Just want to split mpegs

banquo wrote on 9/25/2009, 6:27 PM

I have a large mpeg file that I want to split into smaller files, which I can then selectively pull into DVD-A to make a menu-based DVD. I can’t figure out a way to do this using Vegas 9 & DVD-A. I can do the splitting in Vegas, but it will only save the segments as Vegas projects, which DVD-A can’t open. (It will also render them, which takes forever and is unnecessary; the file has already been captured at the desired bitrate and DVD-A can open it fine).

All I want to do is split up the file and save the segments as mpegs, which I can then pull into DVD-A to author my DVD. Is there no way to do this, or the equivalent, in Vegas/DVD-A?

Comments

musicvid10 wrote on 9/25/2009, 7:06 PM

It's a matter of using the right tool for the right job.
There are many mpeg splitter / joiners available, some free, some not.
My favorite is VideoReDo, which has a generous trial period before you have to purchase. Others like Womble.

Chienworks wrote on 9/25/2009, 7:54 PM

No need to split at all. If you want a chapter based menu then you can set chapter points in the timeline in DVDA, and each chapter point can become a menu item.

If you want independent title sets then merely add the same full mpeg file to the project as many times as you need titles. DVDA is smart enough to know it's the same file ever time so it will only put one physical copy on the DVD. Now open up each title and set In/Out points on each respective timeline. The finished DVD will show play just that section of the full file for each title.

banquo wrote on 9/25/2009, 9:11 PM

Thanks, musicvid & Chienworks.

> If you want independent title sets then merely add the same
> full mpeg file to the project as many times as you need titles.
> DVDA is smart enough to know it's the same file ever time
> so it will only put one physical copy on the DVD. Now open
> up each title and set In/Out points on each respective timeline.

Great; I figured there must be a way to do this. I did this, and it previews fine, but DVDA is miscalculating the final project size. The original mpeg is 7.5 GB. I added two clips that represent less than half of that, setting in & out points for each. But when I try to burn it to a file, DVDA says it’s 8 GB, more than double the size of those two segments.

I’m getting closer. Any suggestions how I can get DVDA to recognize the correct project size?

Chienworks wrote on 9/25/2009, 9:35 PM

Best idea is to simply ignore it. DVDA is notorious for miscalculating the size. If you're sure that the material you've added to the disc will fit, go ahead and prepare it and see what the final size is. Chances are it will fit.

I just did one a couple days ago that had 9 video titles on it. Selecting all the files in Explorer added up to 4.3GB. DVDA said i was going to need 4.98GB. The finished DVD was about 4.35GB.

banquo wrote on 9/25/2009, 11:07 PM

Thanks, but that's not working for me. When I try to burn it to a single layer disc, DVDA won't allow it; says it's too large for the selected media. When I prepare the project to a file and try to burn it with Nero (which has been giving me better results than burning with DVDA), same problem: it says there's 7.2 GB to be written, when I know the clips I selected will easily fit on a single layer DVD.

Looks like I need to find a simple mpeg splitter.

Chienworks wrote on 9/26/2009, 4:51 AM

Ahh, i'm sorry, i missed that part. You're not using the entire file. Yes, you will need a splitter of some sort to cut it down to just the part that's going on the DVD. However, there's still no need to split the individual sections apart after that.

musicvid10 wrote on 9/26/2009, 7:18 AM

Try VideoReDo. The full feature trial period is 45 days, and it easily does frame-accurate splits, cuts, joins and remuxes without recompression. It's fast, too.

banquo wrote on 9/26/2009, 2:59 PM

Thanks. I DL’d the trial of VideoReDo and used it to split my mpeg in two. I prepped the two halves (added chapter points & menu) in DVDA. It prepared my first one to a file fine, but when I try to prepare the second half, DVDA reports “error occurred while writing a file – reason could not be determined.” My HD has plenty of space. I defragged it and tried again, but got the same error.

All I’m really doing is cutting captures of full length VHS tapes in half so I can capture them at maximum bitrate and burn the two halves to separate single-layer DVDs. After all this work without a solution, I’ve realized my best bet is just to do two separate captures of the 1st & 2nd halves of the tapes!

musicvid10 wrote on 9/26/2009, 6:14 PM

As Kelly mentioned, you want to put one file into DVDA to create a DVD with menus and chapters.

In VideoRedo, you would do any cuts, etc., you wanted, then add that project to the joiner list along with any other files or projects and render one file, properly remuxed by VideoRedo.

HINT: If your muxed file is going right into DVDA, use the "Save As" .vob option in VRD.

The other way, putting more than one file in a DVDA compilation, is not preferred, and presents its own set of issues.

A single file, properly muxed in VideoReDo, will work fine in DVDA. Just finished one this morning. Beyond that, any errors in your source files can easily be fixed using "QuickStream Fix" in VRD.

banquo wrote on 9/26/2009, 9:48 PM

Thanks, musicvid, but given that simply capturing the VHS tape in two files rather than one will accomplish what I’m trying to do, that’s a preferable option to shelling out $50 for another program (after the trial period) and jumping through all those hoops. I appreciate the advice.

musicvid10 wrote on 9/26/2009, 10:21 PM

Since you can only introduce one video file in DVDA for a standard menu-driven DVD, then it is to your advantage to join your two files into a properly muxed single file, and also have the ability to trim the extra material from the ends.

You can use Vegas, and render out a single mpeg:
Or, you can use a utility. I hope you didn't think I thought you had to pay for one, I just mentioned my favorite, and something which I am quite happy with the investment, since I record a lot of my favorite TV shows, dump the commercials, and watch them at my convenience.

There are several completely free splitter / joiner / muxers out there -- search videohelp.com or doom9.org for starters. VobEdit is a free one I have heard of, but not tried.

banquo wrote on 9/28/2009, 10:57 AM

Thanks, musicvid. My primary need is splitting & trimming mpegs - once I have them as separate mpegs, I'm able to make a menu based DVD with them in DVDA. As I mentioned, DVDA can work fine with my captured files directly, so re-rendering in Vegas is an unnecessary extra step. I did search for freeware splitters, but all I could find was shareware. Didn’t come across VobEdit – I just tried it, but it crashes when I load a file. Like I said, doing shorter captures solves my problem, and that’s what I’ll do.