Capture from firewire DVD device?

bakerbud9 wrote on 1/3/2004, 10:02 AM

Here's what I'd really like to know:

How come it is not possible to capture video from a firewire DVD device? For example, we have the external Sony DVD/CD rewriteable drive. This device connects to the computer through USB 2.0 or firewire. Even though the device is recognized by WinXP as an IEEE device, the capture program in Vegas doesn't. So there is no way to play the DVD and capture video off the DVD into vegas.

It seems that at the very least it should be easy to "extract" MPEG-2 files directly off a DVD, much the same way Vegas or Sound Forge allow you to "extract" audio files directly off CD-ROMS.

In the absense of this support in Vegas, does anyone know a way to get video files off of a DVD and into the computer over a firewire or USB 2.0 connection?

Sincerely,

Nate

Comments

farss wrote on 1/3/2004, 12:20 PM

There's a few big differences between extracting audio from a CD and trying to get video back from a DVD. The video and audio along with perhaps a few other things are multiplex together on a DVD. None of the compression systems used lend themselves to retrieval of the video or audio as well.

There are certainly ways to do it, do a search through this forum or look at www.vcdhelp.com.

bakerbud9 wrote on 1/4/2004, 7:45 PM

Farss,

Thanks. Now that I know what I'm searching for, I see there is a plethora of DVD Ripping software out there. Any recommendations?

We would like to allow customers to bring us video in any format: DV, VHS, S-VHD, Betacam, etc. We then would like to record the client's video to DVD using our Philips DVD+R/RW device, which has DV, composite, S-Video and component inputs.

This would provide us many benefits. For example, it allows us to return the client's original footage very quickly while at the same time leaving us a DVD copy that we can use for further editing and authoring.

But most importantly, my theory is this: when we record to the Phillips DVD recorder, the conversion to MPEG happens in real-time. This means that if we can rip the MPEG files off the DVD, we should be able to import them directly into DVD Architect without any further need to do lengthy software renders or recompressions.

This could be a huge time saver for us. It would allow us to take on more clients and make more money<g>.

Sincerely,

Nate

farss wrote on 1/4/2004, 8:06 PM

Sorry to tell you this but this is definately NOT a good idea!

You are going to go from whatever format to mpeg-2 using single pass CBR encoding. All ready your image quality is being compromised PLUS no TBC or noise reduction.

You are then going to go from mpeg-2 back to DV by some means, edit that and again subject the image to sub-optimal compression. I guess if you come from the "If its got color and it moves it's television school" it doesn't matter!

Why not have a number of HDs, they aren't expensive. Capture directly to them, still realtime! Have one machine for capturing, one for editing and one for encoding and / or one for burning, just move the drives between.

I've built a small business doing just that, I use the best hardware I can afford and the clients come back because the DVDs I make literaly are better than what they've seen come off their tapes.

One of my clients tried making his own DVDs using the Philips box, I now do the work for him and that stuff had only been through one encode not two. The images on the DVD ARE better than what he can get off the tape.