Converting DVD(.vob)files to ONE file

[LouieLand]

Ok, I've spent I don't know how much time trying to figure out how to do this. First, I have VirtualDub, Avidemux and Xilosoft Video conversion software and between the 3 of them I have nothing but piles of frustration.

I want to convert a Video_TS folder(and all the seperate vob files in it) to 1(one)video file in any editable format, mpeg or avi. and I want to keep the flow of the concert in correct order.

I can convert individual .vob files to another format, but when I try to convert the whole DVD into 1 file, I have nothing but issues. VirtualDub doesnt work because I can't get all the proper codecs on it. I can't even open a vob with VD. With Advidemux I don't know how to turn the TS folder into one editable video and with Xilosoft I can open .vob's but again, cannot convert the entire folder into one avi or mpeg.

I know the tools I have will do it, but I cant figure out how. I read and read and read in this forum with no luck

thank you

[guns1inger]

I don't know why xilisoft keeps getting a mention - is it the new winavi ? Regardless, it is a second rate POS and really won't help you.

Ideally you want to get a single file without re-encoding. The easiest way to do this is VOB2MPG, which will extract the video and audio form the VOBs and put them in an MPG container without re-encoding either of them. From there you can edit to your heart's content.

[LouieLand]

I don't know why xilisoft keeps getting a mention - is it the new winavi ? Regardless, it is a second rate POS and really won't help you.

Ideally you want to get a single file without re-encoding. The easiest way to do this is VOB2MPG, which will extract the video and audio form the VOBs and put them in an MPG container without re-encoding either of them. From there you can edit to your heart's content.

thank you for the quick response. I am downloading VOB2MPG now. I am using Xilisoft to convert up too 1080x720 from 720x480 as final step before uploading to Youtube.

Do you have a better option for upconverting the video to 1080x720?

thanks

[guns1inger]

No - it is a waste of time

[manono]

It also has bad aspect ratio (1.5:1).

[thegman45]

If you can convert vob to an editable format then it seems that the only problem is joining the files. why not join the vob files into one file first. then convert the large vob file into whatever format you want.
I like using the join VOB files tool

(get it here http://beginwithsoftware.com/videoguides/joinvobfilestool.html)

it is simple and works well for me

[guns1inger]

VOB2MPG means you don't need to VOBMerge is necessary, or even use DVD Decrypter to rip to a single VOB in the first place.

[LouieLand]

just for the record I used VOB2MPG and it did a good job converting to mpg from .vob as I wanted. Its now one big mpeg file that I can edit once I figure out how to get a mpeg into virtualdub. Every single aspect of converting various video formats to editable ones and then getting the editors to work with a particular format is just one giant pain the the you know where. Constant headaches from this. I can't wait until I get this stuff down so I dont have to research and troubleshoot every single little step. Yowza.

[guns1inger]

Virtualdub is not ideal for MPEG editing. What sort of editing are you trying to do ?

Consider AVI Demux as an alternative as it can load and save mpeg-2 (Virtualdub cannot save mpeg-2).

The other reason to use VOB2MPG is that VOB files can contain a lot more than just video and audio. They can also contain subtitles and other sub-picture streams, menus, multiple audio or video tracks etc. These can confuse editors that expect video streams to contain, well, video and audio and nothing else.

[LouieLand]

I'm doing simple editing, just taking concert footage and cutting out the songs and creating individual files for each song. For instance taking a 60 minute concert and chopping it up into 10/12 files of individual songs during the concert.

I did get the MPeg to open in VirtualDub. I am a newbie, but I found that I like VD for the simple chopping up of a video.

[guns1inger]

What do you do with the clips after editing ?

If youare putting them back to DVD then you should learn about frame serving so you can edit in VD, then serve them to an mpeg-2 encoder directly, without the need for intermediate files.

[LouieLand]

Well, this is what I am doing. Last week I had a concert video in Divx that I wanted to chop up and then load individual songs up to Youtube. So I had to learn how to convert the Divx to editable format and I used anyvideoconverter to do that. Once I had them converted to AVI I used VirtualDub to chop up the concert footage into individual songs and then I use Xilisoft converter to upconvert to 1080x720 and then I take that file and upload it too YT in the HDMpeg4 AVC format. I know everyone says its a waste to upconvert, but I have my reasons.

So now I am working on a DVD that has .vob files that I needed to convert so I could work on them and chop up and then run them through Xilisoft to upconvert to 1080 and then load to YT. But the stuff I used for the Divx doesnt work for the vob's, so I have to learn a bunch of new tricks to get the vob converted into a single file I(didnt have to worry about that with the Divx)that I can edit. I have that all done and my process has been

1)Use VOB2MPG to combine all the DVD files into one editable MPEG video
2)finally got VirtualDub to accept Mpg files so I can now edit in VD the MPEG files that VOB2MPG converted.
3)take each cut out video file and unconvert it to 1080x720 in Xilisoft
4)Upload to YT.

Its a lot of work(especially when this is brand new to you)to take a video concert, find a way and learn to convert it, find and learn an editor to edit it, find and learn a converter that will up to 1080 and then upload it. So many variable for the newbie and my head hurts right now from all this.

BTW, is there a retail version of a program that does all this plus have some more advanced filter and features? One that can convert, cut, add filters and fade ins and outs plus more advanced stuff while being able to convert various formats back and forth. I hear about Pinnacle, and Sony Vegas and a couple of others. I may invest in a good product if it can save me time and aggravation with using all these different softwares. thanks

[guns1inger]

720p video is 1280 x 720, not 1080 x 720. However unless you are using a good quality upscaler, and not just something that resizes the video, there is little point to resizing up to 720p for youtube. You gain nothing but soft looking video. You might look a Video Enhancer, which is an upscaler and can use most Vdub filters.

[manono]

I know everyone says its a waste to upconvert, but I have my reasons.

Can you point us to one of these 1080x720 YouTube videos?

3)take each cut out video file and unconvert it to 1080x720 in Xilisoft

In what format are you outputting from VDub? If AVI, what kind of AVI? Surely not something like XviD or DivX?

Also, if these are concert videos, usually each song represents a chapter in the DVD. If so, then you can usually extract the chapters without further cutting by using DVD Decrypter in IFO Mode, with the chapter you want selected. Then , if you really insist on using Xilisoft, you can send it directly there, bypassing VDub entirely. Or, if still necessary to go through the VOB2MPEG step, you can use something like MPEG2Cut to cut up the MPEG, again bypassing VDub.

[LouieLand]

thanks for your help, this is a great board for newbies like me. When I get really frustrated when I can't figure something out its great to have a resource like this with live people to help.