How do i rip and create a DVD

[LAM_]

Hi Everyone,

I am completely new to Video Editing/Coding/Compressing/Uncompressing/Etc.

I am a computer engineer working as a web developer. NEVER worked with video before! There is a new project that needs to be completed at work, and I would love to tackle it.

Basically I would need to rip some chapters from a DVD, change their order and create a presentation.

Depending on how complex all this is, the final product should be one of the following (from easiest to hardest):

1. Create a new DVD with sound/video from the chapters ripped. This should be made so it loops continuously. (should run on any DVD player)
2. Create a video that will run on a computer using the ripped chapters that loops continuously with interactive menu.
3. Create the same DVD of Step 1, but with interactive menu. (should run on any DVD player)

The project seems to be simple enough but I have never done it before. I would need help with the following:

1. What tools (software/hardware) do I need to rip chapters from a DVD?
2. I am 99% sure that the content of the DVD is not protected, but what should I use if it is not?
3. I am planning on using Adobe Premiere to re-arrange/shorten chapters. Would this be the right tool? Do I need any particular version?
4. What software should I use to add interactive menus? (Not family type of menus but something more high end).
5. What software should I use to finally package the movie (DVD format & Computer).

Thanks a lot in advance!

Any other info/help you can provide, that I might have forgotten to ask, will be very welcome!

LAM.

[zoobie]

If you've never worked with this before, my recommendation is to first read the glossary on the left menu. This will save you countless hours and questions right off the bat. Then, the guides and articles. Continue reading the topics you have searched for here at VH that are relative to your cause. Then, you'll be getting close to starting your project on a confident note.

[LAM_]

Zoobie,

Thanks so much for your quick answer. I will read the articles you mentioned. However, I would still love that someone experienced could give me a bulleted list answering my original post.

Also, let me add that It seems that there is a copy of Abobe CS3 Web Preium and Premiere CS3 (and Encore CS3). Hopefuly I'll be able to do most of the work with these tools.

Please advise and thanks again for your answer.

Take care,

LAM.

[lordsmurf]

Adobe CS3 is powerful and expensive software. It doesn't just "come with" a computer.

[filmboss80]

1. Rip DVD to harddrive with DVDFabHDDecrypter.
2. Open resulting VIDEO_TS folder. The main movie will be a series of large VOB files. Merge these VOBs together into one single VOB file using VOBMerge.
3. Download VirtualDub-MPEG2. Also download the AC3ACM codec and follow instructions to launch it inside VirtualDub. If you do not have a DV codec loaded on your system, download the Cedocida DV Codec.
4. Open your merged VOB file in VirtualDub. Choose in and out points of each clip of your choosing from the movie. Under Video > Compression, select Cedocida or other DV codec. It is best to also select Fast Recompress (under VirtualDub's Video pulldown), but if you are applying filters, you will have to use Full Processing Mode. Then, under File, select Save as AVI. (If you want to save audio separate from video, just select Save as Wave for the selected clip. If you are converting 5.1 surround sound to stereo, you will need to convert audio to 48k, 16-bit stereo for Premiere. After the .wav file is saved, you can always select Audio > No Audio before saving the AVI as a video only file.)
5. Premiere best edits DV AVI video files and 48k, 16-bit, stereo .wav audio files. There may be issues with field-order, which shows up as jerky motion and flash frames during scene changes. Make a short test clip. If there are field issues, there will be a number of workarounds, from applying a VirtualDub filter to selecting a particular field option in Premiere.
6. When finished editing, export the Premiere timeline as an MPEG-2 file. Import that MPEG-2 into Encore and author your DVD. Build the DVD project first to a harddrive folder, from which you can later burn your DVD discs.
7. Burn to disc using ImgBurn and nothing but. It is best to use either Verbatim or Taiyo Yuden discs.

All software here, except Premiere and Encore, are freeware and available in the Tools section of this site.

EDIT: You wrote: "The project seems simple enough..." I'm afraid you don't know what you don't know. In re-reading your first post, I see you aren't terribly familiar with Premiere and Encore. My instructions assumed you would use those tools.

[LAM_]

Hello Folmboss80, Thanks so much for your detailed tutorial.

You are right! I have never done this before (I think I said that in my original posting). What I meant when I wrote "The project seems simple enough..." I meant that this should be one of the easiest and common things you guys (video editors) do. I was not trying to diminish the work. Still I believe that, although it involves many steps, it is not that complex. Imagine trying to explain how to do a programming project to somebody that had never done any programming in only one posting…


Thanks again, I really, REALLY appreciate your invaluable help!!

I will give it a try and get back to you with the result!

Take care,

LAM.

[Supreme2k]

It is funny that people who KNOW NOTHING about a subject will say that it "seems simple enough" and expect a few bullet points to make them an expert. Open-heart surgery seems simple enough. I just need a quick, one-paragraph crib sheet on sewing and using a scalpel.

Also, another example of someone having a message board do their job for them. If you know NOTHING about this area of expertise, you really should tell that to your boss so that he can hire a professional. It is people like you that screw things up for people who know what they're doing, but don't get hired because someone unqualified "would love to tackle it".

I watched a couple of seasons of 24. Make me the head of the C.I.A.

[tinker]

LAM it strikes me that you, being a computer engineer, do not see that to work with any software need little (a lot of) practise to know it.
What you want to do, like looping, will require VM commands, which none of those will provide.
May be PgcEdit will work, it is also free.

[filmboss80]

I am happy to be helpful. After reading Supreme2k's comments, I have to say that he's essentially correct. On this forum, we can help you go through technical steps, but if you do not understand the storytelling or information-giving fundamentals, you may still end up with a technically-competent-but-incoherent mess. For example, just because a person may possess typing skills and knowledge of word processors, it doesn't make him/her an author. Skill at using a paintbrush does not make one an artist.

Long before the advent of computer-based video editing, I started out cutting motion picture film on a vertical Moviola. The technology today is completely different, but the principles of pacing and composition remain the same.

You might want to read a few books on the art of editing and do a little experimentation before volunteering to take on an important job at your workplace. I encourage you to pursue this, but be aware that it will take a lot of effort.

Best of luck.

[qpskfec]

"1. Create a new DVD with sound/video from the chapters ripped. This should be made so it loops continuously. (should run on any DVD player)"

If you are only re-arranging video clips of the original DVD, this can be done easily by using DVDshrink in re-author mode, no other tools needed, set DVD player to continuous play with finished DVD


"3. Create the same DVD of Step 1, but with interactive menu. (should run on any DVD player)"

I would do this - take the vobs made by DVDshrink in answer to #1 above, rename *.vob to *.mpg, load onto Ulead DVD MovieFactory, make menus, create dvd, done (DVD MF offers a free trial)

"2. Create a video that will run on a computer using the ripped chapters that loops continuously with interactive menu.

Take DVD files created in #2 above, open with DVD player application on PC and set it to play the DVD continuously

[LAM_]

Wow, guys, I do not want to be an expert after reading a bulleted list. Come on, I will not take any of your jobs. I just need to put together a presentation that has some video content on it and add some interactive menus.

Being a computer engineer, I still believe it is not that difficult. Like I said before, I am not trying to diminish your work or skills, on the contrary, I came to you for advice because you do this every day!

My apologies if I offended anyone, but comparing this particular project to open-heart surgery… hummm… I think you went a little too far.

Also, I am assuming that QPSKFEC (who is a member since 2003) is a lot more experience than me, he wrote: “If you are only re-arranging video clips of the original DVD, this can be done easily by using DVDshrink in re-author mode, no other tools needed, set DVD player to continuous play with finished DVD”

Again, I did not, and will not mean to offend anyone, it just did not seem to complex…

Once again thank you very much for the advice you gave me (filmboss80 & qpskfec). At least you provide help along with your views…

Thanks!

LAM.

[filmboss80]

I don't think anyone was taking any offense. Some of us were just expressing concerns about tackling a certain type of project without being able to take the time to experiment and get beyond the initial learning curve. I was certainly basing my advice on the info I could glean from your posts. You wrote of rearranging / shortening clips and creating interactive menus. This requires some sort of editing and reauthoring. I certainly use DVDShrink and would have recommended it to you, if I thought for one second that its reauthoring functions would address all the things you talked about doing.

The fact is, you have many options in terms of editing. My earlier post only described how to do it if you are incorporating Premiere and Encore (as you brought up in your original posts). Another way to achieve edits of DVDs into new presentations would be to use demuxing tools (like PgcDemux) and mpeg2 editing software (like MPG2Cut2). Thereafter, the creation of interactive menus will rely upon DVD authoring software. You mentioned Encore; there are many other options, including freeware like GUIforDVDAuthor.

Many tools, many choices. None of us know what the project is specifically, or your working style. Again, experimentation is key. Besides freeware tools, most payware programs have trial versions. At some point, you're just going to have to dive in and give it a try...and then you'll be able to judge for yourself how easy or difficult the task is.

[LAM_]

Thank you guys so much.

Definitely I will dive into it with more time. I accepted this challenge because I think I have things to win and none to lose.
I explained that I have never done this before, but since they need it, they told me to give it my best without holding me responsible if it does not work. That was the arrangement; otherwise I would have not volunteered myself. Needless to say they do not have a budget to this the “professional” way.

Thanks one more time, I think you guys are awesome and the forum really rocks. I look forward coming back for more advice and articles!

Take care!

LAM.