[KLUG Members] Converting a VOB to an MPEG

[Bruce Smith]

> > > How does one go about turning a VOB video/mpeg file of a DVD back into a
> > > "normal" MPEG file?  I've copied the file from the DVD to my home
> > > directory, and it plays in gmplayer,  but Mac's iMovie doesn't want to
> > > open/import it ("Invalid Format").  Doesn't open in iDVD either.
> > My memory is sketchy on this, so this may not be worth much.
> 
> Doesn't seem so.  I only copied off one file and it plays with audio.
> 
> Kino also will not open it.

I think the DVD separate video & audio streams are not real standard as
far as PC media files are concerned, so I'm not surprised.

> > IIRC, a DVD has it's video and audio in two separate files.
> > There are a number of Linux programs that will combine them.
> > (if that's what you're asking :)  It's also MPEG-4 (I think).

Make that MPEG-2 above, sorry.

> > Command line programs that either split or combine them, or have
> > something to do with the overall process - to get you started:
> >  mplex, tcmplex, replex, mpeg2desc, dvdauthor.
> > One with a nice GUI is:  avidemux2
> > Good luck!  :-)
> Thanks.

Personally I'd start with avidemux2, unless you're trying to automate it
in a script.  That GUI is really nice.

I also recall an intermittent problem of the two streams getting out of
sync.  The people's lips don't match what they're saying, like you're
watching a dubbed movie.  Let me know if you run into that problem, I
have some notes somewhere on how to fix it.

Also note that I was trying to go the opposite direction you are,
creating a DVD from a single MPEG-2 file.  So, YMMV!  :-)

Also, when/if you get the files combined into one stream, MPEG-2 is
basically uncompressed and REALLY BIG.  Re-encoding it to something like
MPEG-4, divx, or some other codec will save you a TON of space.

 - BS