| User review:
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Up until now, Mac vidders had only a few choices if they wanted to clip directly from their ripped DVD VOB files. The main application used to date has been DVDxDV ($25 software).
I had a chance to look at a new software application, MPEG Streamclip. It requires Mac OS X 10.2 (Jaguar) or later, QuickTime 6.4 or later; and the QuickTime 6 MPEG-2 Playback Component ($20)(included with FCP).
The QT MPEG-2 component is necessary to play and convert MPEG-2 files into QuickTime movies and DV streams (basically what we’re trying to do for Final Cut Pro/Express and IMovie).
It is freeware, so you pay nothing.
The comments in this review are my own - the more technical info I’ve pulled from various web sources (listed at the end)
Install/Importing
The install process is basic - and like DVDxDV the menus are intuitive. Select the (ripped) VOB file you want to clip from and it will load. Large 1GB files may take some time to load, so be patient. MPEG Streamclip can also accept MPEG-1 source.
When importing large VOB files that have been slit into separate segments, the application allows you to import the multiple streams and “fix” the time code breaks - basically what it does is pull together the VOB segments into one file and makes it easier for you to scroll back and forth.
FIXING TIMECODE BREAKS IS IMPORTANT - DO IT BEFORE YOU START CLIPPING, OTHERWISE THE SOFTWARE WILL WAIT PATIENTLY FOR YOU TO WAKE UP AND REMEMBER YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING. SOMETHING THE APPLICATION HAS JUST PROMPTED YOU TO DO BUT YOU IGNORED IT. LIKE FIX THE TIME CODE BREAKS.
Clipping/Counter.
You can scroll to the scene, select your in and out points and then export. Unlike DVDxDV there is a helpful counter, so if you’ve taken notes to locate your scene, it is easier to find. You can use the Trim-command to more closely see a part of the scene before cutting (down to frame by frame cutting), then choose Revert Trimming to see all material. Moving with the arrow-keys is also nice as is navigation and fast scanning/scrolling via the JKL-keys (J = back, L=forward, K= stop). Shift-dragging the playhead can also be used to locate a scene.
Both Sound & Audio.
The other distinguishing feature from DVDxDV is that you can listen and see the VOB file at the same time. The DVDxDV version I have only allows you to select one or another. This may not be as much value to vidders only interested in video source, but came in handy while looking for sample clips for a vidding panel.
Exporting/Quality.
MPEG Streamclip allows you to export to DV and QT (giving you the full range of custom codecs and quality settings). More importantly, the export quality is on par with DVDxDV.
When exporting you also have a few fine tuning options: perhaps the most important is the deinterlace filter.
Others options (I am not familiar with): interlaced scanning, reinterlaced chroma, and 2d-FIR scaling.
If you are using IMovie: Choose "File/Export to DV.../Compression: DV (DV25)". Choose "Split DV stream in Segments" if the content is more than 9 minutes 27 seconds because iMovie can't reliably handle longer clip files (segmented clips play seamlessly in iMovie). You can import the converted .dv to iMovie or export it directly into iMovie project's Media folder to save time and HD space (iMovie prompts you what to do with the clip when the project is opened).
As a nice touch MPEG Streamclip correctly adds 8+8 black pixels to the sides when converting PAL/NTSC 352x576/480 half D1 or 704x576/480 MPEG to 720x576/480 DV.
Other Features
MPEG Streamclip also offers additional export options:
Demuxed to M2V and Aiff (plus other audio options)
Demuxed to headed M2V and scaled M2V
Convert a MPEG-2 file into an MPEG-1
Convert an MPEG-2 file into TS.
I have no idea how helpful these options are - I mention them here.
Burning To DVD
I saw no quality difference when using source clipped with MPEG Streamclip to DVD (using IDVD).
Final note: The application uses about 10% CPU if a stream is open even when no editing or playback is in progress. If you are doing heavy rendering, you may want to close the application. |
