Advice needed for legal ripping of DVD music Vids

[originator]

I am getting some music vids tomorrow that I have licensed for a TV show and I had the publicist send me DVD's instead of Digi beta copies, since I didn't want the hassle of sending the stuff out to be transferred. So I thought there would be a way to grab the Vid/Audio off the DVD's with no loss. I downloaded Mac the Ripper and felt like that might be an option for OS X. Ultimately I will be putting the vids in Final Cut Express HD, adding a host, etc.

I am brand new to ripping and could use any advice. My assumption is that they are putting various vids and audio on one DVD. If you have experience with this I would appreciate the insight to getting it out and into FCEHD. Thanks!

[Forum Troll]

Since you've got Final Cut, have him send you the Beta tapes and transfer the video to the Mac via firewire into DV AVI format. Ripping the already compressed MPEG-2 signal then transcoding them again to another format will look beyond terrible.

[originator]

Thanks for the tips. I have just rented a Digibeta at your suggestion for transfers tomorrow. The guy with the Digibeta does not have a DV interface. Any recommedations for a low cost DV-firewire box options would be great!

One other side note that someone may have an answer to:

I have not been able to get FCEHD to let me see my Digidesign 888. It will see the DV cam, or "built in", but doesn't let me see my Digi hardware even though it is set for audio in and out in system sound prefs.

Thanks

[dcsos]

If they're commercial DVD's use Mac The Ripper 1st
Get a product called CINEMATIZE 2.0 or higher and make a quick time refrerence movie directly of the scences you need.
The digi beta method can be higher quailty if you grab to SDI but If you use DV interface, this'll e a close second..and this method is direct..
once again, CINEMATIZE will allow you to point out valid in and out points in the DVD file that will show up in FCP or AVID directly

in this way you avoid the forum trolls transcoding step by the refrenece file's direct acceptance to the edit timeline

[originator]

Great, I got the Cinematize Demo just a few days ago, I'll give it a shot. My final output is back to MPG2 (DVD).

Thanks

[originator]

Cinematize is great, just boiught it and it is a snap. Not quite sure on whether to export as 4:2:2 uncompressed(very large files that req rendering) quicktime/avi that work right away and are smaller. My guess is the uncompressed large file is the best IF in fact it is jusr dragging the file off as is an NOT converting anything.

Thanks again.

ps, they are actually sending me Beta SP after all, digibeta is not their norm without extra costs involved.

[dcsos]

So tell them you used the BETA SP's and keep cinematize a secret for when they really don't have the masters

Meanwhile, I think you know that the Quicktime uncompressed giant file will be huge and high-quality..
But the trick is you should be able to make a "REFERENCE" file which is not a version of the video but a pointer to the MPEG-2 which won't import directly..but If you see the QT "REFRENCE" to the MPEG-2, in effect, its getting FCP to use the original file thru the intermediation of the aforementioned file

[originator]

Thanks for the advice. Are you referring to making the ref file with cinematize? I have never heard of using a reference, nor can find an option in Cinematize. In FCE HD I have seen nothing like that either.. I think you allude to it not being so straight forward since you called it a "trick"!. Not having that much experience with video, I was assuming that the uncompressed output 8 bit 4:2:2 was the best it would output, or maybe the video option under output codec in Cinematize. Please explain using the ref file if you wouldn't mind.

I did notice that using this uncompressed large file noticibly better quality in comparing the same vid exported as avi from Cinematize.

In any case, since my final output is back to DVD, seems easiest to use the DVD>Cinematize>FCE>DVD approach.

Thanks[/i]