-
Age-old VOB issue
Hello,
I’m trying to cut a demo using store-bought DVDs. Many people appear to have solutions to convert VOB to something PP1.5-friendly, but none of these appear to work on my system. I’ve read all the posts, tried all the plug-ins. All of them. It’s time to consider other options.
I’d like to (finally) look into obtaining a bridge of some kind. One that would let me capture from my DVD player to Firewire. I’m on PC. What should I look for? I do not own a camera, nor am I interested in owning one. What I’m looking for is something simple, a perfect little Radio-Shack gizmo. Analog in, firewire out. Is there such a thing? What kind of money are we talking about? I’m new to capturing altogether.
Another question (which might belong on another forum) is this: How do Mac users deal with the VOB problem? Does FCP have better mpeg-handling capabilities? Or is it just another roll of the dice?
Many thanks – Serge
-
9 Replies
-
First, if you are trying to use the VOBs from a copyrighted DVD, you can’t just use drag the files out and use them, since they are likely copy protected. I shouldn’t be mentioning it since it is illegal to do so after all, but since it seems your intent is only to have to some fun, you can look for an application called DVDShrink.
After that, it should be a matter of renaming the files to Mpeg, and that works 90% of the time.
Just know that it will be illegal to post that demo anywhere on the web, and I wouldn’t give this to a potential employer either.
The cheapest Analog to Firewire solution that I’ve seen is from AdsPyro (AV Link), I think you can get it for around $170.00.
Cheers,
Vince
-
DVDShrink is for ripping and burning. That’s the furthest thing from my intent. I need to edit a demo from stuff I DOPed and is now available on DVD. Calling up producers is not an option, there are far too many of them.
Renaming to Mpeg doesn’t solve the issue: My PP1.5 doesn’t like mpeg. Either it won’t open it, or I only get a small portion of the renamed file, or it’s wildly out of sync. Mainconcept’s mpeg pro plugin doesn’t work either on my system. I need to avoid mpegs altogether. Converting to lossless AVI is a problem, because PP 1.5 only takes a precious few codecs of the ones I have access to. And the time it takes is ridiculous. No more converting. Please, lord.
Thanks for the adspyro suggestion. I’ll look into it.
-
SSGGMM,
OK, let me charm in a little as well… what’s “stuff I DOPed”? (Or may be my Eng. is poor) Is this a typo, do you mean stuff you did? If so, no legal problem. (Otherwise, no advice here in the forum for illegal stuff, ask the forum administrator)
Are you also saying renaming the VOB to MPEG, PPro 1.5 won’t let you edit? Or won’t let you import? Importing and then exporting to DV AVI is the way to go if you want to edit (I have no problem importing VOBs). Yes, some VOB might be more challenging if they are commercially made, but should be with the one you made yourself.Perry
-
If you’re able to copy the VOB files to you hard drive (which means it’s not copy protected or you’ve solved that) you just have to rename .VOB to .M2V and drop it into PPro 2. It’ll work very well for almost all VOB files.
-
.M2V? OK, that’s one I haven’t tried or heard of yet. Unfortunately, I don’t have PP2 at home (only at work). This could be interesting.
Thank you.
-
.M2v is virtually the same as .mpg It really does not make any difference with the extension. Notice SSGGMM only has PP1.5, right?
Perry
-
Don’t know about PP1.5 but with 2.0 it won’t read .VOB but it sure reads renamed .VOB.M2V files 99% of the time.
-
Even ripped disc formats have the unfortunate problems associated with different bitrates. Save often when cutting them up.
I haven’t done this in a long time, because: even if you were the Director of Photography on each of those films, you still don’t have the rights to cutting them from a finished DVD into your own personal reel without the Producer and Distributor’s direct legal permissions.
The part you played in the capture of the original film is cool ,no doubt; but you can’t claim it ‘totally’ after it’s gone through post, unless you have legal rights expressly given by aforesaid parties. You should have gotten an unprocessed copy of it while still in it’s editing stage. That would have been a better representation of your work anyhow. Perhaps, you should try to do that from now on and build your own work library for future reel updates.
If it weren’t such a big deal to rip copyrighted films there’d be PA’s all over the globe cutting reels from finished DVD’s to promote themselves for having worked on those movies too. PA’s try anything to get an advantage in this cutthroat business. Heck, a crafty could do it and claim everyone was happy with the snacks and that was why the picture was so darn good. Actually that sounds like a plan. I’ll do that. I’ve been in craft service once.
-
I rename my .vob to .mpg and it works 100% of the time.
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up