DVD to .. umm .. AVI? MPG? Wanting tips for better approach.

[geddeth]

I'm converting home-shot DVD footage from a Sony DVD Handycam (mini-DVDs) for editing. I'm attempting to get the best quality single-video file to work with, since I can't use VOBs directly in my video editing software. There are other considerations though, so please bear with me:

In short, these are my considerations, top priorities first:

1. Compatibility - needs to be playable on any Win2K-system without any codecs installed, and editable in video software (Adobe) - xvid etc. tends not to be in my experience
2. Quality - best quality available with the codecs at hand (see source footage specs below)
3. Compression speed - shouldn't take days to compress a 1.4GB miniDVD
4. Filesize - least of my worries

Specs of source material:

Media: 1.4GB miniDVD
Container: MPEG-2
Audio: AC3 48000Hz 256kb/s total, 2 channels, CBR
Video: Frame 704x576, SDE 720x576, FAR 1.222, PAR 1.091, DAR 4:3, ~9300kbps, PAL, 25 fps, interlaced, top field first

So far, I've been using VirtualDub-MPEG2 for compressing the VOBs to AVI using Lame MP3 320kbps and Intel Indeo 5.1 at Quality 100 and keyframes every 25 frames. I also use the built-in deinterlace filter in blend mode on each VOB.

I find that the video becomes grainy at times and the sound quality ranges from mediocre to downright cr*p. I'm not sure what it is in the source material that causes this to happen.

Can I do this better in any way?

Cheers,
Geddeth

[lordsmurf]

Extract VOB out to uncompressed AVI with WAV/PCM audio. No loss from the MPEG this way. VirtualDub that can open MPEG is the correct tool for this job.

Open in your video editor. I use Adobe Premiere.

Edit as desired, then export from editor to MPEG encoder. I use Adobe MPEG Encoder or Procoder MPEG plugin.

Author DVD in software of choice. I create menu images in Photoshop. I author and compile menus in Ulead DVD Workshoip 2.

Output is professional quality work.

Very streamlined and simple process, not a lot of codecs or software or settings or other such rot. The only requirement is plenty of hard drive space. I have 1TB.

If uncompressed video is too large, consider using the free HuffYUV codec, or maybe the free Adaptec DVSoft codec (DV stream, 13 GB/hour). Or you could always add another hard drive. If you're doing lots of work and quality is priority #1, get the drive, a nice 250GB or larger (Ultra ATA expansion card, or serial ATA motherboard, may be required).

And don't ask for "best". Ask for a "good method" or "help on improving". "Best" is ridiculed around here, and quite rightly so.


edited for spelling, as usual

[geddeth]

Roger on the 'best' part. There is obviously no such thing.

Will think about the other recommendations and return. Thanks for the swift reply!