Question about capturing, editing and reburning video on DVD

[dragpeace]

I am a newbie to video and before I go forward, I just want to make sure that I'm not making any dumb mistakes. A while ago, I converted several VHS home movies to DVD-R via a standalone DVD recorder. I would now like to edit the video slightly (e.g. cut out a bit here and there, cut off an ending where I forgot to hit "stop" ontime, etc.). I don't need to do anything fancy - just edit out bits and then re-burn the whole thing to another DVD-R, losing as little quality (audio and video) as possible. I might also want to grab some video from different DVD-Rs to put onto one new DVD-R. As a bonus, I would like to add chapters. The DVD-Rs were burned with AC3 audio. My PC runs Windows XP (FAT32) on a 40GB HD.

Based on studying these forums, this my plan:

1. Use Partition Magic to create a 20GB NTFS partition.
2. Use DVD Decryptor to rip my current DVD-Rs to the new partition.
3. Use TMPGEnc DVD Author to edit the VOB files slightly (and maybe add chapters?).
4. Burn the new DVD-R using TMPGEnc DVD Author.

Does this sound reasonable? Am I missing something obvious (or not so obvious)? Are there any pitfalls that I should be aware of? Any advice that someone could offer? Is there an easier/better way?

If I did want to "clean up" the video (some of it is a bit "snowy"), any suggestions on what software to add to this process?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I've read through the forums and info on this excellent site and would feel much better if some of the experts validated my plan. Thanks!

Graham

[housepig]

If I did want to "clean up" the video (some of it is a bit "snowy"), any suggestions on what software to add to this process?

if you need to clean up the video, you are going to need to take it out of realm of .VOB files and into the realm of elementary video and audio streams, then remux them into an editible format like avi.

if you just want to trim the VOBs and cut out parts, ChopperXP can do simple cutting on them directly.

[dragpeace]

if you just want to trim the VOBs and cut out parts, ChopperXP can do simple cutting on them directly.

Thanks for the quick response!

If I use ChopperXP to cut off a piece here and there from a .VOB file, do I have to do anything special to any of the other files, or can I then just use Nero to burn it all (IFO, VOB, BUP) back onto the DVD-R. In other words, does an alteration of the VOB require any editing of the corresponding IFO file in some way?

Did the rest of my plan sound reasonable?

Graham

[housepig]

good question - I've never tried. the vobs I've cut from XP have just been to make quick and dirty compilations from other discs (like a compilation of trailers or music videos) so I've never tried recompiling a cut vob back in.

I'm also not super-fluent in what that would do in relation to the BUP or IFO files, someone else who is will hopefully chime in.

you could get a dvd-rw (which I would suggest anyway, until you find the tools and processes that give you the result you want) and experiment - with rewritables, at least you're not wasting a disc if the authoring is off.

as for the other parts of your plan, I can't really comment as I either haven't done that kind of formatting on discs or haven't used those specific tools.

[FOO]

If I were you I would go buy another disk drive, and then
make both of them NTFS.

[dragpeace]

If I were you I would go buy another disk drive, and then
make both of them NTFS.

I can certainly understand the rationale behind another HD, and I understand that NTFS is better for large partitions (over 16GB), but if I reduce the XP FAT32 partition down to, say, 15GB, is there any great benefit in also making that NTFS? This is just a home PC, so I don't need the security features of NTFS. I am not an NTFS expert, so I have some reservations about making the partition containing my XP setup NTFS, as I don't understand the remifications, and it's very difficult to move back to FAT32. I'd like to understand your reasoning a bit more, if you don't mind expanding on it. Thanks!

Just FYI, this is a P4 HP Pavilion 775y.

I'm aso still hoping that someone will chime in on whether or not my original idea is a sound one.

Graham

[jaxxboss]

I use dvd author. I open it and then go to add dvd, select that folder and then it brings you to an edit screen, there you can edit what you want to take out. As far as putting some more on from another dvd, just go back to ADD dvd and do it all again. Just make sure you dont add too much or it may go over max size.

[FOO]

The reason for 2 disks is that many operations read a large file, do
something to it. and write it back out. With source
and destination on different disks, the heads don't have to move, and
it can be many times faster, especially if disks are on different IDE controllers. That allows simultaneous read/write

The reason for NTFS is so files can be bigger than 4G (many are)

The reason for NTFS on both is that there are some known issues
with programs running on FAT32 and operating on NTFS files.

The reason to keep FAT32 on the OS disk is that you can still boot with a
floppy and fix things. The tools on the 2K and XP bootable CDs suck.

I think you can do what you want with the DVDs as you are.

[overloaded_ide]

Foo is correct.
Though since you are talking about working on a already authored DVD you should not have any problem with file size for now even on Fat32.
It's one large file over 4 gigs that will cause you a problem, like an Mpeg2. But the DVD should already be broke down to like 1gig vobs and that will not cause any problems size related.

1. Use Partition Magic to create a 20GB NTFS partition.
2. Use DVD Decryptor to rip my current DVD-Rs to the new partition.
3. Use TMPGEnc DVD Author to edit the VOB files slightly (and maybe add chapters?).
4. Burn the new DVD-R using TMPGEnc DVD Author.

That sounds good. However as I stated it is not nesacary to convert to NTFS for this if you don't want to. Also when I did convert mine I just used the built in converter in W2K to do it. I never used partition magic.
If you only have one drive I don't know if you will actually gain anything just making a new partition anyway, it's still the same drive.
I would just use it as is myself.

Next if this is a disk you made yourself you don't need Decrypter since it has no protection anyway. I think just copy it all from the disk to the hard drive will work fine with wndows explorer. Though using decrypter if you want shouldn't hurt anything.

You can do all your cutting in tmpgenc DVD author. Just select start frame and end frame for what you want to remove then cut it. Use add DVD files to add more DVDs if you want. Making chapters and menu's is easy.
Also if you want to add footage in the middle of your dvd you can do that.
Open dvd, move to place you want to insert other footage, start frame and jump to end and end frame. cut that. Open new footage DVD or mpeg2. Then open first DVD again and select the beging up to the place you want to start second half and cut that. Now you have the last half.
You will have first half, new footage, last half as one movie now.
Chapters and menus are easy too.

The programs built in burner is great, I use it all the time and never failed me yet. Before burning you should test the DVD on the hard drive with Power DVD to make sure it works as you want.

Also remember you will need at least twice the size of your DVD as free space on your hard drive to do this. So if you have a full 4.3 gigs and you copy it to your drive you need that space AND the same space for your DVD to be saved. Total nearly 9 gigs for both. Since you planned to partion 20gigs I beleave you have enough free space then

However you can re-author your dvd with tmpgenc dvd author right from the dvd. It will probably be alot slower since the program is reading the DVD instead of the Hard drive. However this would save you some drive space. You do everything the same otherwise, but the DVD has to be in the drive. You are not changing the DVD, your new one will still be saved to the hard drive and the DVD remains untouched.
I never actually tried this myself but I have seen it mentioned in the program. You can do it with your own disks since they are not encrypted, but a comercail disk I don't think could work unless maybe you have something like anydvd installed.

Hope that helps and not too confusing

[dragpeace]

Hope that helps and not too confusing

I think you said it all very clearly! I very much appreciate the info - you've made things a lot clearer for me (and the same to Foo). I think I'm ready to give it a shot!

Thanks for all of the help, folks. I've only been on these forums a short time, but I'm really impressed with how helpful and nice everyone is.

Graham