Converting my video to a digital file!

[needhelp314DVDplz]

I made a 15 minute movie that I put lots of time and effort into. I edited it and imported all aspects and pieces of my movie clips, audio, pictures, etc using Adobe Premiere Elements 10 on my MAC 10.5.8 OS laptop. It was my first time using Adobe Premiere, and I am not an experienced video person. After completing my final movie, since not knowing the program that well, I had troubles exporting the movie. I eventually exported it in some form onto a physical DVD.

The main thing I need help with is:

How can I convert the DVD or somehow record straight into a program, my movie from on my physical DVD into a digital file, so it can be used and forever stored as a digital file, available for viewing on a computer (I assume .mov or .m4v or something).

My issue is:

The movie on my DVD will play in a DVD player or in a computer when the disc is inserted, however no menu, and no movie file shows up in my finder, available to be ripped in any way. Also, I can't go back to Adobe and try to export it again, because since it was my first time using Adobe, the file management/allocation of all my separate video files/clips, audio, etc, all of that seemed extremely horribly organized, and I did not originally pick up on it. And in moving and deleting certain files, I have lost pretty much all of my original data for the movie, so there's no way of recreating the movie that way.

I mean, the only way I can think of is to play the movie on my TV, set up my camcorder, and record the screen...haha, but that would be terrible quality. Is there a way I can play it and record the video and audio signal straight into a program, to maintain the quality? Or do you have other suggestions?

Thank you for your time.
-Brandon

[transporterfan]

If you have managed to make a standard DVD (presumably with no menu) there is little point converting it to anything other than mpg. The .VOB files on the disc are basically mpg files in a container. Use VOB2MPG to strip the .VOB set and you wont lose any quality at all. The resulting file will play in any desktop player, and most other set top boxes and TVs off a USB stick.

[netmask56]

Is VOB2MPEG available as a MAC program?

[needhelp314DVDplz]

Thank you SOOOO much for this helpful resource!

To my knowledge that program seems to not run on MAC's. But maybe there's something for mac's that does this too. I'm not sure though.

But I did have access to a Windows PC, and so I got the program and it worked, so thanks again so much! However, it turned it into an MPG, which I guess is not read on a mac..so I am in the process of now turning the mpg into something a mac can read..but hopefully that should be easier, and within my resources.

[netmask56]

Now that you have converted your original files to DVD format ie a Folder called VIDEO_TS which contains VOB files (the video) the IFO files (the DVD navigation information mostly) and BUP files which stands for backup.

Once you encoded to VOB format you are stuck with that quality if you no longer have the originals.

I'm not sure what programs you have on your MAC Anyway copy the VOBs to HD, change their name from *.VOB to *.MPG. Import the MPGs in Premiere and then export as mpg or mov or mp4 whatever you want. You can't increase the quality btw you are basically stuck with what you have

[netmask56]

Thank you SOOOO much for this helpful resource!

To my knowledge that program seems to not run on MAC's. But maybe there's something for mac's that does this too. I'm not sure though.

But I did have access to a Windows PC, and so I got the program and it worked, so thanks again so much! However, it turned it into an MPG, which I guess is not read on a mac..so I am in the process of now turning the mpg into something a mac can read..but hopefully that should be easier, and within my resources.

MAC's will play mpeg files -

[transporterfan]

Sorry. Missed the part about the Mac but then...I was very, very drunk at the time!