DVD to AVI conversion help! The best way to get clean AVIs?

[crys94]

Hello, how do you exactly convert DVD (VOB files) to AVI files? Currently, I decrypt the DVD using DVD Decrypter and use DVD2AVI to convert the VOB files, but when I convert the file to an AVI, there's usually some pixellation going on and in some places it's really noticeable. So, what is the best way to convert DVD files to a clean AVI file? What I'm trying to do is use this AVI file in After Effects for a commercial, so I cannot have it compressed in any way, such as DivX.

Also, what is the best solution to sync the video and audio once you decrypt and convert?

Thank you!

[codecpage]

DVD2AVI is just plain frameserving, so if you don't send it over a compressor afterwards, pixelation shouldn't occur. Maybe what you see is interlacing artifacs. These would only appear on a computer screen but not on a TV.

What you want to do is to frameserve to an application like Virtualdub for example and tell it exactly what output format you want (in this case: uncompressed) and save an avi. If it's really interlacing that bugs here and you know you don't want it later on, apply a deinterlacer filter.

Cheers,

[Abond]

DVD2AVI is just plain frameserving, so if you don't send it over a compressor afterwards, pixelation shouldn't occur.

I think DVD2AVI can save uncompressed avi (well, it was looong time ago when I used D2A for the last time).
To answer the thread question:
Best way is to save project loading the vobs in DGIndex, to load it in an avisynth script, to load the script in VDub and to convert it to an avi using lossless compresion of Huffyuv or Lagarith codecs.
Then it is ready to be processed in After Effects.
BUT if AE can load avisynth scripts - well then you can see where to go.

[codecpage]

Best way is to save project loading the vobs in DGIndex, to load it in an avisynth script, to load the script in VDub and to convert it to an avi using lossless compresion of Huffyuv or Lagarith codecs.

For Huffyuv, it's important not to set it to YUY2 mode, becuse then it's not lossless, apparently even beyond the mere color issues:
http://www.codecpage.com/index_lossless.html

Cheers

[theGlove]

thanks for the information. I've been searching all day on the best method to convert my vob files to avi or mpeg. I've been trying the autogk and tmpgenc. tmpgenc works ok but to get good quality videos you have to create large files (~2gb+). the autogk works ok too but sometimes crashes.
Can someone explain the 2 pass thing and do I need to do that? Right now I just load the .avs file I created into virtual dub, select the huff compression and save as avi.
thanks

[crys94]

DVD2AVI is just plain frameserving, so if you don't send it over a compressor afterwards, pixelation shouldn't occur.

I think DVD2AVI can save uncompressed avi (well, it was looong time ago when I used D2A for the last time).
To answer the thread question:
Best way is to save project loading the vobs in DGIndex, to load it in an avisynth script, to load the script in VDub and to convert it to an avi using lossless compresion of Huffyuv or Lagarith codecs.
Then it is ready to be processed in After Effects.
BUT if AE can load avisynth scripts - well then you can see where to go.

Thank you for your replies. I've downloaded all the software programs you mentioned and I'm stuck at AviSynth. How exactly am I supposed to use this program? Sorry if this sounds like a dumb question, but this process is sounding a little confusing to me. Thanks again.

[manono]

Hi-

Open the Vob(s) in DGIndex and go File->Save Project. That will give you the audio and a D2V project file. Create an AviSynth script file by creating a .txt file, but changing the extension to .avs. So, maybe make a Video.avs, inside of which you'll have something like:

LoadPlugin("C:\Path\To\DGDecode.dll")
MPEG2Source("C:\Path\To\Video.d2v")

Adjust for your paths and names. The DGDecode.dll comes from the same DGMPGDec package that contains DGIndex. There are also 3 very good guides included that will fill you in, especially the QuickStart Guide.

Get and install the lossless codec of your choice. I use Lagarith. Open your Video.avs in VDub(Mod) just as if it were a video, such as an AVI (drag-and-drop, or File->Open Video File), go Video->Compression, and choose your lossless codec from the list you'll see. Configure it if necessary, and go File->Save As (in VDubMod anyway). Then wait for your AVI to be created.

Read the docs included in DGMPGDec and read here:

http://avisynth.org/

You'll be glad you did.