indie filmmaker needs help "ripping" DVD for Vegas

[KuriousJorj]

Hi gang, very good website! Now then...

I do indie short films, miniDV, edit using Sony Vegas 5.0, and prepare for DVD using DVDArchitect2... Recently, my "video storage" drive (2 Cheetahs, striped RAID 0) went out, as one of the PCB's has a burnt component...

So I'm temporarily using my OS system drive until I get a new dedicated video storage drive.

Here's the problem:

A friend gave me a DVDr of him teaching, 1hr 40min, and he wants me to fix it up (titles, color correction, music, etc...)

Thanks to this site, I used "Clier's" ac3tool, and it worked quite nicely for the audio.

As for the video, I simply tried "copying" the .VOB files to my desktop, then renaming the extensions to .mpeg, but when I pulled them into Vegas, the video files were only 1 minute total in length, and there were "jump cuts" all throughout, many of the cuts only several frames in length... It's almost as though it "scrunched" the 1hr 40min video into 1 minute!

So I got DVDEncrytper from here, thinking that 'copying' and 'ripping' are different, but when I tried ripping the files to my desktop, I got the exact same result! The quality looks fine, but the shortened time and jump cut/frames I can't figure out.

Basically, I'd like a completely uncompressed video file from the DVDr that I can edit with in Vegas. Then I'll re-render, take in DVDA2, and re-burn... It's the uncompressed video that's giving me trouble...

I've poured over this site, but have no clue.... Any help?

[canadateck]

I think what might help.Is ripping the DVD into ONE big File,this can be done with DVD Decrypter in file mode I think,In the setting make sure to set do not SPLIT files.Then take that into Vegas.

[KuriousJorj]

ps. I want to use a FREE tool, as I don't plan on doing this all too often...

thanks

--BJ

[KuriousJorj]

Okay, thanks, I'll look at that...

Although, when I "explore" the DVDr, there are already multiple .VOB's...

Read up on this site about that, but still unsure...

[canadateck]

Yes Ripping to one big file will basically join all those Vobs into one Video file.

[KuriousJorj]

Okay, I ripped to one, large file...

But on the Vegas timeline, it's still only around 1 minute... There aren't as many "jump cuts/inserted frames" as before (with mulitple, shortened .mpegs), but there are some...

Also, I noticed, the file size itself (ie, after ripping) is 3.2 GB...

Interesting that it is taking video that should be 1hr 40min, and somehow ripping it into a 3.2GB file that, when pulled into a Vegas timeline, is only 1 minute in length (albiet, with 'inserted frames' from throughout what would be the entire video stream)...

The source media/DVDr disk itself looks fine upon vidual inspection, and plays fine on my television...

[canadateck]

Does the file open in a Software Player? and what length does it show?

[Baldrick]

or frameserve
https://www.videohelp.com/guides.php?guideid=759#759
if you have problems importing vobs.

[KuriousJorj]

Well, I'm getting closer...maybe (I can't believe how seemingly hard this has been!)

I tried using FVAPI, but it wouldn't open anything, giving an error message something like this:

????c:directory/of the/file/d2v,m2v, or whatever???????????

So what simple thing am I doing wrong?


ps. GDIndex DOES show the preview of the original VOB/mpeg files as being correct, ie, no splices, proper length, etc. --I don't know why when Vegas opens them, it's all screwed up

[canadateck]

I assume you have gotten The Vobs into one Big file?
Maybe if you De-mux the Video and Audio, Vegas wont give you a Problem.

[KuriousJorj]

Actually, I think I tried that... will try again...

Leave tomorrow, won't be able to report results for 5-6 days...

thanks for help!

[KuriousJorj]

Update:

Decided to start over, so tonight, I added another (temporary) HD to serve as a video storage drive...


1. I used DVDEncrypter to re-rip the DVD to one, single large .VOB file (onto the 'new' HD, to make sure disk space wasn't an issue), which is around 3.2 GB...

2. then I used DGIndex to confirm the full video length and content was ripped, then chose FILE>SAVE (having set demux to .wav)...

This gave me a 1 GB .wav, and a "d2v" file.

There is also an ".IFO" file, though I don't know where it's from.

3. Finally tried to use VFAPI, but it will NOT open ANY of the files in the folder; the d2v, or any other... (gives same error as I described earlier)

I've clicked on the .bat file numerous times... a command prompt window briefly appears, I assume it's running the batch file...

As far as I can tell, I'm doing what the tutorial advises, yet I STILL CAN'T GET THE VIDEO IN A FORM VEGAS CAN USE...

what on earth am I doing wrong here?

thank ye!

[KuriousJorj]

Update:

I was given another DVD to patch up, from another source...

This DVD so far seems to be no problems to bring into Vegas... (simply by ripping; no DGIndex or FVAPI needed...)

Will confirm this later this evening... But if it is so, would imply that somehow, my problem is inherent to the video material of the original DVD; strange that it looks normal in DGIndex, but still won't open properly in Vegas...

[KuriousJorj]

Well, the DVD from another source ripped and edited with Vegas 5.0 fine... and I'm already finished with that project.

The same folks (who I'm having the original trouble with) gave me another DVD they made the same way as the problematic DVD; recorded, then "finalized" in real-time at an event they videotaped. They need it fixed up also.

Again, I used DVDEncrypter, and ripped to one, large .VOB. When I open it in Vegas, again I get the 'scrunched' 1 minute clip...

I also noticed that as I play it on the timeline, the "Frame: x" under the preview monitor window displays random numbers (possibly increasing in value, so it is getting clips from further in the video file), with a dots/elipsis after the random numbers... Very strange.

As I said, the file looks fine on DGIndex, so I have no clue why it won't pull into the Vegas timeline...


ps. this DVD is also over an hour long, like the first, problematic one... The recent DVD project that I successfully ripped and fixed up, was only around 20min long...

[lordsmurf]

Rip to single VOB with DVD DECRYPTER
Extract audio and video using VOBEDIT

You won't be disappointed. This one works.

[KuriousJorj]

I tried VobEdit and then, as per the only guides I could find, used IfoEdit...

I'm not even sure what they're for, as I can't find a single command to turn anything into an .avi or even an .mpeg so I can edit it...

I have to be overlooking something utterly stupid or simple; how on earth can I preview the .VOB (or mpeg, or "m2v," or whatever the hell) using DGIndex...yet cannot open it in Vegas? (well, I could the one project) The simple answer is: "There's something wrong with your software/hardware...!"

It's amazing these people go to all the effort of making all this software, yet won't make it (apparently) simple and direct and intuitive to those that aren't DVD gurus or C+++++ programmers...

[dcsos]

Here's what I do If VEGAS won't read my VOB's

I transcode in VIDOMI to MPEG-4 and create an 'internegative'
Then the huge resultant MPEG-4 stream always shows up on the timeline in VEGAS in full

In this manner I loose all chapter information in the original however.
But If I keep the bit rate in the CODEC I used in VIDOMI (usually MPEG-4 V8 at 6million bits a second)high, no hideous losses are immediately visible in the final output.

I don't know why, but 1 out of 10 DVD's do what you've seen when you try to edit in VEGAS..
Premiere Pro also fails , but even more often

[KuriousJorj]

FINALLY! That did it!

Actually, I had to experiment to get the right Codec working; many of them locked up half way through (several hours) the render... OR, they would merely crash right from the get-go... "Couldn't open log file," etc.

As of now, I've had success with the "DivX for quality 1-pass," and it seems pretty good!

THANKS A MILLION!!!