I do a lot of 8mm transfers and it gives me the willies when clients only want it on DVD. I offer them the choice of also having it on DV as well for a few more dollars but...

So now I archive all their stuff onto SVHS just in case they come back.

Vegas doesn't appear to open/see a vob file....am I missing something?

I just figured out (and successfully tested) a good workaround for transfering video from a completed DVD project back into Vegas. Connect DVD player (via S-Cable) to my XL1s and record the movie to mini dv...then transfer the minidv file into Vegas......
Mark

What's the benefit of archiving onto SVHS? I mean, how is that better than just burning a backup DVD for yourself? Do you find that SVHS artifacts are less annoying than DVD MPEG2?

Go to http://www.dvdrhelp.com/tools?section=29#29
(or www.dvdrhelp.com, then select tools, then select Vitualdub tools)

Get the programs 'Vitualdub-mpeg2' and 'AC3ACM Decompressor.' You can use these to convert VOB files to AVI video and WAV sound files.

These programs are free. Search this forum for Virtualdub help.

Another one...
Why is playing DVD out realtime to recap in DV better than using the freeware Virtualdubmod to open the VOB file and saving as AVI?

It still takes about realtime on my system, but I imagine the quality would be a little better.

If you have the VOB-file on your harddrive, how about just renaming it to .mpg? I did that once and it worked fine. It might have been luck with that particular file but do try.

I don't know what it costs but if quality is a big issue for you I recommend doing the 8mm conversion again but this time directly to DV. Mpeg is compressed and you'll need to rerender when you output the edited video. Might or might not turn out bad. Also, it's doable but kind of jerky to work with mpg's in Vegas. Not as smooth as a good DV-avi.
Best/Tommy

You should be able to place the VOB file directly on the timeline. If not, try the rename suggested by stormstereo. Then, use DVD2AVI to create a WAV file (Audio -> Output Method -> Decode to WAV) (Also, turn off 48 -> 44.1 kHz conversion). Use the Save Project option (you don't need to save the video). Put the resulting WAV file on the timeline below the VOB file. Finally, because Vegas doesn't read VOB files quickly, you should render this to an AVI file (I just use the NTSC DV template, but you can use no compression or some higher quality codec if you have the space). Use the resulting AVI file for your editing (you can edit the VOB/WAV combination, but you'll go crazy because of the hesitations and pauses during the Vegas playback of the VOB).

I have done this all the time and it works. If it doesn't work on your system, make sure that you have a software DVD player installed (like WinDVD).

YOu can also edit from the VOB files using the VFAPI proxy method.

Don't save an AVI in the DV2AVI program, use save the project ( I forget the terminology but it creates your audio file and a proxy for the video). Then use the VFAPI converter that converts the proxy to one that Vegas understands.

Open that media file in Vegas and it will actually play relatively smooth. It also handles things like Pulldown, etc for you.

I think the VFAPI converter that DaveT2 is talking about is at www.debugmode.com. Is that right Dave?

I don't remember the download site but I found it through www.dvdrhelp.com

Dave T2

As I understand it, and someone has mentioned above, VOB files are really just disguised mpg files. I simply change the file extensions from .VOB to .mpg.

Also, though you may not see VOB files in the Vegas Explorer you can drag those files directly to the Vegas timeline from your Windows Explorer window.

Hope that helps.

mikepurdy,

To sidetrack the topic a little, when you have 2 of these MPG files butted up against each other on the timeline do you get a clean cut? I seem to be getting a black frame. The files (clips) do not have to be renamed VOBs. They can be ordinary MPG files. If I convert the files to AVI the problem disappears.

Thanks,
John

I've got a Canopus ADVC-100 and have no problem capturing DVD's. I just did it today. I use Vegas to capture and I get both Video and Audio without any problem.

Once you get the files, you can do what you need to within Vegas.

Its a lot easier getting the video off SVHS than a DVD and after a period of time I can recycle the tapes. Bear in mind I'm not talking about my own stuff I'm talking about many hours of work I've done for clients. Coming off 8mm film even VHS is a bit of overkill but I like to think I've made a decent effort.

It al goes something like this, client asks to transfer 8mm to VHS. A few weeks later they come back with the VHS and ask me to make another copy off that, not good. So by simply doing a PTT twice, once for a SHVS master and once for their copy I've got an archival master. If they want another VHS copy going from the SVHS that copy is going to be no worse than the first.

If I was using DVDs, there's the time to encode the audio and video, the cost of the media which I cannot reuse, the time to burn and then to make another copy I suppose I could copy DVD direct to tape BUT unless I use DVD R/W I can never recycle the media. Probably what I shoud do is always make a DVD even if the client only wants VHS and include that in the price, I'm certain they'll thank me in a few years.

AH. Now I understand. I thought you already HAD an MPEG version rendered and it was just a matter of burning off another DVD (which could be on DVD+RW, saving media cost). I also didn't catch that the "after the fact" copies were requested on VHS. I'd probably do the same, given the time factor (unless, of course, I could convince the customer it was worth it and so make the time spent billable!)

Having said that, archiving on SVHS still isn't a "free ride" WRT video quality. You likely won't lose any chroma resolution (well, not visibly, anyway), but you will take a hit in noise. DVD archiving isn't perfect either, but not as bad (and no degradation is visible on VHS copies, IME).

You might have problems (not getting them to "butt" with one another) with VOBs from commercial DVDs if they are 24 fps, and your project is 29.97.

Seems like Sony is ignoring 80% of its users. Most people have their DV transferred to DVD for permanent storage and it is a pain trying to edit those file with Vegas.

However there is an alternative program I am using that works pretty good for me. This program might not be as professional as Vegas, but it serves the purpose. DVDlab is the program and I have been using it for a few months and it works great.

If Sony wants to ignore the majority of its user, we don't have to put up with it. Get another program!!!!