Posted by Rick Merrill on 01/23/06 17:02

Bryan Heit wrote:

> My lab has recently switched from VHS to DVD for experiments relying on
> video microscopy. This has created a minor problem - we cannot grab
> short clips of video for use in presentations. For some reason our
> (very old) video grabber does not work with the signal from the DVD
> player. It shouldn't be a copyright issue - the disks are region free
> and unencrypted. I'm certain that there must be some software out there
> to grab chunks of DVD video direct to computer, but most of what I've
> found is orientated towards grabbing whole disks.
>
> Can anyone recommend some software for this - ideally something which
> can grab a specified section of video (or specific chapter) and copy
> this to disk. Doesn't need to be anything fancy - audio is not require,
> and we rarely grab more then 30 seconds worth at a time. Preferably
> something user friendly - computer literacy isn't as good here as it
> should be...
>
> Thanx
>
> Bryan

You want to preserve digital quality WithOut going to analog. (your DVD
player has a y/c or s-video connection as well as a composite output?)

So my recommendation (having done this) is to put the DVD in a computer,
(don't "play/open" it) and "expore" it (to use MS terminology) or
'mount' it. Now you can drag and drop from the Video_TS folder all of
the .VOB files to hard disk (vob=visual object). (These are MPEG2 files)
Then I use the Womble MPEG video wizard to examine the .VOB files and
do whatever is required. Check it out: you have faster speed than
replay in real time AND you preserve digital quality!

Oh yes, the 'video wizard' is VERY USER FRIENDLY - amazingly so.

- I am just a user -

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