How do I import multiple dvds then edit them into a single compilation?

[bumblebee21]

I'm a newbie on this subject so please be gentle...

I have several (home made) dvds that I would like to import, edit the content and make a compilation (single dvd disk). I want to retain the quality of the content but I also don't want to use up too much HDD space during the whole process. I have several questions regarding this:

1. What format would be best to have the video in to enable me to edit the content?
2. What program should I use? (Preferably one that lets me import, convert if need be, edit and also burn the final video to dvd with menus etc)

One friend told me that Adobe Premiere Elements 3 will do all of this but someone else has said Elements 3 would only be suitable if I first converted the dvd into DV-AVI first and then re-encode it back to dvd at the end and this would take a long time and use up many gigabytes of HDD space. I'd really appreciate some advice here.

[daamon]

Hi bumblebee21,

Welcome to the forums.

Your home-made DVDs will be VOB files which are basically containers for the actual vide which is in the MPEG2 format (this is standard for DVDs).

Any changes, strictly speaking, incur a loss to the quality - so you're best not changing the format. That said, I've changed MPEG2 to DV AVI but that was for some major editing changes.

If you want to make simple changes - cuts, joing things etc. then stay in MPEG2 and use Mpeg Video Wizard DVD - this will satisfy all your needs:

* Import VOBs
* Edit, and it only re-encodes where there's changes so other areas don're have reduced quality
* Export DVDs
* And I think it burns too - no matter if not, there's free burning software around

I mentioned DV AVI earlier, this is where Premiere Elements would come in. And you're dead right - extra time converting to DV AVI and then encoding back to MPEG2 and extra disk space.

Mpeg Video Wizard DVD is the go for you.

[bumblebee21]

Many thanks Daamon for your quick reply. So Mpeg Video Wizard DVD for simple changes......and Adobe Premiere Elements 3 for anything more complex. As APE3 can import VOB files, why can't I edit the video in this format?

[Richard_G]

If by edit you mean simply take sections out of the existing DVDs and combine them into a single DVD, use DVDShrink in Re-Author mode. It will import directly from the discs (or images of the discs on your hard drive). As long as long as your final output size will still fit on a DVDR, it will not re-encode (or transcode if you want to be accurate) so the quality will remain exactly as it is.

[MysticE]

Mpeg Video Wizard DVD does a lot more than just simple changes. Although a bit unintuitive for me (needed multiple readings of the help file) I'm very happy with the product. I especially like the way it can normalize the audio of various clips and convert to almost any type and bitrate.

[rhegedus]

Rip all the DVDs to hard drive.

Import into TMPGEnc DVD Author.

Cut out the bits you don't want.

Re-author and burn.