Ripping old mini DVD to desktop to MP4 help

[Ubiquitous2024]

I knew this wasn't going to be easy. Ingredients:

-Some mini DVDs from an old Sony Handycam
-A portable DVD player
-A desktop
-Da Vinci Resolve

Theory - plug DVD into PC and display files - rip the files, whack them in Da Vinci then edit and save as MP4.

Fail.

The files have saved as what is imaged below and when trying to import them into Da Vinci nothing happens, the media pool remains empty. What should I be doing?

[geeks]

I am almost certain you can convert vob to mp4 in VLC

[x404]

You can easily convert VOB to MP4 using Handbrake which gives you good control over the compression.

You can also do it through VLC using Media Convert/Save, but IMO it's not as good.

[mmm-five]

The VOB files are the MPEG video files, usually split by chapter.

You can convert them with:

• VLC (https://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.html)
• Handbrake (https://handbrake.fr/downloads.php)
• FFmpeg (https://ffmpeg.org) if you're comfortable using the command line
• FFBatch AV Convertor (https://ffmpeg-batch.sourceforge.io) if you want a friendlier front-end to FFmpeg conversion

You'll have to read each tool's documentation for their specific method for conversion.

I'm on Mac so can't comment on the usefulness of any Windows tools (I use FFmpeg via a Mac front-end called FF•Works).

[Ubiquitous2024]

Cheers all - will now attempt and report back... I fear more failure but will dive in head first...

[Ubiquitous2024]

Converting on VLC has failed, audio can't be played and also it only converts the first 20% of the videos then stops so its all incomplete. Will try Handbrake.

[mmm-five]

I didn't see it mentioned, but are you trying to convert directly from the DVD drive, or have you copied the VOB files over to a folder on the desktop before you put them through VLC/Handbrake?

[Ubiquitous2024]

Copied them across to the desktop - then used those files in VLC. It said it was doing it but it isn't completing it as expected.

[eeLee]

Handbrake. Take a good 720p profile and then check the output full screen in VLC.
I assume it is some promo material if it's in mini DVD format?

[Ubiquitous2024]

No just old family vids

[eeLee]

Ubiquitous2024 said:

No just old family vids

same point in my mind - no option to get the material via a torrent....

[Road2Ruin]

eeLee said:

Ubiquitous2024 said:

No just old family vids

same point in my mind - no option to get the material via a torrent....

Family videos....by torrent. Really?

My only guess is that the original recording device may have had a weird format or has encrypted it somehow. Can you play them via the disc using vlc?

[Ubiquitous2024]

VLC plays them yes, however when converting into an MP4 I get a codec problem and audio can't be played, and it only converts 19 seconds of what was a 19 min file then stops.

This are mini DVD discs that you physically put into a Sony camcorder - we bought it in 2006 for our honeymoon.

[Cloudy147]

Are the discs finalised in the camcorder so that they can be played in a dvd player?

If so the process should just be to connect a dvd drive to a computer, run handbrake, choose output profile (vob, mp4 etc) and then hit save.

If you’ve already copied the vobs into the computer, I’m not sure exactly how you restructure them but I would assume handbrake can just load each one in turn and convert.

Edited by Cloudy147 on Wednesday 23 September 18:09

[dan98]

VOB files are already MPEG format (nearly always MP2).

They can often be opened directly by copying the raw VOBs then renaming the file extension to .mpg

Either way best to convert them losslessly before editing or your end files will have been re-encoded twice and look pretty rough.