[Shvr]

Yeah freeware – google both and you should find the downloads:
https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2005-09,GGLD:en&q=dgindex+vfapi

[Shvr]

When I need to edit MPEG in PPRO or AE, here’s how I do it:
I load and select my MPEG (VOB, mpg etc) clips using DGIndex, which is basically DVD2AVI, but creates an index file. Then, I load the index file into VFAPI (the frame server,) which then creates a virtual AVI file. You can then load the AVI into PPRO and edit away.

Now, it’s not pefect. It’s a bit slower editing than a real AVI file, but PPRO doesn’t seem to choke on the file, like it does with straight MPEGs.

Frame serving this way, saves you a bit more quality than re-compressing your MPEG file into an AVI with DVD2AVI and editing that way – although that is certainly an option for you if performance in PPRO becomes an issue.

[Shvr]

You are going to lose some quality re-editing this way. But if you must, be sure to frame serve the MPEG files to PPRO as opposed to rendering out an avi then re-editing.

[Shvr]

I think you hit the nail in the head on this Jim. Long ago, I gave up on trying to make a profit on the number of copies I sell of a particular production and focus more on the quality. This allows me to charge, and often get, a higher price than my competition up front, while not having to worry about some kid making copies of the DVD I just produced for the school and cutting my profits down. In fact, I suggest to the client that they handle making copies themselves. If they don’t want to, I’ll do that too.

[Shvr]

Wow – seems like a lot of effort to go through for minimal copy protection. But interesting. I’ve actually found that I could recover a disc by ripping a damaged disc and reauthoring. Most good ripping programs will allow you to ignore damaged sectors and continue to make a copy.

[Shvr]

Hmm. Macrovision claims RipGuard thwarts 97% of the ripping programs out there. I guess DVDD is one of the 3% it doesn’t protect against. The problem is, 90% of all people ripping DVDs are probably using DVDD. So that 97% number is really misleading.

[Shvr]

Yeah – learn to love the cloning tool in PS. This effect is really overdone now, but when done to perfection like in “The Kid stays in the Picture” – wow! It’s a very compelling look.

[Shvr]

You could do this by editing the VOB files directly with a program like TMPGEnc DVD Author. The editing features are really elementary – cuts only, but it might work for you.

You could also frame serve the VOB files to your NL editor using DGIndex and VFAPI (google these) creating a virtual AVI file.

[Shvr]

Here’s what I use:

DGIndex to read the MPEG and create an index file (*.d2v) which I then open in VFAPI Reader. VFAPI works as a frame server, creating a virtual avi file which can then be edited in PP or AE or anything. Google DGIndex and VFAPI and you’ll find the downloads – both freeware.

[Shvr]

DVD requires mpeg2 – you can make a VideoCD with MPEG1. Most programs just re-encode your mpeg1 to mpeg2 because that what the DVD spec wants.

You could make a take your 320 x 240 footage and import into a NLE or AE or something – keep the size the same and export an mpeg2 compliant stream. Your footage will have black borders all around but it will be the same pixel size – is this what you want?