEG-2 license to be able to convert anything?

[edDV]

So basically what your saying is that I would absolutely have to purchase the MPEG-2 license to be able to convert anything?

You could run a virtual Windows or Linux and convert there but I'm trying to think which app does VOB to *.dv under Windows or Linux. Maybe Quicktime Pro for Windows.

[360Spider]

I have MediaCoder on my Windows BootCamp partition however if you could tell me what codecs to use that would be great. It does convert to DV Video but I have no idea what DV Video uses for it's audio codec and everything I try ends up in errors.

[edDV]

I have MediaCoder on my Windows BootCamp partition however if you could tell me what codecs to use that would be great. It does convert to DV Video but I have no idea what DV Video uses for it's audio codec and everything I try ends up in errors.

DV is DV but the container varies. Windows uses the audio video interleave container (Type 1 or Type 2). Most Mac apps don't accept DV-AVI directly.

Mac uses a so called "raw" DV stream which is similar to the stream recorded to tape or transferred over Firewire. The stream is collected into a simple file. In this context "raw" means containerless. Thus the *.dv extension.

So to use a Windows DV-AVI in FCE, the video and audio streams need to be extracted from the AVI container. Quicktime Pro ($30 toll) is usually used to do this. Check to see if Quicktime Pro for Windows accepts a camcorder VOB. If you use Quicktime Pro on the Mac (also $30 toll), you will first need to pay the $20 for the MPeg2 decoder.

Let the game begin!

[360Spider]

Ugh this is just insanity. But just one more question and I'm done. And I really do appreciate the help. Thank you so much you two!

But anyways (and it's just to clarify):

If I purchase the $20 Mpeg-2 license to be able to watch mpeg-2 in Quicktime, I will be able to use MPEG Streamclip to decode the video to the DV format that is 100% perfect requires that FCE wants? Correct? I just want to clarify that there is no negatives to doing this and it will do what I want it to do.

I mean, to me it looks like there's no way around paying some type of fee. So with that being the case I guess I'll just have to pay it. But as long as I can do what I'm trying to do I'll be happy.

[edDV]

I've never tried importing a camcorder VOB on the Mac. I don't know.

[terryj]

Ugh this is just insanity. But just one more question and I'm done. And I really do appreciate the help. Thank you so much you two!

But anyways (and it's just to clarify):

If I purchase the $20 Mpeg-2 license to be able to watch mpeg-2 in Quicktime, I will be able to use MPEG Streamclip to decode the video to the DV format that is 100% perfect requires that FCE wants? Correct? I just want to clarify that there is no negatives to doing this and it will do what I want it to do.

I mean, to me it looks like there's no way around paying some type of fee. So with that being the case I guess I'll just have to pay it. But as long as I can do what I'm trying to do I'll be happy.

You are correct. Pay The $20 upcharge for the Mpeg-2 component, and Use MpegStreamclip for your editing,
thus you can skip paying for QT Pro ( $30). MpegStreamclip will do everything that QT Pro does,
as the rules of Q.R.E.A.M. ( QUICKTIME RULES EVERYTHING (on) A MAC) apply.
ie., Any Codecs that are installed in the /Library/Quicktime folder can be used by any app
that accesses those libraries.
So you buy the MPEG-2 add on, use MpegStreamclip for your editing, and you save yourself $30
by not buying QT Pro, which when unlocked, does the same thing MpegStreamclip does for free.

And yes, MpegStreamclip will make your iMovie/FCE/FCP compliant DV Stream files,
and you'll be set to edit!

[Terjef]

Hello.

I have recently bought Final Cut Express. One of my most important tasks was to import and edit old MPEG 2 private movie files.
I only get the picture. No sound or sound bars. Hove to solve this?http://forum.

[Herve]

import and edit old MPEG 2 private movie files.

(As adviced) Did you use MPgStreamClip to convert them to DV?

bye

[dmoorehcz]

I have been using MPEG Streamclip to convert a VOB file from a DVD into a Quicktime file. However, for some reason the video quality degrades during conversion and after I import the new MOV file into Final Cut Pro for editing, the Quicktime file's dimensions are smaller (and poorer quality) within the FCP frame.

Does anyone know how I can covert this DVD footage to be edited properly in FCP? The footage on the DVD was recorded by a video crew at a recent live event.

Thanks!

D.

[Herve]

However, for some reason the video quality degrades during conversion

check the resulting mov/dv in VLC or directly in MPSC (Apple has a lot of automatisms to -badly- display DV files)

after I import the new MOV file into Final Cut Pro for editing, the Quicktime file's dimensions are smaller

weird: DV has only 2 sizes (it's a norm : one depending on PAL and one on NTSC). I think you concern about size is about the aspect (check its aspect property to conform it to your editing settings: "anamorphous"=16:9 or not)

Last:

Does anyone know how I can covert this DVD footage to be edited properly in FCP?

Maybe you have a concern with vidéo essence too. DV file is an interlaced vidéo format (last line displayed first=Bottom-field-first). But usually DVDs are first line displayed first(=top-field-first)
If your DVD was top-field-first, MPSC converted it to Bottom-field-first. Great but… you have a deperdition…
The other way will be to convert it to AppleIntermediateCodec (AIC is top-field-first, no need to pre-correct it during conversion)

bye

[dmoorehcz]

Thanks a lot for your help, Herve!

[NEMCtv6]

Newbee here...Hello to all.

I have a HD Tricaster...I don't use HD yet. I have been setting my res to SD 720x480. The A/V attributes are MPEG-2 Program Stream, NTSC CCIR 601/DV, Frame rate 29.97, Audio Linear PCM, 16bit, 2channels 48000hz, stero L-R.

I would like to convert and use in FCXpress. I'm looking for the best compatible settings that offers great quality too.

thanks for your help in advance
Bill