VHS to DVD to PC to edit?

[Brian L]

I apologise in advance if this question has been asked before but I have received so much differing advice that my ability to understand it has gone into overload.

All I want to do is to copy some family VHS tapes to DVDs, edit the rubbish from them and then make copies to give to my children while I am still able to.

I have managed to get as far as recording some of the VHS tape to DVD discs by connecting a VHS player to a DVD recorder running through a TV. I tested the DVDs and they ran alright on the TV.

I then placed the DVDs in the PC and all that showed was the one still picture that showed with the title page of the DVD when played on the TV.

I placed my curser on the disc icon in My Computer, right clicked, selected, OPEN and there were two icons.

The top one was Video_RM and the one underneath Video_TS .

I double click on the Video_RM and three icons showed.
Video_RM.BUP
Video_RM.DAT
VIDEO_RM.IFO

I double clicked on Video _TS and seven icons showed.
Video_TS.BUP
Video_TS.IFO
Video_TS.VOB
VTS_01_0.BUP
VTS_01_1.IFO
VTS_01._1VOB
VTS_01_2.VOB

Even with my limited experience I recognised that this means that it is possible to access the files on the DVD and open them to show what I will refer to as the sub files such as the VOB ones played some of the VHS film. The others didn’t but from there I’m stuck.

The original VHS tapes have a lot of rubbish such as an hour or so of film of a newly dug pond filling with water and an old wedding film has white flashes which I assume are frames with no film in them and it is this that I want to edit out.

Having looked through various forums I believe rather than know that I need to alter the format or convert them from the format that the DVDs are in at the moment to something that will play on the PC before they can be edited or played on a PC and that can be done by ripping them. Having done that, I believe, rather than know, that I then need an editing package.

I have been told that I need to rip the DVDs into, VOB files and save them into folders. Shrink the folders then convert the video and audio streams from the VOBs into AVIS then use a video editing program to edit the scenes then re-encode edited files and burn to blank DVD with freeware burning software.

Please tell me that its not as complicated as that because I thought that all I needed was ripping software and editing software suitable for a novice. If I am right could someone please recommend what software I need.

[AudiophileUk]

Hello, dont have the perfect answer for you but im pretty sure you wont need to covnert from dvd to avi and back to dvd. I beleive the advice you have been given is on creating DivX movies or copying retail DVDs (illegal) - you dont need to do this.

Also i dont think you need to create vob files as i think you will find you already have on the DVDs you've made. On the dvd you have created there will be vob files containing the video and audio, and the rest are necessities to allow the dvd to play correctly.

You will not need to shrink the files as they already fit on a dvd.

Try the free trial of Dvd Author, i *think* it may do what you want: http://tmpgenc.pegasys-inc.com/en/product/tda20.html

I also found this guide, may help: http://www.videoforums.co.uk/guide-edit-vob-mpeg-48.htm

[AudiophileUk]

Another rather messy way which may work is to download DVD shrink (free) from: http://www.free-codecs.com/download/DVD_Shrink.htm

- Click open disc and select the dvd you have written.
- Select Re-Author
- Drag the main movie over to the DVD structure window
- Right click on main movie and select 'Set Start / End Frames'
- select the first scene you want to keep in, slect ok
- Repeat this by again dragging over tha main movie and selecting the next scene you want in, until yoiu have built up the complete movie

I do emphasise this is a rather messy and complicated way of doing it, and their *will* be more suited programs - but it should work if nothign else does!

[Brian L]

Well, Iv'e spent all day messing about with many sorst of packages and in the end I dumped them all. Eventualy I found a something that converted the VOB file to an AVI one and I managed to get it onto Windows Movie Maker

Now I will attempt to learn how to do some basic editing and the to get it from Windows Movie Maker to a DVD because for some starnge reason that software does not have that facility but at least I'm getting there.

[AudiophileUk]

i think the problem you will find it windows move maker will not export to a file you will want. Its biggest limitation is it only outputs to a windows video file and nothing else. Perhaps ditch windows movie maker and find one that will export to a file type you will use....

I know as i tried the same thing as you only a couple of weeks ago!

[senu]

Post this query in the Camcorders and video editing section for better exposure

You are on the right track and yes...WMM is no good for what you are doing

The only files you need from the DVD are the VOB files in the video TS folder
They are the video files ( mpeg2) .They can be copied " not ripped" and you need not convert them to AVI. They can be edited as mpeg although they will be re-encoded for final output if edited

These need to be imported into a "proper" Video editing software to enable you trim the stuff you don't want and then make up a DVD from what you do want on the PC

A simple way would be to download a trial version of
Ulead MovieFactory 5 plus ( £ 29) : this will help you import your DVD material on to the PC. with minimum fuss. While it will help you trim adverts etc, It is not as good a "proper editor" as other software for more extensive editing...
Youll have to give it a go to see if it suffices for you as YMMV

Most recent mainstream budget Video editing software can help you do that with more ease before you then commit your edit back to DVD.
Because of the growing popularity of DVD camcorders they are much better able to import and edit material from DVD
There are Mpeg editors which help preserve quality if editing mpeg instead of files from a digital camcorder ( DV AVI) but I wouldn't worry much as if your source is VHS it may not suffer too much degradation. "Analogue" ( a fellow poster on these forums) may be able to share his experience with you if you PM him.

Depending on how much experience you have there is a learning curve!

Another way is to record your VHS tapes onto a DVD recorder with a HDD. you can do quite a bit of trimming and cutting of annoying bits before making a DVD.
I have one of them and use it when I can be bothered to do a proper edit on the PC but it is obviously not ideal if you need to do more than a bit

[Brian L]

I had some horrendous problems with my computer where it kept collapsing but a kind friend fixed it and I'm no on my way, I hope. I have now got as far as understanding how my AVI software works and have managed to get my VHS player to talk to my computer so that I am able to get film from my VHS tapes onto my computer.
The next stage is to learn how to operate my new copy of Pinnacle Studio so I guess that I will be back but thanks for all your help.

[Brian L]

As I said, "The next stage is to learn how to operate my new copy of Pinnacle Studio." and I am back because I can not work out how to get Pinnacle to accept the ATI file.

[senu]

Are you OK now??

[Brian L]

Its sorted. The problem was the wrong ATI driver.

[Brian L]

The answer to the question, "Am I allright now?" is that I don't really know. The problem witth computing is that the more one learns the more one recognises that there is an awful lot more to learn.
The other problem is that as soon as one startes to use a particular PC or editing system the question arises, "Is this really the best PC and software?" and of course that is an isoluable question because it seems practically impossible to find any sort of consensus on any forum so I will take a chance.

I use Pinnacle Studio 10.6 and have a Mesh with the following spec what if anything would benefit with upgrading/changing?:
Processor: 2.20 gigahertz AMD Athlon 64 64 kilobyte primary memory cache 512 kilobyte secondary memory cache.
Main Circuit Board: Board: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. A8V Deluxe Rev 1.xx Bus Clock: 200 megahertz BIOS: American Megatrends Inc. 1009.007 12/22/2004
Drives: 295.35 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity 207.62 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space. SONY DVD RW DW-D22A [CD-ROM drive] SONY DVD-ROM DDU1613 [CD-ROM drive] Promise 1+0 Stripe/RAID0 SCSI Disk Device (300.08 GB) -- drive 0
Memory Modules: 1024 Megabytes Installed Memory. Slot 'DIMM0' has 512 MB (serial number SerNum0) Slot 'DIMM1' has 512 MB.
Local Drive Volumes: c: (NTFS on drive 0). 295.35 GB. 207.62 GB free.
Display: ALL-IN-WONDER 9800 SERIES [Display adapter].
ALL-IN-WONDER 9800 SERIES - Secondary [Display adapter].
ViewSonic VX912 [Monitor] (19.1"vis, s/n PPE045200737, December 2004) (2x).
Bus Adapters: VIA Serial ATA RAID Controller. WinXP Promise FastTrak 378 (tm) Controller. WinXP Promise RAID Console SCSI Processor Device. VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Controller (4x). VIA USB Enhanced Host Controller.
Multimedia: ATI WDM Rage Theater Audio. ATI WDM Rage Theater Video. ATI WDM Specialized MVD Codec. ATI WDM Teletext Decoder. ATI WDM TV Audio Crossbar. ATI WDM TV Tuner. Creative Game Port. Creative SB Audigy 2 ZS (WDM)