Vegas 5 and VOBs

[rhegedus]

After having used Vegas 4 for a while now, I've been very impressed with it's capabilities and am considering buying Vegas 5.

But the one proble I had with it was that it couldn't import VOB files from my set-top DVDR properly - it would only see the first 7 minutes or so of a VOB which meant me having to re-encode at max bitrate with TMPGEnc so that I could import the resultant mpeg and edit before re-encoding. Strangely, it would import VR files made by the same set-top DVDR.

So, does Vegas 5 allow for import of VOB files without problems?

[edDV]

Don't think so, Vegas 5 is for creating original video.

[canadateck]

Just rip the VOB files into one movie file, then import into Vegas.

[edDV]

point that thing over there

[tug_hill2]

Hello Rob, I just opened up my copy of Vegas 5 and opened up a directory full of VOB files that I have.

Vegas 5 would NOT even recognize the VOB format... so I could NOT import them.

Although you would think that such an expensive program would have support for most formats...!

Doc_B

[guns1inger]

VOB isn't a video format or codec. It is a way of bundling up files for DVD. Vegas is aimed at pro and semi-pro editors, who would not receive files in VOB format except in very exceptional circumstances.

VOB files can contain many different clips, including parts of menus, as well as mpeg-2 encoded movies, multiple audio tracks in multiple formats. Vegas is designed to edit video, not DVDs.
If the VOBs contain only the movie and a single audio track, you can sometimes drag them from the file list to the timeline, and have Vegas open them. If the audio is DTS, you probably wont get Vegas to touch it.

The moral of the story is to use appropriate tools for the job, and not look for the simple answer all the time (it's rarely the best solution)

[rhegedus]

These aren't fancy authored DVDs - they're from a home set-top recorder.

Vegas doesn't even want to import VOBs made by TMPGEncDVDAuthor and they are essentially mpegs with chapter points.

[lordsmurf]

Not necessarily.
Most NLEs cannot read AC3 audio.
You probably have this.

[rhegedus]

Would it import the video alone? I can get at the audio with DVD2AVI.

[guns1inger]

Have you tried dragging the vob to the timeline ? Vegas won't import them like it will other video types, but drag and drop often works.

You also want to make sure that there is only one video and one audio track in the vobs, not multiple titles or menus

[edDV]

As home DVD recorders and DVD camcorders become widespread, VOB demuxers will probably be included into most standard capture apps.

As for now, it's a separate process. Premiere and Vegas still like upconversion to DV format for proper function.

[GGROD]

I've put my VOBs on my timeline but I don't get a seperate track for the audio. So I assuming there will be no sound once I render it as MPEG-2. I'll have to render it and see if the audio is still there. A friend gave me a MPEG-2 file that has AC3 encoding for the audio and I still don't get a seperate track for the audio. Any suggestion on that one?

[edDV]

Yes, demux the vob into video and audio before loading into Vegas.

[rhegedus]

Or get the wav from DVD2AVI.

[Amish Electrician]

I just went thru all this same thing. I demuxd i had only one audio track ect. non of it will work VV4 or 5 will not see the ac3 audio you can get vid from the vob but no audio. DVD2AVI was lame it crashed & never did the job right.Best thing i came up with was AVS video converter it will make a wav file then just use the vob for the Vid.
Whats dumb about all this is that VV4 will let you render a DD5.1 or AC3 file & DVD Arc. will let you bring them in to your DVD menu but you cant open them in VV4