Convert .vob into workable formats

[Froggy_doddy]

I have a DVD created with Ulead Video Studio 7 (home movies) with 5 chapters on it. Now I want to take one of those chapters (or videos) and re-edit it using VS7. In order for me to be able to insert the digital clip back in VS7, it has to be in mpeg or avi format. All of the video clips on the dvd are in this .vob format (which I guess is mostly comprised of mpeg2)

I read that you can use TMPGEenc DVD Author to convert .vob files to mpeg2 (or avi) but I am not able to get that done. The output file is always .vob (does anyone know how to use that program to convert to mpeg or avi files?).

I've tried other programs to convert .vob to .avi. They seem to convert the files, but they drop to audio. There's no sound, which starts to complicate things.

Here's my question: How do you convert .vob files to either mpeg2 or .avi files (while retaining the audio)? Is there a program that does it easily?

PLEASE HELP!!! These .vob files are a pain You can't work with them.

thx,

FD

[ormonde]

"Here's my question: How do you convert .vob files to either mpeg2 or .avi files (while retaining the audio)?"

The program use want to use is called "TMPGEnc"–different from TMPGEnc DVD Author. Go to "Mpeg Tools" under "File"

[Froggy_doddy]

Thanks for the quick reply ormonde. I tried TMPGEnc (as opposed to TMPGEnc DVD Author). All seemed well, but when I try to load up a .vob file as a source file it says that the file "can not be open or is unsupported". Am I doing something wrong? I feel the you've suggested the right program. If only it would allow me to select the .vob file.

[Froggy_doddy]

Wow, I missed an important part of your post: Go to "Mpeg Tools" under "File"

i'll try that.

[Froggy_doddy]

Ok, well the program converted the video quite well. It did a fine job @ that. However, there is no audio with it. I see that there is an audio field within the Mpeg Tools but I'm not sure what should go there. How do I include the audio?

So new question: How do I add the audio that goes with the video clip. I need one final mpeg clip that had both the audio and video so that I can work with it in VS7?

All is appreciated!!

[ormonde]

" I see that there is an audio field within the Mpeg Tools but I'm not sure what should go there."

Did you "Double Click" on the audio stream name (should be something like [0 x80]) and give it a filename?

[Froggy_doddy]

I'm not sure what you mean by " Did you "Double Click" on the audio stream name (should be something like [0 x80]) and give it a filename?" . I don't see anything that resmebles [0 x80] anywhere. I tried to insert the same video clip in the audio field (because I'm assuming that the ONLY place that you will find the audio associated with that video clip is in that same .vob file), but then I get a message stating "Multiplexing linear PCM stream to system is not supported".

Please note that I am doing all this in the "simple multiplex" tab.

Wow, this is complicated!

[ormonde]

"Please note that I am doing all this in the "simple multiplex" tab."

No. You have to do everything in the "DE-MULTIPLEX" and MULTIPLEX tabs. NOT the "Simple".

[DeadSerious]

Froggy--
I'm having the exact same problem. No matter what extension I use for the audio, when I try to multiplex it, the audio won't add--regardless of whether I use simple or regular. Simple tells me invalid MPEG stream or something similar, and the other tab just doesn't add the file to the list.

Whatever we're doing wrong, it seems to be the same thing.

Ormonde--
What extension should we be using when saving the audio stream? Is there any chance that there's some setting/option that we don't know about?

[Froggy_doddy]

I'm still stuck at the same point where DeadSerious is. I've sent everything to my desktop. I have three files. One that I can't open. One that plays audio only and one that plays video only. I'm not sure how I accomplished this, but I did (with ormonde's guidance of course). The only thing I need to do now is merge those video and audio files together to create one file that I can export back to Video Studio 7 (VS7).

HELP!

ps. There has got to be an easier/faster way to do all of this. You'd figure that there would be a program that would allow you to simply select any .vob file and then quickly spit out an mpeg2 file that contains both video and audio. Why does it have to re-render?

[sfheath]

I'm afraid I don't have a vob file here at work to practice on but I notice VirtualDubMod has vob in the 'open file' format list. You might fare better with this.
Once opened, you'll need to set the video stream under the 'video' menu and the audio under the 'streams/stream list', then 'save as'.
This may even help sort out what's wrong with your TMPGEnc method. Good luck

hmm, no promises but I wonder if you can edit the vob directly in VirtualDubMod!

[ormonde]

"What extension should we be using when saving the audio stream? Is there any chance that there's some setting/option that we don't know about?"

If you are doing the process correctly, it should automatically save the audio as .ac3. Also, TMPGEnc is sometimes picky about ac3 audio streams. The method that sfheath suggested is a good alternative using VirtualDubMod–a free program. If you do that, when you go to "Streams/Stream list" click on "Demux" and that should save your audio stream. Then go back to TMPGEnc and multiplex the audio stream from VirtualDubMod with the .m2v video stream to make an mpeg 2 file.

[DeadSerious]

Hmmm....that could be the problem. When the save box comes up in TMPGEnc, there's no automatic extension. I've typed in .ac3, but that hasn't worked. If I understand Froggy right, he's having the same problem. Is it possible that TMPGEnc just doesn't like .ac3 streams created by DVDshrink? Ormonde and Sfheath, as you two suggested, I'm going to try VirtualDubMod. I'm getting it now, and I hope to have time later today to test it out. Thanks to both of you for all your help! I'll keep you posted.

[ormonde]

"Is it possible that TMPGEnc just doesn't like .ac3 streams created by DVDshrink?"

If you applied compression, then it is possible. Shrink may have corrupted the .ac3 header.

[ormonde]

Also, I forgot to add, that if you use "Re-author" in DVDShrink, and you want to rip out say a chapter, it is better to "merge" the VOB files together first–or you can accomplish the same thing in Shrink under the preferences and uncheck "Split VOB larger than 1 gig". Do this before you do your initial backup. Also, if you are planning on just taking segments from a DVD, I would not use compression.