Immortalising a recording from TV

[mc2fool]

There's a programme I've recorded from FreeView that I want to keep forever and be playable on more or less anything that plays DVDs.

I recorded it on an HDD/DVD recorder*, initially to the HDD and then copied it to a DVD-RW, with the intention of loading it up on my Windows 10 PC, editing out all of the adverts, and then making a DVD-R of it.

What's on the DVD-RW is a bunch of .VOB files and paired .idx2 files. The DVD, and the individual .VOB files, play in VLC and PowerDVD but don't play in the W10 Films & TV app or in Windows Media Player.

VideoPad (free) seems to give me the to-the-frame editing capability I'm after, but although accepting VOB files it only seems to suck in the first couple of dozen seconds of them.

Prism Video Converter from the same stable successfully converts all but one of the VOB files to MP4/MPEG4 (but fails when trying to convert them to MP4/H264) and those can be sucked into VideoPad in full and edited -- and it fails on trying to convert one of the VOB files to MP4/MPEG4 (with a not very useful message suggesting to try another encoding...).

I've tried a variety of format converters (all free ones) and got a variety of mostly bad results, but must admit to being well confused by all the various formats.

What I'd like to end up with a DVD-R of the programme, with adverts edited out, that can be played on any DVD player and on any PC or Mac.

Suggestions on how to proceed (with free software), and especially on what formats to use, would be very welcome!

* A Pioneer DVR-440HX-S, 15 years old and still going strong

[Itsallaguess]

What I'd like to end up with a DVD-R of the programme, with adverts edited out, that can be played on any DVD player and on any PC or Mac.

I'm not sure you do (yet...), but if you get where you want to be with regards the destination-DVD, and then find yourself wanting to produce a single-file video-format that is likely to be able to be played by anything in the future, then MakeMKV is free, and is normally able to read a DVD* and produce a single MKV video file from it, which is then playable by almost any media player on any modern computer -

https://www.makemkv.com/download/

https://www.makemkv.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1053

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

* I would imagine that it expects to see a DVD in what it might consider to be a 'DVD-compatible configuration', so depending on just how you generate your final-DVD, you may find it's not as 'compatible' as MakeMKV would like, but for a free solution, it's certainly worth a go.

[Breelander]

... the individual .VOB files, play in VLC...

...I've tried a variety of format converters (all free ones) and got a variety of mostly bad results...

You know that VLC can do conversions too?

https://www.guidingtech.com/8848/use-vl ... o-another/

[mc2fool]

What I'd like to end up with a DVD-R of the programme, with adverts edited out, that can be played on any DVD player and on any PC or Mac.

I'm not sure you do (yet...), but if you get where you want to be with regards the destination-DVD, and then find yourself wanting to produce a single-file video-format that is likely to be able to be played by anything in the future, then MakeMKV is free, and is normally able to read a DVD* and produce a single MKV video file from it, which is then playable by almost any media player on any modern computer.

Well, thanks but the first goal is the first "if" .

However, what you're saying seems to imply that it's not possible to make a DVD that's playable on any DVD player and on any PC or Mac. Ok, maybe "any" should be qualified to exclude ancient kit, but putting that aside I'm a bit surprised, although admit to knowing very little about the area.

What's on a commercial DVD if you put it into a PC (I don't have any to look at)? Surely it must be a standard format (set of) file(s) that any (modern) DVD player, PC or Mac can read?

[mc2fool]

... the individual .VOB files, play in VLC...

...I've tried a variety of format converters (all free ones) and got a variety of mostly bad results...

You know that VLC can do conversions too?

Yep, and VLC is included in the "variety of mostly bad results" above. From video without audio to audio without video to postage stamp sized videos to crappy quality, etc, etc, etc....

VLC's conversion options include 15 encapsulations each with 15 video codecs, 10 audio codecs and plethora of sub-options ... hence my emphasis on asking about formats in my OP.

[Itsallaguess]

However, what you're saying seems to imply that it's not possible to make a DVD that's playable on any DVD player and on any PC or Mac. Ok, maybe "any" should be qualified to exclude ancient kit, but putting that aside I'm a bit surprised, although admit to knowing very little about the area.

What's on a commercial DVD if you put it into a PC (I don't have any to look at)? Surely it must be a standard format (set of) file(s) that any (modern) DVD player, PC or Mac can read?

Yeah - it should be a standard format, and most commercial DVD's will be.....

I should have been clearer, in that my caveat was mainly aimed at the fact that this standard format might not be output by your Pioneer DVD-writer, or created by you via whatever means you end up using for editing purposes....

I can't say it won't be, of course, and at the same time I clearly can't guarantee that it will - all I was saying that if you end up thinking that it would also be good to have the programme in a purely-digital format such as an MKV file, then there's a free way to do that so long as MakeMKV can read the disk..

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

[Breelander]

Yep, and VLC is included in the "variety of mostly bad results" above.

Well, these days I use almost exclusively the Open Source command line utility FFMpeg. https://ffmpeg.org/

Not only can this convert anything to anything else, but it can also crop, scale, change frame rate and/or aspect ratio and extract a section from a video. It can also concatenate multiple files into one (such as stringing together all your .VOBs). I use it to edit all my videos.

The only problem is that it is a command line utility and at times you have to write some pretty complex command lines. I write a sequence of FFMpeg commands in a batch file then set it running to complete my editing.

[Stompa]

The only problem is that it is a command line utility and at times you have to write some pretty complex command lines.

Agreed, though there are a number of more user friendly GUIs available:

https://github.com/amiaopensource/ffmpeg-amia-wiki/wiki/3)-Graphical-User-Interface-Applications-using-FFmpeg

[Breelander]

The only problem is that it is a command line utility and at times you have to write some pretty complex command lines.

Agreed, though there are a number of more user friendly GUIs available...

True, but for something really complex you need a command line. On some TV series the broadcaster has a habit of sliding the credits to one side and putting trailers on the other. If you have another episode with unmolested credits you can move the credits back to the middle and seamlessly patch the video from the unmolested version to fill the space either side. That's where only a command line will do

Code: Select all

ffmpeg -i 2credits\patch.mp4 -i 2c-raw.mp4 -i 2credits\patch.mp4 -filter_complex "nullsrc=size=704x576 [base]; [0:0] setpts=PTS-STARTPTS, crop=120:576:0:0 [left]; [1:0] setpts=PTS-STARTPTS,crop=468:576:118:0 [centre]; [2:0] setpts=PTS-STARTPTS, crop=120:576:583:0 [right]; [base][left] overlay=shortest=1:x=0 [tmp1]; [tmp1][right] overlay=shortest=1:x=586 [tmp2]; [tmp2][centre] overlay=shortest=1:x=118" -c:v mpeg4 -q 0 -aspect 16:9 2c.mp4


The great thing about FFMpeg is that it's used by professionals. Anything you could possibly think of doing has been done already by someone else, and documented on a professional forum somewhere. Google is my friend

[Redmires]

We all have our different methods. Here's mine

Convert to MP4 using Handbrake

https://handbrake.fr/

Open MP4 file in Videopad to take out ads or trailers.

Use VLC to watch - maybe hook up laptop to TV using HDMI cable if I want a big screen. You can also use Videopad to create a DVD disc. "Export Video > DVD Movie Disc" but I don't use this method.

Both Handbrake and Videopad are excellent programs and there a lots of help & forums to choose from.

[mc2fool]

You can also use Videopad to create a DVD disc. "Export Video > DVD Movie Disc" but I don't use this method.

Well I just tried that and it produces a DVD that doesn't work in my DVD player. Back to the question of formats, I guess ....

[Breelander]

You can also use Videopad to create a DVD disc. "Export Video > DVD Movie Disc" but I don't use this method.

Well I just tried that and it produces a DVD that doesn't work in my DVD player. Back to the question of formats, I guess ....

To make a DVD that is compatible with all DVD players you need DVD authoring software. Before I got the free upgrade to Windows 10 I had Windows 7 Premium with the extra media features, including Microsoft DVD Writer. This could construct a DVD with all the menus and features you'd expect on a standard DVD and would play in anything. The final DVD could be burned to DVD or written to an ISO file to be burned to disk later.

Knowing that all the 'Media Centre' features would be removed by the upgrade to Win10 I looked for an alternative, DVD Styler was the one I chose. The form I chose was the Portable Apps version, as it requires no install.
https://portableapps.com/apps/music_vid ... r_portable

[mc2fool]

You can also use Videopad to create a DVD disc. "Export Video > DVD Movie Disc" but I don't use this method.

Well I just tried that and it produces a DVD that doesn't work in my DVD player. Back to the question of formats, I guess ....

To make a DVD that is compatible with all DVD players you need DVD authoring software.

You'd think that the option to Export Video > Disc > DVD > Movie Disc "A movie disc is playable in standalone DVD and Blu-ray players" in VideoPad would do just that.

But in any case, DVD Styler seems to have done the job, so thanks for that. I've used it to create a DVD from the .mp4 I produced with VideoPad and that works in my DVD player. The only issue is it seems there's an aspect ratio change from the original ... I'll investigate where in the capture/conversion/editing/production chain that comes in later this week....

[Breelander]

DVD Styler seems to have done the job... The only issue is it seems there's an aspect ratio change from the original...

There are two places in DVD Styler you can set an aspect ratio. The first is in Configuration > Settings... where you set the default aspect ratio for the whole DVD.

The second is individually for each Title you put on the DVD. Double-click on a Title in the list across the bottom to open its Properties. At the top it shows the actual size and aspect ratio of the original video track, next to that to the right is a drop-down box to choose the size and format that will be put on the DVD, probably saying 'PAL 720x576' currently. To the right of that is a button: [...]

Click this button and here you can set the aspect ratio to be used for playing this particular Title. If you untick the box for 'Keep aspect ratio' you can make a 16:9 video play back at 4:3, or vice versa, filling the screen. With the 'Keep aspect ratio box' ticked you get a 'letter box' playback if the original was 16:9 and you change it to 4:3. There's a still frame preview to the right so you can see the effect changing the settings will have.

[Redmires]

You can also use Videopad to create a DVD disc. "Export Video > DVD Movie Disc" but I don't use this method.

Well I just tried that and it produces a DVD that doesn't work in my DVD player. Back to the question of formats, I guess ....

I usually just stream MP4's from a NAS drive but thought I'd try burning a disc using Videopad. It created the normal VOB, IFO & BUP file system and it played perfectly on my Panasonic DVD-recorder & Panasonic Blu-Ray player. Looks like your Pioneer is not going as strong as you think.

[mc2fool]

Well I just tried that and it produces a DVD that doesn't work in my DVD player. Back to the question of formats, I guess ....

I usually just stream MP4's from a NAS drive but thought I'd try burning a disc using Videopad. It created the normal VOB, IFO & BUP file system and it played perfectly on my Panasonic DVD-recorder & Panasonic Blu-Ray player. Looks like your Pioneer is not going as strong as you think.

No, the Pioneer is still working fine and, as I said above, happily plays a DVD produced by DVD Styler -- and that's from an mp4 created by VideoPad from the same project as the VideoPad DVD that didn't play.

So, while, yes, the VideoPad DVD has the normal looking structure, I suspect it's using some format/codec that's more modern than the 15 years old the Pioneer is, and so isn't really producing "any player" compatible discs. As I say, a question of formats I guess, and I haven't had a chance to see if VideoPad has options to affect how it writes DVDs yet....

There are two places in DVD Styler you can set an aspect ratio.

I've only had a brief look into this but in both places in the DVD Styler project it's set to 16:9 but I'm getting a 4:3 DVD*.

However, again investigating only very briefly, when I view the VideoPad generated mp4 that went into DVD Styler on my TV (directly NAS->TV) that's also 4:3*, and hard-wired in that I can't change it via settings on the TV, it stays at 4:3 regardless*, whereas if I view any of the mp4s that went into the VideoPad project they show as 16:9 (and can be changed to 4:3 via settings on the TV). So, on that, it seems likely that the aspect ratio issue is the result of some format choice in VideoPad. Maybe

* Those 4:3s may be a 4:3 image in a 16:9 frame, i.e. with black bars at the sides. I'll investigate all of the above tomorrow, if I get a chance...

[mc2fool]

Update: I've got there.

As I said above, everything in the DVD Styler project was set to 16:9 but the VideoPad generated mp4 that I was feeding into DVD Styler was in 4:3 (actually, I think a 4:3 image in a 16:9 frame). So I regenerated the mp4, being more attentive to settings this time (I think before I just used the defaults), and made a new DVD with DVD Styler and it's all good, and plays as expected, in proper widescreen, on my Pioneer, and on my next door neighbour's DVD player, and in both my laptop and desktop PCs. So, job done.

The DVDs I've tried creating directly from VideoPad from the same project don't work in my DVD player (the Pioneer) but do in my neighbour's only-half-as-old Phillips, so it looks like DVD Styler is better at producing lowest-common-denominator DVDs than VideoPad, which must be using some codec or other tech that post-dates the Pioneer.

[Breelander]

...looks like DVD Styler is better at producing lowest-common-denominator DVDs than VideoPad, which must be using some codec or other tech that post-dates the Pioneer.

For all re-coding DVD Styler uses (under the bonnet) the same FFMpeg I mentioned before - so it should be good