Converting DVD to AVI for editing

[CaptainChaos]

Hi
I have shedloads of camcorder stuff I want to put onto DVD with chapters.
I am using a DVD recorder to get the "raw" footage from camcorder > DVD recorder, then dubbing that to disc, then saving it to computer.
I need to convert that to AVI so I can add chapters etc., then encode it back to DVD format (dubbing from HDD > disc doesn't add any chapters!)
I have tried a programme called "SimpleDivX", using loads of different quality settings, but the AVI output is jerky, not smooth like the original.
Is there a programme that keeps the quality throughout? I will be using TMPGenc for the editing/chapters bit - I just need a programme that will convert the DVD (vobs, bups, ifos) to AVI.
Any advice would be gratefully received!
Cheers
Ian

[Baldrick]

Convert to dv-avi using xvid4psp, https://forum.videohelp.com/topic352376.html

[CaptainChaos]

Thanks - Will that produce an AVI that I can edit with TMPGenc to make a "play on a standalone dvd player" type DVD?

[guns1inger]

If you are editing with Tmpgenc (and I don't know why - it isn't an editor) then you can use the VOBs form the DVD, or just use VOB2MPG. No need to convert. Every conversion reduces quality.

[mpack]

I need to convert that to AVI so I can add chapters etc., ...

Can you clarify this? Re-encoding MPEG to MPEG should be avoided where possible, and you don't certainly don't need to convert to AVI just to add chapter points, edit and merge MPEG clips etc. All you need are MPEG editing tools and/or decent DVD authoring software. Can you say a bit more about what you are trying to achieve?

[victoriabears]

Camcorder stuff ?, can that not be taken straight to pc , does the camcorder have firewire, or some sort of video out?

[CaptainChaos]

Ok, I'll try to explain what I want to achieve....
Camcorder > DVD with chapters!
I have tried (unsuccessfully) with ADS Instant DVD 2.0, so got a DVD recorder - transferred the camcorder video to the recorder's HDD. I added chapters using the recorder, but when I tried to burn to disc, the chapters I added disappeared, ending up with one long chapter!
So, I thought that if I copied the disc (vobs, bups, ifos) to computer, I could then somehow edit THAT to add chapters & re-burn it to disc, so I can send it to family etc etc.
I tried with "Simpledivx" but the result was "jerky", so someone suggested the xvid4psp programme ...
All I want is chapters and to keep the quality, so the poor people I send the DVD to can skip the boring bits!
The camcorder doesn't have firewire unfortunately, and the ADSTech box didn't work, so I'm just hoping there's a way I can do it using the DVD recorder > disc > computer > edit > disc.
I will use TMPGenc Dvd Author, once I've got the avi, so I can add chapters.
I agree, it's all a long-winded way of doing it, but in my limited knowledge, it's the only way I can think of doing it!
I thought that you wouldn't lose quality, as the "video" is all digitally stored, unlike old vhs tapes that reduce each time you copy/edit it...
Sorry for the long reply, I'd just like a way of doing it ... I haven't used the xvid4psp programme yet.
Ian

[guns1inger]

Chapters are simply markers in a stream. No editing is required. It is all done at the authoring stage.

If you are happy using the DVD Recorder to capture your footage, then I suggest you either learn how to add chapters correctly there, or burn to DVD RWs. You can then bring the RW to your PC, copy the video_ts folder to your PC HDD, demux the video and audio with PGCDemux (free), then author a new disc with menus and chapters (and multiple titles, if you wish) with GUIForDVDAuthor (free), then burn to a DVD -R with Imgburn (free)

At no point do you need to convert the video to another format, or perform any editing at all.

If you want to get more adventurous, and your camcorder has firewire (DV, iLink, IEEE1394), you should get a firewire card for your PC, transfer your video footage as a digital transfer, edit it on your PC, encode for DVD and author. If you edit properly, there should be no boring bits.

[CaptainChaos]

Ok, I now have PGCdemux ... It separated the audio & video, so I can put it into TPMGenc DVD author to add chapters/menus etc., but there is no audio!

This is what I have selected:
Input ifo = VTS_01_0
Mode = by PGC
Options = Demux video ... Demux audio ... demux subpic ... create cell times ... create log file
PGC selection = by titles
PGC #01 > 00:39:37:23
Cells = 72
Check a/v delay comes up with "None"

It appears that the audio comes out as AC3.

The video quality was fine - I just need to know what I've done wrong to lose the audio.

[manono]

Lose the audio? Didn't you say it gave you AC3 audio? That's Dolby Digital audio and is far and away the most common type of audio for DVD. If you can't play it, then maybe install the AC3Filter.

By the way, you can create a Celltimes.txt file for the chapters and then remux using Muxman. Muxman takes chapters in the form of 25fps frame numbers (for PAL). So, a second is 25 frames, a minute is 1500 frames. A Celltimes.txt file for Muxman might look something like this:

13224
20274
24790
34155
38560
44570
52041
65691
.
.
.

I don't know if you already have menus or are planning on creating any. The free version of Muxman doesn't make menus. But it easily creates chapters.

[CaptainChaos]

Ok, I've now got audio ...
Are my settings ok? Should I use "by PGC" "by VOB id" or "Single Cell"?
I just used the Single Cell one, and got 22 seconds of audio (out of 33 minutes)!

[CaptainChaos]

Forget my last, I had checked the Single Cell box which gave me 22 seconds of audio, but then did a "by PGC" and it seems to have worked fully ... I'll just use TMPGenc DVD Author to add the chapters & see what it looks/sounds like ....

[CaptainChaos]

Arghhhh ....
Demuxed fine ... Put into TMPGenc DVD Author & the playback of that has no sound!
I have a feeling that TMPGenc doesn't like AC3 - Does PGCdemux give you the option to keep the original sound, or does it always convert to AC3 ... that's where my problem lies I think.
I need some sort of demuxing that keeps the original quality video & original sound!
Sorry if I'm being dense.

[mpack]

Does PgcDemux give you the option to keep the original sound, or does it always convert to AC3 ... that's where my problem lies I think.

PgcMux gives you the video and audio streams that were inside the DVD .VOB files: it doesn't do any conversion. The AC3 is the original sound. As has already been mentioned, AC3 is a very common format for the audio stream in a DVD, especially those made by DVD recorders, so I would try to find tools that can support it. Just as with the video you should try to avoid converting and re-encoding, as it will only lead to further frustration (lost quality, lost audio sync etc).

I'm also not sure if you are saying that you get no audio during preview before authoring, during playback of the authored DVD on a PC (and if so with what player?), or playback on a DVD player. The fact that the preview feature in your authoring package can't play AC3 isn't necessarily a big problem. Just author the DVD to a folder on your hard drive, test it with a software DVD player (that will support AC3) then, if all is well, burn to a DVD disk.

I don't have TDA, just TMPGEnc Plus 2.5 - and I know that the mux tools in that software don't show the .ac3 audio files in the folder when I try to mux an mpeg. Is that what you mean?

[CaptainChaos]

Ok, sorted now ... when I went into TMPGenc DVD Author, it told me there was no audio, so I had to manually put in the audio PGCmux created.
It all worked fine, chapters/menus/video/sound ... Thank you so much!
I use PowerDVD to play the DVD - The video is a bit grainy, but I guess there's nothing I can do about that unless there is a demuxer that keeps the quality (or is PGCmux the best there is?)
Thanks again for your help.
Ian

[guns1inger]

PGCDemux gave you exactly the same video as was in the original. It does not change the video content at all. Bit for bit you are see what the original was. Watch the original in PowerDVD and you will see it is the same. Software playback of DVD on a PC monitor is never as good as watching it on a TV. This is why I could never understand why people watch movies on a computer.

[CaptainChaos]

I agree, I don't like watching movies on a monitor either ...
Anyway, it seems that it's all worked, thanks to all of you for advice & help.

[mpack]

This is why I could never understand why people watch movies on a computer.

Find yourself stuck in a Chinese hotel with nothing to watch except a couple of English-subtitled state TV channels... then come back and tell us that!

But yes, given the choice I'd prefer to watch my favorite movies on a big screen with big speakers...

[guns1inger]

This is why I could never understand why people watch movies on a computer.

Find yourself stuck in a Chinese hotel with nothing to watch except a couple of English-subtitled state TV channels... then come back and tell us that!

But yes, given the choice I'd prefer to watch my favorite movies on a big screen with big speakers...

Been there, done that (OK, not China, KL). Hell, I even have movies on my iPod for those desperate moments.

But given a choice . . . .