converting from VOB to AVI for editing

redrider wrote on 12/20/2011, 9:37 PM
I have a DVD containing home movie that a service converted from 16mm film to VOB on DVD. I would like to be able to bring this into Movie Studio for editing. I assume I need to convert to AVI first. I can use ArcSoft Media Converter to convert from VOB to AVI. If I then edit and render to mpeg2, will there be any loss of quality compared to the VOB file that I started with?

Comments

Chienworks wrote on 12/20/2011, 10:51 PM
There's a function under File for Import / DVD Camcorder Disc. Try that. It should bring the contents of the DVD onto the timeline ready for editing.

Personally i don't like it because there will be slight audio gaps wherever there is a chapter marker or .vob break. Ugh. My preferred method is to copy the .vob files to my hard drive, then do a binary copy/concatenate in an MS-DOS command window to create one single .mpg file out of them, thusly:

copy /b vts_01_1.vob + vts_01_2.vob + vts_01_3.vob + vts_01_4.vob video.mpg

(obviously use however many vts files you have, if more or less than 4)
You can now load video.mpg onto the timeline for editing.

In the Vegas Pro forums it's recently been disclosed that one can open the primary .ifo file VTS_01_0.IFO directly in Vegas and it will place all the parts of the DVD on the timeline without gaps. It might be worth trying this in Vegas Studio and see if it works.
TOG62 wrote on 12/21/2011, 3:28 AM
Another method that works well is to backup using DVDShrink, with the preferences set not to split the output vob into 1GB chunks.
MSmart wrote on 12/21/2011, 11:44 AM
No, you don't need to convert to avi to edit. I believe VMS can smart render mpeg files, that is, not recode them as long as the output settings (bit rate, resolution) are the same. If so, the only parts that would get recoded are at the edit points (and if you don't apply effects.

I only edit DV-AVI files in VMS so someone who edits mpeg files can correct me if I'm wrong.
redrider wrote on 12/22/2011, 12:51 PM
I tried the suggestion regarding opening the primary .ifo file VTS_01_0.IFO directly in Vegas and this seems to work just fine. Just as information, I am running Vegas Movie Studio Platinum V10.

I am also going to experiment with the other suggestions provided by you and others as soon as I can.

Thanks all very much for your very helpful responses.