No, it isn't a problem. But it is still something that I feel a little hesitant to do. I don't think anyone understands how compressed the project is when they give it to me. The real problem though is wondering if I am ripping, extracting, or un-compressing the best way possible.
While there are my solutions to the problem, I would love to hear what other people have found to be effective. Here are a few different options I use. They are not in any particular order.
Option 1:
Programs needed: MacTheRipper & Toast (pretty much any version)
Approximate cost: MTR is free. Toast is roughly $80 I believe.
Rip the DVD, either by title or chapter, in mac the ripper. It makes the file into another file, readable by Toast. Import the video into Toast and hit export. Choose the options you want.
Option 2:
Programs needed: MPEG StreamclipApproximate cost: Free. You may need to pay $20 to Apple to download an MPEG2 codec/reader though.
Open MPEG Streamclip. Copy the video ts folder off of the DVD on to a hard drive. Open the recently copied file using mpeg streamclip. Convert to how you want it.
The nice thing about this program is that it repairs any timecode or other breaks in the media. It is also very easy to set up the file you are exporting to be what you want. I prefer using this method.
Programs needed: Handbrake, Quicktime Pro.
Approximate cost: $30 if you do not have FCP Studio.
Convert your file on handbrake to be some sort of H264 item that will leave the piece at full resolution. Open the file in QT Pro and convert it to what you want it to be.
Maybe I am making this harder than it really is, but this is how I do it. I know there are not a lot of specifics here, but we can hit tutorials later.
If I should change something, let me know.
3 comments:
Option #3 is what I'm trying to do, and it gives me problems. I've dried the *.mov format with multiple codecs, but every time I try to bring it into FCP, it gives me an error saying that it's an unknown file.
I'm going to try an AVI next.
Okay, the AVI format works, as long as I select the MP4 video codec and MP3 audio codec. I didn't think the MP3 audio would work in FCP, but was surprised to find that it does, after you do some quick rendering (audio rendering is relatively very quick).
Cranking the video quality up to 100% should, I think, give some pretty clean footage to work with in editing, especially if you are looking at taking one of your DVD's (that you already own) and making a family-friendly version for your kids or something (I wouldn't recommend distributing a personally -edited copy outside of your own household). However, be ready to have a large amount of storage space on an external hard drive if you are planning on ripping an entire full-length film.
The only other tricky thing I'm working with now is the anamorphic setting. It seems to do more grief than anything else -- it leaves my picture stretched funny. I tried turning it off and it gave me a correct aspect ratio, and it even stretched to fit my screen when I played it in iTunes.
So, I was asked the other day how to edit a flv file. flv is used on YouTube, and is the Flash Video Codec, as you all probably know.
After some searching around the best option I found right now is to install a free Quicktime component from http://perian.org.
This gives FCP, FCE, and Streamclip the opportunity to open and edit.
I found though that converting the flv in Streamclip to whatever (.mov),is fastest. It takes FCE a long time to render the flv in order to edit it.
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