VHS to DVD to PC to premiere 6.5 - need help

[bobi77581]

hi everyone...
i'm so very new to all of this and i am confused. i hope someone can help me...i really am in need of some guidance here! i just purchased a panasonic dvd recorder dmr-es40v (hooked up to our tv), in hopes of taking all the old family videos (vhs and 8mm) and converting them to dvd so i could edit them with premiere 6.5..
me and my bright ideas...i thought it would be so easy just to burn thes vhs and 8 mm to dvd then edit into complete family movies!

the panasonic recordes vhs to dvd, great, not a problem here, i have mqanaged to do this ok. my problem now, is trying to get this video into adobe premiere 6.5 for editing and 'splicing'. the files that are created on the dvd are .bup/.ifo/.vob. i think i need some way of converting these files to either mpeg2 or avi, am i on the right track so far?
it's here that i get really lost. do i need to purchase additional software to convert these files? or...should i / would i be better off purchasing some sort of data capture s/w &/or h/w and hooking up the vcr to the pc and then capture the video to my hard drive ( really hope i don't have to do that!)...
.......any advice or help will be so appreciated, but please understand your talking to a complete novice here...i know nothing about this process...is there any good, easy to understand reading i can do that will help me understand this process
thank y'all so much for any info you can offer
bobi77581?

[drfsupercenter]

Yes, they would need to be in MPG or AVI. Two options. One: use VOBMerge and merge all the VTS_01 files to one. Then go to Folder Options, uncheck the option about hiding extensions for known filetypes, and then rename the file to something and then .MPG. That should load in whatever prog you are using. Otherwise, I reccomend Dr. DivX, you can get a trial, and that will encode to AVI.

[bobi77581]

thanks a bunch d̃ŗf̉śŭp̣ễr̀çëǹt̉ếř
i've gone to get vobmerge and will now go give it a try.
b in touch
best regards
bobi77581

[drfsupercenter]

thanks a bunch d̃ŗf̉śŭp̣ễr̀çëǹt̉ếř

Heh. That is just my "funky" name. Feel free to call me drf or something.

And if my method works for you, consider "agreeing" with the post - to help me get back in the green zone (click on the little scale icon next to Report under my name)

[DiscCoasterPro]

Bob and drf, if I may jump in, I'd like to share a few other thoughts. I am not sure if that version of Adobe will even edit mpeg files. I believe the program only works with AVIs. I may be wrong, double check that. The real preferred file format for editing is AVI. Mpeg is not really an "edit friendly" format.

Once you have compressed your video into an mpeg file, they are not even actually all full frames. So frame editing doesn't work very well.

In my opinion, a very good way to get your vhs to digital would be through a firewire type converter that captured to AVI such as the Canopus line. Some of these converters also support a technology that prevents audio and video from running out of sync during long captures. (not an uncommon problem btw) Another choice is with a pass through on a miniDV camcorder which will also capture to DV/AVI.

I don't feel any editing beyond trimming off some of the front or back of a clip should be done in mpeg. I say this, cause thats one of the things I learned the hard way. Working with mpeg captures also presents the possibility of the editing or authoring program re encoding the mpeg a second time after the edits and menus are done, which will really hurt quality.

Beyond all those things sometimes the mpegs get funny with field order problems on TVs where AVI captures are always (or at least have been for me) Lower Field First and very nice to edit.

Even DV/AVIs are compressed a touch, but about 10 times less than mpegs. And, there are some NLEditing programs that do support Mpeg editing, but they are not without their crashing and quality problems either. I was using Ulead Video Studio and Cyberlinks Power Director. Both programs acted funky at times and I couldn't figure out why. Since I changed my method and work only with AVIs now, neither of those programs have been a problem. As I learn more and find I want a little more flexability in my editing, I just purchased the Adobe Elements program. I think, btw they advertise the new version to support mpeg editing. Some (maybe elements) may even allow editing of multiple file types on the timeline. I know Edius does, but .. I still wouldn't do it unless there were NO other options available.

Once you get going with editing and authoring, you may get bit like I did. Its lots of fun, you may as well start out with a method that really lends itself to editing. Those devices you mentioned are fine for a quick and dirty way to archive old tapes, but again, to edit, don't do any compressing till you are done.

good luck,
dcp

[drfsupercenter]

You can, however, use a program like Ulead Video Studio (free trial) to convert from MPEG to AVI. And as far as PC capture cards go, I reccomend the Dazzle DVC-90 USB device. It has worked great for me.

[DiscCoasterPro]

You are correct about converting the mpeg back to AVI however it is a lossy compression and making this conversion, then edit and then convert back to mpeg is a serious Rube Goldberg which will result in loss of quality.

Regarding the Dazzle device, doesn't that save to mpeg also? I don't know if it does or not. However, any device that does kind of defeats the purpose of making edits in AVI format prior to compressing. Not to mention mpeg converters in the sub 200 dollar catagory rely on software to compress "on the fly" and depending on the strength of you system, you can also end up with dropped frames or errors.

[DiscCoasterPro]

You are correct about converting the mpeg back to AVI however it is a lossy compression and making this conversion, then edit and then convert back to mpeg is a serious Rube Goldberg which will result in loss of quality.

Regarding the Dazzle device, doesn't that save to mpeg also? I don't know if it does or not. However, any device that does, kind of defeats the purpose of making edits in AVI format prior to compressing. Not to mention mpeg converters in the sub 200 dollar catagory rely on software to compress "on the fly" and depending on the strength of you system, you can also end up with dropped frames or errors. But thats not even the issue. The bottom line is get a good analog to digital converter that will allow AVI captures if you want to edit what you capture. Thats all I'm saying.

dcp

[drfsupercenter]

The DVC-90 captures in AVI or MPG. While it does drop lots of frames, it has terrific quality for that price.

[bobi77581]

SUCCESS dvd to avi into premiere achieved

Success! Thanks drf and dcp! y'all are my angels
Yoy got me pointed in the right direction. I was unable to download dr.dvix, drf…it is no longer available for download

I tried vobmerge, too…didn’t work for me for some reason…I will try again at some point.
Dcp, you got me thinking about mpeg vs avi…. did it really matter to me what I used …this was just the format that I found that I could input to adobe premiere 6.5. So, I found a ripper/converter…I downloaded ‘flash DVD ripper” and it worked like a champ! It converted the DVD files to an avi with out any problems at all! YEAH! It played in adobe great, had no sound problems etc…so far so good. Now all I need to do is to see if I can do any thing in adobe and then out put back to DVD…I have DVD it le…and that is what I will try out first and if I find problems I will move on to something more user friendly to me at this point in time. You’re right dcp, I really don’t want to cut too much off other than a bit at the beginning and or the end…thought some of these family things can be pretty boring and do need to be chopped down to reasonable viewing size if you get my drift. I have a lot of track meets and football games to view and edit. my son is going to love this
thanks

i will be back later...can't wait to chat about all of this...but have a lunch date right now
...a big smooch for you guys!

bobi

[drfsupercenter]

You're welcome! Consider adding to my reputation, since I helped you and all. Click on the little scales under my name, and click on I agree, and put a reason in.

[bobi77581]

drf....consider it done! i just finished. hope i did ok by u & 4 u. many thanks to you and DiscCoasterPro...

later
best regards
bobi

[drfsupercenter]

looks like you did fine.

[bobi77581]

thanks a bunch...glad to do it.
i'm still having some difficulties...many actually...as soon as i can get my thoughts together on this i will be back...i have to figure out how to get this file into edit it...i can play it ...but the system/sw want the 'capture device' identified...why can't i silmply load a file and skip the capture ...
asking too much for it to be that simple, huh! :->
later, have great weekend
b

[drfsupercenter]

Well, if you just want to edit, I suggest Ulead Video Studio, or Tsunami DVD Author. Ulead can edit almost any form of video, from WMV to MPG to AVI, and Tsunami will edit a decrypted DVD and make you a new one. That may be a better solution for your problem.