Capture DVD clips for use in V4+DVDA?

DGrob wrote on 9/18/2003, 2:40 PM

I'm setting up to create a historical DVD production for our local volunteer fire department. As part of their recent 50th anniversay celebration, the local "grassroots TV" conducted as series of 20 half-hour interviews with old and current members. They're offering to make the entire DVD library available to me, which has been reviewed and story-boarded for use throughout the 1-hour program I will produce.

Will be using V4d and DVDA. I'm gonna be a newbie w/ DVDA as I'm upgrading to prepare for this project. But I'd like to start building my files with stills, pre-recorded voiceovers, and the DVD-interview clips. As I mentioned, I have my storyboard roughed and scripted.

Any tips on capturing media clips from DVDs for use in a new DVD? I'm guessing they'll be coming in as mpeg2, which shouldn't be a problem as I'll be using simple fades and cuts to integrate the un-FX'd clips into the program. Will this create difficulties when I finally render for a limited-run DVD - i.e. an mpeg2 of an mpeg2? Any thoughts of +R, -R etc? Any input greatly appreciated.

TIA, DGrob

Comments

Frenchy wrote on 9/18/2003, 2:47 PM

Hey DGrob:

Check out www.vcdhelp.com - lots of info, guides and tools (free and inexpensive) to rip DVD's. I've used Smartripper (link in the "tools" setion - right hand side) - free, easy to use (read the guides). Even though they reside on the DVD as MPEG's, you do need to rip them as VOB's

-edit - then you need to use another freebie - DVD2AVI, to convert the vob files to avi's

THere are also good guides for these available at afterdawn.com, and doom9.org

Good luck and have fun

Frenchy

Jsnkc wrote on 9/18/2003, 2:57 PM

I have to disagree...To get the best quality I would reccomend running the DVD in a DVD Player into a analog capture card such as the Canopus ADVC-100 or ACEDVio or camera with passthrough capabilities (try to use s-video if possible). This will work great as long as the DVD's aren't copy protected. This method will give you the best quality and save you a lot of time otherwise you will have to rip 20 DVD's. Otherwise you will have to rip them, then edit the MPEG-2 files and then re-render them to MPEG-2 after you edit them which will result in a lot of quality loss.

DGrob wrote on 9/18/2003, 4:18 PM

Frenchy: Thanks, been working my way through dvdrhelp (same, same) as well as the SF knowledge base. Tools had escaped me until you pointed it out. The other links were new to me. Thanks

Jsnkc: I do have analog/digital pass-through on my Canon out via 1394. The DVDs are not copyrighted, courtesy of Grassroots TV. Like your idea a lot. Gets me DV media clips throughout in one pass. I gather I can just play the DVD and trigger Vegas "capture" at the appropriate moments in and out?

SF Forum to the rescue again! DGrob

Jsnkc wrote on 9/18/2003, 4:29 PM

Yeah, just play it through your camera and hit capture in vegas just like you normally would.