Mac video encoding

December 21, 2006 4:33 AM

I ripped a DVD with Mac The Ripper. I have a collection of IFO and VOB files on my hard drive. I want to get a movie file that I can then import into iMovie to cut up. What program do I need and what file type should I shoot for?

The DVD is an episode of the TV show I work for and this is for work. Don't get yourself in a tizzy about piracy because there ain't any.

posted by Mayor Curley to computers & internet (10 comments total)

You want to transcode to DV, using QuickTime Pro and the MPEG-2 library. You then import the DV file into iMovie.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 4:56 AM on December 21, 2006

You want MPEG Streamclip. Open source.

DVDxDV is an easier choice but shareware.
posted by filmgeek at 5:33 AM on December 21, 2006

what BP said
posted by matteo at 5:56 AM on December 21, 2006

handbrake.m0k.org

"HandBrake is a GPL'd multiplatform, multithreaded DVD to MPEG-4 ripper/converter."
posted by yesno at 6:47 AM on December 21, 2006

We just did such a project at my office. DVDxDV worked very well.
posted by Steve3 at 6:54 AM on December 21, 2006

Addition- while handbrake is great, the problem is that you'll do 2 conversions. Initally to mpeg 4, then again on importing to iMovie. DVDxDV or MPEG Streamclip will go straight from DVD to DV, so the workflow will be faster.
Streamclip will require the Quicktime MPEG2 component.
posted by Steve3 at 6:59 AM on December 21, 2006

If there is ANY possible way to get your hands on the original files, do that. VOB to MPEG is fraught with complications in terms of keeping sound sync. At its simplest VOB is a wrapper around MPEG2 but unfortunately the way that sound is multiplexed ('muxed') on DVDs is far from simple, and many of the converters do not do a great job of decoding the file info.

You can usually solve it by opening up the console and watching the output, then manually setting the demux algorithm, but it's a PITA.

The biggest problem is that it's inconsistent. Some files from the same DVD will produce DV files which are in sync, while others will produce DV files which are out of sync. So you have to check everything. There is nothing more frustrating than ripping a bunch of DVDs and then setting them to convert to DV overnight, only to discover that because of demux errors the tracks are out of sync in the morning.

I think I used the new version of MacTheRipper, plus ffmpegX, plus the Quicktime MPEG2 component.

(And again it was my own stuff so no piracy involved!)
posted by unSane at 7:25 AM on December 21, 2006

QuickTime Pro has a number of additional features you'll probably use for other work, and you'd need the MPEG-2 component anyway. DVDxDV is a pretty focused application for the cost. ffmpegx is another free option, but I've heard mixed results about audio sync.

I only pointed this combination out, because if you have to spend money on tools, you might as well get something that has lots of utility for other projects down the road.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 7:26 AM on December 21, 2006

I've completely replaced ffmpegx with VisualHub nowdays.
posted by mrbill at 1:08 PM on December 21, 2006

VOB to MPEG is fraught with complications in terms of keeping sound sync.

Um. YMMV, but I've covered many a VOB to MPEG, and never, ever, ever, ever had a problem with sound sync.
posted by ascullion at 2:56 PM on December 21, 2006