I've just started extracting video from my TiVo, and am wondering what everyone uses to edit MPG files. The programs I tried all freeze with the 2.5 GB files that are created from the Tivo. I want to cut out all the comercials from my Simpsons episodes, then archive to CD's. Thanks for everyone's help. This board rocks!

I use Premiere right now, but I might get a program called Video Explosion for Christmas, so I'll let you know how that turns out.

Just a few things: it'll take a hell of a lot of CDs, and you might as well buy the DVD sets as they come out and save yourself the hassle.

For simple editing, Quicktime Pro has never failed me yet.
(The Mac version of course - QT on Windows hasn't ever quite worked as well).

But you end up with a Quicktime file. Ugh.

On a slightly different subject here....

What are you using to convert the Tivo .ty file to mpeg etc? I used a 2-stage process of splitting the .ty file into audio & video streams and then re-combined them into a .vob file. Like you I'd like to edit out adverts etc. but I'm struggling to get the video data into a recognisable format like .mpeg in order to edit it.

Maybe this will help.

I use Vidomi. When I capture tv (usually Simpsons) I set my all in wonder to capture to mpeg2 (dvd). I plop the resulting 1.8gb file in Vidomi, trim the commercials, and 20 minutes later I have a divx file. Vidomi allows me to specify the output resolution, crop edges, and target file size. Using 2 pass encoding it usually gets the filesize within a meg or two.

If you're looking to encode to vcd or some other non-AVI/divx format... try TMPGEnc. It will allow you to trim, and you can apply filters (to reduce noise, ghosts, etc).

I only use Premiere if I need to do something more involved.

These are all free, and work very well.

These are all free, and work very well.

Premiere is far from free, and TMPGEnc is only free if you don't use MPEG2.

I'd also point out that an AIW card isn't free either.

He was asking how to edit his .vob files. You need to make them into a normal video file first, then edit them in some program, any will do. TMPGEnc is free, but when I was using it it was slow and buggy. Maybe it's gotten better now...

has anyone checked www.divx-digest.com? These guys have a wealth of free software, encoders, audio tools and the like. This was a valuable resource for me when I was ripping the vobs from dvd's and re-encoding them in .avi format....

For sure. Check this out for that purpose...

shweet... I hadn't been keeping up with that stuff for a while.... does that do the audio and video both on the fly? I used to have to rip a raw audio file, then encode the video once for low motion and once for high motion, then splice the two together, then compress the audio, then encode the video and audio together again... what a painful process... but it made for nice quality file. that process is what drove me to building a dual athlon 1600xp....

Premiere is far from free, and TMPGEnc is only free if you don't use MPEG2

Crap... I added the Premier line after making the comment that those were all free (its expensive unless you look in the correct place). Yes yes, and the AIW card was far from free too... but not too bad, when I got it it was $150.

Oh, I forgot to mention though, you can edit VOB files in Vidomi. You don't even need a merger - Vidomi will merge multiple VOBs for you, and you can select which audio stream to use (for multiple languages, etc).

The only problem is that you are pretty much limited to DIVX or plain AVI for output. If you have multiple jobs you can take advantage of networked computers to run a slave encoder, or take advantage of multiple processors.

I've noticed that TMPGEnc is sort of slow at seeking when selecting clips, and if you apply any filters, it is very slow but the result is superb and well worth the wait.

For sure. Check this out for that purpose...

Wow, that is a pretty comprehensive guide and a sweet package.

All of my editing is done in Premiere, and/or Avid Xpress DV, but I own TMPGEnc Plus v2.5 for encoding and such, and I'm very happy with its performance. It's well worth the cost for its feature set.

When/if I get this "Video Explosion" program, I'll let you folks know how it compares to Premiere. I'm sure it will be less powerfull, but I'm hoping it will be more usable.

Would this, as well as this be what you're talking about? Looks like it's getting mixed reviews. I'll wait to hear what you have to say.

Edit: Hmm...and consistantly, it seems that one of the cons is the complex interface, or so they say.

>But you end up with a Quicktime file. Ugh.

Only if that's what you told it to save. You can export MPEG, DiVX, and many other file formats as well.

Well that's better.

Yes, that's what I'm talking about. I wouldn't call them mixed. one is 8.4 out of 10 and the other is 9 out of 10. That's pretty positive to me! If you mean the user ratings, well I don't always follow those, especially when there are as few as there are on those. I mean, 5 people does not a suitable sampling make

As for the complex interface, that could be a problem. But hey, I find Premiere's interface pretty complex. It's also about $400 more.