Convert from DVD to WMV?

[JosephSchulz63]

What is the best way to convert from DVD to WMV format?

I just purchased a Windows Mobile smartphone and would like to rip/convert DVD's to play on the smartphone using the built-in Windows Media 10 player. It appears to only support WMV formats, so I'm assuming that is the format I need to create.

I'm familiar with DVD-Decrypter/DVD-Shrink and PGCEdit, and have been using those programs for a long time to backup my DVD's. I also use DVDXCopy occasionally as well. Can any of these programs be used? Are there other freeware programs available for this type of conversion?

Thanks in advance!
Joe

[benbryant]

Windows Movie Maker allows you to import .MPG files to convert to .WMV files. So just rip the main movie to HDD using DVD Decrypter or DVD Shrink in File mode, rename .VOB to .MPG, import it to Windows Movie Maker, and then encode it .WMV file

Regards

[JosephSchulz63]

WMM can't import the MPG files

I ripped the DVD to the hard drive and then renamed all .VOB files to .MPG instead. When I tried to "Import Video" with Windows Movie Maker, though, I got two errors.

I received the first error twice, on the first and second video files. The error stated "The CinePlayer decoders have not yet been activated. You must activate the product before use. Please run the player that included these decoders in order to activate the product." I'm not sure the "CinePlayer" decoders are...is that part of WMM or am I missing some other component?

I also received the second error twice, on the last two video files. This error was "C:\Temp\DOGMA\VIDEO_TS\VTS_01_4.mpg could not be imported. An interface has too many methods to fire events from". Huh? Is there a "special" setting I need to configure inside DVD-Decrypter to make it rip correctly? I'm currently using the same settings that I normally use when ripping before using DVD-Shrink.

Thanks!
Joe

[anonymez]

you might like to try windows media encoder


anyway here's a quick guide that should allow you to import any file into any NLE application so long as it supports avi.

1. download & install avisynth and ffdshow (make sure to install avisynth components during setup)

2. download & install dgindex. copy the dgdecode.dll from dgindex's folder into your avisynth plugins folder. download nicaudio.ll, also place in avisynth plugins folder

3. run dgindex, open your vobs or mpeg2 files with it, then go file-->save project. it'll save a project (.d2v) file and demux audio

4. run notepad, type:

video=mpeg2source("C:\path\to\project.d2v")
audio=nicac3source("C:\pth\to\audio.ac3")
audiodub(video,audio)

but adjusting paths and file names to match what you have on your hard disk. go file-->save as, and call it script.avs. you now have an avisynth script.

5. go start-->programs-->ffdshow-->makeAVIS. select your avisynth script and output file and hit create. what you've done is wrap the script into a fake avi file-- NLE apps should have no problems recognizing it


note: this guide assumes mpeg2 video and ac3 audio, for other formats the script will need to be adjusted, eg avisource() for avi, directshowsource(), nicmpasource(), etc. search or post in the forum for help

note2: all files can be found through google

[JosephSchulz63]

WMM still not importing

Well, I did some more surfing and found out that the "CinePlayer" error had to do with the Roxio Easy Media Creator software that is also installed on the machine. The CinePlayer is a component of that which I never use and it needed to be activated.

I've resolved that problem, but now the WMM still fails. The error it gives now when I try to import any MPG file is "...failed with an unspecified error." Not much help!

I'm going to try this on another machine that doesn't have Roxio installed to see if that makes a difference.

I've also tried using a 3rd party package named "Wondershare Pocket DVD Studio" (mentioned in another thread on this site). It seems to work OK but the audio and video might be a slight bit off. You can only test a 3-minute segment with the trial software, though, so I'm not sure whether it would get worse over the course of a 2 hour movie. Don't want to pay $29 for something that doesn't work.

Does anyone have any experience using "Wondershare Pocket DVD Studio"???

Thanks,
Joe

[benbryant]

The error you got makes me realize that since Windows Movie Maker doesn't accept AC3 audio and your movie probably does come with this format. I think you can demux the MPG file to separate video and audio with a free tool called PVAStrumento and ProjectX, convert audio from AC3 format to WAV with HeadAC3he or Belight, rename the demuxed video from .MPV to MPG, and then import the newly converted WAV file and .MPG to Windows Movie Maker

I do hate introducing the new tools and force you to use them just to accomplish something so simple. I hope that these steps are not so complicated to you and good luck

Regards

[JosephSchulz63]

Thanks but way too involved!

Thanks for the suggestion, Ben, but that seems like way too much work! I'm looking for some way to convert the movies repeatedly so I could take a couple of new movies with me each week. Ideally I'd like to do this in one or two steps at most since I'll be doing it so often.

Unfortunately I've not been able to get Windows Movie Maker to accept the ripped video files, no matter how I rip them or what settings I use. So, I guess that isn't going to work.

Also, I've not gotten any response to my question about WonderShare and my testing with it is terrible. So, that looks like a dead end too. Bummer! This smartphone is awesome and it would really be the icing on the cake if I could watch movies on it as well.

Anyway, thanks for the help...maybe if I get desperate I'll take a whack at the process you describe above.

Cheers!

[paglamon]

Try Mediacoder.