Which is easier to edit? DVD MPEG-2 or H.264 MP4?

[digicube]

I have some DVDs that I want to convert to MP4. There are ads I want to edit out. Should I do the editing while it's in MPEG-2 or can I convert it to MP4 first using Handbrake and then edit out the ads while in MP4 format.

What software should I use to edit out the ads? I only know of Avidemux.

[LigH.de]

You will possibly already get rid of ad trailers if you don't try to process VOB files as they are authored on DVD, but instead extract the main movie PGC (as you always should when ripping a commercial DVD from disc). This works only with tools which are able to interpret the IFO files, like powerful DVD rippers with a Movie or IFO mode (and possibly stream processing), or PGCDemux or vStrip (when the whole content is already on the harddisk).

If trailers are still present: To cut both video and audio in sync, you could try MPEG2Schnitt or Cuttermaran.

[DB83]

My 2 cents.

Since the GOPS should be smaller and an I-frame easier to hit with the original mpeg2, I would edit with that and convert later.

And avidemux will suffice with a stream copy or even create the mp4 within avidemux after the edit.

[sneaker]

Neither. I recommend editing in the lossless domain (e.g. in AviSynth) between MPEG-2 decoding and H.264(?) encoding. Editing compressed inter-frame formats like MPEG-2 and H.264 has some limitations and is error-prone.

[LigH.de]

Editing in AviSynth is easy for the video, but recoding the audio would be a disadvantage.

MPEG-2 GOPs have a much lower complexity and diversity than MPEG-4 AVC GOPs. You can plug in an MPEG-2 Encoder as "provider" in MPEG2Schnitt as well as in Cuttermaran, so you can use e.g. HCEnc in case you need to re-encode only a cut GOP, but simply copy all the others losslessly (a.k.a. "smart rendering" in a similar context).

But as already mentioned: If you extract the main movie PGC, you will probably not even need to cut anymore.

[sneaker]

True. And if AviSynth or similar is too complicated I also agree with editing the MPEG-2. Also, because then the final mp4 should be seamless.

[digicube]

Thanks for the replies. It's not commercial DVDs, it's recordings off TV. I will rip the DVDs and edit the MPEG-2 first before converting it to MP4.

[VideoGuruDude]

VideoReDo with H264 will do the job, easily.

P.S.
I *hate* VOBs.

HTH,
Andrew

[hech54]

P.S.
I *hate* VOBs.

HTH,
Andrew

Then just take the original MPEG2 video out of the VOB container with any number of free tools.

[VideoGuruDude]

I have some DVDs that I want to convert to MP4. There are ads I want to edit out.

I was answering his question, and throwing in my opinion at the same time. I still hate VOBs.. and have not much use for MPEG2 either.