Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

VOB files to MPEG

T

tbarnett50

macrumors newbie
Original poster
I am sure this has been asked repeatedly. I have DVDs of home movies which I want to import into iMovie so that I can edit them for a collage of movies for my daughter's wedding. DVDs are in .vob format. I have tried Handbrake to convert to MPEG4 but each DVD takes eons..like 18 hours. Then importing into iMovie likewise takes forever. Last one said 4000 minutes. I have tried Streamclip too. ISquint won't deal with vob files. Is there anyway of making this a little easier? Is it possible to convert just the .vob clips I want and not the whole DVD?
thanks.
Tom
iMac G5 1.5
 
tbarnett50 said:
I am sure this has been asked repeatedly. I have DVDs of home movies which I want to import into iMovie so that I can edit them for a collage of movies for my daughter's wedding. DVDs are in .vob format. I have tried Handbrake to convert to MPEG4 but each DVD takes eons..like 18 hours. Then importing into iMovie likewise takes forever. Last one said 4000 minutes. I have tried Streamclip too. ISquint won't deal with vob files. Is there anyway of making this a little easier? Is it possible to convert just the .vob clips I want and not the whole DVD?
thanks.
Tom
iMac G5 1.5
Click to expand...

You've almost got it right, but you're making a major mistake that is causing all the extra time on both the handbreak/mpegstreamclip side, and the iMovie import.

Convert the MPEG2/VOB files to the DV codec. NTSC 48KHz ( or PAL if that's what's right for your region ). Using DV will solve all your problems. ( make sure you have alot of harddrive space available though... it will require 13GB/hour and at least that much free space again to edit )

Also, IMHO use iMovie HD instead of iMovie 08 if you're final destination is iDVD. iMovie HD's integration with iDVD is far superior to iMovie 08's

Hope this helps!
 
I agree that it seems you're doing everything right. I would say first though, that you might want to try using mactheripper to get the dvd's on the HD and then extract the dv or mp4 file from there. It will go much faster because it's totally not dependent on your dvd drive. You should see a vast improvement.🙂
 
thanks

Thank you both. yeah I have imported the DVD using Mac the Ripper. Hunter, how do I convert to the DV codec you mention? My iMac is something like 3 years old, 1 gb ram, 50 gb memory. I think it should have the horsepower to do this job faster than 18 hours per dvd! I am NTSC region (canada)
Tom
 
In streamclip go to the file menu. You should see the different conversion types. DV should be one of them. I used to use my old g4 a couple of years ago and it never took more than a couple of hours. Good luck
 
tbarnett50 said:
Thank you both. yeah I have imported the DVD using Mac the Ripper. Hunter, how do I convert to the DV codec you mention? My iMac is something like 3 years old, 1 gb ram, 50 gb memory. I think it should have the horsepower to do this job faster than 18 hours per dvd! I am NTSC region (canada)
Tom
Click to expand...

You can convert to DV straight out of MPEGStramClip. It's one of the export options... I don't have it in front of me, but I think it's in the "convert to" menu on the main menu.

You might want to take UnderTheRadar's advice of ripping the disc to the harddrive first, though while you're getting used to how to do it. If you are opening a self authored DVD, this will not be a problem either way.
Also note that MPEGStreamclip will assemble all the VOBs into one file for you automatically, so just select the first VOB and it will say something like "this looks like it's part of a series, do you want me to assemble them all"

What version of iMovie do you have?

Good luck!
 
streamclip

Thanks alot for your advice. I will try the streamclip route to iMovie. I have imovie 08 but I note your advice about the links with iMovie HD. At this point in time with the wedding looming I might have to just see if elopement an option! Do you think iMovie HD is worth getting?
Tom
 
sound

Hi
So I used Streamclip to output vob files to DV files. I then imported into Movie 08. Both steps were thankfully much faster than through handbrake. However, there was no sound. Where can I buy iMovie HD? I have iMovie 05..what do you think of trying that? Tom
 
I kind of skimmed this thread, but if you're looking for a way to convert the vob files... they're already an mpeg2 stream. If you rename the file .mpg, you'll see that you can play them (assuming you have an mpeg2 decoder codec) just fine... and also edit / hack up / etc.

When I rip discs, I usually rip them out to one large .VOB file, then rename it .mpg and store the resulting file. You shouldn't have to convert it or anything.
 
mrwizardno2 said:
I kind of skimmed this thread, but if you're looking for a way to convert the vob files... they're already an mpeg2 stream. If you rename the file .mpg, you'll see that you can play them (assuming you have an mpeg2 decoder codec) just fine... and also edit / hack up / etc.

When I rip discs, I usually rip them out to one large .VOB file, then rename it .mpg and store the resulting file. You shouldn't have to convert it or anything.
Click to expand...

You skimmed too much. Despite the thread title, he's actually wanting to edit the video and burn a DVD of it. Classic

VOB -> DV ->iMovie->iDVD is what UnderTheRadar and I are telling him
 
tbarnett50 said:
Hi
So I used Streamclip to output vob files to DV files. I then imported into Movie 08. Both steps were thankfully much faster than through handbrake. However, there was no sound. Where can I buy iMovie HD? I have iMovie 05..what do you think of trying that? Tom
Click to expand...

Ah! You're in luck! iMovieHD is the older version of iMovie. It is a free download from apple to all owners of iLife 08 ( which you have )

http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/imovieHD6.html

iMovieHD is a much more classic editor. If you are used to iMovie 08 you may have to learn some things, but the ease of markign chapters for your DVD and properly exporting it to iDVD are so much better with iMovie HD that IMHO you simply must do it.

DOn't use Handbrake to do the conversion. Use MPEGStreamclip:

Use the "File->Open DVD" menu item and point it to your Video_TS folder. Then once it's loaded, do "File->Export to DV"
Then Select "DV25" for compression, "NTSC 720x480, 29.97 fps" for standard, Aspect Ratio 4:3 ( or 16:9 if that's what you shot ), check "resample audio to 48KHx" and uncheck everything else. Then click "Make DV".

This will give you the dv file you need for iMovie.

Load up iMovie HD, "File->import" and select your DV file.
drag the clip to your timeline and start your editing, transiitions, text, effects, etc. Read all the documentation for iMovieHD. Read it again. 🙂
Edit...

When you're done with editing, move the needle on the timeline to where you want a chapter marker to be and your chapter markers with the "markers-> Add Chapter marker" menu. It will put a little yellow diamond on there for you.

then when you think you're ready ( after saving your work many times through out this process 🙂 ) click on the "Share -> iDVD" menu item.

iDVD will ask you if you want to have chapters? Say yes. The read all the documentation for iDVD. 😎
Read it again...

Get creative with the backgrounds with cool clips. Impress your friends.

Save your project. Burn Your DVD.
Done!
 
Use Cinematize 2 Pro. Is the best software to convert DVD data into quicktimes movies. You can even choose what part of a chapter you want to convert and even batch list different chapters. Very easy to use, I even use it directly from the DVD itself.
 
thanks

gracias everyone. Its nice I am a classic case. I will download imoviehd and keep you posted. Will be sampling pinot noirs in oregon for a few days, might not remember anything!
Tom
 
huntercr said:
You skimmed too much. Despite the thread title, he's actually wanting to edit the video and burn a DVD of it. Classic

VOB -> DV ->iMovie->iDVD is what UnderTheRadar and I are telling him
Click to expand...

Sorry about that. I missed that part and went on the thread title, it seems.
 
I use Visual Hub to create MP4's of VOB files... then pull them into either iMovie... that also works. I don't remember it taking that long either.
 
difference between export and convert?

was wondering if anyone could tell me what the difference is between export to MPEG-4 and convert to MPEG? Sorry if this is a really obvious question..I'm a straight up noob! 😛 Thanks!
 
Help Needed- .VOB to IMovie

Hello I've been tirelessly looking for assistance through the forum- 😕I hope you can help.

I'm a newbie, and am trying to save my DVD (created from VHS) in IMOVIE. From a previous post I successfully downloaded MPEG Streamclip, also purchased MPEG-2. I'm able to view the DVD in Streamclip however when I export to Quicktime or DV only a small portion is extracted. The entire video is about 23 minutes long. Is there anything I can do to save the entire DVD.

Thanks in advance for your help:apple:
 
VOB to Imovie

Lattrice
I tried to do it but at the end of the day ran out of time. There must be a market for software to easily convert VOB files (from your DVD) without having to go through all these hoops. Good luck. Please read the advice I received above..it was pretty consistent, and thorough. I don't think there are any more options than these.
Tom
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back