How do I edit home video DVDs [with Pinnacle Studio 8]?

[drdrop]

I am trying to edit already-authored home video DVDs (in case I want to make a "best of" DVD one day, etc.). Since I am very comfortable with editing video with Pinnacle Studio (I'm currently using version 8), I would prefer to convert the authored DVD files to either .avi, .mpg, or .mp2 files (which, as far as I can tell, are the only file types Studio 8 will import).

I tried ripping the .vob files with SmartRipper, then de-multiplexing to a .d2v and a .wav with DVD2AVI, then using TMPGEnc Plus to encode to MPEG-2. (This is how I’ve done VCDs in the past, without any problems.) Everything works fine until I get to the TMPGEnc Plus part . . .

I am using the project wizard in TMPGEnc Plus version 2.521.58.169, core version 1.98.152, to make an NTSC DVD MPEG-2. However, when I get to the "browse for video file" part, "DVD2AVI Project File (*.d2v)" is not one of the file type choices. If I go ahead and try to open it anyway, I get a "can not open, or unsupported" error message.

I used to use TMPGEnc version 2.54.37.135, core version 1.87.133, to do VCD stuff, but my MPEG-2 trial version has expired. (This version imports .d2v files without any problem.) So, I loaded TMPGEnc plus on another computer to make sure it would work before buying it, and that's as far as I've gotten.

I’ve tried browsing the how to and forum sections of this site, but haven’t really found how to do this. (Or, have found all the information, but haven’t figured out how to put it in the right combination . . .) Is there something simple that I'm doing wrong? If not, why would the newer version of TMPGEnc not support .d2v files, while the older one did? Is there a way to just activate the MPEG-2 support on my old version without upgrading to the newer version? If not, is there another software combination that can let me do what I'm trying to do?

Thanks!

-Dave

[rcarlton]

Let me know, I am interested in doing the same.

[Bob W]

If I could get Studio 8 to run more than five minutes without locking up my computer I would tell you how to do it. Maybe try changing the file extension of the VOB files to mpeg will work. It does using NeoDVD Plus .

[Turtle49]

To extract an MPG from an existing DVD....
From prevoius post.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- one way is to demux your video and audio streams using VOBEdit and then multiplex them using TMPEnc.

- another way is to use TMPGEnc DVD Author (30 day trial available) to wite the mpg to your hard drive after importing DVD video.

Hope this helps

[rcarlton]

Thanks for the advice. I used Vobrator to demux and then Tmpgenc Plus 2.5 to multiplex which created an mpg file that was usable in Studio 8. I have not tried tmpgenc dvd author yet but the web site seems to suggest that the file to be authored must be an mpg.

[presto]

I have not tried tmpgenc dvd author yet but the web site seems to suggest that the file to be authored must be an mpg.

Tmpgenc DVD Author can import DVD video directly. It can read a DVD and allow you to quickly cut out parts you don't want and author a new DVD. If you just want to take clips from several DVD's and put them on one DVD with a new menu it is ideal. If you need to do fancy editing you will have to spend hours and hours with all those other programs.

[rcarlton]

That sounds like a good idea. I have a stand alone DVD recorder and I have been transferring my old Hi-8mm to a DVD disc. This is quick and easy but my DVD recorder does not allow for any authoring. My thoughts were to convert the files to mpg then use Studio 8 to create menus, etc. This can be very time consuming and I am only looking to create some basic menu options. Presto, I read your post and it seems like tmpgenc dvd author will do what I need without spending all that time using different software, editing, rendering, and burning a new DVD. Thanks, I hope to have time over the holidays to try tmpgenc dvd author.

[BobK]

After creating the menus, TMPGEnc DVD Author will create the new DVD about 20 times faster than Studio 8 too.

[presto]

Just look for the "Add DVD Video" button under the "Add Video" button. Don't be concerned if things seem to freeze for a bit (much less than a minute for me). After the DVD tracks pop up and you select one you probably want to put a check in the box that forces Tmpgenc DVD Author to first copy files to your hard drive before working with them.

[rcarlton]

Stream writing error. Hey, thanks for the advice but I'm having some problems with TMPGEnc DVD Author. Okay, I'm trying to use TMPGEnc DVD Author. Under Source I select add DVD Video option. I select the title and audio to add as a clip. Then, I select copy to HDD so that I can edit the data using the hard drive and increase the authoring speed. Before the copy is complete I receive a Stream Writing Error, and the clip is not copied. I have been successful when authoring directly from the DVD but this is very slow. I tried copying to a different drive and different folder. I have a DVD Burner and CD/DVD Player and I've tried reading from both but still get the same error. Any suggestions on how to prevent the error???

[presto]

I think you get that error when you don't have enough hard drive space.

[rcarlton]

I believe I solved the problem. My hard drives were FAT32 and I converted them to NTFS. My output file size was over 4GB. I also took your advice and used a hard drive with more space. Using TMPGenc DVD Author is much much faster using the hard drive.

[rcarlton]

Also, TMPGEnc DVD Author did create an mpeg file from the DVD that can be opened and edited with Pinnacle Studio 8. If you need simple authoring using TMPGEnc DVD Author seems to be the way to go. I essentially backed up my Video tapes (MicroMV, 8MM and VHS) onto a DVD using a stand alone recorder (Liteon). This accomplished my goal to easily back up my video tapes. I then used TMPGEnc DVD Author to create another DVD with some basic menus and chapters. When I want to create a fancy DVD I can capture directly from my camcorder, or open the mpeg file, using Pinnacle Studio 8.

[northcat_8]

I think your easier solution would be, since they are already in DVD form and you don't want to capture everything. I would just plug your stand alone DVD player into your break out box (you'll even get the stereo sound input) and just capture it like you would from a VHS tape. And you will be capturing to DV-AVI 720x480 so you will maintain your high quality.

That way you don't have to hassle with ripping, converting, importing, cutting it up, etc, etc. Just cut to the chase.

You will of course need to capture to a NTFS formatted drive. 15 minutes of DV-AVI is approximately 4 GB of disc space.

Just a suggestion but if I were doing it, that's how I would do it, especially with how much time you are going to spend converting VOB to mpeg, still having to chop it up later in studio 8, etc, etc. Plus when you get done editing it you can render to MPEG-2 or just create your DVD using S8. For what ever reason, even when TMPEGenc gives me a MPEG-2 file studio 8 will still rerender it.

[donpedro]

Just a suggestion but if I were doing it, that's how I would do it, especially with how much time you are going to spend converting VOB to mpeg, still having to chop it up later in studio 8, etc, etc. Plus when you get done editing it you can render to MPEG-2 or just create your DVD using S8. For what ever reason, even when TMPEGenc gives me a MPEG-2 file studio 8 will still rerender it.

Pinnacle Studio version 8 will re-encode as soon as you EDIT.

[northcat_8]

Donpedro -

What are you talking about?

[donpedro]

I updated my post with "qoute" so now I hope it is clear.

[northcat_8]

I still don't understand what you are saying...

If he takes and rips his home DVD brings in the vob file and coverts it to a MPEG file...it is still the full length video contained in that VOB file. If he is wanting to make a "highlight" film then he is going to still need to crop the video. Which means he is still going to have to render each clip, which is a step he can eliminate if he just captures using S8. He will still have to render but he won't have a 30 minute MPEG-2 file laying on his HD and then have to scrub the whole clip to find that parts. Capturing from the DVD player he can fast forward and pause and save a few steps.

If you play the DVD and just capture it using studio 8 you will capture in the DV-AVI format. After editing you will still have to render the clip to begin and end where you cropped it and to render any transitions you put into it.

The same is true if you import a MPEG file and do any editing to it. You edit the clip then you have to render the clip.

The rendering does not take place automatically as you edit the clip. Now if you are editing a MPEG-2 clip and you are keeping it a MPEG-2 clip then the render time is extremely quick. But if you are taking a AVI file and converting it to MPEG-2 the render is longer.

Any VOB file that I have processed and ended up using TMPEGenc to give me a MPEG file. When I bring it into Studio 8 and do anything to it, studio 8 will render the file just like it is converting from the AVI to MPEG format. I don't really know why it does that since the MPEG-2 is already DVD compatible, I assume it has something to do with the codecs.

[donpedro]

Any VOB file that I have processed and ended up using TMPEGenc to give me a MPEG file. When I bring it into Studio 8 and do anything to it, studio 8 will render the file just like it is converting from the AVI to MPEG format. I don't really know why it does that since the MPEG-2 is already DVD compatible, I assume it has something to do with the codecs.

It does that becouse you "do something to it".... So you are changing it so it needs re-encode. If you don't modify mpeg stream (no cut/titles/sound mod./color adjust/e.t.c.) PS8 will not re-encode. What is so dificult about it ? It's like when you opne picture in editor. If you don't change anything you don't have to save it again. If you change color or 1 dot, you will need to save (re-encode).

[northcat_8]

It does that becouse you "do something to it".... So you are changing it so it needs re-encode. If you don't modify mpeg stream (no cut/titles/sound mod./color adjust/e.t.c.) PS8 will not re-encode.

Not to seem sarcastic but no $h!t?

I am trying to edit already-authored home video DVDs (in case I want to make a "best of" DVD one day, etc.). Since I am very comfortable with editing video with Pinnacle Studio (I'm currently using version 8)

Studio Version 8 does not re-encode as SOON as you edit. You edit, then you render. The program may decide that you need to render as soon as you edit but it does not edit in real time.

This guy is talking about EDITING the video...hence, he will need to render the finalized video....if he brings it in runs it from VOB to MPEG-2, then into Studio 8....EDITS it....he will still have to render the video, but in this case he had to bring it in as a VOB use DVD2AVI or similar to convert the vobs to avi's. Bring those avi's into TMPEGenc, convert those AVI's into Mpegs, sound is now in a different file (m2v). Then import those mpegs into studio 8, edit them to crop out what he doesn't want, get the audio to line up right if it is speech instead of music. THEN he will have to render the final video. That is 4 conversions on the same video file for every piece of video he wants to bring in. When if he just captures it, it all comes into studio 8, he captures it in pieces so cropping is just shaving the beginning and ends of each clip...sound is stable also and when he's done he only has to render the final video once if he uses S8 to make the DVD or converts the AVI's to DVD compliant MPEG-2's and uses a different software to author the DVD.

And just so we are straight, when I bring a MPEG file in from TMPEGenc, even if I don't edit it at all, studio 8 will still re-encode it. I believe that to be a codec issue although I'm not sure and I don't care, I don't do it often enough to figure it out.

[donpedro]

And just so we are straight, when I bring a MPEG file in from TMPEGenc, even if I don't edit it at all, studio 8 will still re-encode it. I believe that to be a codec issue although I'm not sure and I don't care, I don't do it often enough to figure it out.

We are like two guys on the street. One is saying grass is green and second is arguing with him that his car is yellow.

All I wanted to say is. If you bring mpg file into PS8 that is DVD Compliant and setup everything as you should... if you don't edit it will not re-encode... if you edit it will re-encode.

I see you don't care, but if anybody else does... more info how to do it is here :
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=412146

[northcat_8]

Agreed.

We were talking about 2 different things.

My version of TMPEGenc is 2.53.35.130 installed in March 2002 and last accessed in April 2002...maybe that's why Studio 8 Re-renders the files...all the dust on them :P

[tim_k]

I'm trying to do the same thing. I didn't want to convert a whole VOB just to get a 2-3 sec clip. My video editing computer no longer has analog capture. Just firewire. Is there any other way to capture straight from a DVD? If it matters, I want to capture clips from some original movie DVD's. Is there any software DVD players that can act as a capture device?

[donpedro]

Try to look into Womble MPEG-VCR . It should be able to open file and you should be able to cut-out your small piece without re-encoding. If I am not mistaken.

[drdrop]

Thanks for all the advice, everyone!

I know it's kind of an archaic solution, but since you can get CD-Rs for free after rebates almost every week at OfficeMax, I've actually started archiving my DVD-compliant MPEG files on CD-Rs, in addition to authoring the DVDs themselves.

So, whenever I want to combine clips, etc., I just pull them out of my MPEG library, bring them into Pinnacle S8, edit and re-render them, and I'm on my way.

It might take a little longer, but I'm satisfied with not having to learn / screw with a bunch of additional programs; I can just stick with what I'm used to. (In case anyone cares, I can't get Pinnacle to author DVDs for the life of me, but haven't had any problems using it to edit clips and render to MPEGs. I'm using DVD-lab to do the DVD authoring.)

Thanks again for all the help!

-Dave