Advice Needed on Editing Different File Types Together

[jaydub]

I’m working on a video project that requires editing of the following file types together:
1. BDAV, .m2ts, VC-1, 1920/1080, 16:9, 23.97 frame rate, AC-3 640 Kbps, 6 channels.
2. DVD MPEG-PS, .vob, MPEG2, 720/480, 4:3, 29.97 frame rate, AC-2 224 Kbps, 2 channels.
3. AVI, .avi, Huffman Lossless HFYU, 720/480, 3:2, 29.97 frame rate, PCM 1,536 Kbps, 2 channels.

Blu-ray and DVD files were ripped to disk using AnyDVDHD. AVI file was captured from VHS player using Virtual Dub with huffyuv filter. The end product should be a 1920x1080 hi-def file meant primarily for playback on a PC (no disks needed). No menus, titling, star wipes or any other authoring stuff. Just straight up video clips re-arranged to my liking. High PQ is of primary importance. The blu-ray files comprise about 75% of the footage.

Looking for some advice on workflow and software:

Should I just import all these files into an editor, edit, then render the output? If yes, then:
- what codec/container would provide the best output in terms of PQ? I assume VC-1/m2ts (perhaps the blu-ray clips wouldn’t suffer too much during re-encoding, and they provide the bulk of the footage). Or, is it possible these disparate files would be better served by rendering to some other high def format?
- what editors under $150 would accept these files and output to the preferred format? If none, what above $150?

Alternatively, prior to editing, I could convert the VOB and AVI files to VC-1/m2ts (or convert all files to some alternate format), then import them into an editing program that simply joins segments together without the need to re-encode them. Would this be a better way to go?. If yes, then:
- is there a converter that stands above the rest for converting formats to VC-1/m2ts (or the preferred alternate format as above)?
- is there a reliable editor that can join VC-1/m2ts (or the preferred alternate format as above) without re-encoding? My luck with these programs has not been good.

Any sage advice would be much appreciated.

[Cornucopia]

Yes, you should just import into an NLE.

Use the container that the NLE works with most natively (probably AVI, MXF or MOV).

Use a lossless (HuffYUV, Lagarith, etc) codec or visually-lossless wavelet-type codec (Cineform, DNxHD, JP2k, etc) for best PQ.

VC1 or AVC DO suffer much during re-encoding. They should never be intermediates, nor master outputs, if you can avoid it, if PQ is important to you (I wouldn't recommend them for sources either unless that's your only option).

You can't "join segments" of different codec/container types. EVER. They would have to be converted to some common format. If you're going to do that, why go 1/2 way? Just use an NLE.

If you ONLY have VC1/m2ts, you could join, but you could easily have skips/freezes at the join point.

Scott

[aedipuss]

start with some editors that have free demos. maybe sony movie studio hd.
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/homestudio


output can be 1920x1080 mp4 video.