Editing a DVD using Vegas

[carrspaints]

I bought a 3CCD Canon XM2 that I used extensively whilst traveling Asia with my wife. I have now recorded this all onto DVD in an unedited format. The quality is outstanding but I want to try and make this an edited, professional DVD.

Here's the thing....I went out and bought this Sony Vegas 5 and it seems it'll edit alright - just not VOB files from DVDs?? I have spent hours trying to figure out if I've missed something and my eyes now hurt.

Can anyone tell me if I can simply edit .VOB files from a DVD - with the audio as well (audio is in AC3 format)

I am desperately trying to keep this SIMPLE!!!! I'm fed up with software that requires converting files, multiplexing and de-multiplexing, converting audio to .Wav etc. Why in Gods name would anyone want to convert high quality DVD .Vob files into Avi files anyway??? The quality would degrade and it takes ages.

Sorry to go on about this but 6 years after DVDs hit the market and software companies are still wanting to complicate things - KEEP IT SIMPLE!!!!

Sony Vegas looks like it is cram packed with effects and options that could really make my DVD look like a BBC production...is there a way for it to accept VOB files?

If Vegas won't work, can anyone point me towards some software that will??? To confirm - I am trying to edit VOB video with AC3 audio. Almost all DVD recorders bought in the shops record in AC3 format, yet very few software packages allow for compatibility with this audio format. Thanks in advance

[BJ_M]

Vobs are made up of mpeg2 files ...

mpeg2 isNOT meant as an editable format for all practicality ..

converting to uncompressed or lossless avi will not degrade quality ..

cameras that write to vob files directly is pretty much a dumb idea IMO ..

You can drop the vobs into vegas - but not the audio , which will need to be converted to wav files .. Vegas can edit mpeg - but will re-encode it.

dropping the vobs into vegas and converting the audio is at best a 10 minute conversion - and easy to do ..


ac3 is a VERY lossy format and is also not meant for editing --it can be done , but best to convert to wav (which is what (the few) ac3 editors do anyway internally)

you may want to use mpeg2vcr -- which wil edit mpeg and ac3 , not as well as vegas, but will not re-encode either , straght cuts pretty much only though .