Solution to edit video?...

[remyhelsinki]

I want to edit some dvd content that I have to make it more appropriate for my family. I really like how Handbrake encodes video and want to use that as the final process after my editing. I'm trying to figure out the best way to do this while trying to reduce the steps I have to convert so that I can limit the degradation of the original source material. If anyone has been involved in this sort of setup I would love to hear what you have done or any suggestions on things I can do better. After messing around over the past day I have found a way to do what I need while, I think, minimalizing the degradation. I'll list the process.

1. Rip the DVD to hard disk using MacTheRipper (removing any copyright protection).

2. Use Toast to recreate a disc image from the Video TS file MacTheRipper Gave me. (This step might be unneccessary but I already had the MTR rips on my computer and didn't want to find the disc again).

3. Mount the new DVD toast image, making it look like a physical DVD has been inserted.

4. Use 0SeX and rip the Title/Chapter from that image as a progressive stream (comes out as a .VOB). (I had to do steps 2-3 because 0Sex would not recognize the image file or a Video TS folder and needs to think there is a disc inserted. Also while it does provide some copyright protection removal I don't trust it with new discs).

5. Open up the .VOB file in MPEG Streamclip. Make your cuts, then once you are finished use the option "Demux to m2v/ac3."

6. Take the new m2v/ac3 files and import them into DVD Studio Pro. Create a quick dvd and then build then Video TS/Audio TS folders from that.

7. Finally direct Handbrake to use your new Video TS folder as a source and encode the title off of it.

8. Adjust your settings to how you want and encode. You're done!

So, I know it isn't ideal but it's the best I've come up with at the moment. This only works for really easy cuts that can use a straight transition. Also I'm doing this for a TV series DVD set so that is why I rip only a title to a VOB using 0Sex. (I haven't figured out a way to have MPEG Streamclip only open up a title/chapter.)

I did try another method using FCP/Compressor but the end result looked much worse do to numerous conversions of the video.

Question is - am I wasting a lot of time doing it this way? Is it possible to just encode straight away using handbrake and then make the cuts in Quicktime Pro without Quicktime re-encoding the video? I guess that will be my next test.

[remyhelsinki]

Okay, the process I posted above seems very unnecessary now (but I'll leave it in any case). I should have just tried the simplest way first. This seems to work but I haven't compared results enough to see if the quality is being degraded by saving files.

1. Encode movie in Handbrake

2. Open resulting file in Quicktime Pro. Make any cuts you want.

3. Save file. (will result in a .mov container).

4. Open your .mov in MPEG Streamclip. Save as and choose the .mp4 container. Once the file is saved manually change the extension from .mp4 to .m4v.

5. You're done.

I'm doing this for iPod video playback so your mileage may vary. It seems that in any of the processes in either Quicktime or MPEG Streamclip the respective program is just rewriting the file instead of re-encoding it. If that is in fact the case then there shouldn't be any difference in quality (if it isn't then it is encoding super fast). I guess this is just a FYI more than anything else. Unless anyone has any input or can tell me if I'm doing something wrong or my assumptions are incorrect then I'm probably done posting about this.

[hawkman]

You can combine 3+4 - Export as mp4 from QuickTime Pro, choosing "passthrough" for both video and audio.

[remyhelsinki]

Thanks Hawkman, I didn't realize (or forgot) about that option.

I actually went back to the first method though as the cutting in Quicktime didn't work well. (Probably something to do with keyframes, but I have no idea.)

[hawkman]

You could bump up the number of keyframes I think - if that'd help.