[DeathMan]

I realize not everyone agrees with this on a philosophical and/or legal level, but I'd like to edit some of my DVDs for content, language, etc.

So far my workflow is going to look like this:

Rip DVD with OSEx (Fast)
Drop Ripped .VOB files into Drop2Div (Takes a while)
Import Files into Final Cut Pro (Fast)
Render Audio on all files (Takes a while), I suppose to convert them to the proper native audio that FCP can handle.

This works reasonably well, but I'm wondering if anyone has a system worked out that would be more streamlined, use fewer applications, and/or just make this process more automated and less tedious.

[k_munic]

after ripping the DVD, my choice would be a converter, which does DVD>>dv directly to avoid any further "audio rendering"...

some options:
* DVDxDV www.dvdxdv.com/DVDxDV.overview.htm (free trial, 25$)
* Apple mpeg2 plugin apple.com/quicktime/mpeg2/ (20$) + Streamclip http://www.apple.com/downloads/macos...treamclip.html (free)
* Cinematize www.miraizon.com/products/products.html >60$
* Mpeg2Works www.mpeg2works.com/ >25$ + Apple plug-in
* Toast6/7 allows converting to dv/import dvd, hit apple-k

[DeathMan]

Hmm. I just checked this thead right after you posted, was all mad that my subscription didn't seem to work, and just got the subscription email.

The Drop2DV (Not Drop2Div, as I mistyped earlier) is supposed to be rendering the files to DV, but the audio, for some reason needs to be rendered. Any idea why?

[k_munic]

dv is by standard's setting 48KHz...
check export options of Drop2DV (don't know that app)

after applying any effect (e.g. transitions) it has to be rendered, for sure...

[DeathMan]

Its weird. It previews fine, but I end up having to render the clip. It's faster than real time, so I guess I can live with it. Drop2DV is just a hacked together interface to ffmpeg. Here is the command that launches ffmpeg:

Code:
Drop2DV-NTSC running /Users/plasko/Desktop/Drop2DV/bin/ffmpeg
ffmpeg version 0.4.9-pre1, build 4736, Copyright (c) 2000-2004 Fabrice Bellard
  configuration:  --enable-mp3lame --enable-gpl --disable-vhook --enable-ffplay --disable-ffserver --enable-a52 --enable-xvid --enable-faac --enable-faad --enable-amr_nb --enable-amr_wb --enable-pthreads

Not having the man page on my system, and not knowing how to even get them, I'm not sure if any of those flags are causing me to have bad audio input, but whatever.

Thanks for your help.

[DeathMan]

Another question for anyone who is still looking (I'm tempted to start a new thread, but I'll try on this one first.

Its a fairly simple matter to Rip/Compress/Burn, even keeping the extras. But how about Rip/Convert/Edit/Burn all while preserving the extras? Is that possible? I can get as far as Final Cut Pro, Edit the files, whatever, and then Re-author a DVD, but I'd rather, if possible, keep the original titles and menus. I'm not sure how get the edited versions of the files back into the original package -- or if that is even the right approach.

[Uncle Skeleton]

You may be doing a lot more work than is necessary. If all you're doing is dubbing over bad words in the audio, you shouldn't bother rendering the video at all. Just rip out the audio (with 0SEx for example) and add over it or chop it up with QTPro, then export to aiff or mp2 or ac3 and mux it back with the original video. Likewise, if you are cutting bits out but not adding effects or anything, you can edit the MPEG directly with MPEG StreamClip, then save it as a new VOB file. You'll be amazed at how much time this saves, and probably by how much video quality you were losing by converting to DV and back needlessly (espeically if it's NTSC-DV).

As for authoring, you should be able to simply replace the old VOB files with the new, then burn the VIDEO_TS folder in Toast as data DVD with the UDF format. To do this, you'll need to rip the DVD as a VIDEO_TS folder from the start, of course. This means to demux the audio as I said at first you'll need a tool like ffmpeg, bbDemux (if it works on your files), Extractor, or MPEG StreamClip (though since it's designed as an editor it will be a little sluggish for this purpose).

[DeathMan]

Am I right in thinking things would be much simpler if I were to get a Dual Layer DVD burner? Would that allow me to work with the files without dropping parts out (special features) or over compressing?

[Uncle Skeleton]

only if that's the only reason you have to edit it. I was under the impression your editing was for content, not for space.

dual layer burners are cheap now, though the media is still about 3x as much per GB as single layer media. I got one, and I don't even burn video DVDs.

Also, I just noticed that ffmpeg quote. None of those options have to do with running the app. In fact, they look like compiler flags. Are you sure that's all it says? Maybe that version (or the display feature) is broken.

[k_munic]

sorry for my ignorance, but I still don't get it, what your goal is...

using a Ripper + tools as DVD2One or Popcorn allow to create a copy of a DVD, both have the option just to copy "main feature" or to create a 1:1 copy, including menus, extras, easter eggs, whatever... the pic quality is for my eyes very acceptable... no need for DL media...

but you want to edit some scenes, but want the DVD intact? a - sorry, bad joke - censored version of commcercial DVDs, looking like the original version, but in your special edited-version...?

no idea, how to accomplish that...
the workflow is: editing movie/creating DVD... to go vice versa isn't meant with a delivery format as videoDVD... esp. commercial DVDs have very complicated files-structures, animated menus, etc...- to fumble with that... ??

[DeathMan]

Thanks for the comments guys.

The real goal with all of this is to make a DVD that is as close to the original as possible, but edited for content. I would like to keep as much quality as possible, 5.1, all that, but making a few audio and possibly minor video edits.

I thought Dual Layer because I thought the commercial DVDs were bigger than the 4.7GB we get with the normal ones.

[Uncle Skeleton]

They usually are, but not necessarily. My instinct is to try to solve one problem at a time, but you're free to branch out of course. Like I said, it's not that big an investment. Alternatively there are programs that split the contents across 2 DVD5 discs.

[mkamir]

Originally Posted by DeathMan

Thanks for the comments guys.

The real goal with all of this is to make a DVD that is as close to the original as possible, but edited for content. I would like to keep as much quality as possible, 5.1, all that, but making a few audio and possibly minor video edits.

I thought Dual Layer because I thought the commercial DVDs were bigger than the 4.7GB we get with the normal ones.

Hi,

I've got the same problem with commercial DVDs. I rip them to insert some scenes in home made movies. For fun. I rip them with MacTheRipper and then convert using StreamClip. But when I import the DV file into FC Express, I still have to render the Audio. I found a way around, by exporting in Quicktime rather than DV, but I don't understand why I have to render the audio.

I posted this on several forums and no one has an answer.