I want to consolidate all the DVDs

[Kevintucky]

I have clips that I transferred from VHS to DVD via a Phillips stand-alone DVD Recorder. I'm too ashamed to confess how many VHS tapes I had, but frankly I want to consolidate all the DVDs into a WD My Book or something similiar. But first, I prefer to put them on my PC and then edit portions of each clip using Windows Movie Maker.

Each DVD+RW has two folders on it: Video_RM and Video_TS. Where do I start? Someone mentioned changing the VOB extensions to AVI or MPG after moving them to my harddrive and that allows me to view them in Media Player. However, the clips are continuous and roll over from one file to the next over 5 seperate files.

I am learning tonight that I must convert the files first, so I am getting somewhere. Can someone walk me through the steps of what I need to do? I have had a PC since 1988 and understand the concepts starting with DOS before Windows came out. But digital media is something I never got me feet wet with. Help? Please?

[redwudz]

For editing a DVD file I use VOB2MPG to get the DVD video to a single MPEG. Then use any good MPEG editor. WMM is not one. You can try Cuttermaran for free, or VideoReDo for cheap. Then you need to author them back to the DVD format, if that's the end product. TMPGEnc DVD Author is easy, but payware. DVD Authorgui or GUI for dvdauthor are free. Then burn with another freeware program like ImgBurn and you are done.

For guides, look to the left. One guide for re-editing DVDs: https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=224833

No comment about the material.

And Kevintucky, in the future please use a more descriptive title in your posts so others can find them with a search. This is in our rules. I will change yours this time.

Moderator redwudz

And welcome to our forums.

[Kevintucky]

Thank you sir. I will try that guide. Authoring and such is terminology that does not compute. It sounds like alot of work. But the finished product, no comment on the product, should be worth it. As I stated, I will no doubt put them on an external drive such as WD My Book. Then its all in one place. Convenience. I apologize for the title, I was goin for drama. But how nice it is to have a moderator roll up his sleeves and help. This appears to be a great place to be!

[redwudz]

If you just want to convert to MPEG, edit and store on your hard drive, that part is easy enough, and fairly quick, and VOB2MPG can do that. You can always author them to DVD at a later point. If they are VHS conversions, you might look into Divx or Xvid, which will reduce the size considerably and still not lose much in the way of quality from VHS format.

Take a look at at AutoGK or Fairuse Wizard for that for fairly automatic conversions. The first is freeware. If you have seen videos from off the net, you may know that they look fairly good for their size. But I would edit before converting to Xvid or similar as it's not a good format to edit in.

There's a lot of freeware available, so cost doesn't have to be much of an issue with video conversions. Many of the payware programs are easier and sometimes faster, but the final output is about the same. Maybe just a little more work and study for freeware conversions.

But, good luck with your project.

[Kevintucky]

Thank you again Redwudz. I moved here from Fresno, CA so how nice a CA guy took the time to reply. Did I sign-up for ADVANCED classes? Since you have been so nice so far, I gotta beg for you (or anyone) to continue. I would be surprised if someone would take the time to work with me on this project, but I figure I do have to try to flag someone.

I have downloaded and used VOB2MPG and converted a disc. The resulting MPG tends to be correct showing at about 3.21GB whereas the dvd contained 3.3GB. Playing this MPG in WMV does not have all the individual clips that the DVD had. I would say it ends in a scene and yet the disc has about 4 or more clips after that point.

Next, I am supposed to convert to MP2. If I use Cutterman it appears I must seperate audio and video (demux, am I learning?). but I am not seeing that need in VideoRedo. I simply prefer to do all editing of clips in WMM. My clips are quite basic and I am not looking to submit the finished product for Academy Award consideration. 75% of the clips were VHS originals and the remaining were copied from DVD. WMM performs the funcions I need and I have learned it by downloading WMV from the Internet and editing them. I am uncertain if WMM would allow me to import the converted MP2 in its large single file and then let me cut at the points I wish. At this point, when I import the MPG into Collections on WMM, it only allows me to drag the large clip on the audio line of the Timeline. No comprende.

Someone hold my hand. My only goal is to move the clips from their DVD and then edit each individual clip to remove portions I have no interest in. Then, I will move them to an external Hard Drive such as MyBook so that the entire collection of DVDs are on one big disc,

I have no desire for titles, effects or anything beyond a streamlined version of the clips I recorded. I would like to retain the quality of the DVD in the new files if that is possible.

Anyone interested?

[nic2k4]

Sounds like you need an all-in-one package, here's the quick and dirty way to do it. You need DVDShrink or Nero Recode. You could work straight off the DVD discs, but you might find the response to be a bit sluggish, then use Explorer to copy all the files off the DVD to your HD. You could also use DVD Decrypter to automate the process even more, plus it has better error control.

Next, start Shrink and click the Re-Author button, click the browser tab and pick the DVD (from disc or HD). Select the main movie, it gets "imported" and you can see it in the preview windows. Then click the Start/End button and pick your first clip, when ready click the Backup button. Repeat for each clip, make sure to use different "save to" folders for each.

To make it readable in WMP open Explorer, go to each folders and change the file extension from VOB to MPG. This is not really proper, but is enough to fool WMP and others. You can then delete the IFO and BUP files and put all the MPG files in one folder. If WMP won't play, you probably don't have a MPEG 2 CODEC installed, then you need to install a DVD player like Power DVD. Get one from your local computer store, they usually have OEM version for $5(don't bother with BB or CC). Once you have Power DVD, you would be better off using that over WMP.

Alternatly, you could use Virtualdub-MPEG2 to do the splitting and convert straight to XVID, check the many guides, here, on that.

One last suggestion, instead/on top of using the WD MyBook, get one of these:
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=011615&cid=516
http://sewelldirect.com/Mobile-Video-3-5-inch-USB-2-Hard-drive-enclosure.asp

I got one from TigerDirect.com and was pleased with the playback quality and price,but they don't carry it anymore. I put the Canada link cause I was surprised how expensive the other guy is.

[Kevintucky]

Deleted

[Kevintucky]

Delete

[Kevintucky]

OK, I am getting further along with DVD Decryptor. Obviously, I need to master this portion before i go to GKnot to convert. I have 11 clips on this DVD. DVD Decryptor shows 24. I see that 1-11 appear to be my clips. #12 is only one second in length. 13-23 appear to be a duplicate of 1-12 and #24 is one second in length again.

So, going through the process using GKnot with track #1 did not create an avi file I could import into WMM. Instead I received the follwoing error mesage:

The file C:\[Move]\Movies\New Folder\VTS_01_PGC_01_1.avi cannot be imported because the codec required to play the file is not installed on your computer. If you have already tried to download and install the codec, close and restart Windows Movie Maker, and then try to import the file again.

Can anyone explain?

[JimboS]

To be honest....get rid of the "adult" stuff............
Are you "one of those' ????

[Kevintucky]

You're right, maybe that will cause hesitation. One of those?

[Kevintucky]

Well, not that anyone cares....but I may be on my way. Gnot seems to be the trick, although WMM was acting like a crazy horse. I downlowaded Codec XP pak and that allowed me to import. It took a while to edit one clip, but now I know my way around that. I just save the entire clip in WMM and then I can go back in and edit it. This entire project will probably be finished about the time my life is. Thanks to those that cared enough to suggest. I couldn't have done it without you.