Edit MPEG-2 Transport Stream

[JonnyAlpha]

Hi;

I have captured some home movies from VHS to MPEG-2 TS Files and now I need to edit them.
I have downloaded and used MPEG Streamclip to take a few samples of the TS and have exported them as MP4 files using all the default settings.


I have checked the specs of one clip using VideoSpec and the specs are shown in the attached screenshot.


What I want to do is keep the original files (for now) in case I screw something up and then I want to do the following:


1. Cut out some of the blank footage i.e at the ends where I left the capture running on its own and captured a lot of blank video after the home movie finished, as well as a small amount at the start of the video.


2. Cut out some of the boring footage, or cut out some of the good clips and join them together.


3. Possibly add a different soundtrack i.e. a music track? Either to replace the existing audio or possible add it over the top?


4. Either leave as MPEG 2 TS or Export to another format for viewing on my Macs / PCs / Home Cinema via XBMC on a Jailbroken AppleTV2


5. Possible author to DVD in order to have another backup?


I have searched the web and have found some tutorials on how to extract single clips, extract and join two clips but I need to be sure that the original is safe?? I could take another copy but my clips are already huge 4 - 8GB.


Any tips would be most welcomed

[manono]

Apparently you're not 'restoring' or reencoding anything. And it's already DVD compliant to begin with, right (720x576)? If all you want to do is cut stuff out the free MPEG2Cut2 is up to the job. It'll return an MPG and you can demux that (in order to remove the audio) using DGIndex (File->Save Project File and Demux Video) among other ways. Then the video (the M2V) and your different DVD compliant audio will be ready to author for DVD using any authoring program.

I don't see any attached screenshot.

[JonnyAlpha]

I don't see any attached screenshot.

mmm I attached it, i'll try again. You mention using MPEG2Cut2 is it better than MPEG Streamclip?

[manono]

You mention using MPEG2Cut2 is it better than MPEG Streamclip?

I've never used MPEG Streamclip, but I wonder why you'd export from it as MP4 when you intend to keep/make them MPEG-2. MPEG2Cut2 doesn't reencode, only edit (cut/join). It gives you back MPG which can be authored as DVD if you decide to do that later on. It fulfills each of your 5 conditions except for number 3 which can easily be done during DVD authoring, or by remuxing using something else, something such as ImagoMPEG Muxer.

[usually_quiet]

I have used MPEGStreamclip. It cuts on GOP boundaries and doesn't always re-encode. It has a few different container options for exporting edited MPEG-2 video and the associated audio without re-encoding. I can't recall for certain if it can use MP4 to export MPEG-2, because I don't use that option, but I think it only allows conversion to H.264 or maybe some other flavor of MPEG-4 for MP4 export.

If using a Windows system, I would also recommend trying MPEG2Cut2 for editing MPEG-2 video without converting or re-encoding it. I find the current Windows version of MPEGStreamclip to be a bit buggy using Windows 7 or Windows 8. I don't use it much anymore. Cuttermaran might be another option for editing MPEG 2 video without converting or re-encoding, but it only accepts demultiplexed audio and video files.

There is plenty of conversion software that can convert from MPEG-2 to something else for use with various media devices after the editing is completed.