Converting VRO to VOB and Authoring To DVD-R

[leebo]

This topic has been started a couple of times, but never caught on, possibly because not many people had encountered VRO files yet.

Hopefully, that has changed.

I would like to get input from those who have the Panasonic E20/E30 or the Pioneer DVR-9000/7000.

These machines can produce a DVD disc that uses the VRO file format. This format is not playable on the majority of DVD players in use today.

My problem is the Pioneer model can only record longer than two hours when using the VRO mode. VRO mode discs generaly can not be shared or distributed, due to the lack of compatability with most players.

So I'm looking for a way to convert the VRO's into either Mpeg2 or VOB files that can then be copied to a DVD-R and played on most player.

After a bit of research, I've discovered:

To read a VRO on a PC you must instal UDF 2.1 on your system.

Videopack 5.1 can use VRO's w/o converting them into mpeg, however, it may give you problems during the writing process (I still have had no success with this).

TMPEGEnc can demux and remux into mpeg, but it will likely be out of sync.

DVDjr (latest version) reportibly can convert VRO'sinto VOB's, but I can't confirm this because I refuse to spend hundreds of dollars on this program to find out (learned my lesson from Roxio, thank you very much).

So I'd like to know if anyone out there is working on this problem or has a solution that works for them.

[kenneth228a]

Leebo

I've been on this for quite awhile. and my advice to you is give up now.
Converted or demuxed VRO files are rather unstable in any software i've tried. Even though I have an E20 I do everything on the PC, you have so many options for great DVD's. I use the E20 only as a VCR now.

What almost works (warning lots of frustration here)

Any product by Authoring Ware (DVD Junior etc.) even though they convert VRO to VOB the resulting VOB will not play well (picture is jerky) something is wrong with their muxer. Also DVD's authored with their software seems to be less compatible than usual. The newest version 1.2.0 is supposed to fix this. I have it and a quick test showed they may have fixed it, I need to spend more time with it.

DVDit!, Demuxed VRO's 50/50, sometimes works, sometimes makes you think it works, sometimes crashes the computer.

Spruce UP, (Demuxed VRO) Usually rejects the video with some error or crashes.

I've tried quite a few other software packages that failed. I can't remember them all. I have not tried the Roxio product.

What does work!
Reencode the video using DVD2AVI frameserved to TMPG.
Yes, rencoding sucks but this works quite good. You can find a tutorial on DVD2AVI on this site it works the same with VRO's as VOB's.

Ken

[leebo]

Reencode the video using DVD2AVI frameserved to TMPG.
Yes, rencoding sucks but this works quite good

Thanks for the reply.

But...

I have a Dazzle II and I would recapture to it b4 re-encoding a VRO.

My main gripe is I made a mistake in buying the 7000, since I wanted to be able to record more than two hours (using a VCR type device, i.e. no authoring).

I "hoped" there would be a way to do it, like the Panasonic can.

Would have saved big bucks too.

Since I don't have a girlfriend, I'll continue to search for an answer!

[kenneth228a]

I might like a 7000 want to trade for an E20?

Ken

[leebo]

I might like a 7000 want to trade for an E20?

Maybe for TWO E20's.

[Dieter D]

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Look at Great Video Win

GreatVideo! converts recorded DVD video files (.vro files) to any QuickTime™ -compatible video format, including Sorenson and 20 other popular formats. GreatVideo! allows you to convert files generated by DVD camcorders and video recorders that can then be viewed, edited and played in the QuickTimeTM Movie Player application. No additional application software required!
-----------------------------

I´m searching for the DVD Junior DEMO 1.18 or9? (not 1.2 from Authoringware.com).Could anyone help?
The 1.2 crashes (or Limit) if i convert vro to vob. The old Version had worked fine. (before a headcrash)

Thx
DD

[leebo]

GreatVideo!

I have an email out to them asking if it will convert to mpeg2.
I believe the software is about $80. I don't need to convert it into Quicktime, Sorensen, or anything else that can't be used in a DVD authoring program.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

[mld100]

So far I have converted about 10 .vro movies from my DMR-E10 to DVD-R with 100% success rate. Not sure if this will help but here is what I do.

Step 1: I rename the .vro file to .mpg
Step 2: I de-multiplex the .mpg using tmpgenc
This gives me a .m2v file and a .ac3 file
Step 3: I use a sound editing program to convert the .ac3 file to
a .mpa file. (Mpeg-1 audio layer II, 48000 Hz, 224 kbits/s)
Step 4: I multiplex the .m2v file and the new .mpa file using tmpgenc.
This gives me a new .mpg file
Step 5: I use Ulead's DVD Plug-in for Video studio 5 to burn the
new .mpg file to a DVD-R

The picture quality will be identical to the original vro file because you do not have to re-encode the video at all. Hope this helps, I certainly do not consider myself an expert, but this has worked flawlessly for me.

[leebo]

Thanks. I'll try that.

But I've done ALMOST the same thing already, only multiplexing both the AC3 (which TMPEGEnc can convert to mpa on it's own) AND a converted mpa with the mp2.
The sound is always out of sync.

[Dieter D]

@leebo

GreatVideo!

I have an email out to them asking if it will convert to mpeg2.

You already got an answer from SA ?

[leebo]

Their software only converts to Quicktime compatable formats.

The new version of DVDjr works great for converting VRO to VOB.

The latest DVD Workshop accepts VRO's, if you manually add .mpg to the end of the filename. You can author it and produce a new DVD.

My sync problem remains.

I'm pretty sure it's due to the fact that all these VRO's I'm using have been edited using the DVR-7000. I record music videos and remove the commercials.
Then I take the disc and extract the VRO to my HD.

Both Workshop and VideoPack 5.1 can't use these edited files. If I do the same thing with un-edited VRO's both programs accept and work with the files.

I've tried a program that allows you to add or remove a delay to the AC3 file, but the sync gets worse at every cut, so the first part is OK, but after the first cut it's out of sync again.

[Dieter D]

DVDjr (latest version) reportibly can convert VRO'sinto VOB's, but I can't confirm this because I refuse to spend hundreds of dollars on this program to find out (learned my lesson from Roxio, thank you very much).

Do you have found another possibility to test the program?
If so, could you mail me your way?

didoedel@gmx.de

thx