a newbie in need of advice, video editing + DVD authoring
 

Hi, folks! I'm a long-time video trader, but new to authoring my own DVD sets (and new to this group). So please pardon me if this question is way too broad, but I'm out of my depth. I have digital recordings of a scarce Canadian serial from the 1960s that I want to author as a set (removing commercials, adding menus etc.). I have very little in the way of DVD authoring software / tools (and probably even less knowledge on how to use them properly), so here's my question. What are the basic tools I need to make the sort of set I'm describing? At the moment, I know how to take the files off of the original disks and save them on my harddrive, and I MIGHT be able to edit out commercials (though I wouldn't bet on it). I definitely have not figured out how to put the edited files on to a new disk, and I have no tools for creating a new menu. I don't care much about animated menus, but I want something that will allow me to have a nice illustration for the menu's background, and will support at least one sub-menu. I don't have a ton of money to spend, but also don't mind paying for some basic tools. I just need advice on the proper tools to buy for the task at hand. Also, besides editing commercials, is there any sort of clean-up I need to do on the original recordings, or are digital recordings pretty much okay as they stand? Again, sorry for the barrage of questions here, particularly as they're probably far more basic than you're accustomed to. Any advice will be extremely appreciated. Thanks.

fandor, this is just a guide. it will help, but there are other tools out there to help you achieve what you want.

i use TMPGEnc Mpeg Editor to load the raw recorded files and to cut out bits i don't want, like commercials. this app will show you the "frames" and you can simply scroll along until you spot the adverts, then mark the start and end points of the advert and then click the cut button to remove it. dead easy to use and even if you make a mistake, there is an undo option.

next, i use dvd lab pro for authoring. simply load the file you want to author into the app, create a menu (and as many submenus as you want) with background image, and then use texts or buttons as your clickable items to play back the stuff you've captured. then hit the authoring button and the app will create the dvd for you, ie it will create "VIDEO_TS" and "AUDIO_TS" folders with everything in it.

finally, use a burning tool to put the "VIDEO_TS" and "AUDIO_TS" stuff onto a dvd. i use ImgBurn which is free and easy to use.

TMPGEnc and DVD Lab Pro are not free apps.
and you make not like them.
each person has their own taste.
some on CPS swear by Womble and Ulead.

the other tool that usually comes in very handy is Photoshop.
use this to create your backgound image which you then import into your authoring app.

if you do end up using TMPGEnc & Dvd Lab Pro and are having difficulty with these, get in touch with me and i'll try and help you out.

hope this helps.

there are ways & means of getting software...
(but don't write about it on CPS boards. do it through PM / email)

Many, many thanks for the advice, Manthing. I'll read up on the tools you've mentioned, and will probably wind up dropping you a PM with some more specific questions. I appreciate your guidance.

I'll assume your video is already MPEG (from DVD recorder or capture card that records as MPEG).

"Digital" doesn't mean "good". A lot of people have lousy digital recordings that need to be cleaned up. There are many posts here in this tech forum, as well as at http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/foru...mprove-17.html that discuss the methods to restore video. Many of those posts are mine.

Removing commercials / editing MPEGs:
- Womble MPEG-VCR: http://www.digitalfaq.com/guides/vid...peg-womble.htm
- Womble MPEG Video Wizard: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/show...-mpeg-381.html
- Womble software trials: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/show...-vcr-1880.html

MPEG-VCR is under $20.

VideoReDo and TMPGEnc MPEG Editor are two other options, but I rarely/never use those. Womble works great.

Authoring DVDs with nice menus, easy to use:
- Ulead DVD Workshop 2: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/show...-dvd-1506.html

I think DVD-Lab is too complicated, and that slows me down. Some people can't use it at all, too hard. DVDWS2 is easy.

DVDWS2 is just $49 from B&H.

Burn with ImgBurn.
Use good blank discs: JVC Taiyo Yuden or Verbatim (not Value Series).
More info and links to the best prices on blank DVDs, at: http://www.digitalfaq.com/reviews/dvd-media.htm

ImgBurn is freeware.

That's my input for you. I'll do my best to answer any questions you have. Manthing is a good resource too -- he may be a great help for designing menus. My time is too thin to help as much as I want to.

"I think DVD-Lab is too complicated..."

hmm...

i can create my dvd files in about 5 steps.
how hard can that be?

and personally, i found Ulead to be a bit flaky.
on occasions it would bomb out on me.

on the other hand, LS knows what he is talking about and if he says Womble & Ulead are the way to go, so be it.

fandor, it is down to your personal taste.
if you can, try all the above mentioned software and then decide what you feel comfortable with.

if you really want a quick step through using Mpeg editor & DVD Lab pro, PM your email and i'll email you the few simple steps you need to make a dvd.

then you can use that walktrough as a guide.
and compare against the guides mentioned by LS in his response.

ok?

You should post them as new guides to the site. :)

Hey, Lordsmurf. The files I'm working with appear to be Video_TS files, not MPEG (I hope I'm getting this right). The have extensions like VOB and BUP. If I decide to purchase Womble's MPEG VCR, will that program be able to convert my files to MPEG, or will I need another piece of software to do that first?

VIDEO_TS is a folder with authored DVD-Video files -- MPEG-2 video muxed with audio and nav data, to create VOB files. The IFO is a secondary nav and info file, and BUP are copies of the IFO (on a different data sector), in case of disc corruption -- this way discs still play, using the backup file.

So it's still an MPEG-2.

You need to re-rip the disc, or burn it to a new disc
-- or -- "burn" ISO file (mount the ISO with GizmoDrive)

Then rip the video data off correctly, using this guide: http://www.digitalfaq.com/guides/vid...d-recorder.htm
This works on almost any homemade discs, not just discs off DVD recorders.

If it's a retail DVD you're using, follow this guide: http://www.digitalfaq.com/guides/video/edit-dvd.htm

You can't just copy the VOB/IFO/BUP files off a DVD and work with them as-is.

Thanks for the info, Lordsmurf. That should help tremendously. It's taking me longer than I anticipated to get everything ready to begin my DVD authoring project. But once I have all my tools in place, I'll be posting here further as things progress. I appreciate all the help you and Manthing have extended.

Hello again, Lordsmurf. I went ahead and picked up Ulead DVD Workshop 2, but I'm having problems getting it to work with my computer. I keep getting a message saying that my system is missing a file, and needs d3drm.d11 to run the program. I've used the function which allows me to check for a fix, but none was found. I've also emailed Corel, but probably won't get a reply for a day or two (and their customer support line is only open during my normal work hours). I got this computer about 2 years ago, so it's running Vista. Do you know if this is an issue? I thought I saw in the Ulead specs that it was compatible with Vista, but I can't find anything on Corel's website that confirms this. Any idea where I can get a copy of the d3drm.dll library file, so I can run DVD Workshop? Thanks for any guidance you can provide.

has issues with vista. i couldnt get it to work right. also when i had a version of nero 7 or higher it wouldnt work either.

fandor, use google to find d3drm.dll.
download it.

then, rather than copying this file to the windows folder, or the system32 folder, copy it to the dvd workshop folder itself.

this way, it won't interfere with the rest of the system.

Ulead DVDWS2 works fine in Vista and Windows 7 -- I've tested it.

Just download the attached RAR file, unrar it, and put the d3drm.dll file in the C:\Windows\System32 folder AS WELL AS in the folder where Ulead is installed (example: C:\Program Files (x86)\Ulead)

Thanks again for the guidance, guys! I'll give this a go and see if I can work things out. If I have any further issues, I'll be sure to give you another shout.

Hello again, guys. I'm back from my vacation, and in need of further advice. Lordsmurf, I installed that DLL file as you instructed, and that helped tremendously. Many, many thanks! Ulead will now run (with a few issues with the playback on the preview windows, which seem to stem from Quick Time). Anyway, I'm pretty sure I've now gotten my project edited and laid out, and I've read up a bit on how to burn with IMGburn. But I can't figure out how to get my project out of Ulead DWS and into IMGburn (or on to my hard drive to then import into IMGb). I thought I had gotten the project over to the harddrive, but when I burned it produced a coaster with very little data on it. The directions I read for IMGb seemed to indicate that I needed to re-name my project VIDEO_TS. Am I way off base here? Any guidance regarding getting the project to the burning stage will be greatly appreciated. Thanks again!

I'm a wee bit busy right now, but I can point you in the right direction.
Some posts with member Superstar already explained this at http://www.digitalFAQ.com/forum/foru...-menus-24.html
This thread is one: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/show...=9796#post9796
But I know it was explained to him several times in various threads, each time a little different explanation until he understood the process.

Basically, you output a folder set (VIDEO_TS + AUDIO_TS) from DVDWS2, and then use ImgBurn build mode to burn the disc.

DVDWS2 preview is always choppy on non-menus, it's just a preview after all. Not meant to be full viewer/player. It's rendering in the non-overlay, for one problem. (Probably tech jargon gobbly-gook to you! Sorry!)

Thanks, Lordsmurf! I'll read over the threads you've recommended, and I suspect that will put me on the right path. If I have any further questions, I'll be sure to post here. I really appreciate all your help.