How to convert Mpeg1 Muxed files with PC or Mac

[wrawlind]

Hi,

Up until now, I've done all of my converting/authoring on a PC (with TMPGEnc, Virtual Dub, et al.). However, I recently acquired a large number of short video clips that I want to edit and author. Since Windows XP's Movie Maker is a piece of crap, I went through great pains to get limited access to a Mac G4, only to discover that iMovie is incapable of importing the sound in my Mpeg1 Muxed files. Since my time on the Mac will be limited, I was wondering what the fastest method for converting the muxed files into an iMovie workable format would be. Can I do the conversions on the PC (which I own and therefore have as much time on it as I'd like) using PC tools? If not, what tools should I use to convert the files on the Mac (eating up my limited time in the process)? I'm on a student budget, so freeware is much preferred.

Thanks in advance.
-Roland

[galactica]

im sure it can be done... but i didnt see in your text what you wanted to convert them to other than an iMovie format!

but what is your ultimate goal?

[wrawlind]

Thanks for the quick response.

I guess one of my implied questions was: What would be the best format to convert my mpeg1 muxed files into? I think iMovie can read both the video and the sound of a .mov file, but would this necessarily be the most time efficient/least difficult conversion? Might it be faster to convert the mpeg1 muxed into another format whose video as well as audio can be imported into iMovie?

Ultimately, I want iMovie to be able to edit both the video *and* audio portions of my clips, whatever format they might be in.

Thanks again.
-Roland

[SERBIAN]

The best format for iMovie is QuickTime DV...

[galactica]

I guess my question should have been what do you want/need to do
edit out sections?
add text?
add extra audio?

and with that said make what?
VCD? SVCD? DVD?

[wrawlind]

Sorry for not being clear. Ultimately, I want to string together my video clips, with additional digital video footage, to make a movie. This will include editing out sections, adding text, adding special effects, adding audio, etc.

Ideally, the final output will be for DVD, but as my mpeg1 files are not the best quality to begin with, other formats (e.g. VCD) might suffice. The key is to be able to make something substantial fairly quickly, given limited computer time.

Thanks.
-R

[galactica]

right, so just convert the mpeg1's over to DV so you can import them into iMovie and then when you are done with the edit just export to iDVD and burn

open in quicktime, export, choose MOVIE TO DV STREAM and export
keep in mind the file size is substantially larger than the source .mpeg

[terryj]

here's what I do:

When I have a group of MPEGs that I want to bring into imovie and edit
down to one file for iDVD or Toast VCD, I do the following:

1. Place all the MPGs into a folder on the desktop.
2. Launch QT PRO 6, check the size of the file ( 352 x 240, or
whatever)
3. Quit QT Pro6, Launch ffmpegx.
4. Using ffmpegx, I choose MPEG-4[.avi] for video,
set ratio 1:1, size to match what I checked in QT Pro6.
audio I set to .mp3, 160kpbs, 48.1 khz.
5. I then click save as and name the file "name of file.avi"
6. then I click encode. It hands it off to terminal, and I go to the next
file. On a Dual1 G4, i can have about six going at one time in
Terminal before they start to slow down encoding.
7. Once all files have been converted to .avi, I then close ffmpegx.
Close terminal as well.
8. I then launch Divx Doctor II.
9. Set my settings for auto decode, I drag and drop the newly created
avi's onto DDII. IT converts the files to QT Mov.
10. Now just for asthetic sakes ( I'm not messy) I move all the newly
created .mov files into another folder. close QT if it launched after
DDII did its job.
11. With these new movie file there, I launch iMovie.
12. I import the QT movie fiels into iMovie's clip pane, then
arrange them into the timeline as needed. ( I'm using iMovie 3.01)
13. I then trim out unwanted parts.
14. Now with everything properly edited, I decide what my output is going to be. If iDVD, then I just export over to iDVD.
if just a quick and dirty VCD, then I export out of iMovie to Toast VCD
(Best Quality, FIT, 29fps). If it is too long ( Toast VCD Error, if the video
exceeds 60 minutes in length), then I will manually cut the project
in two, and then export each half.

Works REALLY great on usenet mpg files, where PC people
have created mpgs with wierd audio codecs ( Little Endian
especially), and have split them to make smaller uploads.