DVD authoring software like tmpgenc dvd author

[nic2k4]

I'm looking for for a program that can input DVD video from a camcorder without the need to re-encode to MOV.

I'm helping a friend that has a MAC; I've been doing his movies on my PC with TDA and it's been a piece of cake. I just take the video off the discs, I'm able to do edits and make menus no fuss. I can do the same thing with NVE, just a little less friendly.

Get on the MAC and it becomes a real pain; I can compile a DVD easily with VisualHub, but no menu. Want to make anything nice, I end up having to convert the video to DV to put it through Imovie and IDVD. This is just a waste of time.

I found Aimersoft DVD Author, looks a lot like TDA, but no go. It's not able to input DVD video and renaming the VOB to MPG doesn't work either. So I'm hoping someone knows of a program that would do it.

[Herve]

just a few softs do DVDAuthoring on Mac (with menus):
Sizzle (free but very basic)
2 sharewares:
MovieConverter (automatics menus)
MovieGate (personnalized menus)
(and maybe Capty DVD too if it still exists)

with all these softs, you can reuse your .MPG from visualHub to make a DVD-Video

bye

[nic2k4]

Merci Herve, but it doesn't look like any of these will accept IFO and VOB's as video input.

I'm looking to simplify things as much as possible, I'm moving away and won't be able to help him anymore.

Besides wasting a lot of time re-encoding the DVD videos to another format, passing the outputted video to other programs complicates things.

[Herve]

Merci Herve, but it doesn't look like any of these will accept IFO and VOB's as video input.

I don't understand...
usually mpeg2 camcorders record as .MOD (and not VOB)
Where did you find the .IFO and .VOB files? (.IFO is a file to indicate the stucture of a DVD-Video, VOB is its contents)
PS: to be well recognized, just rename .VOB extension by .MPG extension

Besides wasting a lot of time re-encoding the DVD videos to another format, passing the outputted video to other programs complicates things.

What was your "DVD camcorder", a JVC one? if yes, you don't have to reencode them (it's almost compatible with DVD-Video standard).
"Fix timeBreaks" with Mpegstreamclip (you don't need the apple codec to do it, don't mind about the alert ), save it with "convert to mpeg" (no re-encoding), author the mpeg with another soft.

bye

[nic2k4]

My friend uses a Sony DVD camcorder, it doesn't have a firewire or USB port. The only way he can import the video is by ripping the mini DVD to his MAC with an external DVD-ROM.

Since the video is already in DVD format there's no sense in converting it to another format. When I do his videos on my PC I use Tmpgenc DVD Author. I just add the DVD videos to the compilation, create a menu and output a new set of DVD files for burning on a regular DVD blank. That way I can combine 3 or 4 mini DVDs onto one.

I'm able to use Visualhub on the MAC to combine 3 mini DVDs and output an ISO to burn, but I can't do any editing and no menu. Soon I won't be around to help him, so I'm looking for simple software he could use. Hope someone can point me in the right direction.

[tomlee59]

As Herve suggested, try simply renaming the .vob files to .mpg. Then see if the candidate software will operate on the result. Often, that's all it takes.

[terryj]

if they are already .vob files, simply using Toast Titanium, v8 or higher,
will allow you to drag and drop the .vob files into the Video-DVD window,
and it will author a simple menu structure without re-encoding the .vob
source material.

It can be had for as little as $50 . Tomorrow after 2am will be a great time
to pick it up at the usual suspects ( amazon.com, buy.com, macmall.com)
for cheap....

Aside from that, with a little nudging through Mpegstreamclip to
split the .vobs back into their elementary streams, DVD Studio Pro
will accept them, and allow for creation of menus, either simple
(boilerplate template) or advanced ( as far as you want to create).

[nic2k4]

Thanks to all, I tried renaming the VOB's with Aimersoft DVD Author and it failed miserably. I had looked at the box for Toast, but it wasn't clear it could take VOB's and I wasn't willing to buy it and find out it wouldn't. Now that you've confirmed it I'll get it.

[lordsmurf]

I don't even bother authoring on Mac unless I'm using DVDSP. Install Parallels with Windows XP, followed by TDA. That's what I'd do.

[dcsos]

Capty DVD2 by Pixela for Leopard, tho' Power pc native still runs well

http://www.pixela-1.com/capty_dvd2/