Basic editing tool for MPEG-2 without re-encoding?

[mainecooncat1]

I've got 30 minute TV shows converted from betaSP tapes to MiniDV tapes. The MPEG-2 files pulled over from a camcorder show the video at 8000 kbps. If I just burn the captured video files to DVD (with no editing) I get a DVD with a bitrate of just over 8.0 Mbps.

The video has several commercial breaks (dead space for commercials to be inserted) that I'd like to edit out. I've tried several tools (Roxio's Easy DVD Creator 6, TMPGEnc DVD Author) and both allow me to edit it but the resulting DVD has a lower bit rate and a noticeably poorer video quality.

Is there a tool that allows simple editing (just need to cut some segments out - no fades, etc.) without re-encoding the video?

[troyvcd1]

i am not sure if this works but I would give virtualdub-mpg a shot.

[ZippyP.]

TMPGEnc DVD Author doesn't re-encode so I don't see how it's affecting the quality. That aside, you can try Womble either MPeg-VCR or Video Wizard.

[fourthquark]

mainecooncat1,

Are you sure the video is actually in mpeg2 format to start with? Reason I ask is that you say you have TV shows were converted from betaSP tapes to miniDV tapes. If the media you are starting from is miniDV, I would think that the video is in DV format, not mpeg2 format. I don't think it is possible to record video onto miniDV tape in mpeg2 format (well, maybe possible but definitely not routine).

If the video files were pulled from a mini-DV camcorder into your computer via firewire, assuming there was no other processing done by the capture program (such as on-the-fly mpeg2 conversions) and also no subsequent mpeg2 conversion prio to editing, the video files you are editing would be DV format, not mpeg2.

If your video is in DV format to begin with, that would explain why your editing software is "re-encoding" when you try to save the edited material in mpeg2.

[qlizard]

If it is MPEG, here is a long post on the subject.
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=185784&highlight=

[Specialist]

Have a look at Ulead VideoStudio 7.0.

The free trial is available for download on the page at the following link:

http://www.ulead.com/vs/trial.htm

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

Is there a tool that allows simple editing (just need to cut some segments out - no fades, etc.) without re-encoding the video?

[curritch]

Pinnacle Studio 8 has a feature called smart rendering that allows simple mpg edit without re-encoding. But it seems to be a little inconsistent as to whether it decides to re-encode or not.

TMPGEnc has the ability (under mpg tools) to create new files from selected segments of a larger file and then to re-combine these segments into a single file. It's cumbersome if a lot of cutting is involved but is OK for simplistic things.

[donpedro]

Just a reminder.... There is new version Pinnacle Studio version 9, so if you see in store version 8.... don't buy it. For some reason they are in store like Best Buy at the same price.

[syeager]

Definately try VideoStudio 7. That is a key feature of that program. Studio 8 says it does not rerender but the time it takes to not rerender is still quite long. VideoStudio 7 allows you to select or deselect multiple segments of the same file and if it is DVD compliant (and VS7 is far more forgiving than most apps in this area) then it does not reencode.

Excellent editing capability and as well as DVD authoring of non-typical mpeg2 files. You can get an SE version on ebay for around $15 with shipping.

[babiulep]

You could try using TMPGEnc merge & cut under mpeg-tools.
Load your mpeg several times and select what you need....

[mainecooncat1]

Thanks for all the discussion. After some more research, here's what I think was happening. The original video/audio from DV tape was coming over as MPEG-2 (720x480) with a maximum bitrate of 8000 kbps.

When I used Roxio Easy DVD Creator 6 it burned at the same video bitrate but encoded the audio as linear PCM (1536 kbps). When I encoded using TMPGEnc DVD Author it used MPEG-1 Audio Layer 2 encoding at 128 kbps. The difference in audio bitrates was the difference in total bitrate that I saw when playing the DVD-R disks from these two programs. Apparently seeing a lower bitrate influenced me and I saw the lower bitrate one as poorer video quality.

When I tried to put three 30 minute TV shows on one DVD-R disk, Roxio did compress the video stream and that did produce a poorer video quality (total bitrate was about 7.0 Mbps with 1.5 Mbps for PCM audio leaving just 5.5 Mbps for video). Thus the difference in video quality (5.5 Mbps versus just shy of 7.0 Mbps on average from the original file).

I believe those who wrote that TMPGEnc DVD Author doesn't re-encode are correct. Roxio did reencode when I asked it to put three 30 minute shows on a single disk. It remains to be seen if Roxio would reencode if it were just two 30 minute shows with some basic editing.

Anyway, thanks for all the help and discussion. Now all I need to do is choose a DVD-R printable disk to use for the project. Any suggestions for a high-quality DVD-R printable media (4x or 8x as I'm using a Plextor 708A burner).

[J3M]

I've been having wonderful success using Womble's MPEG Video Wizard. I record Family Guy off of Adult Swim each week night. I use it to cut out the commercials and I've not had any sync problems and it doesn't re-encode the files so it's very fast. You might want to give it a shot.

[Specialist]

Have a look at Ulead's two video editors:

1. Ulead VideoStudio:

http://www.ulead.com/vs/trial.htm

2. Ulead MediaStudio Pro:

http://www.ulead.com/msp/trial.htm

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

Is there a tool that allows simple editing (just need to cut some segments out - no fades, etc.) without re-encoding the video?

[lordsmurf]

Womble MPEG-VCR