Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

miniDVD editing problems! HELP!!!

Apr 29, 2006 1:31AM PDT

I have a Sony DCR-DVD92 camcorder that is just under a year old. I use DVD-RW discs. I finalize them and then put them in the computer's DVD drive. I go in the editing software and click "Import from DVD". It imports and is editable, but the problem is that there is no sound. I have no clue why. I guess Sony's recording format is .VOB and the editing software's is .WMV and .WAV and others. I use Ulead Movie Factory 4, Sony Vegas(trial), and Windows Movie Maker 2.1. Any help is appreciated.

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Is it DVD-VR?
Apr 29, 2006 1:52AM PDT

"DVD MovieFactory 5 supports the DVD-VR format that DVD camcorders use."

- Collapse -
"Is it DVD-VR"
Apr 29, 2006 2:08AM PDT

I dont think so, because when I put the DVD in the camcorder brand new, it says to pick either "video" or "vr" and I chose "video". I also only have MF4. It would be appreciated to give another reply.

- Collapse -
I think you found the issue. Next time use VR.
Apr 29, 2006 2:18AM PDT

I think I recall this in the instructions with Ulead's software.

The software listed from what I recall doesn't support those other formats. If I were to try something else I'd hit google.com for a DVD2AVI software and hope it helps.

Bob

- Collapse -
Mini DVD is a nightmare to edit
Apr 30, 2006 12:29AM PDT

This format is awful for trying to edit. The VR mode is really only useful if you are trying to edit in camera. I had purchased the Sony 505 dvd and it went back after 3 days as it took forever to try to work with the clips, so I know your frustration.

In order to edit, do not finalize your disk and don't use VR (I found it more difficult with this mode). The files are saved as MP4. You will need to use Sony software to get these files onto your computer. You will then need an MP4 editing software, often as in the case of quicktime, this is a seperate purchase for the codec.

Your mp4 is interlaced, you will need to convert it, I use the free mpegstreamclip (its decent and free) to get rid of you jagged lines. Also the sound is converted correctly when using this. Save your file from MP4 to DV stream. A DV stream you can edit. This takes some time depending on your clip. BTW, the mpegstreamclip will break the VOB files for you. Also VLC makes a player that you can watch individual VOB files and it also will export them to other formats.

Once you have edited your DV stream, and you are ready to place it back onto dvd. The content must be reconverted back with toast or whatever else you have so it can be placed back on to a DVD. This is a tedious and time consuming process, but saving to DVD from the get go is a problem if you want to edit.

Additionally there is a quality loss from the get go, and none of the DVD cameras can achieve the picture quality of tape. The number of bits per second recoreded by tape can be as much as 4-5 times more in the same period of time (in the case of the Sony HC1 and HC3). The quality loss from trying to edit from DVD is quite noticable because the necessary conversions from MP4 to DV (or whatever you want) and back again (another factor of compression).

I totally understand you difficulty, I went through it and went for a miniDV camera as it saved all of these intermediate steps. I also found I saved considerable time by taking the MP4's once downloaded on to my PC, I would shuttle them over to a mac (not using the Sony products) and editing things with Imovie was much easier, faster and produced a much more usable result then anything that I tried on the PC side (ie sony's included software and windows movie maker). I hope this helps

- Collapse -
"miniDVD is a nightmare to edit"
Apr 30, 2006 7:43AM PDT

Thanks so much for your help and suggestions. I am sort of new to this though. Could you tell me how to do some of those steps? I have no clue, lol, wat you're talking about. Sorry. But I do appreciate your post and reply. Please respond if possible.

- Collapse -
DVD is very difficult to edit
Apr 30, 2006 2:45PM PDT

In order for you to properly edit your dvd, you will have to jump through some hoops.

1. when you record movies in the first place, do not use the VR mode on your camera, if you intend to use your computer to edit

2. Use Sony software to import the MP4's files that are on your DVD post shooting

2a. Do not finalize your disk, it will convert everthing to vob file (really hard to work with)

3. Make sure you have a codec (a method for your software) to understand how to read mp4's. if you don't you will not have any sound. This you may have to purchase. Quicktime charges 20.00 for it and it runs poorly on a pc.

4. Do not attempt to edit MP4's, convert them to a DV stream first. DV stream is the standard for video editing and everything works fine if you have this format. During your conversion, use some software that will allow you to deinterlace your file - or else it will have a lot of jaggs in it.

5. Use your video software to edit your new DV file. final cut, adobe, i-movie- whatever

6. Use something like toast, final cut, idvd etc.. to copy your movie back to a dvd.

7. Its complicated and a painful process to go through. My last thought again is for you to use a mac as it makes life so much easier, and if you can get a miniDV cam to save time on all of these steps.

Cheers

- Collapse -
"DVD is very difficult to edit"
May 1, 2006 7:18AM PDT

Thanks so much again for your help. I actually just purchased a new Dell because I thought that I needed a faster computer. So there goes the Mac option unfortunately. But I will try these steps to see if it will work. Just as a note, I took one of my unfinalized discs and put it in my computer. It tried to load, but it said it could not read the file. I don't know if you got that message, but just sharing it with you. Again, thanks for all your help. Happy

- Collapse -
unfinalized disks
May 1, 2006 2:23PM PDT

You have discovered the need to read the disk only with sony software Happy. I found out that you must use Sony's software to have access to the individual file types, then you must save them to your hard drive. I don't remember if I had to copy them, out of the software or do a file save as to the hard drive. Again, you must use sony's software to see the files in the first place, you wont get anything if you just try to read the disk directly. BTW I do recall that the only way to have access to the disk was via the camera, so try to access the video files from the camera and the ilink using sony's own software. On the dell load up with tons and tons of ram. No problem with the help, I had to inch my way along to try to get dvd files to work on the computer, so if I could save another from the headaches, I am glad to help.

- Collapse -
"unfinalized disks"
May 3, 2006 5:43AM PDT

I don't know if you know but my camcorder does not have any connection to the computer. Stupid Sony was too lazy to put a iLink or USB on their camcorder. So I guess my options are limited.

- Collapse -
Mini DVD is a nightmare to edit
Apr 30, 2006 12:50AM PDT

This format is awful for trying to edit. The VR mode is really only useful if you are trying to edit in camera. I had purchased the Sony 505 dvd and it went back after 3 days as it took forever to try to work with the clips, so I know your frustration.

In order to edit, do not finalize your disk and don't use VR (I found it more difficult with this mode). The files you create are saved as MP4's. You will need to use Sony software to get these files onto your computer. You may find that you will need to buy the MP4 codec in order to play your and hear your clip. I found this was the issue with sound. Your dvd is actually mpeg2 while mpeg4 is what the clip is recorded in (depending on your camera) but this seemed to be the case with the 505.

Your mp4 is interlaced, you will need to convert it, I use the free mpegstreamclip (its decent and free) to get rid of the jagged lines you will see on moving objects. Also the sound is converted correctly when using this software.

Save your file from MP4 (or MP2) to a DV stream. The DV stream is something you can edit easily. BTW, the mpegstreamclip will break the VOB files for you (you can also unfinalize your disks to get back to the origianl mp4 files). Additionally VLC makes a player that you can watch individual .VOB files with and it also will export these files other formats.

Once you have edited your DV stream, and you are ready to place it back onto dvd. The content must be reconverted back with software such as toast or whatever else you have, so it can be placed back on to a DVD. This is a tedious and time consuming process, but saving to DVD initially is a problem if you want to edit.

Additionally be aware that there is a quality loss from all of this processing, and none of the DVD cameras can achieve the picture quality of tape. The number of bits per second recoreded by tape can be as much as 4-5 times more in the same period of time (in the case of the Sony HC1 and HC3). The quality loss from trying to edit from DVD is quite noticable because the necessary conversions, from MP4 to DV (or whatever you want) and back again (another factor of compression).

I totally understand your difficulty, I went through it and went for a miniDV camera as it saved all of these intermediate steps. I also found I saved considerable time by taking the MP4's once downloaded on to my PC, I wound then move them to a mac (not using the Sony products). Editing with I-Movie was much easier, faster and produced a much more usable results then anything that I tried on the PC side (ie sony's included software and windows movie maker). I hope this helps