no problem....sorry..

another question:
On a lot of DVD's, i am able to pul the VOB file to the timeline of
vegas 9 directly.....Can i be assured that i am not losing any
quality from the original DVD while doing this?
Some extractors seem to soften the edge of the video files and
it seems that the image stays in-tact, but i'm not positive.
Again, is there any quality loss when dragging the VOB files directly
from the VIDEO TS folder to the Timeline?

Thanks again....

No problem, dv2.

Many of us here wear hobbyist and professional hats whose colors clash.

It'll be interesting if the discussion about ripping copyrighted DVD's changes based on the FCC's new rule change about ripping copyrighted DVD's. There were several recent posts about that here on this forum. This rule change actually helped me; I have had to rip several sections from copyrighted DVD's for a project I'm creating for school settings, and it was very helpful to know the ripping software that was most useful, at least for me (DVDFab, but not free).

Hello dvideo2,
once you've moved the .vob file to your hard drive ...
change the extension to .mp2 and edit away ...
I didn't come up with this solution, but it does work - I've used it here recently.
I think it's a tip from one of the graybeards here on the forum - I don't want to identify anyone by name - I may indicate the wrong person . . . (sigh)

Let me go find the post ...
These posts have minor edits by me for clarity ...
_ _ _ _ _

Here is one solution for homemade video on disks...

FWIW, these are mini-dvd's with chapters as shot by the videographer.
Have you tried the "Import Camcorder Disc" function in Vegas?
_ _ _ _ _

Renaming only one .vob file ...

If there's just one VOB you can rename it. If there's more than one, the problem is that only the first one has the correct header info embedded in it. I get around this by making editing the VOBs together into a single mpeg2 clip using Mpeg Wizard from womble.com. If it's encrypted, AnyDVD from slysoft.com disables the encrypting.
_ _ _ _ _

Renaming a series of .vob files ...

You can concatenate all the VOB files into a single MPG file using the DOS command COPY:

COPY /B VTS_01_1.VOB+VTS_01_2.VOB+VTS_01 _3.VOB+VTS_01_4.VOB video.mpg

Note the /B for binary file and the + between each file being concatenated. video.mpg is the concatenated output file.
VOB files are just an MPG file chopped at 2 GB boundaries to comply with the ISO file spec. limit.
In my example there is only one MPG file identified by the VTS_01 prefix. VTS_02 would indicate the second MPG file.
VTS_01_0.VOB is just the menu portion.
_ _ _ _ _


Until that time ... Earl J.

Have you tried the "Import Camcorder Disc" function in Vegas?

I have used this function a lot, and it has worked out well for me.

/Ulf

A lot of great feedback......
thanks everyone.....

This was a Library of Congress recommendation that interprets DMCA; has nothing to do with FCC that I am aware of . . .

I would be pretty careful before acting on anyone's interpretation of it I may read on the internet. How much it actually expands the application of Fair Use will ultimately be determined in the courts, and I suspect there will be plenty of tests over the coming years. It comes as a welcome bit of breathing room for certain classes of content producers, however.

Here's the text and references, straight from the horse's mouth:
http://www.copyright.gov/1201/

John how do you drag the VOB file to the timeline? If I don't change the filename to .mpg or mp-something, it doesn't even show up in the Vegas explorer. Is there a way to actually work with the VOB files without having to change the extension?

Also do you know how to get rid of the little hiccup at the end of the file? Typically, when I load these onto my timeline there is a little dropout (video or audio, sometimes both) right at the end of the file so it won't hook up seamlessly with the next one.

I do a lot of work "saving" things folks have put on DVD's and then want/need changes, but no longer have the source files. So often I have issues with these little dropouts between VOB's.

Dragging the file is simple, just open a Windows Explorer box right next to Vegas, (which will have to be opened less than full screen size, obviously) then just drag the file from Windows Explorer to Vegas, and drop it on the timeline, or media bin. Voila!

Sometimes it takes a second, or two, for Vegas to act like anything happened, but it will usually work this way. If not, I just use the "import from camcorder disc" function.

I don't know about the hiccup problem, I have not experienced this on any of my Vegas time-lines. Sorry.

Will

PS; Vegas will change the extension of the VOB clips to ".mpg" once they are on the timeline, and add them to the media bin. Vegas will not, however change the original file's extension.