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ichii
Nov 8, 2006, 01:52 PM
Hi I wanted to know if there is any video editing software for DVD? I have serveral home movies that I would like to edit, but it's only on a DVD disc I don't have the original footage anymore. Is there a way to import the dvd into the mac? Everytime I insert a DVD it automatically plays.


Super Macho Man
Nov 8, 2006, 02:54 PM
DVD video is in MPEG-2 format, which is very difficult/impossible to edit beyond basic trimming. You would have to extract the MPEG-2 off the DVD, convert it to DV format, edit that in e.g. iMovie, then compress it back into MPEG-2 when you're all done. Likewise with the Dolby Digital audio on the DVD (assuming that's what it has). You would lose quality because of all the recompressing. It's also not really a job for the faint of heart because it involves multiple steps:

1) Rip and demux (split) the DVD audio/video with a program like MacTheRipper or Handbrake
2) Convert the video to DV with e.g. ffmpegX, and the audio to WAV or something unless you have Final Cut that can handle AC-3 audio
3) Edit
4) Create a DVD with iDVD, or export as DV to burn a DVD with Toast

Unless there is special software I'm not aware of that can edit MPEG-2, iMovie-style...
theBB
Nov 8, 2006, 04:57 PM
Handbrake would convert MPEG-2 on your DVD to mpeg4, so I would use MacTheRipper instead. One fewer compression step.
ichii
Nov 8, 2006, 06:57 PM
Thanks for the reply are those programs mentioned above free? Also would I then be able to edit the movie using iMovie?
Aperture
Nov 8, 2006, 07:28 PM
Mac The Ripper is free, yes. (As well as HandBrake)

You can use iMovie once you use Mac The Ripper/etc to rip the DVD.
theBB
Nov 8, 2006, 11:43 PM
Once you convert your movie into dv, you can edit it in iMovie. If the movie is mpeg4, iMovie can still handle it, but it would convert it into dv itself.
Macnoviz
Nov 9, 2006, 04:35 PM
Once you convert your movie into dv, you can edit it in iMovie. If the movie is mpeg4, iMovie can still handle it, but it would convert it into dv itself.

Unless you choose MPEG-4 as format when you create a new project, methinks
theBB
Nov 10, 2006, 07:55 PM
Unless you choose MPEG-4 as format when you create a new project, methinks
Yeah, that might be true, but I always use DV as long as I need to add pictures. For some reason, iMovie renders these pictures (especially with Ken Burns effect) at a very low quality if the format is mpeg4. I got burned once, so I stay way from it.