Help Copy VHS to DVD to Computer Media?

[netmation]

I am experimenting with copying some of my VHS family movie tapes to get the files in digital form to be played on a computer. I have a VHS/DVD player which can make this copy to a DVD +RW disk, but have the following questions.

1. The manual give me an option to "finalize" the recording on the VHS/DVD player, which looks like it creates a menu. Should I skip this step if my goal is to get the file into the best video format on a PC?

2. So far any DVD I record on the VHS/DVD player is ending up with several .VOB files, and it looks like it is setup for a DVD player. I can play the DVD on my computer but what is the best process to covert these files into an MP2 or some other recommended format.

I own VideoStudio X6 Ultimate currently, can this be used to convert these files, or do I have to obtain some RIP software?

Thanks for any guidance.

[asik1]

I hardly do DVD's but as far as I recall you better finalize or it will not be readable on other devices.
Regarding the quality, well the best in DVD is 60 min per media at 8MB/S

[BrianCee]

If your only purpose for putting them on a DVD is to get them to your computer then it may not be necessary to finalise the disc - that would normally only be necessary to play them on other DVD players - but a quick experiment will show if you do need to finalise - copy a short bit to disc - don't finalise - put in your computer and see if the computer sees those vob files - if it does don't finalise - then you can keep reusing the same disc - if it doesn't try finalising.

VideoStudio has an inbuilt option to import and read all those vob files - put the disc in the computer drive and in videostudio right click on the timeline and choose "Import Digital Media" - this will open a window to allow you to browse to the Video_TS folder holding the vob files on the DVD

I haven't done it for a while but I remember it is very important to tick all the right boxes in that browse window to make sure you select the files to import - clicking OK will read the videos into the timeline where you can export them in almost any format you wish - or burn to another DVD with nice menus etc.

[lata]

Hi

1 / You should Finalise the disc before removing from the DVD Recorder
2 / Set Video Studio to “show messages…….” That will match the project properties to your imported clips…"

3 / With the disc in the PC drive, right click Video Studio timeline for Insert Digital Media
Browse for the disc. Then follow the windows to import the vobs to your pc, (choose all Titles) they will be imported as Mpeg2 files.
The quality / properties will be same as recorded.

This tutorial shows the import windows you should see
http://www.lata.me.uk/corel/import/import.htm

[netmation]

Thanks for the helpful comments. I was able to read the VOB files on my computer, they actually read into VideoStudio Pro X6 and were put into a MPG file. Not sure what MP format that is? After I make my edits what format would you recommend I save them in. If I go to "Create Video File" I see various options, so far I have tried "Same as first clip", but it still takes a long time. Is this still doing a file conversion causing me to loose quality? I also see DV 4:3, and DVD Video 4:3, and MPEG2, lots of options. This is old family videos in 4:3 format, any thoughts.

Once I save it for archiving I assume I need to make another copy to share over the internet in some compressed smaller format, what format is best for this type of video?

Thanks for any help.

[BrianCee]

.mpg is the standard video format for burning video files to standard DVD's - usually referred to as mpeg2 in DVD creation

If you are going to burn a standard DVD to play on a standard DVD player (ie NOT a blu-ray disc) then you should render your file to mpeg-2 and use that file in the "Create Disc" module to burn your DVD - if that is what you have in the timeline from the .vob conversion then you can use 'same as first clip' - what do you mean by "a long time" - rendering does not happen in real time - it can take a while depending on many different factors

If you just wish a file for sending over the internet then it depends on what quality you want to send - I would propably use mp4 - but you can get smaller files - at lower quality - by using .wmv

[netmation]

Thanks Brian so much in helping me to get going on this here.

1. Yes my raw file is MPEG 2. What I meant by "long time" is if a make some edits to the video and save in the same format it seems to take a while for the SAVE to work. Is this normal? Should saving the file in the same format require a "render"? I thought rendering referred to writing the file to a new format which I can understand would take a while, but simply making a few edits and saving in MPEG 2 does that also take a time consuming render?

2. My original file is 720x480 at 24 bits. So if I take your advice to save to MPEG 4 to make it streamable on the internet the options state 640 x 480 or 1280x720. Neither of which are the same ratios? Will it squish my video and not keep the actual proportions of content (stretch objects in the video)?

3. The second have of my project is to organize my more current video camera content which the raw format is AVCHD. Would you recommend keeping all that video as I edit it in the original AVCHD format. And then also making a copy of the end product and convert it to MPEG 4 for internet streaming to family? I am under the assumption if you don't ever want to loose quality of the video keep it in the original format, is that a good rule?

Thanks for helping with the clarification. Much appreciated.

[BrianCee]

1. if you have made ANY changes at all to the video in the timeline - cut the beginning off - cut the end off - bit out the middle - whatever - then the edited video has to be rendered to a new video fie and will therefore take whatever it takes to render.

2. I haven't got X6 on this computer - I'll start up the desktop shortly and see what render options I can offer for your mp4 file - but in X7 I easily made a new profile with the frame size you required - use the '+' sign I have circled in the image below to make new profiles

3. Yes I keep all my videos in their original format as well as all the other formats I render to for various reasons - only downside is that videos especially AVCHD take up a great deal of disc space - I currently put all mine on a 2TB external drive kept just for that purpose.