Import of DVD video mpeg files

D

dadoboy

Well-known member
I've been editing my DP reel in Premiere Pro 1.5 and Pinnacle Studio.
Most of my source material lately has been on DVD - they give me the finished film and kind of get vague and scarce when I ask them for the HDCAM source tapes.
Premiere Pro 1.5 can't directly import video source from DVD (vob mpeg).
I have to use a translation utility and it degrades the quality a lot. Pinnacle Studio does import DVD material directly but it sucks as an editor - way too basic.

Can Final Cut Studio Pro or FCSP 2.0 directly import material from DVD? Can anyone suggest a good editing program (avid, sony vegas, etc) where I can edit sources directly from DVD?

I don't care if it's 1000 bucks. I will buy it.

Thank you!!
 
Nope. Only way is rip then transcode to a format FCP likes. Sorry to say it's pretty hard to ever make this look good. I'd insist on a better format.

Noah
 
Take that thousand bucks and convince your producer to give you the source tapes! :-P

Handbrake (http://handbrake.fr/) can create files that FCP likes but I've always found it to be hit-or-miss in terms of compatibility. About 75% of the time FCP complains about "unknown format"

Even better is Cinematize (http://www.miraizon.com/products/products.html) or DVDxDV (http://www.dvdxdv.com/). I've used Cinematize and it makes very FCP (or other major NLE) friendly files.

Remember that mpeg2 of SD DVD's are a downgrade of data by a factor of at least 5:1 (correct me if I'm wrong elders) and you wont be able to recover it. Crap in, crap out.

Hope that helps.
 
OK, thanks for the advice guys. I'll just have to do some convincing (hookers and blow :).

Strangely enough, the "cheap" windows programs Pinnacle Studio and Sony Vegas don't require third party rippers. But FCP and Premiere Pro do?? I'll probably try out Vegas - I don't need complex pedal to the metal editors like you guys, it's over kill for my needs.
 
You need to rip the dvd files, and then you can import the .m2v files into FCP to edit em.
 
As Noah says, anything ripped and reedited is going look like you know what.

Is there another approach you can use for your reel -- which is a showcase of your work?
 
Yes, I can choose not to use any material I can't get the source for - which is about a half of what I worked on recently. Material from DVD for certain looks worse than from the original sources - but the shots I want are superior enough that I'm trying to find a solution. Such it is... my reel is long enough as it is. Thanks for the input!
 
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