Would like to hear from anyone who got Cucusofts freeware to work. Having arrived here for this reason, its unfortunate nobody has answerd the original question.
This util if it worked is most likely what I and others are looking for. I have tried many other converters/ reauthoring / editors and my ultimate conclusion is the simpler and faster the better. There are tonnes of video packages that will do all the menus, transitions etc but few if any which will do a simple conversion from mpeg2 to VOB file structure suitable for burning.
This should be possible because there seems little difference between the 2 files. I can use something like Wombles mpeg2vcr to edit a VOB and save as mpg in no time. Unfortunatey it doesnt work in reverse yet. The closest to a simple method I have found so far is using NeroVisionExpress but it is slow as it seems to do the same as all the other methods and work though the entire file again to render the VOB structure. Nero itself can render a VCD using mpeg1 files so hopefully they will work on the same functionality for DVD. IFOEdit et al may be fine for single projects, but all I want to do is record my video tapes collection to mpeg2 (, do a bit of simple editing and trimming, then stick it on a DVD preferably in DVD format so any player can show it.(also maybe squash it down a bit with DVDShrink) That shouldnt be too much to ask.
No fancy menus, no splitting the audio and video or other messing.
PS for anyone doing similar, you do need to ensure your video capture is set to DVD compliant mpeg2 format.
I would be tempted to capture in mpeg1 vcdformat on to dvd if I could make them readable in any DVD player, a kind of "maxiVCD" as mpeg1 is so quick to edit and very compact and not much different to VHS quality. Any comments.
Forgot to mention to cdan, Womble mpeg2vcr will convert between mpeg1 and 2 in 1 step. It is the fastest simplest most powerful video editor I have come across. Trial available. Looks like it was inspired by the equally brilliant freeware vcdcutter (mpeg1 editor)
wacket:
what sort of dvds are you trying to save? if they're commercial movies...don't bother, rent them from netflix and you know what to do then. If they're family pics etc.....try to borrow a digital vcr with a firewire port from someone and use 'mydvd' to put them on dvd's. I've done 12yrs of 8mm camcorder to dvd......BIG pain in the butt...took forever, but nice to have it done.
mmm Digital VCR, that'd be nice, but unfortunately dont know anyone with one. Movies arent an issue just all the other stuff you accumulate on tape clutter over years. Have to stick to 2 options video capture card or DVD recorder. Both have limitations. Recorder works ok in that I can get the stuff digitized on to DVDrw, but I have no control over the settings it uses and at EP ie 4hr record (to accomadate 3hr tapes) it seems to use an odd 352 x 576 resolution. I can reedit/trim/split the vobs to mpeg2 no prob with Womble but reencoding to make it compatable with Nero etc takes the time. My ATI AIW card is ok if I monitor it but it is so sensitive to macrovision that the slightest blip on the tape will kick in its paranioa subroutine (wish I could fix that but no joy to date) The AIW yields DVD compatible mpegs which give the least amount of problems. Id like to take my mpegs, convert to vobs without reencoding, thats where I thought Cucusoft came in, but no dice. DVdshrink works well to give the final product but doesnt work on mpegs and is no longer in development (Dimadsoft DVDRemake is a good complimment to Shrink as it can rejig/merge entire DVDs to get rid of unwanted stuff, maybe they could join forces for the ultimate shrinking chopping product and accomadate mpegs) Came across DIKO which makes some claims I may try out. More testing
I sympathize completely. I too have been looking for a simple converter from MPEG-2 to VOB. I will try this CuCusoft freebie and see what happens, if anything.
This is what I have been doing to date.
I take my MPEG-2 program streams recorded by my digi TV card and remove the commercials (if any) with VideoReDo (unfreeware). Two 42-minute edited MPEGs will fit nicely on a RW DVD and play on my MPEG-4/DVix compatible players.
However, if I try to copy a 100-minute or so MPEG to DVD, both Nero and CopyToDVD say that it won't fit on a DVD-5.
I then turn to Nero (having got hold of the LiteOn CD which has the video plugin for Vision Express for free, unlike Pioneer and LG) and produce a basic DVD 'movie'. More than two hours later Nero manages to transcode a universally playable DVD. Hey, Ahead, my time isn't valuable. Feel free to waste it in spades!
As has been said, why can't the DVD Shrinks and One Click Copy DVDs of this world simply accept MPEGs. I note a suggestion that Shrink is no longer being developed. If this is so, what a shame.
Roll on a VOB converter that gets the job done quickly and can compress. Like you, I am still in the market for such a beast. I will even pay if that is what has to be done!
I tried the Cucusoft freebie last night. What a fizzer. It declared my MPEG-2 file not compatible with DVD, refused to analyse it and referred me to the Cucusoft unfreeware converter that would make my file compatible. Duh! Surely an MPEG to VOB converter should do that as part of the process. Back to Nero, unless someone can suggest a simple, one-click alternative.
Like others I am looking for a simple and quick MPEG to VOB process. How long does your process take? Nero does a perfect job, and is easy to set up, but its transcoding takes ages. A 1 h 39 min TV movie took over two hours. Surely something can do this quicker.
I use it for those small little video clips we all love so much and em everywhere. I use DVD Shrink for movies, but anyalizing and encoding is always a long process.
