DVD to FCP (again)

Hello all.. and a belated Merry Christmas!

I have a DVD that a client wants to make available for download, and am experimenting with MPEG Streamclip... getting a bit lost in all the import/export options, to be honest.

Is there a way to simply rip this directly to my hard drive with NO format conversion or transcoding?

I did an 'export to DV' and that gave me a file that was at least 4 times larger than the dvd.

Any help here would be great..
I don't need to do any editing in FCP, just need to exeriment (in Compressor, i'd imagine) with different (re)compression schemes, sizes, etc. to make this actually downloadable.

Thanks!

Husky

> Is there a way to simply rip this directly to my hard drive with NO format conversion or
> transcoding?

No. The files on a DVD aren't anything normal people can play.

> I did an 'export to DV' and that gave me a file that was at least 4 times larger than the dvd.

That's what's supposed to happen. Also, that gives you a .dv file, not very good for use in FCP. Open the VOB files with MPEG Streamclip. Fix Timecode Breaks (APPLE-F) first, then use Export to QuickTime Movie (APPLE-E), and pick a codec like Uncompressed 8-bit SD, ProRes or DV NTSC, 720x480.


www.derekmok.com

Thanks for that, Derek.

I'll try the QT / uncompressed 8bit, and see how that looks.

I'm guessing, for the best quality, and the recompression.. it would be ideal to get my hands on the original QT movie footage, yes?
Wouldn't the dvd be compressed already?

H

Yes, get the original and re-encode from that if you can. Better by a very long way. For the web, I export to h.264 mp4 and it looks lovely.

Good..
I've put in a request to the artist, to see if he can put me in touch with his editor.. hopefully i'll get my hands on the original, and be able to compress to my heart's content!

BTW - is it just me, or isn't it odd that one can't simply 'extract' the original MPEG4 file (isn't that what is generated, for example, in Compressor when compressing for DVD??) that would have then been dropped into the mix, during the dvd authoring?

i digress...


Happy New Year!

H

> is it just me, or isn't it odd that one can't simply 'extract' the original MPEG4 file (isn't that
> what is generated

No, DVDs are made from MPEG-2s, not MPEG-4s.


www.derekmok.com

ok.. MPEG2 then.. but that's besides the point, right?

i.e. - and correct me if i'm wrong here - there is a file that is used for the dvd authoring (actually, one for video and one for audio, and then - of course - menus etc etc), and thus, one would assume that said file could be extracted (with today's technology, right ;-) ) somehow?? Right?

still curious...
... even if i'm not really wanting to go this route, per se, but it's a melon-scratcher, for sure.

Husky

The audio is muxed in the DVD so there is no separate audio file. Curious why you want an MPEG-2 file. It's not an editable format, certainly not used in Final Cut. You could try the demux function in Streamclip to rip the disc and see if that works for you.

All the best,

Tom

Tom.

No idea what 'Muxed' means.. although it's now on my top ten list of favorite tech words ;-)

and i don't "want" the mpeg2 file, per se..
as stated in my original post, i need the data OFF the dvd so i can upload it to the web, for a client.
i have a vague idea of how dvd's are made..(or at least i think i do) and the way i understand it, there is an audio file and a video file (mpeg2, right?). those files are married (in dvd studio pro, for example) and burned onto a dvd.

SO, the confusing part, for me, is the fact that there doesn't seem to be a way to 'undo' this process without the file getting much bigger, which doesn't make sense.. since the quality is surely not any higher.

Also, like i stated earlier, i don't need to EDIT this, per se.. but i will probably need to recompress..

So - while i wait to hear back from my client re: getting the original uncompressed Quicktime movie, from his editor, i am looking to understand this process a bit better, since i'm sure this is not the last time i'll run into this.
AND, if everyone agrees that the only way to recompress OR do anything else, is to actually TRANSCODE as i am ripping off the dvd..(as suggested before) and completely blowing off the idea of using the mpeg2 for anything, then that's totally fine too.

H

Handbrake is what you want. It rips a DVD into a format that's designed for web or mobile device display.

All the best,

Tom

Thanks, Tom!

downloading, as we speak..

happy new year!

Husky

"Muxed" = multiplexed. When multiple streams of video of combined into one medium. Video and audio, for example.

If you're not trying to edit with the files, then extracting to H.264 is fine. You don't need Handbrake necessarily -- MPEG Streamclip can do the same job. When you open the VOB files, use Export to MPEG-4 (CONTROL-APPLE-E) and choose the H.264 codec. MPEG Streamclip can also combine multiple video sources into one file ("Join all the files" function in the Export to dialog box), or process a list of files at once with one operation (CONTROL-B -- Batch List).

One superior feature of MPEG Streamclip is that once you pick the bitrate and codec, it shows you an accurate estimate of the end file size before you actually do the export, and the time estimate for the job is consistent. QuickTime Player does a very poor job of telling you how big the file will be before you process the job, and Compressor's time estimates are all over the place.


www.derekmok.com

makes sense.. thanks guys!!!

H