Converting VOB's to MPEG 2

[HitTheRoad]

I've succesfully converted (not encoded!) many VOB's tot MPEG-1/2 using MPEG Streamclip. But some VOB's just won't be converted. They can be encoded to DV, AVI, MPEG-4 or QuickTime, but simply converting them to MPEG ('Convert to MPEG') doesn't seem to work.

What could be the reason? Is there a workaround?

I'm working with: MacTheRipper, MPEG Streamclip 1.9.3b2, iMac 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo OS 10.6.7 MPEG-2 Playback Component Perian 1.2.2 VLC 1.1.10 (64 bits)

P.S.: I'm using MPEG Streamclip to extract my favorite scenes from commercial DVD's. I convert the VOB's to MPEG-1/2's to be able to watch the scenes on my iMac in their original DVD-quality.

[Baldrick]

You can try avidemux, open the first vob, under video and audio use copy, save as a mpeg-ps/mpg.

[HitTheRoad]

@ Baldrick:

It works! Avidemux does the trick.

Any explanation for this? Why can Avidemux do what MPEG Streamclip can't?

I guess it has anything to do with the possibility Avidemux offers to save VOB's as MPEG-PS? And if yes, what does this tell about the VOB's MPEG Streamclip isn't able to convert to MPEG 2?

[Baldrick]

Great.

No, I have no idea. I don't use mpeg streamclip for vob conversions.

[HitTheRoad]

Okay Bladrick. To be sure: Is saving a VOB as MPEG-PS (in avidemux) the same as conversing a VOB to MPEG? There's no encoding involved? Do I get a losless 1-to-1 conversion?

[Baldrick]

If you set the video and audio to copy mode it's lossless.

[HitTheRoad]

Thanks very much!

[HitTheRoad]

I've been too enthousiastic about Avidemux. Like I mentioned earlier, Avidemux helps me to convert the few VOB's I can't convert using MPEG Streamclip. But editing these problematic VOB's (before converting them to MPEG) is another cup of tea. After opening these VOB's in Avidemux I get a scrambled picture. This way it's hard to navigate to the parts of the video where you want to cut. Also there's no audio.

[Baldrick]

Export to mpg and then try edit in mpeg streamclip?

[HitTheRoad]

@ Baldrick:

This does te trick! Thanks very much again.