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  1. Anyone know the best way to do this?What the actual settings should be in Cleaner (don't seem to be working for me) or FFMpegX?I'm looking to take a set top created DVD and import it into iMovie for re-editing and authoring.
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    you can use mencoder to convert it to a .avi or raw RGB.

    First change the extension of the .vob to .mpg

    then follow the procedure outlined in other threads [particularly the one labeled SVCD -> VCD]
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  3. I also want to maintain the highest quality of video and audio-would making it an avi reduce quality much?

    Should I just be looking to demux the vobs and then line up the audio and video in an editor?
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    What is it exactly you want to convert it to? thats going to make the most difference in how you go about doing it.
    Yes, demuxing will give you the highest quality video and sound because well they came from the .vob. now what you want the .m2v and audio to be will determine the route you take


    if you wanted to say go to SVCD you could simply change the audio, remux and you would have a really high quality XSVCD due to the frametrate of the .m2v.

    im not exactly sure what requirements iMovie has for imports, i never use iMovie - but its worth a try. the .m2v you get from the demux will be top quality - question is.... can it import it?
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  5. Originally Posted by galactica
    What is it exactly you want to convert it to? thats going to make the most difference in how you go about doing it.
    Yes, demuxing will give you the highest quality video and sound because well they came from the .vob. now what you want the .m2v and audio to be will determine the route you take


    if you wanted to say go to SVCD you could simply change the audio, remux and you would have a really high quality XSVCD due to the frametrate of the .m2v.

    im not exactly sure what requirements iMovie has for imports, i never use iMovie - but its worth a try. the .m2v you get from the demux will be top quality - question is.... can it import it?

    I want to re-author as DVD w/ chapters/menus etc in iDvd...these are the settings I've been using in cleaner to convert stuff that will import into iMovie (should work for FCP as well)


    Output - Quicktim (.mov), flatten/cross-platform/fast-start, compress movie headers (UNCHECK EVERYTHING ELSE)
    Tracks - Process video, process audio, process MPEG (UNCHECK EVERYTHING ELSE)
    Image - 720x480, unconstrained, normal (UNCHECK EVERYTHING ELSE)
    Adjust - UNCHECK EVERYTHING, that is DON'T CHECK ANYTHING
    Encode - Apple DV/DVCPRO - NTSC, millions of colors, spatial quality 100%, frame rate 29.97
    (UNCHECK EVERYTHING ELSE)
    Audio - 1.4 mbits/s, 16 bit stereo samples @44.100 kHz (UNCHECK EVERYTHING ELSE)

    I got these from another board (in reference to Final Cut Pro) and they've been working for me.

    Hope that makes my importing needs a little clearer....Thanks!
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    try this. from the terminal type the following:

    mencoder -ovc copy -oac pcm /path/to/input.mpg -o /path/to/output.avi

    What this will do is preserve the video and audio quality 100% but pack everything into a .avi container that quicktime and imovie ***SHOULD*** be able to read no problem.

    To test this, issue the terminal command above, let it run for 10 seconds and hit CONTROL+C

    This will stop the process and finalize the .avi file so you get no errors.

    let me know if this works.

    But what you are trying to do cannot be done within iMovie or iDVD in MPEG format. It just isnt possible and the programs are not designed to work that way. You will have to convert the original file to somethign else before you can do anything with it. I suggest FCP and DVDSP.
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  7. i movie requires .dv and .aif -- muxed. moreover, it will only accept segments that are less than 1.9 gb in length, which is just over 9 minutes. try to get there without adding another layer of encoding beyond source to dv. you could use diva to encode the .m2v into .dv, and use whatever gets the audio to .aif, then mux in qt pro and chop into segments, exporting each as .dv ntsc (or pal) -- exporting in this manner does not reencode a second time but ensures that imovie will accept the files. create a new imovie project, close it, drop all the chunks into the new project's media folder, open imovie, and it will let you transfer the chunks onto the clipboard. edit away.
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  8. Originally Posted by ZeroSix
    But what you are trying to do cannot be done within iMovie or iDVD in MPEG format. It just isnt possible and the programs are not designed to work that way. You will have to convert the original file to somethign else before you can do anything with it. I suggest FCP and DVDSP.
    I don't understand quite what you're saying iMovie and iDvd won't do.

    I've taken mpeg's, encoded them so i could edit them in iMovie and then made a DVD in iDvd of it, so that works.

    If you're saying you have to change it into something else first, well Of course you have to re-encode it to import it into iMovie, the same as you would for FCP (using the same exact settings).
    My question was as to how to convert a VOB so I can edit it in iMovie.
    This is basically the same question as "How do I re-encode a VOB to work with in Final Cut Pro".
    I don't see that there is a difference, really.iMovie will work with the same type of DV files as FCP. I hope to eventually learn FCP and DVDSP but for now I have the Mac stuff so that's what I'm dealing with.I imagine the other more Pro Apps have a much steeper learning curve.

    I don't understand how this is impossible to do in iMovie as I've been doing similar stuff already...

    as far as that terminal thing I'll give it a shot although I'm a newbie at this kinda stuff and have never used the terminal for anything before.
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    if it is worth it to you to go through all that hassle of re-encoding TWICE and subjecting yourself to the duration limitation of iDVD, then you should use Mencoder to transcode your MPEG file to a Quicktime usable format, which would be a .avi file. In my experience with iMovie, it isnt limited to DV streams, in the sense that you can also use any quicktime usable format. Once you pack your MPEG as a .avi you should be able to import it into iMovie, add your chapter markers, and send to iDVD3 and do what you gotta do with it.

    If you have DVDSP, it owuld be better to go that route as you wouldnt have to re-encode your video if it is standards compliant to begin with. Here you have to encode to quicktime format and encode BACK to MPEG2... This would be painfully time consuming and ultimately, result in SOME quality loss.
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  10. Originally Posted by ZeroSix
    if it is worth it to you to go through all that hassle of re-encoding TWICE and subjecting yourself to the duration limitation of iDVD, then you should use Mencoder to transcode your MPEG file to a Quicktime usable format, which would be a .avi file. In my experience with iMovie, it isnt limited to DV streams, in the sense that you can also use any quicktime usable format. Once you pack your MPEG as a .avi you should be able to import it into iMovie, add your chapter markers, and send to iDVD3 and do what you gotta do with it.

    If you have DVDSP, it owuld be better to go that route as you wouldnt have to re-encode your video if it is standards compliant to begin with. Here you have to encode to quicktime format and encode BACK to MPEG2... This would be painfully time consuming and ultimately, result in SOME quality loss.
    So if I use DVDSP I could Import the .VOB files directly ? And just add chapters in that?or is some transcoding involved?
    Seems like it would be worth learning DVDSP if I'll be able to skip all these extra steps.
    Thanks for all the other info too.
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  11. imovie only uses .dv.

    if you drop an .avi into imovie, it will reencode it to .dv.

    if you drop anything but .dv into imovie, it will reencode it.

    imovie was built to handle .dv from digital camcorders.

    percy, just figure how to get to .dv. i gave you an example of how to do that after you have elementary streams (.m2v and whatever the audio is.) how you get to elementary streams from .vob i do not recall off the top of my head.

    and the reason i would suggest not dropping anything containing mpeg straight into imovie is that i like to ensure there are no sync issues before the imovie stage. but you can use whatever works for you.

    finally, imovie will only edit .dv. oh, i already said that.

    (in fact, imovie will not edit .dv in a .mov container!)

    anyways, report back. (and as suggested, you do not have to use imovie at all, depending on what you want to do.)
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    To use DVDSP, all you have to do is demux your .VOB file [just rename it to a .mpg and use ffmpegX to demux] and drop the resulting .m2v file and the .mp2 [or .ac3] file onto DVDSP. It will import. From here you can add menus, custom chapters, etc, and no, you will not have to encode anything again. The only thing that will have to be done is RE-muxing the audio and video when build time comes.

    I can help you through it to a certain extent... I have completely abandoned DVDSP 1.5 [which i know very well] in favor of DVDSP 2.0, which I am learning as we speak.

    If iMovie will converts everything to .dv format as Brett suggests, and it makes sense that it would, I would like to advise you to stay far away from that. If you are wanting to get about two hours worth or even an hour and a half, you are talking gigs and GIGS of unnecessary space and hours of time that could be spent learning how to use DVDSP instead to save on future processes of this nature. Using DVDSP will NOT require re-encoding by any means if your MPEg stream is compliant from the get-go. I will help you with this any way I can.

    Thank you for clearing that up, Brett, about the DV /iMovie issue. I can see why iMovie would handle it that way...
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  13. Originally Posted by ZeroSix
    To use DVDSP, all you have to do is demux your .VOB file [just rename it to a .mpg and use ffmpegX to demux] and drop the resulting .m2v file and the .mp2 [or .ac3] file onto DVDSP. It will import. From here you can add menus, custom chapters, etc, and no, you will not have to encode anything again. The only thing that will have to be done is RE-muxing the audio and video when build time comes.

    I can help you through it to a certain extent... I have completely abandoned DVDSP 1.5 [which i know very well] in favor of DVDSP 2.0, which I am learning as we speak.

    If iMovie will converts everything to .dv format as Brett suggests, and it makes sense that it would, I would like to advise you to stay far away from that. If you are wanting to get about two hours worth or even an hour and a half, you are talking gigs and GIGS of unnecessary space and hours of time that could be spent learning how to use DVDSP instead to save on future processes of this nature. Using DVDSP will NOT require re-encoding by any means if your MPEg stream is compliant from the get-go. I will help you with this any way I can.

    Thank you for clearing that up, Brett, about the DV /iMovie issue. I can see why iMovie would handle it that way...
    I actually have DVDSP 1.5 here but have been afraid of it (haven't even installed it yet).I'm not that technically savvy and the very 1st DVD's I made with Idvd are pretty effin cool and I learned it in literally minutes.Is it relatively easy to do "motion" menu buttons (this is a breeze in iDvd)?

    It sounds like that is the way to go for me, though, so thanks for your generous offer of help. I'm gonna need it.

    Are there any DVDSP 1.5 FAQ's someone could point me to?

    Thanks!
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    the instruction manual is a great place to start!



    i am compiling a FAQ for a "quickstart" for DVDSP, but it wont be done for some time and it will be for DVDSP 2.0 only.

    You could always look at www.apple.com/support and check their forums for DVDSP. They are very helpful there.
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  15. Another route (with mostly free Mac tools):
    Take vob. file and demux with bbDEMUX. This gives an MPEG2 video file and an AC3 audio file. Translate the audio to aiff with mAC3dec, and convert the video to DV stream with DiVA.

    You can then combine the two tracks with Quicktime Pro or iMovie.

    williamr
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    Bah. Ignore that last reply up there ^^^

    If you do that method, you are going against the whole idea of doing this without re-encoding. And you will be lucky to get away without sync issues.
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  17. Yes, you're right. One would have to re-encode, but for those of us without DVDPro isn't that inevitable? And in particular when you want to take one piece off a DVD and not duplicate a whole movie or disk.

    I recently decided to create a music video DVD or songs I liked that were featured on DVDs—usually the music video that was released in conjunction with the movie. I started with "Lady Marmelade" from Moulin Rouge. While the song is accessed from the disks menues, it is not a chapter in itself nor a vob file, but is hidden in the midst of other material. It's actually split in two, with the second part in another vob. Going the route I posted above was the only way I could get the song all by itself. And since I ultimately will be compiling a number of such songs into one DVD, I was facing re-encoding anyway.

    But is there a way to keep DVD quality and select individual chapters or vob files (once you've identified them with playing them via VLC) and not re-encode?

    williamr
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  18. Originally Posted by ZeroSix
    the instruction manual is a great place to start!



    i am compiling a FAQ for a "quickstart" for DVDSP, but it wont be done for some time and it will be for DVDSP 2.0 only.

    You could always look at www.apple.com/support and check their forums for DVDSP. They are very helpful there.
    Thanks for that tip.

    I'll be waiting for your 2.0 Quickstart.

    Been having some success and some frustrating failures trying to Demux and import into DVDSP 1.5.
    I have a set-top created DVD of Cheap Trick Live in Japan. I managed to demux one of the vobs and import the parts into DVDSP and even got as far as previewing it. Unfortunately, all the other VOB's on this disc seem to be resisting being demuxed. Well, BBdemux is demuxing them but DVDSP won't import the resulting files.Except for the one that it did.
    I guess I'll try some other VOB's on some other discs, but in the meantime I'm wondering if anyone can tell me if there's some special way I should configure my set top dvd's when I'm making them to make demuxing easier (or work at all).Or any other ideas why these files are not being accepted into DVDSP.Thanks!
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  19. BTW...I've been using BBdemux instead of mencoder/ffmepx cause I couldn't get that to work....
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  20. HELP!

    I'm having a helluva time de-muxing .VOB's so that they will import into DVDSP. I have done a couple that have worked, and when it works it works like a charm, but most of the resulting .ac3 and .m2v files will not import. When I've had some success it's been with BBdemux, ffmepx gives me like a million different little files none of which is a .ac3.

    Any ideas on what the problem might be??
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  21. Would appreciate any guidance anyone could give me on this. I'm basically in De-muxing/re-encoding hell. Nothing works on these .VOB's or if it does the audio and the video don't match up. I've tried every combo of encoders, demuxers etc. and I ain't having no luck.

    i guess i need to buy some kind of DV input device and just input the video straight into iMovie or FCP....maybe buying this set top unit wasn't the greatest idea for what I'm trying to do now...

    Any further advice or help from anyone??
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  22. where are all the helpful people?
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  23. You might try MPEG2Works 1.1. It was just posted on VersionTracker today:

    http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/20783

    You need to download it with Safari. Explorer doesn't seem to work with the link.

    Among its many translation scripts is a demuxing which might help with the files your playing with.

    I'm not sure what you mean by" set top box." Is this a stand alone DVD recorder?

    william
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  24. Originally Posted by willrob
    You might try MPEG2Works 1.1. It was just posted on VersionTracker today:

    http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/20783

    You need to download it with Safari. Explorer doesn't seem to work with the link.

    Among its many translation scripts is a demuxing which might help with the files your playing with.

    I'm not sure what you mean by" set top box." Is this a stand alone DVD recorder?

    william
    Yeah...Panasonic DMR-E50


    Thanks!
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  25. Percy,

    It sounds like this new program Cinematize might do what you want, although it isn't free. The web site is <http://www.miraizon.com>.

    There is some discussion of it going on in the forum in this thread:
    <https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=174196>
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