re-edit DVD

[dylanb2cm]

Hi,
I want to take a DVD of my wedding and re-edit it. The DVD was done by a pro and I don't have any of the original DV. These are the programs I have:
IMovie
toast 6
ffmpegx

I've aslo been checking out the program MyDVDedit, but after reading the tutorial I still have no idea what it really does. Any suggestions?

[terryj]

When you say you want to re-edit the dvd, what specifically do you mean?
If the video wasn't to your satisfaction, shouldn't you take the
product back to the company who made it and have them "fix it"?

If a mechanic fixes your car, but it still makes "funny Noises"
after you drive it off the shop lot, You can take it back have
them fix the problem correctly.

Or are you trying to do something something else....?

Most videographers that I have run into at Mac Conventions seem
like really nice guys and gals, who work very hard to please their
customers. I'm sure if the video isn't up to your liking, they'd be
happier to fix it, and gain a happier client than an upset one.

That being said....

The tools you have aren't sufficient.
Depending on how the "pro" had the DVD "mastered", it might
end up being more headache to fix the disc, and then re-burn
it yourself to DVD-R, at less quality than the original.

You are opening your self up to ripping the dvd off the disc,
then demuxing the streams therein, re-editing the stream to your liking,
then re-muxing back to mpeg stream and then you'd
still have to RE-AUTHOR the disc.

Far easier to take it back to the pro, but it's your call.
If you wish to proceed, post back, we'll be happy to help.

[dylanb2cm]

No the original is fine. I want to take some of the footage from this DVD and combine it with other DV footage and make a new DVD.

[Frobozz]

Drag the VIDEO_TS folder from the DVD to the Toast Video window. After cancelling the error message select the video that appears in the window and click the Export button. Save the video as a DV file. A 1-hour movie will require about 12 GB as a DV file, by the way. You can now import this DV video to iMovie (which makes a copy that will require an equal amount of HDD space). You now can edit in iMovie. Lastly you can use Toast 6 to encode, author and burn your new DVD from your edited iMovie.

Unless you earlier received permission to reuse the video's content, you should ask the videographer for permission because the videographer owns the copyright.

[terryj]

Fro,
if he only wants a small protion of this,
wouldn't be easier to Rip to the HD
using MTR, and then using MPEGStreamclip,
provided he's willing to buy the MPEG-2 codec,
to clip what he wants, and then export to DV
to patch together with his other DV Footage
in iMovie?
Or is there something else I'm missing...?
I know its a trade off: Completely free vs. Pay,
Having A LOT of HD space, vs. only a couple of GBs
for the exported clip, etc.

and yes, Fro is right, and you may not believe so,
( I've heard of a customer arguing with a videographer I met
at a mac show recently about this) but while the wedding DAY
is yours, the Wedding FOOTAGE is ™, ©, and ® the videographer.
Which is why I made the suggestion of just going back
to the vidoegrapher ITFP. Chance are they have/or can
extract the clip you need and put to disc/HD for a small fee.
*shrugs*

[dylanb2cm]

terryj,
What do you mean by buying the mpeg-2 codec?

[Frobozz]

terryj,
I agree with you that it makes more sense to use MPEG Streamclip to extract the desired segments. My suggestion with using Toast is the least-to-learn method but not the best-to-use method. I don't think the DVD needs to be ripped because it probably isn't copy protected. If so, the video can be extracted directly from the DVD or the VIDEO_TS can probably be dragged to the hard drive.

dylanb2cm, MPEG Streamclip is freeware but it requires Apple's QuickTime MPEG 2 playback component (that you can purchase for download from Apple's site for $19.95) in order to view the MPEG video from your DVD.

[terryj]

Fro,
I figured you were going for the "newbie/free/using his tools
on hand" method, just making sure.

[dylanb2cm]

thanks for the advice

[dylanb2cm]

Well better late then never. Fro, I imported the VIDEO_TS folder to the Toast video window. No error message came up. 2 video frames came up. When I selected the shorter one and hit export. A message came saying I need Toast with Jam. Something abouth the Dolby Digital AC-3 files. I got the same thing for the longer video. Am I doing something wrong?

[terryj]

no. it is just telling you that it can't process the AC3
audio track without the Jam add-on.

At this point, you'll need to use my mention of MPEGStreamclip,
and be sure to purchase ( as Fro stated)
the Mpeg-2 component for Quicktime.

it's cheaper than buying the Jam add on for Toast.

[dylanb2cm]

I just installed the jam add on to my computer. I'm still getting the same error message saying that I need Jam for the doby digital files. What up?

[terryj]

Jam may be looking for the AC3 codec when opening the audio?
see here:
Toast and AC3 or here
go here to get the codec.

[dylanb2cm]

If I buy a stand alone DVD recorder that has a firewire connection on it, could I put a DVD into it and hook my camcorder up to it and copy the disc back on to the camcorder wich would convert it back to DV?

[terryj]

Most on the shelfs only allow Firewire IN, not out.
The Higher Dollar Pioneer Series DOES allow it,
we have discussed this in length here:
DVD Recorders and input to Macs

[Frobozz]

If I buy a stand alone DVD recorder that has a firewire connection on it, could I put a DVD into it and hook my camcorder up to it and copy the disc back on to the camcorder wich would convert it back to DV?

That only would work with the Pioneer 310, 320, 510 and 520. All other standalone DVD recorders do not export DV video via Firewire.

I'm trying to figure out why you're having this difficulty. I have Toast 6 with Jam, selected a personally-burned DVD that had AC-3 audio and when I clicked "Export" the conversion to DV began without a hitch. Did you launch Jam after installing it? (It doesn't need to be open when using Toast. Are you using Toast Titanium 6.0.7 or later (I recommend 6.1.1)? It doesn't work with Toast 6 Lite.

Still, there are lots of tools for exporting to MPEGs to DV.

As for using your camcorder, if it can record via an S-video connection you could just connect the camcorder that way to any DVD player to copy a DV version to tape (or possibly even passthrough to iMovie without recording to tape).