converting unencrypted dvd to quicktime movie or some other QT format

[tab75-13]

How can I do the above? I have QT pro and the mpeg 2 qt playback installed.

Also what would be the best Quicktime format in terms of preserving the quality in sound and picture of the video from the DVD to the suggested QT format?

Would be grateful for your instruction in this regard.

Best

t

[Frobozz]

MPEG Streamclip will do this for you. As for the format, why are you wanting to convert the video from the DVD?

[tab75-13]

I used to have this video in DV, but now all I have of it is a dvd as I had to get rid of the DV because it occupied too much space on my then limited hard drive space. I did make a .mov film in the process, but its quality is not as good as the DVD of course. I realize if I go now to make a QT movie from the DVD, it will lose some quality in the process. I am willing to try though to see what I get. Guess I will look into MPEG streamclip.

Thanks for your help.

t

[Frobozz]

You can use Streamclip to export the video back to DV. But what I'd do is merely extract the MPEGs from the DVD and save those to the hard drive. Then, whenever I wanted to re-use some of that video in a new project I'd convert just the part I want to use. (All of that can be done with Streamclip). There's no reason I can think of to store the MPEG video in a format that requires more hard drive space.

[tab75-13]

Mpeg Sreamclip requires the Quicktime Mpeg-2 playback component. I had downloaded that earlier but for an earlier version of QT, so I had to download an update from Apple. When I played one of the .vob files from the video-ts folder from my DVD, I got no sound. Why is that again? Something to do with the audio files in the .vob, right? Is there a workaround for that? In any case, I'm exporting from the .vob files in the video ts folder to .mp4 format. Hopefully I'll get good quality. Or should I have exported to DV first, then go from there to .mp4 format. I guess I'd have to use MPEG streamclip to do that again, right?
I wanted to try to email the video, hence the .mp4 selection. Hopefully the sound quality will be preserved as in the .mov version of the video i have the sound quality leaves a lot to be desired.
How would you rate what I'm doing, attempting to do?

Thanks for any feedback.

best,

t

[terryj]

Sounds like your trying to do a lot..

The audio is most like AC3, you will need the AC3 codec for
QT(google it), as Apple broke this in versions of QT 7.02 and up.

If what you want is .VOB to .mp4, ffmpegx will handle the job
just fine, allowing you to drag and drop the .vob into the summary
window, and from there, you can choose .MP4, and set your
options accordingly for email ( I personally choose VCD
[320x240], with 96kb AAC audio) and click encode.

If you are wanting however to create a working copy of the
DVD in .mp4 format, and by working I mean something of
good quality you can re-use in other projects, I wouldn't bother
with .mp4 and just do like Fro said and keep the .vob, as your
.mp4 COMPRESSED will be of less quality than your original .vob.

[Frobozz]

Or should I have exported to DV first, then go from there to .mp4 format. I guess I'd have to use MPEG streamclip to do that again, right?
I wanted to try to email the video, hence the .mp4 selection. Hopefully the sound quality will be preserved as in the .mov version of the video i have the sound quality leaves a lot to be desired.
How would you rate what I'm doing, attempting to do?

There would be no advantage in exporting to DV before encoding the MPEG 4. That actually would result in slightly lower quality. For emailing you might want to consider lowering the resolution to 320x240 to get the file size smaller. Also, you might check the deinterlace video box.

[tab75-13]

TerryJ,

I looked for the ac3 component for mpeg-2 files for QT 7.02 and later, googling for it, and found nothing. Any clues to its whereabouts?

Even if such a codec existed for QT < 7.02, Ive heard that the previous codec would not allow audio to be exported via QT pro. So i assume if the ac3 codec exists for my QT (7.1) it would not export audio, right?
BTW, TerryJ thank you for your response!

Frobozz,

Thank you for your response. No, i didn't think that exporting to DV and then to mp4 was a good route to purse. I exported the .vobs directly to .mp4 but still got a pretty big file, approx 500 mb. If I want share this file via QT pro (email it) the size is still pretty daunting even in the smallest export size available, (which I believe is the 320x size), approx 72 mb, big enough for a gmail size inbox, but not the normal sizes people usually have. I guess i can try the vcd quality that terryj mentioned in ffmpegx, but i don't want to lose much video quality. I might try to reexport from mpeg streamclip using the constraints you mentioned (applying them in mepg streamclip i assume) instead of exporting from QT pro to email the .mp4 file I've just generated. Pehrpas that will get me a small neough file with good quality to email.

Thank you both for your help in this regard,

Best,

t

[Case]

I looked for the ac3 component for mpeg-2 files

No such thing. The QuickTime AC3 component is for decoding AVI files with AC3 audio, not MPEG.

If I want share this file [...] (email it) the size is still pretty daunting

If you want to share big files, you may want to consider YouSendIt's wonderful service.

[terryj]

TerryJ,

I looked for the ac3 component for mpeg-2 files for QT 7.02 and later, googling for it, and found nothing. Any clues to its whereabouts?

Even if such a codec existed for QT < 7.02, Ive heard that the previous codec would not allow audio to be exported via QT pro. So i assume if the ac3 codec exists for my QT (7.1) it would not export audio, right?
BTW, TerryJ thank you for your response!

AC3 for Quicktime, and it has been verified ( besides myself :P ) to work with
QT 7.0.4.

your welcome, best of luck with this....

Frobozz,

Thank you for your response. No, i didn't think that exporting to DV and then to mp4 was a good route to purse. I exported the .vobs directly to .mp4 but still got a pretty big file, approx 500 mb. If I want share this file via QT pro (email it) the size is still pretty daunting even in the smallest export size available, (which I believe is the 320x size), approx 72 mb, big enough for a gmail size inbox, but not the normal sizes people usually have. I guess i can try the vcd quality that terryj mentioned in ffmpegx, but i don't want to lose much video quality. I might try to reexport from mpeg streamclip using the constraints you mentioned (applying them in mepg streamclip i assume) instead of exporting from QT pro to email the .mp4 file I've just generated. Pehrpas that will get me a small neough file with good quality to email.

Thank you both for your help in this regard,

Best,

t

[tab75-13]

I'm afraid Case may be right. I downloaded and installed the AC3 component from the site that terryj linked to. The mpeg-2's audio still does not play in QT (7.1). I just recall that it used to in an earlier version of QT. So Terryj and others are probably right that the link was broken via QT 7.02.

I guess I'm up the creek. Thanks to Case for the link to the program to send big files.

best,

t

[Frobozz]

But doesn't the sound play okay when using VLC Media Player instead of QuickTime?

[tab75-13]

I haven't tried the latet version of VLC yet, but I believe the audio will play in that--according to past experience. But why is the holy grail of having mpeg-2's play with audio in QT &.02 and later so unattainable? Is there a licensing or some other legal reason that Apple makes this impossible? i suppose it would make ripping DVDs with Quicktime Pro quite possible if the Ac3 audio contained in mpeg-2s were allowed to be played?

Thanks again,

t

[terryj]

tab,
did you read the link I posted?
its all there:

Due to increased licensing fees,
Apple decided to abandon support for
AC3 audio, rather than pay the extortion
money Dolby Labs, Inc. required.

And yes, Case is right... ... My .avi's with AC3 audio play great,
but the .VOBs do not...However VLC plays them fine, so I would use that.