System: Windows 98SE LG GSA 4040B (internal PC DVD writer) Processor: AMD Athlon 1200+ Memory: 512Mb RAM Graphics Card: ATI Rage 128 XPERT Sound Card: Creative SoundBlaster Live! Value 2x 60gb Hard Drives WinTV Capture Card Panasonic DMR E50 standalone DVD recorder This weekend I purchased a Panasonic DMR E50 DVD recorder and after playing around with it, and reading through various forums, I'd like to ask for some advice I aim to record stuff off Sky (mostly music videos and live concerts) onto DVD and then put it onto my home PC. Then, I'd like to edit out advert breaks and any presenters (for example a Top of the Pops presenter announcing a band), and then convert the video file to a DivX .avi that's small enough to put on my website for download (with the bands permission) The first stage of capturing the video onto DVD-RAM disc is simple enough using the Panny E50.. (I'm choosing the XP mode, which allows 1 hour recording, and is the highest quality setting out of 4 settings). Then I can insert the DVD-RAM disc into my internal DVD recorder on my home PC (LG GSA 4040B). I access the DVD drive and save the files to my hard drive. The file structure it gives me (regardless of how many different recordings I've made on the RAM disc) is: Dvd_rtav (folder) within this folder are three files: Vr_mangr.bup Vr_mangr.ifo Vr_movie.vro This is where my problems begin... Ultimately I'd like to end up with an .avi file, encoded in either DivX or XViD (small enough for people to download/FTP off me) Using TMPGEnc DVD Author (v1.5.19.59), I can create an mpg file from the files I have above. CREATE NEW PROJECT > ADD DVD FOLDER then I choose the folder Dvd_rtav and it brings up all the videos I'd recorded on the RAM disc, seperated up into different 'Programs' (or chapters). If I choose one of these, it then saves that video to an .mpg file This is good as I now have an .mpg file of my video From here I'd like to convert the .mpg to an .avi (Q1. Is this the best way to proceed, or can I make an .avi file directly from the original "Vr_movie.vro") I tried using TMPGEnc Plus (v2.521.58.169): Project Wizard Select Format: DVD - PAL (CBR Linear PCM Audio on the drop down on the right) Select Source: Here I choose the .mpg file I've made earlier, and after clicking through on next 3 times, it asks to save the output as [m2v+wav] ie. a .m2v file and a .wav file After clicking ok it goes about its business and encodes the file leaving me now with a .m2v and .wav (Q2. What can I do with a .m2v and .wav file?) (Q3. The .wav file doesn't seem to play any sound when I double click on it - it opens up WinAmp and plays but no sound?) (Q4. Is this step of making a .m2v and .wav file necessary?) I read on a forum that you can use TMPGEnc Plus to encode as an .avi, so I tried this with my .mpg file: FILE > OUTPUT TO FILE > .AVI FILE and choose the options Video: XVID, 720x576 24bit Audio: PCM, 48,000 Hz, 16 Bit, Stereo and this produced an .avi file but there was no sound.. (Q5. Was this anything to do with the original .ifo file not being used? As I understand it, the .ifo file is important in directing things? ... I was using the newly made .mpg file for this, which I believed has the audio in the file?) I usually use VirtualDub for all my video editting (capturing from analogue source using WinTV card), but VirtualDub doesn't seem to allow .mpg files - it wont load them up. I'd much rather do all this in VirtualDub (Q6. Is there any way VirtualDub will work with mpg files? any filters or hacks to allow it?) So this is as far as I got, an XViD .avi file produced in TMPGEnc Plus that has no sound Can anyone recommend a better or simpler way to go about things, or better programmes to be using? If anyone can answer any of the above questions I'd be grateful!
I gave up on trying to edit DVD-RAM long ago. Anything that I record and I want to edit, I just waste a DVD-R disc, then use DVDShrink to edit it. Costs me an extra $2, but the time it saves is worth it.
what can DVDShrink do for me? I thought it was just used for fitting movies down onto one disc -- does the program have decent editing facilities then? I can pick up decent DVD-r's here in the UK for 70p each (Ritek G04, Grade A Media) so I can probably live with wasting a few blanks if the editing is far superior than the DVD-RAM method?
I use DVDShrink all the time; even though the disc is already under 4.3 GB. When I do VHS transfers for people (wedding videos, for example) I use it to get rid of the menu that the Panasonic automatically adds to the disc. I also have been backing up some VHS tapes that were recorded from old 16mm movies. There is often a long pause where the film reel was changed, and I can edit it out with DVDShrink. Same goes for any of my Laserdiscs that I've backed up to DVD. DVDShrink's primary function, yes, is to shrink a movie to fit onto a disc. But it also allows you add several tracks in as well. In the past I've used it to splice some of the deleted scenes back into movies. For example, in the original "Austin Powers" movie, there was a very funny scene where #2 tries to buy off Austin. It was deleted, and put into the "deleted scenes." I've got it back in on the version I keep on my shelf. I'm not in front of my home computer right now, but if I recall correctly you add the track in, then crop it, then add the next track, crop it, and so on. This is in the "re-author" section I think. Play around with it a bit. Obviously there will be a few different methods that will give you the same result.
Been playing around with my DVD burner now for almost a month and having lots of fun Wondering if the process I am using is the best method... I have been recording directly to DVD-RAM on the Panasonic, then putting the RAM disc into my computer, and using TMPGEnc DVD Author to convert the files into .MPGs. From here I have been using VirtualDub-MPG2 to convert the MPG into an .avi (and converting the sounds from AC3 to 192kbps mp3) at 352x288 size (small enough for people to download from me) Also, does anyone here know much about how much the Panasonic DMR-E50 compresses the video (percentage wise) in each of it's four modes (XP, SP, etc) And finally, can anyone recommend any support forums for E50 users?
thwndrwll It is easier to just rename the "vro" file, that is created by your ram recorder, "mpg". It works everytime for me. It will save you some time. I then import my mpg's into dvd-lab, create menu structure & scene selection screen, its very easy. It is also pretty straight forward to edit (cut) small sections of unwanted material in DVDlab. I am not "up" at all on DivX or XViD. I am sorry i can't provide any help on that subject. _ _X_X_X_X_X_[small]Why are The Samaritans always engaged?[/small]
i have a pansonic e50 dvd recorder, i recorded some camcorder material onto dvd-r's. i would like to edit these on my computer, but my dvd-rom isnt accepting them even tho it supports dvd-r's.It says "Invalid Format or the disc is corrupt", but the disc plays fine in the player (not in other player). what software and hardware would you reccomend for this process? would i need a dvd-rw? cheers (timmy_brayshaw@hotmail.com) Tim
