How to Convert DVD files to .mpg/.wmv/avi for editing in Win Movie Maker

[Injasuti]

I want to edit videos from my Pioneer DVD recorder/player on my computer. Steps:
Record videos on DVD in Video Mode, Finalised.
Load DVD files onto computer via computer DVD reader/burner.
Convert DVD files from .VOB or .IFO to .mpg or similar.
Edit in Windows Movie Maker.
Convert back to DVD files and burn a new DVD using AVS DVD Authoring.
Play the edited DVD in the Pioneer recorder/player.
When I first started doing this, I could load the DVD files onto the computer and change the .VOB extensions to .mpg. After that it was easy. The only problem was that AVS Video Authoring is very slow, and I had to leave it on overnight. Now for some reason overwriting the .VOB extensions doesn't work, and I am stuck looking for video converter programs. I have tried all of the following, and nothing works (Alphabetic Order):
AVS Video Converter: Far too slow. It took 2.5 hrs to convert 100 Mb of .IFO files to .mpg. At that rate, a full DVD with 4Gb is going to take 100 hours.
AVS Video Editor: Even slower than Converter.
ConvertVOBtoAVI: Quality of .mpg files very poor - pixilated, and no good for HD TV.
DVD Decrypter and Rejig: Both copy fast, but only do files one at a time, and there is no sound on the output .mpgs. There are separate audio files, but I don't know how to combine them with the .mpg files for editing in Windows Movie Maker.
Prism: This is the best of a bad bunch, but still too slow. 100 Mb converted in 21 mins, so 4 Gb in 14 hrs.
Smartripper: I could only get it to produce a .VOB output file, which is no use whatsover.
VideoPad: Too slow. 100 Mb converted in 50 mins, so 4 Gb in 33 hrs.
VOB2MPG: When I try to play the .mpg files, Windows Media Player says Aquiring Codec, and then it only shows a lot of wavy lines on a blue background.
VOBEdit: I couldn't find any output files from this at all. It said it has done the conversion, but no matter where I looked, I could not locate the output files

I need a quick, good quality converter from .VOB or .IFO to .mpg, .wmv, or .avi. Any suggestions for this, or any ways to get round the problems I have with the converters listed above, gratefully received.

Regards.

[Baldrick]

Use a better dvd editor like Mpeg video wizard dvd. You wont find any super solution for windows movie maker.

[hech54]

VOB2MPEG will get you to mpeg....from there on you are at the mercy of WMM.

[Injasuti]

Hi,
Thanks for the replies. I looked up Womble, and the blurb says it is an mpeg editing and authoring program. (Plus it costs $100 EEEK). I obviously wasn't clear in my query. My problem is not with mpeg editing or authoring. WMM works fine. My problem is with converting DVD files (.VOB and .VRO) to mpg or similar. As I said, VOB2MPG doesn't work for me. It produces an mpg, but Windows Media Player and WMM think it is a music file, and won't do anything with it. Also VOB2MPG won't handle .VRO files, which I get from DVDs recorded in VR mode. Prism handles .VOB and .VRO it just takes forever.

[shaema]

Try Mpg2cut2.