Two features of MF intrigue me and I wonder how well they work for everyone.
First of all, due to corporate IT rules, I cannot download and install the trial version, so I'm seeking answers here.
1. We need a solution to extract video from DVDs burned at other corporate locations. We would then need to convert the files to another fle format like QT or DV. These are not commercial copy-protected DVDs. How well is this feature working? I see some problems expressed on this forum, but I'd like to here both sides.
2. We need to edit video burned to DVD RAM by a desktop Panasonic recorder. This video will then either edited in MPG and burned back to DVD RAM or converted to DV for editing. Again, how well does this feature work.
The editing systems here at work are Avids, Canopus and we also use After Effects.
Thanks in advance for your replies.
Tom
Questions regarding DVD RAM and extraction of VOB files
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plasma_video
- Posts: 48
- Joined: Sun Jan 23, 2005 5:03 am
YOUR MILAGE MAY VARY! 
The first thing to try is to simply rename the files from something.VOB, to something.MPG. Sometimes this works.
If Movie Factory works with your particular DVDs, you can extract the video by title/chapter, rather than by VOB file. And, AFAIK, it does not require a decode/recode cycle (assuming that you're extracting to MPEG-2).
Ulead Video Studio works the same way, but I think there are more options for exporting to different formats.
You can order a CD with the trial programs on it. ($10.00) Would this be within the rules? Maybe you can get a system that's offline, or not on the corporate network to experiment with. (i.e. Download the trials at home or somewhere else, burn 'em to a CD, and install them on your offline test-system.)
Over the past couple of weeks I've been trying-out several "conversion" programs in order to convert a particular VOB file to an MPEG that I could open with the various Ulead programs.
My best results were with a program called SUPER. (FREE!).
None of the programs I tried could extract the existing MPEG from the VOB without an "extra" decode-recode cycle. Some of the programs couldn't open the file, and most others wanted to create an SVCD compatible MPEG with a much-reduced bitrate.
BTW- Your IT rules might not be so silly. With all my experimental downloads, I did get a virus or some spyware on my A/V system! It's "magically" uploading twice as many bytes as I'm downloading!!! The system is offline now, and now that I'm done playing around I'm gonna reformat the hard drive this weekend.
The first thing to try is to simply rename the files from something.VOB, to something.MPG. Sometimes this works.
If Movie Factory works with your particular DVDs, you can extract the video by title/chapter, rather than by VOB file. And, AFAIK, it does not require a decode/recode cycle (assuming that you're extracting to MPEG-2).
Ulead Video Studio works the same way, but I think there are more options for exporting to different formats.
You can order a CD with the trial programs on it. ($10.00) Would this be within the rules? Maybe you can get a system that's offline, or not on the corporate network to experiment with. (i.e. Download the trials at home or somewhere else, burn 'em to a CD, and install them on your offline test-system.)
Over the past couple of weeks I've been trying-out several "conversion" programs in order to convert a particular VOB file to an MPEG that I could open with the various Ulead programs.
My best results were with a program called SUPER. (FREE!).
None of the programs I tried could extract the existing MPEG from the VOB without an "extra" decode-recode cycle. Some of the programs couldn't open the file, and most others wanted to create an SVCD compatible MPEG with a much-reduced bitrate.
BTW- Your IT rules might not be so silly. With all my experimental downloads, I did get a virus or some spyware on my A/V system! It's "magically" uploading twice as many bytes as I'm downloading!!! The system is offline now, and now that I'm done playing around I'm gonna reformat the hard drive this weekend.
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maddrummer3301
- Posts: 2507
- Joined: Fri Dec 10, 2004 10:24 pm
- Location: US
DvdDoug (There aren't any vob's on a dvd-ram disk).
Plasma,
The videos burnt to a dvd-ram disk are contained in one file on the dvd-ram disk. MF4 with the updates can extract the mpg2 dvd compliant videos from the dvd-ram disk onto the harddisk.
With MF4 you need to install the updates to extract the dvd-ram disk
mpeg2 files properly. The original release aborts thinking the disk is
copy-protected unless you map(share) the drive and import from the
shared drive.
You can then export the mpeg2 files using the export-> customize feature of MF4. You would only need the standard version of MF4 which comes with the dolby decoder. Panasonic dvd-ram is audio encoded AC-3.
The panasonic unit can be programmed to record audio as pcm in the HQ
mode (the default is Dolby AC-3).
I have been using MF4 to extract from dvd-ram recorded on a panasonic DMR-65 unit for awhile.
It works. Sometimes you may receive an error at the end of the extraction but you select to keep the file and it stays on the harddisk.
Importing from other dvd-media
Many times as DvdDoug says you can rename the VOB's to mpg and
that can work. MF4 will still import the dvd so that's not necessary
unless the recorder to writing a proprietory format.
The trial version of MF4 doesn't recognize Dobly/AC-3 audio so using the
trial verison you will not be able to edit the video because they will be in Dolby format.
One note to mention on my Panasonic unit the dvd frames size it 704x480 so if you plan to edit the video you will have to make up a custom template with a 704x480 frame size to match the source video's.
Hope this helps,
MD
Plasma,
The videos burnt to a dvd-ram disk are contained in one file on the dvd-ram disk. MF4 with the updates can extract the mpg2 dvd compliant videos from the dvd-ram disk onto the harddisk.
With MF4 you need to install the updates to extract the dvd-ram disk
mpeg2 files properly. The original release aborts thinking the disk is
copy-protected unless you map(share) the drive and import from the
shared drive.
You can then export the mpeg2 files using the export-> customize feature of MF4. You would only need the standard version of MF4 which comes with the dolby decoder. Panasonic dvd-ram is audio encoded AC-3.
The panasonic unit can be programmed to record audio as pcm in the HQ
mode (the default is Dolby AC-3).
I have been using MF4 to extract from dvd-ram recorded on a panasonic DMR-65 unit for awhile.
It works. Sometimes you may receive an error at the end of the extraction but you select to keep the file and it stays on the harddisk.
Importing from other dvd-media
Many times as DvdDoug says you can rename the VOB's to mpg and
that can work. MF4 will still import the dvd so that's not necessary
unless the recorder to writing a proprietory format.
The trial version of MF4 doesn't recognize Dobly/AC-3 audio so using the
trial verison you will not be able to edit the video because they will be in Dolby format.
One note to mention on my Panasonic unit the dvd frames size it 704x480 so if you plan to edit the video you will have to make up a custom template with a 704x480 frame size to match the source video's.
Hope this helps,
MD
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plasma_video
- Posts: 48
- Joined: Sun Jan 23, 2005 5:03 am
Both replies help a lot.
Doug, I agree that the rules are not silly. In fact, I plan to build on "offline" machine to blow up to my heart's content that can be fully isolated from our in house network and also isn't used for daily production.
I actually could test it out at home. I have the SE version of MF3 and I've used that. It will extract files, but doesn't handle AC3, so I wasn't sure about the implementation. As I already have V3 installed on the machine, I didn't want to risk that installation. I did that once before with a Media Studio Pro trial, and I'm right in the middle of many projects. MF3 SE is working fine for me in all regards except for AC3 support.
I've tried renaming VOB files, but have gotten into issues with 2 things - AC3 decoding and also problems recombining the 1GB split VOB files.
As for DVD RAM, I guess we'll just have to play.
Thanks for the replies, both of you. I think I'll build that play machine and get the trial.
Tom
Doug, I agree that the rules are not silly. In fact, I plan to build on "offline" machine to blow up to my heart's content that can be fully isolated from our in house network and also isn't used for daily production.
I actually could test it out at home. I have the SE version of MF3 and I've used that. It will extract files, but doesn't handle AC3, so I wasn't sure about the implementation. As I already have V3 installed on the machine, I didn't want to risk that installation. I did that once before with a Media Studio Pro trial, and I'm right in the middle of many projects. MF3 SE is working fine for me in all regards except for AC3 support.
I've tried renaming VOB files, but have gotten into issues with 2 things - AC3 decoding and also problems recombining the 1GB split VOB files.
As for DVD RAM, I guess we'll just have to play.
Thanks for the replies, both of you. I think I'll build that play machine and get the trial.
Tom