NEW Question Editing middle of the movie

[swpowe]

So I want to cut out part of a movie..like 45 mins into it. SO What i'm trying to do is demux my VOB and edit .. right. The problem is for some reason everytime I convert the vob to an m2v file FCP won't recognize it. I try to check it with "more missing mpeg tools" to make sure it's showing as a mpeg2 file and it's saying it isn't..missing header info. Can't open with Quicktime ( i assume because of the problem's they're having). Its really starting to drive me crazy. I just want to cut like 5 mins off the middle of my movie. I'm trying to think of any info that you guys may need...let me know. thanks for the help

[WiseWeasel]

FCP (or any QuickTime based app) won't edit MPEG2 video. You need to export the entire thing to DV format (along with the audio), and then you can edit it, and export that back to MPEG2. Make sure you edit the soundtrack with the video so the final output synchs up.

[swpowe]

Thanks for the info. Whats the best way to convert it to DV and what kind of settings should I use so I don't lose quality. Do you have any ideas why some VOB files would work but the 3rd or fourth wouldn't? Is there any reason why i wouldn't be able to just convert the middle of the movie? Thanks!!

[maetel99]

If you just want the video, you can use DiVA to convert the VOB to DV. If you want the audio also, you have two choices:

1. Use several different freeware tools to demux the VOB, decode the audio, etc. There are many postings in the forum on this.

2. Pay some money and use a commercial tool like Cinematize.

[swpowe]

If i use Diva to convert the VOB to DV won't I lose quality?

[MikieV]

If i use Diva to convert the VOB to DV won't I lose quality?

Not on the conversion ("de-compression") from VOB to DV, but AFTER editing in FC, and re-compressing to VOB(mpeg2) - since the compression to mpeg2 is "lossy" (or "not lossless").

With a high-quality compression, you may not even notice the difference.

If you do notice the difference, and it is un-acceptable, you would have to edit the mpeg in something like CaptyTV (sp?) which allows cutting and splicing mpeg2 files without decode/encode steps - but no fancy editing ala FCP or FCE.

I was depressed to see Canopus has announced new software to do frame-accurate edits of mpeg1/2 files. Didn't have the heart to see if they even mention a Mac version.

Mike

[swpowe]

thanks. Do you know where I can get CaptyTV? I've never heard of it and can't seem to find it any of my usual places. Thanks again.

[MikieV]

thanks. Do you know where I can get CaptyTV? I've never heard of it and can't seem to find it any of my usual places. Thanks again.

It is a commercial (Pixela Corporation), Japanese program, ported to English by companies like ADSTech - which make hardware analog-to-mpeg1/2 encoders. See: http://www.adstech.com/products/macav1750/bundledsoftwares/mac1750bundle.asp?pid=MACAV1750

From the info on that page, it may be the PixelDV software you need for editing, and CaptyTV for DVD-authoring.

I thought ADSTech and/or LaCie(?) were selling the software separately (at one time), but you'd have to check their sites.

On the free/shareware side - some programs have been discussed here => the draw-back seems to be the lack of frame-accurate cuts/trims. The programs will let you trim the file to a certain size (i.e. split into 650-meg chunks for S/VCD use) or cut at a specified timecode setting, but nothing like being able to set the edit points in QT Pro, or FCE/FCP.

I've done editing of couple-hundred-k divx files in QT Pro (1/2-hour TV episodes) - to remove the opening and closing credits from multiple episodes => so they would all fit on a DVD-R. That was painful enough, on my Dual-G4 450MHz!! I can't imagine trying to edit a multi-Gig VOB that way. My system would be brought to a halt!.

Mike

[MikieV]

A related discusion:
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=193087&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

Regarding moving the mpeg2 files from a Sony DVD-cam to FCE => since it involves the same issue of demuxing the VOB into QuickTime.

Mike