Help converting Video from DVD

[wyclef]

Hello, I need some advice. I'm trying to convert a video from DVD to a format I can use and edit on a Mac. I want to keep things simple, and my idea was to use Handbrake to rip the video to MP4 format, and then bring the MP4 into Quicktime and export it as a MOV and then just import it into iMovie and slice and dice real quick. The problem I'm having is that after the initial rip there are small 2-5 second blocks of audio dropping out every so often and I can't seem to figure out how to get around this. Anyone have any ideas of an easier process?

[Baldrick]

Moving you to our mac section.

[rumplestiltskin]

Assuming the DVD isn't encrypted -and- you have the MPEG2 codec (the one you can buy from Apple for about $30), drop the first VOB (the first 1GB file in the VIDEO_TS folder) onto MPEG Streamclip. The app will ask you if you want to open it as a stream (or something like that); okay that and the entire movie will be opened in the app. Save it as DV and drop it into iMovie.

Alternatively, if you have the hard drive space (and the time), save it as QuickTime (MJPEG-B) and you will get every last bit of quality that is on that DVD (at the expense of a huge file). iMovie will be happy to work with that file, as well, although in all cases it will convert it to DV-Stream as it imports it.

MPEG Streamclip will permit you to set in and out points, cut out sections, etc., before you do the "save as" (export).

BTW: MPEG Streamclip is free (but is worth many $$ for its functionality and stability).

[tomlee59]

The intermittent dropout problem seems to occur most often with multi-angle DVDs. Sometimes, you can get around this by choosing a different audio track, if there is one. I don't know if this might be the problem in your case, but I figured I'd mention it.

[wyclef]

Wow. That MPEG Streamclip program is great! Definitely resolves the audio drop out problem. A few questions. I exported to DV and the quality seems slightly compromised and I'm tempted to export to MJPEG-B however am wondering how much of a difference it will make when viewed on TV when the quality of the original isn't that hot to begin with. There is basically some graininess and unsharpness. If I export to Quicktime MJPEG-B should I just leave the frame size unscaled at 720x480? How much will the file size increase if the DV is 7.5GB?

[terryj]

Motion Jpeg-A or -B, at their highest setting will render
a file 2 to 5 times larger than Mpeg-2 at a Constant
5.0MBPS bit rate.

So let's say your VOB of your main movie is 7.5GB, and
has the same action throughout, and thus was encoded
at 5.0MBps to produce the quality it currently has.

Resaving it as a Quicktime movie with the Motion Jpeg-A
codec at it's highest setting should yield a file that would
fall between 15GB to 375GB file ( I would average guess
around 235GB).

If your quality in the original DVD had grainiess and unsharpness,
going to Motion Jpeg will NOT solve this. It will only enhance
it.

And if your idea is to demux, edit, then remux in iMovie,
to go BACK to DVD to watch in the living room,
why not save yourself the headache of transcoding and
just "slice and dice real quick" in MpegStreamclip, and then save?
MpegStreamclip will allow you to do just that with out all
the transcoding, especially if its as simple as cutting out a
commercial, or breast shot, or somesuch.

Slice and dice the loaded VOB in MpegStreamclip, save
and let Toast burn to DVD.

[terryj]

--duplicate deleted by terryj---

[wyclef]

Well, unfortunately I will need to add some captions so it will have to go back to iMovie. Perhaps I should just stick with DV then? Sounds like the additional graininess I experienced in DV might be the same in Motion Jpeg. Also, what does Deinterlace video do? Will that help with graininess?

[terryj]

Deinterlace

short answer: will it help with graininess?
if what you are describing is actual graininess of picture,
ie a "snowy fuzz"
and not wavy line distortion in playback, then no
it will not help.
However, I say this because you mentioned "Unsharpness"
and de-interlacing can sometimes help with THAT.

If your video looks like either still on the page mentioned,
then yes de-interlacing will help.

[lordsmurf]

How does deinterlacing help sharpness? That makes no sense. You throw away half of the video detail when deinterlacing, so it gets softer, not sharper.

[terryj]

Smurfy,
it depends on the OP's definition of "sharpness/unsharpness",
we are trying to determine what that is ( see post).

If his/her definition is " jaggies", "wavies" or "teeth/stairsteps"
causing the picture not to be sharp, then yes De-interlacing
will help to make it "sharp" albeit not " sharp" in what your thinking,
but "sharp" in removing this distortion, by using blending
which will make the playback "soft" but will lessen the distortion.

if that is what the OP means by "unsharpness",
which we haven't determined yet.
If the Op could post a screen shot of his/her playback
of his /her video, we can figure it out...

[wyclef]

here's a pic