Am i losing quality?

[chronic777]

Okay heres my process...

I rip from DVD to ISO with ImgBurn/DVDDecrypter, then i extract the ISO (to VOB) with DVDShrink or ISOBuster, then edit the VOBs in VideoRedo/SonyVegas7, outputting to MPG, i then author the MPG's in DVDArchitect4, output to ISO & burn in ImgBurn.

I dont appear to lose quality but i just want to make sure 100% im not losing anything...

Thanks in advance for any help...

[Wile_E]

yes, when you edit, and encode back to MPG, you lose some quality.

[chronic777]

Is there any way to not lose any quality?
I thought that when you cut out segments/edit & resave them with programs like VideoRedo & especially Sony Vegas would keep the quality?

[poisondeathray]

If you use just videoredo to cut out segments, then re-author I don't think you lose any quality because it's not re-encoding

When you add effects and edits in Vegas, it does re-encode when you output MPG, so you would lose quality.

[noemi7]

What do you want exactly to do with the DVD?: cut out something, add special effects or what?

[jagabo]

I thought Vegas had smart rendering of MPEG files -- if you don't do any filtering, it only re-encodecs cut GOPs.

[poisondeathray]

I thought Vegas had smart rendering of MPEG files -- if you don't do any filtering, it only re-encodecs cut GOPs.

I think you're right.

I assumed that the usage of Videoredo and Vegas implied more than just cutting, so I said "when you add effects," otherwise videoredo alone should suffice

Do you know if Videoredo re-encode at the cut GOP too?

[jagabo]

I assumed that the usage of Videoredo and Vegas implied more than just cutting, so I said "when you add effects," otherwise videoredo alone should suffice

For the OP: Some filters require re-endoding the entire video. For example, if you run a sharpen filter on the entire film the whole thing will have to be re-encoded. Other filters only effect short segements of video. Transition effects for example will have to be re-encoded but with smart rendering only the transition (and maybe a few frames around it) will be re-encoded, not the entire video. Dumb renderers will re-encode the entire video if you make any changes. Sometimes even if you make no changes.

Do you know if Videoredo encode at the GOP too?

Any cut GOP where the I frame has to been removed has to be re-encoded. As I understand it VideoRedo allows frame accurate cutting so it has to re-encode the cut GOPs. Of course, with DVD MPEG GOPs are only about 1/2 second so it's hardly worth worring about.

[noemi7]

Do you know if Videoredo encode at the GOP too?

Yes but the result is excellent - you won't see any difference. I didn't try Vegas in smart rendering mode but for example it doesn't work well in TDA. Very often frames around a cut point become blocky, like encoded in very low bitrate.

[chronic777]

I use Vegas to open the VOB's & extract clips for use in future DVD compilations.

I sometimes add intro/outro to the clips for use on ipod/youtube but im not too bothered about the quality there as i output to mp4.

Im more worried about when i render as mpg to save for use on future DVD compilations...