Cutting commercials from M2V & MP2 video files

[eddytor]

My process thus far is as follows:-

I have successfully ripped a TV program from my PVR hard disk in PES stream format.

I then used projectX to DEMUX the file and produce two files:-

*.m2V video
*.mp2 audio

These files look and sound perfect.

Before I load the files into TMPGenc DVD author, I want to cut the commercials out of the TV programme.

I have a had a look at MPEG2Schnitt - but I cannot find my way around it and there is no documentation in English.

I have a copy of Womble Video Wizard - but am quite new to it and althought I've read the help screens I cannot see what my next step should be in order to import these two files into a suitable program (maybe womble?) and then edit without re-encoding so that I can then present two edited files to TMPGenc DVD author.

Can anyone recommend a tried and tested cutting technique which will preserve the video/audio quality as much as possible. it seems a shame to reduce quality of video and audio when I currently have pristine video/audio from the hard disk of my PVR.

thanks

Pete

[laspis59]

I use Womble MPEG Video Wizard,it just take a little getting used to,no re-encoding either and very fast.
VideoRedo is supposed to be easier to use but I'm not sure whether it supports elementary streams.

[eddytor]

ive just been playing with Womble vid wizard.
I cannot import the file type M2V it seems?
but I can MUX the two files together to form a single video/audio MPEG file. I assume this doesnt cause any deterioration of picture/audio quality. now I can cut the commercials (thats the easy part!)

in terms of exporting the cut file out ready for TDA authoring, - for preserving quality/avoiding re-encoding - is it best to export as one (CUT)MPEG file or export in some other format?

thanks

[Gargoyle]

Just use TMPGenc DVD author to edit out the commercials:

> open the elementary streams with TMPGenc DVD author:
>use the "select start" at the beginning of the commercial
>"select end" at the end of the commercial
>"cut" - this will delete the segment between the start and end points.

[laspis59]

ive just been playing with Womble vid wizard.
I cannot import the file type M2V it seems?
but I can MUX the two files together to form a single video/audio MPEG file. I assume this doesnt cause any deterioration of picture/audio quality. now I can cut the commercials (thats the easy part!)

in terms of exporting the cut file out ready for TDA authoring, - for preserving quality/avoiding re-encoding - is it best to export as one (CUT)MPEG file or export in some other format?

thanks

Export as a cut MPEG is best then the video is ready to be authored in TDA
Multiplexing with a program like TMPGEnc Plus is fast and I dont think you lose quality.

[eddytor]

Just use TMPGenc DVD author to edit out the commercials:

> open the elementary streams with TMPGenc DVD author:
>use the "select start" at the beginning of the commercial
>"select end" at the end of the commercial
>"cut" - this will delete the segment between the start and end points.

I already experimented with TDA doing this - but you it doesnt seem to allow you to do it frame accurately. it forces you to choose a frame (chapter mark) as far as I can tell.

any ideas?

[eddytor]

I use Womble MPEG Video Wizard,it just take a little getting used to,no re-encoding either and very fast.

Ive noticed that womble vid wizard seems to have lost a very useful feature that womble mpeg-vcr had - namely the cut selection feature. see

http://www.digitalfaq.com/dvdguides/edit/editmpeg/removecommercials.htm

what were womble thinking of when they left out this feature from video wizard?

[laspis59]

Yes,I still find MVW the most useful tool for editing MPEG because of the amount of things you can do with it.
To cut out commercials I just split at the beginning of it and at the end and highlight the split segment and delete,its the same thing.

[ipdave]

For better frame accuracy, try M2 Edit Pro 5. It is not as easy as DVD Author (which I use to cut commercials all the time), but has better accuracy. Only catch is I only ever could select each part I wanted up TO the commercial and save each GOOD piece, then re-add to the storyline and recombine.

To me, the accuracy is not as important as the time it takes me. A frame here or there is hardly noticeable for me. So I capture on my settop DVD Sharp to RW, edit (suck off to MPG first to reuse the RW right away) out the commercials, then add menus and author to VOBs.

[Soopafresh]

Use ProjectX first, but instead of demuxing, use the choice "M2P". It is in the same drop down box as demux is.

(Dunno why they call it that, but that will keep the file muxed while fixing the little sync problems.)

Rename the fixed file with an .MPG extension.

Now, use Mpeg2Cut2 (free, and quite great) to remove the commercials, or better yet, just use it to save the show parts.

[eddytor]

Use ProjectX first, but instead of demuxing, use the choice "M2P". It is in the same drop down box as demux is.

(Dunno why they call it that, but that will keep the file muxed while fixing the little sync problems.)

Rename the fixed file with an .MPG extension.

I tried this M2P option in project X and it created a *.m2p video file AND an *.mp2 audio file. when I renamed the m2p video fiel to mpg and played it there was no sound. is there another setting on project X that i need to use to ensure that the m2p video file also contains the audio - so that i can put it straight into womble to edit.

thanks[/quote]

[SerbianBoss]

try PVAStrumento

[eddytor]

PVAStrumento is not seen as a good option. the guys who wrote the ripping program for my PVR recommend only exporting PES files not PVA, becuase the PVA option appears to cause errors. I cannot see an option for handling PES using PVAstrumento so its not really going to be useful.

[The_Doman]

I have a had a look at MPEG2Schnitt - but I cannot find my way around it and there is no documentation in English.

You REALLY should try that Mpeg2Schnitt again!
Just experiment a bit with it.
It works best together with ProjectX.
Just be sure to install the latest english language pack too.

[eddytor]

I've got a good method that works now.

PVR -> ripping program -> *.pes files (audio.pes and video.pes)

*.pes files -> ProjectX - > DEMUX option -> *.m2v and *.mp2

(note the projectX M2P option still produces two files so its no more useful than the DEMUX option)

*.m2v + *.mp2 -> MUX using womble MPEG-VCR to create *.mpg

edit out commercials using Womble MPEG-VCR (this seems much easier than using mpegs2schnitt)

save *.mpg

load *.mpg into TDA and create DVD

its a few steps - but I dont see how it could be shortened unless someone knows how to generate an MPG file with audio + video using project X from two PES files

thanks for all the above advice