Converting VOB to for example MPEG AND keep the date!

[Cattis]

I'm a newbie in this field but has tried to download and use a bunch of different programs to convert vob into a format accepted by Windows Movie Maker. I've had no luck... Until I tried VOB2MPG - this helped me to get the files BUT there is still a problem.
The VOB files are from my video camera and I want to keep the date when the different clips were done. But when I use VOB2MPEG this information is lost...
So I would LOVE to get some help - please, please, please!

How can I get the vob-files converted to an other format KEEPING the date when it was filmed? Which program should I use? I prefer to have a program that is free... but if it's a good product I can pay!
Or should I keep the vob-files and instead use a different program than Movie Maker - and if so - which program is easy to use and still give me some opportunities to do some editing?

I've searched the web and the more I read and try - the more confused I get... so all help is very much appreciated! Thank you!

[edDV]

Hmm, difficult.

Depends where the DVD camcorder recorded the time/date metadata. Becomes an engineering problem.

The metadata may be associaed with the VOB container or the MPeg2 streams inside the container.

Most editors will discard this data during import. No easy solution.

Best to archive the original VOB if this is important. Then you can always go back to the original if you have time/date questions.

[Cattis]

Thank you.
Well, I realised that time and date are in a separate vob-files... Which makes this very difficult I think... So I guess that VOB2MPEG did what it should! It's I that has information in several places!
This was NOT what I had in mind!!

Is there any solution to this? Or do I have to live with the video in one file and the info in an other? Can I have done something wrong?

[edDV]

Thank you.
Well, I realised that time and date are in a separate vob-files... Which makes this very difficult I think... So I guess that VOB2MPEG did what it should! It's I that has information in several places!
This was NOT what I had in mind!!

Is there any solution to this? Or do I have to live with the video in one file and the info in an other? Can I have done something wrong?

Try to Google for someone who has solved this problem. Otherwise keep the original VOB files for reference.

The makers of these camcorders did not have date/time preservation as a priority. You are on your own.