newbie questions-ripping dvds into files usable with iMovie

[ansberry]

I am a rank beginner at this video stuff. I don't even understand half the language being used. I have read through the tutorials and searched the forum for the last couple of days, but haven't found the information I need. I hope some of you can help me.

Here's the story. I apologize if it is long. Last August my son was killed in an accident on his 18th birthday. People have given me dvds of video of my son running track, playing music, etc. I want to rip these clips from the dvds and open them in iMovie where I'll work on them a little, then combine them all into one larger dvd. Reading this forum, I found out about Mac The Ripper. I used it to rip the dvds to my hard drive. this gives me two folders. The audio folder is empty. The video folder has files labeled: video_ts.bup, video_ts.ifo, vts_01_0.bup, vts_01_ifo, and vts_01_1.vob. I am unable to open these files with iMovie or Final Cut Express. (I really don't have any previous experience with FCE) The appear as grayed out files. So on this forum I read that I needed to "demux" the files. I downloaded ffmpegx to do this. At this point I have several questions. They are probably really basic and stupid, but that is where I am now.

1. I downloaded ffmpegx 0.0.9k. It told me that I was missing some particular file (the name escapes me now). The website said if this happens, download 0.0.9h and switch to k. I downloaded h. To switch to the "k" version, do I just throw away the h version and install k?

2. I looked through all the options on ffmpegx. I went to the website and read all there was to read about it. I couldn't find anything about demuxing files. Can someone tell me how to set ffmpegx up to make these files usable in iMovie?

I apologize if these questions are hopelessly stupid, but I'm trying to find my way through this when I barely speak the language. Any help that you guys can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Mike

[Vintageman]

What you need is something to convert the DVD files to DV. There's a program called DVDxDV it can do what you need. Once the files are converted then you can use them in iMovie or Final Cut. Hope it helps sorry for your loss.

[WiseWeasel]

If you want to edit clips in iMovie, FCP, or QT or something, you'll need to convert them to DV format, which will degrade the picture and audio quality somewhat, but can be edited in QT-based apps. To do so, you can use DVDxDV, ExportToQT (part of the excellent $10 MPEG2Works suite of tools), or MPEG StreamClip (free), the latter two requiring you to purchase the $20 Apple QuickTime MPEG2 Playback Component.

[ansberry]

I downloaded the demo version of DVDxDV to see if I liked it. I selected the export to iMovie in NTSC option. It converted it to a quicktime movie file, which I still can't open in iMovie. What am I missing?

[londor]

Another option is Cinematize.

[WiseWeasel]

You can't choose that output file from DVDxDV in iMovie's Import function? That's strange. Maybe it's because you're using the demo version, though I'm not sure what limitations there are on it. Does the DVDxDV output play in QuickTime?

[ansberry]

Yes, the quicktime file will play with Quicktime. However, the picture is squashed together horizontally into a picture about 4 inches wide and as tall as the monitor. Is the right term for this an "aspect" problem?

Anyway, no, the iMovie import function won't import the quicktime file.

[wester]

This is what I do when I want to capture DVD footage to a QuickTime DV file...

I plug my DVD set top player into my DV camcorder via S-Video if you have it (great quality)... then capture the incoming video using BTV-Pro which I prefer greatly as a DV capture app over iMovie. Your captured movies will then be editable in iMovie and FCP no problem.

Also, if you need to ever capture Macrovision DVD footage BTV-Pro allows you to do that where as iMovie usually won't let you.

That is if you have a DV camcorder with DV passthrough or a Analog to DV capture breakout box.

[ansberry]

I just downloaded the Cinematize demo. I selected the save as separate stream files since I haven't been having any success with the Quicktime movies. It saved the project as a video file (.mov) and an audio file (.aiff). The audio file will import into iMovie. The video file won't. Any ideas?

I have run my dvd player back into my computer and recaptured the video before. It works okay that way, but won't I get copy fade since it has already been compressed once?

[pixeljammedia]

DropDV will create an iMovie ready folder. You can also use the scripts found here: http://www.oakstreetsoftware.com/qtscript.html to split the movie into usable importable chunks. As for your aspect ratio problem, it may be a problem with DVDxDV. Try another solution (Diva and the QT scripts and possibly MAC3Dec for sound will do things for free)

[terryj]

What version of iMovie are you running?
QT .mov import support wasn't introduced
until version 3.02, and wasn't totally finalized until
iMovie 4.01 ( where there weren't any noticeable glitches
on import.)


Select the iMovie icon, and do a Get info ( cmd -I)
and tell us what version you are using.

[ansberry]

Thanks to the help I've received from you guys, I think I'm very close to having what I need to rip my family DVDs, encode them in an mpeg format, convert them to dv format, and import them back to iMovie. I upgraded to iMovie 4, got Quicktime Pro, downloaded DropDV (I'll register it when I know I have it figured out), and downloaded MacTheRipper.

I downloaded the scripts to make Quicktime split the movie file up into smaller chuncks so that iMovie will allow me to import them. They are on my desktop saved as a .dmg file from Explorer. When I open them, they just come up as text in an Explorer window. How do I integrate them with Quicktime to make it work?

thanks
Mike

[live4ever]

Check out mpegstreamclip as well (if you have the QT mpeg2 component) for converting to DV.

[terryj]

.dmg is a disc image file.
You should on your mac, be able to use Disc Utility and
Open( Mount) disc Image file.
From there, it should unpack fine.
Had you used Safari to download it, it would
have unpacked it for you.

[ansberry]

I think I've almost got it. Last night I used Quicktime Pro with the extra scripts to export a large movie (my kids playing in a concert) to iMovie. It did export the first 9 minute chunk to iMovie. Then it started over and exported the first 9 minutes of the movie again. Then it stopped and gave a message saying that it had "timed out". Neither clips had any audio in them. (especially bad for a concert recording) I'm at work now, and can't remember how I set the export preferences on Quicktime. I tried twice and the first time just used the preferences as they were default. The next time I set the video to NTSC something or other and audio to 44.1.

I feel like if I could get over this last hump. Can someone help me out here?

thanks
Mike

[ansberry]

I guess this probably isn't cool to do , but I just wanted to bring this thread back to the top in the hopes that someone will offer me the last bit of advice that I need to finish this project. I need to get Quictime Pro to break the movie down into usable size clips for iMovie. (see above post)

Mike

[terryj]

Sounds like you have encountered MPEGs with AC3 audio.
Either that, or you forgot to set the audio settings in the export dialog box.

First, post back the info that Quicktime Pro reads on one
of your mpegs ( With the mpeg open in QT Pro,
choose cmd-i and the info window will open), and post that info here.
Specifically take a screen shot ( cmd-shift-4) of
the window, or post back the lines that pertain to
video AND audio.

We can help you after you have done that.

[MacDSL]

As an aside question.. Is there any way to get the people who sent you the DVD's to send you the original footage instead? Since they made the DVD's they should have the original footage.. It would make this a lot easier for you...

[MacDSL]

Do you have Toast 6? If so, It's extremely easy to take the Video_TS folder from a DVD and export the audio/video out to .DV format then import that into iMovie and edit to your hearts content. Looks great also.... .DV takes alot of space, but it works well....

[ansberry]

Here are the lines from Quicktime get info on the movie:
Format:MPEG1muxed, 320x240; Movie FPS 29.97; Data size 331.8 MB; data Rate: 171.1 K bytes/sec; duration 00:33:17.11; Normal Size 320x240 pixels

Here are the export preferences: Export: Movie to DV Stream Use: DV NTSC 44.1kHz

I notice that is says that it is muxed. Do I need to use my ffmpegX to demux it in order to get the audio? I am puzzled as to why the scripts that I downloaded from Oakstreetsoftware gave me 2 clips of the first 9 minutes of the movie, and then says it "timed out" and shut itself off. I thought it was supposed to break large movies down into clips usable in iMovie.

I keep thinking that I am just 1 step away from success here, but it turns out to be a mirage.

Mike

[pixeljammedia]

Try this:
1. Grab the Batch DV Splitter from Oakstreet.
2. Open up your MPEG1 in Quicktime.
3. Click Export>movie to mov
4. Select a codec, I usually use Motion JPEG A
5. Let it export
5. Drag your new mov onto the Batch Splitter you downloaded.
6. Wait for Quicktime to finish.
7. Place the created files into your iMovie project's media folder.
8. Open iMovie.
9. Edit and curse about the quality of mpeg1 video at 320x240

there may be a problem with mpeg1 files and moving to a specific time within a movie, saving as a quicktime mov may help.

[ansberry]

I'll give that a try. I won't be home tonight because I have to attend a meeting of area band directors. I'll try it on Friday night or Saturday.

thanks

[ansberry]

I downloaded the Batch Spliltter. I converted my file to a .mov file. I dropped it onto Batch Splitter. It just kept copying the first 5 minutes over and over again. Guess I must be doing something wrong somewhere. I really thought I had it this time.

[pixeljammedia]

Fine, abandon this method, there is something wrong over there, and the scripts are working fine on my comp.

Just use MPEG Streamclip. Drop the mpeg onto the window and select File>Export to Dv. Make sure segment files is selected and let it go. import that output.

[Garibaldi]

Sorry for your loss!

I had a similar problem recently. There is a way to import mpeg2's directly into iMovie, but you have to buy the quicktime plugin from apple. I can't remember the exact site, but when you open mpeg streamclip it should show it. It is $20, and after install iMovie will import mpeg2s.

[sjk]

MPEG-2 Playback Component, right off Apple's main QuickTime page, Garibaldi.

[Garibaldi]

MPEG-2 Playback Component, right off Apple's main QuickTime page, Garibaldi.

Thanks for telling me, sorry I didn't look it up again, I was on a different computer or I could have just checked my history. But yes that codec does let you import mpeg 2's into iMovie, but I'm still having trouble getting it to import vobs from dvds.

[sjk]

What type of trouble are you having importing VOB files? Which version of iMovie?

[Garibaldi]

What type of trouble are you having importing VOB files? Which version of iMovie?

The newest version, I believe its 5.0 if I'm not mistaken. Here is the thread:
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=261119

Thanks.

[sjk]

Thanks for the link. Looks like the threads refer to each other.