VHS backuped to *.vro/*.mpeg. How to go from there...?

[maraxion]

Hello, sorry for the newbie questions but I hope some of you might point me in the right direction!

Iv got a whole lot of old family VHS tapes I wanted to convert into digital format, and used my old LG DVD recorder to transer the VHS movies into VR mode on dvds. I then copied the xx.VRO files onto my computer, and as Iv understand have the ability to rename them directly to xx.mpeg to get a working movie.

I used SP to transfeer the movies and on some of them I needed 2-3 dvd and then 2-3 VRO/mpeg files for each vhs. I now want to join these files, but also I need to cut pieces here and there for smaller movies and last but not least I need to make a mp4/m4v copy to an IPAD.
So in short I need to do this, but not nessesarily in this order. And I was hoping someone could point me to a good program(s) and way to do it:
Join movies together(either as mpeg or after a lossless change to a better and maybe smaller format)
Extract sequences of the movie as movie clip copies.
Make a mp4/m4v copy to ipad, but still keep an original lossless version. (maybe I can use handbrake for this one?)

Hope someone can help.

[hech54]

One of the basic rules of burning DVDs from a DVD recorder is to NOT use VR Mode.

[DB83]

I will start with words that you will probably not wish to read but they are written so if you wish to do more transfers you will not make the same mistake.

Basically, transferring in Video Recording (VR) mode is the wrong choice and you should have used Video Mode. Yes, you should be able to simply re-name the vro files as .mpg but it does not always work and you can get different recordings in each .vro which makes editing a chore.

Also, and more importantly, in some future time you may want to play those original dvds but not on the machine you recorded them on. Simply, they will NOT play.

So it should be Video Mode. It will take an extra step to get mpeg files from the vobs but the disks will play on any machine.

Now. Take a look at the tools on this page:

https://www.videohelp.com/tools/sections/video-editors-mpg-dvd

If you are just doing simple cutting/joining you will not need a heavy-weight program but you should look out for 'smart rendering' so that you do not re-encode your already lossy video. Mpeg2 is NOT lossless.

Start with avidemux. Which will cut/join and allow you to create other video types. Handbrake is not an editor in that sense and will just allow you to create a different format.

[maraxion]

I see.

I did it in VR mode since my machine wil not make me burn onto dvd-rw in video mode even if it should be able to. So I did it in VR mode since it accepted that.
As for the VRo files iv gotten them out from the discs and can play them directly as vro files on my windows 7 computer. I can also rename them if I want todo that.
But what you are saying is that I should re do them in video mode, or can i work with ehat Iv got since the files are ok. I do understand the warning doh since many have issues with the vro files and getting them into a computer, but mine are now in and working. Wil that alter your opinion?

Im not after playing the dvd directly. I want to get the files in my computer edit them to better format and be able to play them later.
Is there then any difference if I start with these vro/mpeg or an video mode vob quality wise?

[DB83]

No difference and you can work with what you have.

[maraxion]

Whery good DB83, then I atleast have something I could use.
So if I use Avidemux as you instruct, is there anyway to alter my files to either mp4/m4v with lossless or near lossless quality? Or is it better to use mkv or other format to this, or just keep my mpeg2 as original backups?
Im askins since I already need one of those 2 formats, and if I instead of one original and one playfile I could have 1 that is usefull for all. Also im guessing mp4/m4v files would be a lot smaller in size then the mpeg files but still keep the quality due to more compressed format?

If so, could you give me a hint how I should use Avidemux for this?

[DB83]

Another day...

I do not believe in 're-inventing the wheel' aka giving full instructions 'how to' since there are many topics and guides on this site/forum. So just some general info.

If you want lossless you must convert your lossy mpeg video to an intermediate codec such as huffyuv or lagarith. But be prepared for much, much larger file sizes than you currently have so this is not really a final option for you. Just keep the dvds as your backups.

For delivery ie play formats, avidemux will give you h263 as in xVID or h264 for mp4. It is quite an intuitive program and quite easy to get going with but, as I said, do look for guides and tutorials. It also offers basic filtering.

This program does not offer mkv so you would have to use different tools for this. I do not make mkvs for can not really recommend one but, again, do look at the oftware section on the site.

File size will always depend on the bitrate you encode. Your mpegs are encoded at, probably, 8000 kbps. The h263 and h264 codecs allow you to encode at a fraction of that so you file size will decrease.

[maraxion]

Seems whery good DB83. One thing thats strange doh is that I can run the files in avidemux fine one by one, but as son as I add them to que I get errors on the same files.

[jagabo]

I use mpg2cut2 to convert VRO files to MPG clips.

[DB83]

Not sure what you mean by 'que'. The mpeg files must be placed on the time-line and allow the program to index them. If they are not indexed they will not work in the program.

Of course, the issue could be the vro files themselves which, as I said earlier, can give issues for simple re-naming.

Do try jagabo's suggestion as I believe that program also offers joining and then you can simply import the larger file into avidemux.

[maraxion]

I ment queue, and that it wasent working.
Jagabos method might work if its benefisial, but as far as I can see avidemux accepts both the VRO directly and mpeg.

I tried one of the files at 2,5gb and set it to:
Video output: mpeg4 AVC(X264)
Audio output: AAC(lav)
Output format: MP4 Muxer.

I got an 1,6Gb mp4 file(was thinking it should be smaller), but the audio was slightly unsync, and the edge of all movements are a bit fuzzy.
Am I doing something wrong or do you guys have any tips?

[DB83]

The bitrate you choose determines the file size (I think I already said this). When you chose your video codec you must go into settings, or whatever it is called to change this rather than keep it at default.

As for the output issues, use avidemux to cut a small sample - a minute or two -(use the in/out A/B markers) of the original source video which has issues with the conversion - select video=copy, audio=copy and file=mpg. Then do likewise with the converted file so that we see the issues. Upload both of these as attachments to a reply here.