Review of PixeVRF Browser

[Frobozz]

Available at http://www.pixela-1.com is a unique application for Mac video called PixeVRF Browser. I'm writing this post to let people know about it. I purchased this ($50) yesterday and have no connection with this company or product.

What this does is read, edit and export video from a VIDEO_TS folder or from a VR format DVD-RAM or DVD-RW. There is no mention of VR-mode DVD+RW support and I have no way to test that. It will not read MPEG files directly. My standalone Pioneer DVD recorder can record VR format DVD-RW so I tested with this and with a finalized video mode DVD-R.

The interface is good looking and simple with a Preview window (no audio), a Titles window and a Cells window. You select the DVD drive you will be using (I had to use my external drive because my Apple Combo drive wouldn't read the VR mode DVD-RW).

At first PixeVRF Browser did not recognize my VR-mode DVD-RW. I checked the Help file which states that these discs need to be finalized, which fixed the issue. When the VR-mode DVD-RW is inserted the titles appear in a list. Select a Title and the cells (i.e. chapters) appear. The preview window shows the playback of any selected cell.

When a cell is selected the option to enter the MPEG editor is active. Users familiar with PixeDV that's part of the USB Instant DVD for Mac will recognize this MPEG editor. But unlike the one in PixeDV, this one is fast. There is no rendering time before you can start editing. When you've completed marking the edits you want, you can choose to save the edited video either as a separate streams or as a program stream (muxed). It handles AC-3 or PCM audio. I haven't tried with a source that has MP2 audio.

One problem is that the editing and export is done on a cell basis. If your source video has several chapters you'll end up saving several MPEGs. I easily used MPEG2 Works to join the MPEGs. But it's simpler not to have chapters in the first place so your entire movie is one cell.

My finalized video-mode DVD-R was rejected by the application when I tried to load it the same way as the VR-mode disc. Instead, I needed to mount the DVD and then use VRF Browser's Open Folder command to choose its VIDEO_TS folder. Doing this made the video available for editing and export. Obviously, this also works with a VIDEO_TS saved to a hard drive.

Incidentally, this application also works for editing video created by a DVD camcorder.

The reason for my interest in this product is that I appreciate the speed and convenience of my Pioneer DVD recorder, but sometimes wish I could create a video with more attractive and useful menus. I also have the lite version of CaptyDVD 2 (bundled with a LaCie external drive or for separate purchase for $75 by calling LaCie). This combination of standalone recorder + PixeVRF Browser + CaptyDVD 2 seems to meet my needs very well.

I am using these applications in 10.4 on a 933mhz G4 iBook.


Addendum: I just downloaded the PixeVRF Browser 2.6.1 update from the Pixela Japan site and it fixed the problems with reading finalized DVD-R discs, unfinalized VR-mode DVD-RW discs and discs inserted into my iBook's Combo drive. It also adds a Still Image Mode disc reader but the DVD-R discs that I have with still images aren't being recognized by it; not that I see any purpose to that feature anyway because I use iView Media for reading still images on discs.

[Ladd]

I've not heard of "VR Mode" before -- could I possibly know of it by a different name?

[Frobozz]

VR mode is common in standalone DVD recorders. It is the mode chosen when you want to be able to edit the video on the disc or use special player features such as "chase play" (playing a different part of a DVD while recording). Here is a more detailed explanation:

http://www.burnworld.com/dvd/primer/dvdvr.htm

[TC@MacMini]

I am a new comer of this forum and I am looking for ways to edit the DVD-RAM that recorded by my standalone Panasonic recorder using my Mac Mini running in Tiger.

I am particularly interested in the VRF Browser especially the feature of editing the content of the DVD-RAM directly without first ripping it to my Hard disk.

Your review of the software is in very detail and it is so far the most detailed information of the software I can find from the web. However, I still have some questions on it. Would you kindly please help? The following are my questions. Thanks in advance.

1. As your review mentioned that it can save it in separate streams, do you mean that I can burn them to DVD-R directly? (I understand that .VRO file is muxed streams in DVD-RAM and .VOB file is demuxed streams using in DVD-R....or I am misunderstand the meaning of separate streams?)

2. Do you know if it supports other external FireWire DVD writer that are not one of those mentioned in http://www.pixela.co.jp/en/products/software/capty_dvd_vcd/specs.html?
(according to the web site, VRF Browser is part of the bundled program of Capty DVD/VCD software) My external FireWire DVD writer is LG brand. I put it in a external enclosure.

3. Since my standalone DVD recorder is Panasonic DMR-ES10, which I found in this forum that Panasonic seems not completely follow specification of UDF when writing to DVD-RAM, do you have any idea whether VRF Browser supports it?

Thanks again.

If anyone can give me any advise, you're greatly appreciated!

P.S. I am also new to these DVD video stuff, please correct me if anything mentioned above is wrong.

[chikanakan]

I would use Toast 7 for VR. Works much better then Pixela's software for most things.

[Frobozz]

1. The streams I'm referring to are the .m2v video and .ac3 audio streams that are separated from an MPEG file while "demuxing."

2. PixeVRF Browser does not burn to anything. It extracts, edits and saves content from video DVDs. You can then use the extracted video in Toast 6 or 7 or other application that can author a VIDEO_TS folder from MPEG files. The application you're referring to in your question is CaptyDVD which is now only available in the U.S. bundled with a couple LaCie products.

3. I can't say for certain what will happen with PixeVRF Browser and your Panasonic's DVD-RAM videos. PixeVRF says it supports DVD-RAM.

Here are its system requirements as described in the Help menu. (Note, it works fine for me in OS 10.3.9 and 10.4.2).

System Requirements

OS Mac OS 9.1 - 9.2.2
Mac OS X 10.2.6 - Mac OS X 10.3.5
CPU PowerPC G3 500MHz or higher
Memory 128MB or more (256MB or more recommended)
Video 1,024 x 768 pixels or higher resolution
Approx. 16.7 million colors or more
Compatible Media
Video Recording Format: DVD-RAM and DVD-RW discs
DVD-Video Format: DVD-Video, DVD-R, DVD-RW discs


A compatible drive is required to read DVD-RAM, DVD-Video, DVD-R, DVD-RW discs.
Meeting the above requirements for the operating environment does not guarantee full operation.



Cautions

Please check that your drive is operating properly before reading a disc with Pixe VRF Browser EX.
Recognizing the drive does not guarantee reading of all drives.

The environment recommended by the drive manufacturer is required in order to read a disc. Please also be sure to follow any warnings or instructions given by the drive manufacturer.

Discs in poor condition, such as scratched or dirty discs, may not be able to be read.

Video CDs cannot be read.

Commercial videos and read or write-protected videos (recorded videos, digital broadcasting or DVD-Videos / DVD-RAM discs, etc.) are unreadable.

There may be some cases, for example if the disc is in poor condition or if additional recording information has been been added to the disc, when even discs of compatible video recording formats cannot be read.

If you intend to use the video saved with this software as DVD-Video authoring content, please check that it is the right format (size, bitrate, etc.) for the DVD-Video authoring software you plan to use.

In order to use the files saved under "Save Elementary Stream" of "Pixe VRF Browser EX" in Apple's DVD-Video authoring software "DVD Studio Pro", a compatible environment for "DVD Studio Pro" is required.Meeting the requirements for the operating environment does not guarantee full operation in "DVD Studio Pro".

[TC@MacMini]

I would use Toast 7 for VR. Works much better then Pixela's software for most things.

Thanks for your information and I will do some research on Toast. But would you mine to tell me how it is better than Pixela's software?

[TC@MacMini]

1. The streams I'm referring to are the .m2v video and .ac3 audio streams that are separated from an MPEG file while "demuxing."

...

Thanks for your detailed information. It seems that my mini basically satisfying the requirement of it.

If it can't burn anything, then I need to find another software to do it because I will transfer the recorded video to DVD-R eventually. Maybe Toast is good, but it is indeed quite expensive.

[chikanakan]

Toast 7 basically is like having VR Browser and Capty DVD or Toast 6. So if you don't have any of them, you can get Toast 7 for much cheaper.

Also, Toast 7 has Chapter and Title support where as VR Browser only has Chapter.

If you want to edit the mpeg on the disc and not do a complication or convert to DVD-Video then VR Browser is OK, however you are limited to only MPEG export.

Toast 7 will allows work with standard DVD not just VR.

[Frobozz]

I concur that getting Toast 7 makes the most sense. I wrote the review of PixeVRF Browser before Toast 7 was available. The one thing that PixeVRF does that Toast 7 does not do is edit (cut) MPEGs. However, you can do that with MPEG Streamclip after using Toast to extract the MPEGs from your DVD-RAM discs.

IF you buy Toast 7 from Amazon, Buy.com or similar source and if you are eligible for the $20 Roxio rebate you net cost will be less than $60. Compare with paying $50 for PixeVRF Browser and you'll see that Toast 7 is a real bargain.

[TC@MacMini]

You guys are so helpful. I will seriously consider Toast 7. Thanks again!!!