help pls DVD --> VHS

[DaveS]

I'm trying to put my DVD to VHS (need to watch it were there's no DVD).

I ripped it in DVD Decryptor and passed the VOBs through DVD2AVI (using pegasys mjpeg which I suppose I could use a different codec). I now have a M2v stream (several actually) and several AC3 streams.

This is where I am stuck. I'd like to get the AVI/sound back out thru firewire to my asvc100 where my VCR can pick it up.

I know S8 has an output to tape thru firewire, and it can import the m2v, but it doesn't take in the ac3. Is the easiest thing to convert the ac3 to WAV, add that to S8 and then create to tape?(if S8 cooperates which it has lately).

I've got vegas 4.0 also (learning) but I don't think it can take in an AC3 either.

Maybe there's an easier process although I'm not sure what will send the streams out thru firewire back to the a/d converter.

Any help would be appreciated.....thanks...

[Quigonsean]

You might try downloading BeSweet, and BeSweet GUI from the tools section, it will convert AC3 to WAV

Sean

[RabidDog]

dvd2avi will decode to a wav straight away if you tell it to.

[macleod]

Just a thought, but does your sony DVD player have a hack that will disable macrovision. Then you could just play your dvd in a player and then dubb it over to the VCR.

The other thing you may be able to try is to use DVD Decrypter or other ripper that de macrovisions(if thats even a word) the DVD and then pass the whole thing back through your "out" on your computer to the vcr (or burn the DVD as a DVD or whatever and play it in the dvd and dubb it to VCR) . If I remember correctly, there is an application that specifically demacro's the DVD when it rips. It is in the tools section and its something like cladXP.

[hotwings]

almost all good dvd rippers worth their salt have a demacro option now, smartripper, dvd decryptor, etc.

[copythisdvd.com]

If you want to know what movies allow you to avoid messing with ripping it to your hard drive and allow copies straight to VHS, check out:

http://www.copyThisDVD.com

The idea is to share information about what DVDs are NOT Macrovision encoded. If you know of any, please let us know. There is also an opt-in email list, and a discussion forum. And check out the site for the most current list of known "copyable DVDs".

Thanks!

[DaveS]

Here's the epilogue - I ended up buying another copy on VHS...

...I did rip & de-macrovision & did decode directly to WAV (which I guess takes account for the delay factor in the AC3). I can then import the video & audio into Vegas or S8 to print to tape thru the firewire, which the advc100 will send back out to my analogue VCR. But, the video needs to be rendered before it's sent back out to tape, and I have to manually re-assemble all the VOB outputs in order before printing to tape. So, for the small $ of buying another tape, I can use my free time for other video things....thanks all for the help...

[FulciLives]

Another thought ...

If your computer has some sort of TV out you can play back the ripped DVD files from your HDD using a media player with the TV out hooked up to your VCR.

Since the ripping process removes all forms of protection ... well there you go. As long as you have a TV out video card then you do not have to do any processing of the files after ripping them.

I do have a video card with TV out but I'm not overly crazy about the quality of it. Overall it ain't bad and I do use it for playing back stuff like DivX but for any mpeg1 or mpeg2 (which of course includes DVD files) I use a Hollywood Plus PCI card by sigma designs to output to the TV. This PCI card (since replaced by the newer Xcard which again is a Sigma Designs PCI card) will output mpeg1 and mpeg2 ONLY but it functions JUST LIKE a real DVD player. The quality is better than that of a video card output. At least in terms of normal 480i or 480p modes (or 576i for PAL as the card does both NTSC and PAL). You actually can get better looking quality on a video card TV out but only if you have it tweaked BIG TIME and then it is only really usefull if you have some sort of digital progressive type display such as a plasma or front projector. For a normal tube type TV (even an HDTV model) you really can't beat the Hollywood Plus or the Xcard.

Last time I checked the Xcard was going for around $99 but you can probably get the Hollywood Plus for much less, especially on an auction site like eBay. Please note that many people have trouble using the older Hollywood Plus on a WinXP system. The Xcard has no such issues.

Of course for around $100 (if not less) you can get a second stand alone DVD player that is "hacked" to be region free and macrovision free BUT please note that just because a stand alone DVD player has been hacked for macrovision does not mean that it is also hacked to remove CGMS/A which is a form of protection for digital devices. For instance if a DVD has CGMS/A on it a stand alone DVD recorder will NOT record it ... even if there is no macrovision. As far as I know all VHS VCR's are only affected by macrovision though and not CGMS/A. Still, if you are getting a second player (or replacement player) in order to circumvent copy protection you might as well get one that does it all. I suggest the Panasonic models offered by JVB Digital since they have been modified to remove both MACROVISION and CGMS/A plus they are code free as well. Please note that although the Panasonic players are capable of playing both PAL and NTSC they cannot convert PAL to NTSC although I'm told they can do a NTSC to PAL conversion but it is not true NTSC but can be viewed on most PAL televisions (although you would not be able to record the signal to a NTSC recording device since it is not true NTSC). If you need a code free DVD player that can do proper PAL to NTSC then get the Cyberhome CH-DVD 500 as it is the ONLY such player that not only does the conversion correctly but can also disable both MACROVISION and CGMS/A. You can get one from the cyberhome website. Information on how to hack it yourself (all done via the remote control) can be found on the nerd-out website in the message forum section (there is a forum JUST for the Cyberhome line of DVD players).

Anyways ...
I find my Hollywood Plus card to be a MUST HAVE item in my computer. I also got it to work on my WinXP system by using a third party software DVD player called "Eugene's DVD Player" which you can download from the doom9 website.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

P.S.
Remember the Hollywood Plus can ONLY output mpeg1 and mpeg2 but the new Xcard can do that as well as (some forms) of DivX.

[EddyH]

If you can get hold of a cheap plug-in VGA-TV card (fairly old by now.. maybe an ebay item) and use that, and you dont mind using flat & flickery VGA mode a while, those tend not to have macrovision. Just put the DVD in the drive, connect the VGA passthru and output into a couple of the ports, composite or SVid output to another, and run an output from the sound card to the VCR, press record at the business end, and Play at the pleasure end. Sorted
And the quality's about the same as any built in TV out..

[DaveS]

thanks - may be the way to go - my next purchase was going to be (more memory then) a video card but I need something that vegas is compatible with that can prevue directly to a monitor; a tuner would be a plus and so would stereo, but what I'd really like to do is hook up a decent video card and monitor to my PC so I don't always have to burn a dvdRW and go downstairs to my TV/DVD to preview it on an interlaced TV.(!)...thanks for the advice on the card...

[EddyH]

(just in case that was confusing, it's not a card to show TV on the monitor, but to show the monitor on the TV, if yknow what i mean.. an arrowhead got lost in there )