First time working with video, looking for the correct tools

[ajhbubs84]

Hello, first post here so please bear with me...

It is my parent's 50th wedding anniversary in August 2015. I have obtained all of the family's VHS home movies (20 year's worth) with the end goal of making compilations of some of the best footage, and showing everyone at their anniversary party this summer.

The original plan was to purchase a software/hub that would link a VCR to my computer so I could record the VHS footage. To my surprise, the VHS player I bought off of Craigslist also came with a DVD writer built in. Very easy to record to DVD. I now have a multiple DVDs with .VOB files and need advice on the next step to take.

The plan is to convert all the .VOB files to a digital file I can work with in a video editing software, clipping bits of each file to make a compilation. My plan was to work with Windows Movie Maker, as it is already installed on my machine.

-Having not worked with video before, is WMM a good tool to work with?

-What file type is recommend for converting the .VOB files too? I would assume .WMV, but not sure if there is a format better suited. The original files aren't the highest quality, so I am not concerned with HD or anything.

-What program do you recommend for converting .VOB to .WMV etc... Or, is there a program that will allow me to convert the files and edit all in one?

I appreciate any advice available.

Thanks!

[LMotlow]

Welcome.

The original plan was to purchase a software/hub that would link a VCR to my computer so I could record the VHS footage. To my surprise, the VHS player I bought off of Craigslist also came with a DVD writer built in. Very easy to record to DVD. I now have a multiple DVDs with .VOB files and need advice on the next step to take.

There are lots of next steps, but your first step involved a quality loss. DVD/VCR combos are probably one of the lowest-quality ways to capture home made VHS tapes. Convenient, yes. Quality no. Your first idea to get a capture device for your VCR would have been better. The VCR's in combo units are junk.

The plan is to convert all the .VOB files to a digital file I can work with in a video editing software, clipping bits of each file to make a compilation.

.VOB files are already digital. They are lossy encoded MPEG2. That's what DVD is. MPEG2 is not analog.

My plan was to work with Windows Movie Maker, as it is already installed on my machine.

-Having not worked with video before, is WMM a good tool to work with?

Convenient, yes. Good quality, no. Hardly anyone here would recommend WMM. For anything. Period. You need a smart rendering editor anyway. Try TMPGEnc MPEG Smart Renderer, Also handles HD and other formats.

-What file type is recommend for converting the .VOB files too? I would assume .WMV, but not sure if there is a format better suited. The original files aren't the highest quality, so I am not concerned with HD or anything.

You shouldn't upscale home made VHS SD to HD. Looks goofy, especially from low quality DVD/VHS captures. VOB = DVD format. Transfer (copy) the .VOB's to single MPEG files into your computer for working. VOB2MPG is free for this.

After you cut/edit the VOB's you will need an authoring program (try DVDAuthor, free) for DVD disc, and a good disc burner (ImgBurn).
The specs for MPEG for PAL/NTSC DVD: https://www.videohelp.com/dvd#tech
The specs for authored DVD disc layout, which an authoring program will create foer you from the MPEGs: https://www.videohelp.com/dvd#struct . The DVDs you captured probablyhave similar layouts.
Do not convert MPEG to WMV. Garbage. And you can't make a DVD from WMV anyway.

[ajhbubs84]

your first step involved a quality loss. DVD/VCR combos are probably one of the lowest-quality ways to capture home made VHS tapes. Convenient, yes. Quality no. Your first idea to get a capture device for your VCR would have been better. The VCR's in combo units are junk.

I knew I should have asked before starting that process.... Question is, is the quality loss that noticeable? These are old VHS tapes that were shot on low quality settings in the first place. When I watched the DVDs back, it didnt seem that bad. I just want to make sure before going back through all those tapes again.

You need a smart rendering editor anyway. Try TMPGEnc MPEG Smart Renderer, Also handles HD and other formats.

After you cut/edit the VOB's you will need an authoring program (try DVDAuthor, free) for DVD disc, and a good disc burner (ImgBurn).
The specs for MPEG for PAL/NTSC DVD: https://www.videohelp.com/dvd#tech
The specs for authored DVD disc layout, which an authoring program will create foer you from the MPEGs: https://www.videohelp.com/dvd#struct . The DVDs you captured probablyhave similar layouts.
Do not convert MPEG to WMV. Garbage. And you can't make a DVD from WMV anyway.

I may have given the impression that these files will go back to DVD, they will not. I only used DVD to get them off of VHS. Going forward, they will be viewed by streaming.

That being said, would you recommend the conversion to MPEG via VOB2MPG and then working with them in the rendering program: TMPGEnc MPEG Smart Renderer in order to get the final product?

[LMotlow]

your first step involved a quality loss. DVD/VCR combos are probably one of the lowest-quality ways to capture home made VHS tapes. Convenient, yes. Quality no. Your first idea to get a capture device for your VCR would have been better. The VCR's in combo units are junk.

I knew I should have asked before starting that process.... Question is, is the quality loss that noticeable? These are old VHS tapes that were shot on low quality settings in the first place. When I watched the DVDs back, it didnt seem that bad. I just want to make sure before going back through all those tapes again.

What you describe as "not bad" is subjective. To most members here, they'd look pretty bad with line sync errors, jitter, tape noise encoded as digital artifacts, and a lot of other problems. If you're satisfied with that, so be it.

I may have given the impression that these files will go back to DVD, they will not. I only used DVD to get them off of VHS. Going forward, they will be viewed by streaming.

MPEG can be streamed as well as anything else. Re-encoding to another format is a waste of time and more quality loss.

That being said, would you recommend the conversion to MPEG via VOB2MPG and then working with them in the rendering program: TMPGEnc MPEG Smart Renderer in order to get the final product?

TMPGenc is an able and popular product. It features frame-specific cut/join, compared to many MPEG "editors" that cut only on key frames. Try the free trial version and see what you think.

BTW, .VOB to .MPEG via VOB2MPG isn't "converted", it's simply a 1:1 copy but with a different file organization from VOB to MPEG, no re-encoding.

[EDIT] If you're talking about web streaming, that's a different ballgame. VHS and DVD are interlaced, web streaming is progressive only. You'd have to learn proper deinterlacing and re-encoding to web streaming formats. Many use TMPGEnc Video Mastering Works for that, but freebies are available. If you submit interlaced MPEg to something like UTUbe, they'll seriously wreck what is already a low quality capture.