Have VOB files; Need to convert/edit/whatever to make new DVDs

[R2D2]

Hi! I'm new to this forum and am hoping you can help, as I'm in a mad rush to get this done before the holidays.

I transferred 20 hours of VHS-C to DVD with my Panasonic DMR-E35V DVD/VCR.

Because the Panasonic automatically divided the videos into chapters, I labeled the chapters while transferring since it gave me that option.

When I open the DVDs, I have seemingly random numbers of VOB files. For example, I might have had 17 total chapters on the Panasonic menu, but only 5 unnamed VOB files show on the DVD.

My plan was to convert the VOB files to AVI, use Windows Movie Maker 2 to edit them, and burn new DVDs. My objective is to cut out a lot of junk video, and also to make DVDs for people for Christimas.

While I will settle for basic video editing capability, I would like something more advanced. Let's say I have video with an entire duck pond in frame. It would be nice to save only a closeup of one duck in the pond, and edit out the sound of a noisy street nearby while keeping the duck quacks.

Windows Movie Maker will not open AVI files I've created using several different trial versions and freeware conversion programs, including Super. It looks like I have to go another route.

Is there a program that will allow me to edit straight from my DVDs, without converting? Or even with. I just want to put each DVD on my hard drive, edit the contents, and burn new DVDs.

I plan on buying a DVR soon, so am hoping to get software that will last me awhile.

Even some of the free programs and trial versions I found (I tried many) have too much technical jargon in them for me. A user-friendly software program would be great. I learn fast, but I'm also in a hurry to get this done.

Thanks for your help. I never thought it could be this complicated.

[redwudz]

Usually it works best to convert DVD formats to MPEG-2. After all, VOBs are MPEG-2, just in a VOB wrapper. I usually prefer the basic MPEG-2 format for editing, though there are some editing programs that work with VOBs.

If you have a DVD from your DVDR, you may be able to extract out the MPEG file with a program like VOB2MPG. This will be lossless.

With that done, you would need a good MPEG editor. WMM doesn't fit in here at all, IMO. It doesn't output MPEG, so you Will have to convert the output once again to get to MPEG format. That will cause quality losses.

A couple of decent MPEG editors, VideoReDO and MPEG-VCR. Fairly inexpensive. It depends on what you want to do with the video. There are a few freeware editors, like Cuttermaran.

After you edit, you will then need to author to the DVD format. Cheap, as in free, is GUI for dvdauthor. Easier may be TMPGEnc DVD Author or other basic authoring programs. But they cost a few $$.

EDIT: Just to add, a VOB is a standard division of about 1GB for each VOB. Most any program will divide them to that size. A program like VOB2MPG will join them all back together to one very large MPG.

Sorry, a lot of info to absorb.

And welcome to our forums.

[R2D2]

Thanks for that. Yeah, I'm having trouble absorbing all this.

I don't want to lose quality. This is from VHS-C. It's already not great quality. Can I do this without losing quality?

Someone recommended a program called Nero Burning Rom to do all this. Any ideas if that will work?

I'm willing to spend up to $100 for software if it can do everything I need it to do.

Thanks again. My head is spinning.

[redwudz]

If it's all on DVD, then half the battle is done. Hopefully the conversion to DVD format was a good one. VOB2MPG does well at extracting the MPEGs from the DVDs.

Like I mentioned, I would extract all to MPEG, then edit that. You might have to spend a few $$ on a MPEG editor, but that should do the majority of the work. Authoring is fairly simple. Even the freeware GUI for dvdauthor will do a good job. Most all MPEG editors in 'Tools' <<<<<< have a trial version, so you can try them before purchase.

Just basic, but the more times you convert the format, the more quality loss you will have. Best is to only do one conversion if you have to. Since you apparently have MPEG-2 already in your VOBs and it's assumed it's DVD compliant, all you really need to do is edit, author and burn. No conversions and no quality loss.

I wouldn't go near Nero for any of this. It does a fine job of burning, but not much else, IMO.

Places to look: 'WHAT IS' DVD to the upper left on this page for the DVD format and specification. Then look to our guides for 'EDIT' and 'AUTHOR'. It will take a bit of reading, but once you understand the processes and formats, you should be a pro.

[R2D2]

Hi, I'm back. I had to put this project on hold, but now am desperately trying to finish it before Christmas.

I need to know if I'm doing this right (and did read the "What is DVD?" section. You already know that I transferred my VHS to DVD.

On the first DVD are 2 folders, with other files underneath them:

1. Video RM
VIDEO_RM.BUP
VIDEO_RM.DAT
VIDEO_RM.IFO

2. Video TS
VIDEO_TS.BUP
VIDEO_TS.IFO
VIDEO_TS.VOB
VTS_01_0.BUP
VTS_01_0.IFO
VTS_01_1.VOB
VTS_01_2.VOB
VTS_01_3.VOB
VTS_01_4.VOB
VTS_01_5.VOB

I downloaded VOB2MPG, copied the contents of this DVD to my hard drive, and when it asked me what folder contained the VOB sets, I said Video TS because there's no such files in the Video RM folder. I'm not even sure what Video RM is. Did I do that right? Or did I exclude something necessary?

The conversion gave me one file, VTS_01.mpg.

Assuming this is correct so far, I can now download one of the editing programs and cut out the parts I don't want, right? I don't want to spend the money on such a program unless I know for sure that it's going to work.

Thanks for all of your help. Once I complete a trial run, I'll get the hang of it.

[R2D2]

Well, I downloaded a trial of VideoReDo Plus, and it won't open files, and shuts down. It won't work. I wonder if it's incompatible with Windows Vista.

[R2D2]

I sent an e-mail to their tech support.

When I tried to open the mpg file, a box comes up that says "MovieWindow Problem". The message in the box says, "Video Thread: Video Dimensions changed".

If I say "ok", then Windows tells me VideoRedo.exe has stopped working, and I have no choice but to close the program.

In reading user reviews, Video ReDo is the best program for what I need, so I'd like to be able to use it.