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Activity Forums Compression Techniques VOB file to MPEG Streamline PROBLEMS

  • VOB file to MPEG Streamline PROBLEMS

    Posted by Cassie Ross on December 25, 2010 at 10:21 pm

    I’m working with an iMAC Mac OSX 10.4.11 and MPEG Streamclip 1.9.2

    My family shot some footage on a Sony camera that uses mini DVD’s
    After getting the footage on the imac, i began to compress the files using MPEG Streamclip so that I can import and edit in FCP 6.0.6.

    I have one VOB file that has 672 KB on it – (there are 40 total clips on this file that equal 18 mins footage)

    When this VOB file goes into mpeg streamclip – the footage shows up as a 1/7 to 7/7 page layout It looks like a title or chapter page. (showing a still photo of the 40 individual clips about 6 clips to each page).

    Here’s the prob:
    when mpeg compresses this file into a QT file – it’s merely a title/chapter page – nothing will play.

    In Mpeg, I tried Apple Motion JPEG A (which it defaults to). And tried several other compression options but same result

    FYI – All 40 clips play fine from camera to TV. We also burnt a DVD of the footage and that played all clips as well. I tried to pull the VOB from the larger DVD and the same thing occurred when trying to compress in mpeg streamline

    Hope that makes sense
    Help?

    p.s. Happy Holidays

    Chris Blair replied 15 years, 8 months ago 3 Members · 7 Replies
  • 7 Replies
  • Chris Blair

    December 26, 2010 at 5:56 pm

    cassie ross wrote: I have one VOB file that has 672 KB on it

    A .vob file with 18 video clips would be MUCH larger than 672KB. What you’re loading is most likely the frame grabs that represent the chapter points in your video….just like when you search through scene files on a movie DVD.

    So look for a larger .vob file on the disc or drive.

    Chris Blair
    Magnetic Image, Inc.
    Evansville, IN
    http://www.videomi.com
    Read our blog http://www.videomi.com/blog

  • Cassie Ross

    December 26, 2010 at 8:27 pm

    Nay. that’s the largest vob file. (some of the clips on that file are only like 10 seconds long so it may be much less than 18 minutes total)

    But yes, the file does read or look like the chapters of the entire disc. You can see where the camera stopped and started recording the small clips. The stops and starts turned everything into a chapter of its own

    Do you think I should take this problem up with Sony? I just don’t understand how to get these clips off the disc or out of their little chapters and into my mpeg streamer separately

    Thanks so much for the response.

  • Chris Blair

    December 27, 2010 at 12:15 am

    A 672KB file is less than 1MB. So there’s no way that particular file can hold 40 video clips, 18 minutes in length.

    Most Sony cameras come with software utilities to get footage off the drives or discs. So I’d suggest finding the model number of the camera and then finding whatever software is available to get the clips.

    Or…if it truly is recording in MPG2 format, then the actual .vob file or files containing the clips is a hidden file. Search Google for showing hidden files on whatever computer platform you’re using if that’s the case.

    But there’s absolutely no way that 672KB file contains your video. I can guarantee you that.

    Chris Blair
    Magnetic Image, Inc.
    Evansville, IN
    http://www.videomi.com
    Read our blog http://www.videomi.com/blog

  • Cassie Ross

    December 27, 2010 at 12:26 am

    Thanks for taking the time. I will follow your lead.

  • Martin Curtis

    December 27, 2010 at 10:14 pm

    Open up the next VOB file in the list. And then the next and the next etc until you find the right one(s). Chris is right – the file you have is simply an image of the DVD menu.

    Post a screenshot of the file list if you like (the VOB file list, not the image of the DVD menu).

  • Cassie Ross

    December 28, 2010 at 6:23 pm

    did that and yes, there are some larger files but only a few of the clips from all the footage taken.

    that file that is ‘simply an image of the dvd menu’ is where the videos or other footage i need are…i literally can peruse them inside that file and then play them in qt but i cannot get them out and they are nowhere else on the disc.

    i do not have a camera to take shot of what i’m dealing with – but if anyone could take the time to skype…i’d be more than happy to share my screen

    this is driving me loopy

    thanks again…chick with the hidden files

  • Chris Blair

    December 31, 2010 at 11:01 pm

    I think you’re misunderstanding how the chapter files work. You could have 40 chapter points with thumbnails and only 1 .vob file with all the clips in it. Or…you could have 40 chapter points and thumbnails and 20 other .vob files. Without knowing exactly how the camera works when it shoots and records…what happens when it gets turned off, what happens when capture media is removed etc….there’s no way to know for sure. But it’s unlikely there are 40 separate video clips on your disc. Just like when you shoot on tape….you have many many scenes, but they’re all on one piece of media and if you put it in a tape deck, it’ll play as one continuous entity (or file) if that makes more sense.

    Chris Blair
    Magnetic Image, Inc.
    Evansville, IN
    http://www.videomi.com
    Read our blog http://www.videomi.com/blog

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