DVD VOB files to MPEG2 (or similar)

[Lance Mannion]

I may have missed it in the guides or not gone far back enough in the forums, but can anyone point me in the right direction to do the following:

The TV show "The Shield" comes with the 4 episodes on the disk in the same VOB set. I would like to put them on another set of DVD disks, but the VOB set is too large, about 8 GB. I'm not looking for anything special or altering file compression, but would like to convert a VOB file to something like MPEG2 or similar, which I could then edit and burn back to DVD.

Once I have them in MPEG2, I can make the disk using MyDVD, so that isn't a problem. I just can't seem to figure out or find a way to convert from a VOB file. Anyone have an idea where to find the answer to this question?

Any help would be great.

[thingimijig]

have you still got the disc ?

if you have, run it through dvdecrypter in ifo mode and do each episode (pgc).
when you stream process them you will have your m2v and ac3 files ready to author.

thingimijig.

[wulf109]

DVD2ONE will compress the entire disk to a DVD-R in one step. I use it and DVD95COPY to convert epsode DVD's. Your disk is a normal episode disk with all episodes in one VTS(vob)set.

[IremainAMisterE]

You can use TMPGenc DVD Authoring to convert VIDEO_TS/VOB files etc. into an MPG2 file and vice versa.

[Lance Mannion]

Thanks all for all the advice.

Wulf, yeah, it is the normal disk. Each disk has four episodes on it and there is only 1 set of VOB files that could contain the video. All the others are around 12,000k or less. Will DVD2ONe alter the compression on that or change the video quality in anyway?

[Gazorgan]

The 'standard' way to do episode disks is with DVDDecryptor and rip each ep seperately. You typically take a 4 ep DVD9 down to a pair of 2 EP DVD5's. This usually requires no re-encoding, just re-authoring. Goes real fast.
DVD2ONE would re-encdoe everything, and you would lose a lot of quality.

[Lance Mannion]

Okay Gazorgan

But the question that I have then is this. Since I use DVD Dycryper in file mode (and have only used this way), where can I find step by step instuctions to be able to rip each episode seperately?

All the stuff I've read, especially about using anything like IFOeditor and VOBrator look extremely confusing. I have tried to use both before and each program kept crashing on my system.

I am running a AMD Athlon 1.5 Ghz processor and have a 60GB hard drive dedicated to working with video rips.

If I use DVD Dycrypter in ISO mode, do I select one episode seperately and rip, then repeat the process for each other episode? Do I have to come up with VTS file names on my own or what?

Even better, do I sound like a complete noob.

[Elaphe]

I'm having a similar problem. I downloaded an .iso file, but it is too large for a direct burn. Now I used DVD2AVI to view it and can trim off the coming attractions. However it looks, strange when converting to avi using this app, kinda over digitized would be the best discription. I've been is this situation before, and the same thing happend (everytime). So Im guessing that its the app. Ultimately, I want to convert this to an avi so I can store the vid on one of my hard drives with a minimum amout of storage space, but I also want a mpg-2 file (with the comming attractions removed) that I can reconvert and burn to a dvd-r (via DVD MovieFactory). I was told to use IsoBuster. Now using IsoBuster I get two folders the first is an AUDIO_TS folder that appears empty, and a VIDEO_TS Folder that contains a bunch of files that end in either .BUP, .IFO, or .VOB, but have no idea what to do with these files. Help!!!!!

[gonzalimator]

Why not try SmartRipper? I know for a fact that it allows you to rip chapters individually (episodes) in whatever way you prefer, VOBs or elementary streams (m2v+ac3). Fast too.

[Elaphe]

Ok. Just to make sure I understand, then I only have to concern myself with the files ending in .VOB, the others ending in .BUP, and IFO I can ignore?

[Elaphe]

I got Smartripper, but can't figure out how to get it to output to m2v+ac3?

[dh]

Forget about DVD Decryptor, Smartripper etc. They are too complicated.

Use VOBEdit.
Reference link:
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/userguides/120021.php

[gonzalimator]

Once you have the chapter you want to rip selected from the "Movie" page, look for the stream tab and enable stream processing. Check the streams that you want to keep. Highlight the first stream you want and look to the right and select the appropriate operation. Make a new VOB (i think), or demux to seperate streams (m2v and ac3). This has to be done for every stream that you've checked. That's all I know, I haven't authored any DVDs but only SVCDs.

[tinkerbellsmyhoe]

i am trying to do futurama as easy as possible but i would like to keep the menus. so far the only way i know that can do this is ic7....BUT ic7 is crashing on me right at the end of the first episode. has anyone else had problems on this disc?
is there any other way to do it? i know i can run it through dvd shrink but then i lose the menus. and on episode type discs that is rather important to me. i really dont want to have to put in the disc and skip through an entire episode to get the the second one.
any ideas?

[liquiddecay]

I would have to agree with dh and use VOBEdit.

for single VTS with multiple pgc's, use VOBEdit, demux, entire title set, all audio & video, and check the "split at change of pgc" <---(not sure the verbiage is right).

it's really easy, and then use Maestro to reauthor.

that's the method I use for backups of episodes. I can usually fit 3 episodes on one disk and then put the extras (that I want to keep) on the last disk following the last episode. I only use single language audio and subtitles to minimize size.

[tinkerbellsmyhoe]

if you use the vobedit method you lose the menus though dont you?
and if you lose the menus why wouldnt you just use dvdshrink?
since you really dont need to shrink the episodes all that much (since you are putting it on 2 discs) it would save a lot of time.

[liquiddecay]

@ tinkerbellsmyhoe

if you use the vobedit method you lose the menus though dont you?

not necessarily, you can extract every menu from the .VOB with VOBEdit
and use them to reauthor

and if you lose the menus why wouldnt you just use dvdshrink?

see above

since you really dont need to shrink the episodes all that much (since you are putting it on 2 discs) it would save a lot of time.

I agree that it would save alot of time. But answering the original post:

I'm not looking for anything special or altering file compression, but would like to convert a VOB file to something like MPEG2 or similar, which I could then edit and burn back to DVD. Once I have them in MPEG2, I can make the disk using MyDVD, so that isn't a problem.

the person is looking for a way to convert .VOB's to MPEG2 for editing, etc. As you can see, he will be using MyDVD for reauthoring. I'm not trying to suggest the DVDShrink isn't another viable avenue to take, but my intent was to simply answer the original post. It would seem that the person knows a little something and has done this before. He just needed some help converting a .VOB.

[tinkerbellsmyhoe]

my b. thats true i did miss the entire point of his post.
thanks for taking the time to respond.

[energy80s]

Is there a simple way to extract the MPEG2 file back out of a VOB set? Basically I want to extract some MPEGs which are over the 0.99 VOB file limit and rather than have them split at the 1 gig points, I want to output them as single (large) MPEG2 files. This is really just to re-insert into DVD authoring programmes. I know that if the file is less than 1 gig I can just re-name the extension to .mpg and DVD MovieFactory will accept it, but I am having problems with files over the 1 gig limit.

[Lance Mannion]

Thanks liquiddecay. If I use DVD Decrypter, I can rip the episodes (and chapters, I think) individually. But when I do that, the end result is that I get a VOB file, which I assume contains only the episode that I rip (along with any audio/subtitle streams). Am I right about that?

And If I am, could I rename the VOB files someway and then use MyDVD to make the disk that way. I guess, I'm not real concerned with chapters for each episode, as long as I get the individual episodes.

Otherwise, I would just like to get an MPEG2 format and let MyDVD do the rest of the work. I have done this with some stuff I recorded off TV and it worked fine, but I can't seem to get to the MPEG2 format.

Again, any help would be greatly appreciated.

[liquiddecay]

@ energy80s

Is there a simple way to extract the MPEG2 file back out of a VOB set? rather than have them split at the 1 gig points, I want to output them as single (large) MPEG2 files.

1. open VOBEdit
2. open the VTS_0x_1.VOB (not the VTS_0x_0.VOB, this has the menus; unless that's what your looking for)
3. click demux
4. check the following in order:
___a. demux complete title set
___b. demux all video streams
___c. demux all audio streams
___d. split on new VOB-ID (this will create a new audio and video file upon seeing a new PGC, ie: for episode discs where all episodes are in one VTS set, it will create new audio and video .AC3 and .M2V files for each episode); if you want one single, large video file, then DO NOT check this box (the "split on new VOB-ID" box)
5. click OK

this will give a few files:
1. a number of ac3 audio files with the appropriate stream label in the file name (ie: VTS_05_0.80.ac3, etc.). you chose which stream you want. use IFOEdit on the original VTS .IFO file to determine which stream is which.
2. a single .m2v file which is the video stream for the entire PGC. I use DVD2AVI to view the .m2v file to ensure it's what I want

To reauthor with Scenarist or Maestro:
1. you can keep the streams (audio and video) in .AC3 and .M2V and just import them as is. You can even keep all the audio streams that you want. if you only want one audio stream, delete the others.

to reauthor with other programs that require an .MPG2:
1. use the TMPGEnc to remux the desired audio and video stream. be sure that the "type" (the option for the output file) is MPG2 program (VBR)
2. the result is an MPG2 file ready to be used in an authoring program.

@ lancemannion

If I use DVD Decrypter, I can rip the episodes (and chapters, I think) individually. But when I do that, the end result is that I get a VOB file, which I assume contains only the episode that I rip (along with any audio/subtitle streams). Am I right about that?

that sounds right. let it be known that i am not a DVD Decrypter guru. I usually rip the entire disc and pick and choose what i want/need. but what you said sounds right.

could I rename the VOB files someway and then use MyDVD to make the disk that way. Otherwise, I would just like to get an MPEG2 format and let MyDVD do the rest of the work.

i've never renamed a .VOB to use in an authoring program. I've always demuxed with VOBEdit (see above instructions to energy80s) and then imported them into the authoring program. I'm not familiar with MyDVD. Can you use the raw audio and video files (.AC3 and .M2V) or must it be in a .MPG file? if it must be in a .MPG file, then use the instruction above to remux the audio and video into a .MPG file.

[Lance Mannion]

Liquiddecay

I guess I am not sure. The only way that I have actually used MyDVD to author a DVD is when I have captured video (the stuff that I recorded form TV). When I did that, it gave me MPEG2 file that had both audio and video combined.

But I can use VOBedit to demux the VOB files to get separate AC3 files and M2V fiiles, like you said for energy80's. After that, I can decide what audio streams I want and remux those files with the M2V into a single MPG2 file. Am I reading that right?

If that is the case, then I can rename the MPG2 file and use that in MyDVD. It is a relatively simple program to use and does most of the work. I think that I'll lose the chapters in it, but like I said before, I don't really care about that as long as I get the episodes.

Normally, I use DVD Decrypter and rip all the VOB files from the disk and use PowerDVD to see what is in them. I then use Nero to burn only the files I want, usually the main menu and main movie files and drop all the VOB files for the stuff I don't want or can't fit on the new disk. But this is the first time that I have seen all the episodes in one VOB set. So this is a very new area for me to be working in.

Thanks Liquiddecay, for the help. And everyone else as well for all the advice.

[liquiddecay]

I can decide what audio streams I want and remux those files with the M2V into a single MPG2 file. Am I reading that right?

yes, that is correct. just use TMPGEnc to remux.

If that is the case, then I can rename the MPG2 file and use that in MyDVD

yes, you are correct.

I think that I'll lose the chapters in it, but like I said before, I don't really care about that as long as I get the episodes.

you could always use ChapterXtracter to find the chapter points, then manually insert them in MyDVD.

[Lance Mannion]

That's cool. I guess I can give it a try. All I've got to lose is time.

Thanks for the help Liquiddecay.

[energy80s]

@ energy80s

Is there a simple way to extract the MPEG2 file back out of a VOB set? rather than have them split at the 1 gig points, I want to output them as single (large) MPEG2 files.

1. open VOBEdit
2. open the VTS_0x_1.VOB (not the VTS_0x_0.VOB, this has the menus; unless that's what your looking for)
3. click demux
4. check the following in order:
___a. demux complete title set
___b. demux all video streams
___c. demux all audio streams
___d. split on new VOB-ID (this will create a new audio and video file upon seeing a new PGC, ie: for episode discs where all episodes are in one VTS set, it will create new audio and video .AC3 and .M2V files for each episode); if you want one single, large video file, then DO NOT check this box (the "split on new VOB-ID" box)
5. click OK

this will give a few files:
1. a number of ac3 audio files with the appropriate stream label in the file name (ie: VTS_05_0.80.ac3, etc.). you chose which stream you want. use IFOEdit on the original VTS .IFO file to determine which stream is which.
2. a single .m2v file which is the video stream for the entire PGC. I use DVD2AVI to view the .m2v file to ensure it's what I want

To reauthor with Scenarist or Maestro:
1. you can keep the streams (audio and video) in .AC3 and .M2V and just import them as is. You can even keep all the audio streams that you want. if you only want one audio stream, delete the others.

to reauthor with other programs that require an .MPG2:
1. use the TMPGEnc to remux the desired audio and video stream. be sure that the "type" (the option for the output file) is MPG2 program (VBR)
2. the result is an MPG2 file ready to be used in an authoring program.

I must try this. Never had any luck with VOBEdit before. The files I have don't have AC3 audio and I don't want to remuxed them, just literally get the original MPEG2 file back out. I have no need for elementary streams.

[liquiddecay]

The files I have don't have AC3 audio and I don't want to remuxed them, just literally get the original MPEG2 file back out.

this is where where you're not understanding the process. an MPG2 file is an .AC3 (or some other audio type) and the .M2V muxed together. In short, you do need the elementary streams (the .AC3 and .M2V files). once you do have them, you can mux them with TMPGEnc and create the MPG2 file

[energy80s]

Yes, I know that an MPEG file has both audio and video streams in it. But all I want to do is extract the original MPEG2 file out of the vob. Is there any other software that will do this without the demux / remux bit. MPEG2 is notorious for re-muxing/sync errors and I don't want to tempt fate!

[liquiddecay]

MPEG2 is notorious for re-muxing/sync errors and I don't want to tempt fate!

I was not aware of this. I don't know of any software that will convert a .VOB into an .MPG2 (with choice of audio, since an .MPG2 can only have 1 audio stream).

my opinion is just try demuxing the .VOB and then muxing into an .MPG2. It will only take about 1/2 hour. It's not like you're losing money or tremendous amounts of time doing it.