Konnichiwa! 2Day Newbie with a MBP and in need of help!

[AsukaSLangley]

Konnichiwa! Hi to everyone!

Right now I am pretty exhausted and feel depressed so I would like to apologize if I mess up my post with grammatical errors and a lot of nonsense. And from the beginning, I would like to thank to all who will take time and read this post, try to understand/help me. Arigato gozaimasu! Yoroshiku onegaishimasu! Please, do not be harsh on me. And yes, I have read the how-to-guides as well as Kionon's guide with Mac section. I have surfed over dozens of websites and forums and Googled endlessly! That is the one of the main reason that I am stuck right now.

What am I trying to do?
I am a 2Day newbie who blindly run into the world of AMV. I am using a MacBook Pro with Bootcamp, so I have both MacOsX and Windows 7. I have Adobe Premiere Pro and Rurouni Kenshin DVDs. I would love to make an AMV using them.
What is the problem?
The problem is everything! First of all, I would like to write what I have understand from all the things I have read. And then ask some questions. The question will be in bold. Please, help to reveal the curtain behind this realm. Arigato! Oh, and I need to mention that, no, I can not use Wine or Crossover on my Mac. And also can not work on Windows 7. I have limitations on this project because of personal reasons which unfortunately I can not discuss right now. Sumimasen! I am deeply sorry! I have to make my best using what I have got.

In order to use a DVD as a source to edit in APP CS5, I need to first rip it then create avs file with DGIndex and then work on it with AviSynth plugins and then export it with Virtual Dub with a lossless codec like huffyuv and in a container like Avi. There are many plugins for AviSynth in order to work on video like deinterlacing, telecine etc. These are the steps both for Mac and PC. The programs can vary. For example; For Mac, I can use Avidemux instead of Virtualdub and MactheRipper instead of DVD Fab HD or DVD Decrypter. Lagarith codec is not supported by Mac so huffyuv is the best solution. And I have to use lossless codec in order not to lose quality.
I will use APP CS5, here is the question: Can't I just copy the Vob files on my harddrive then rename them as .mpg and import them into APP? This way I do not have to go through the process of all the ripping and converting. But will it be problematic because I didn't work on image? Can't I deinterlace etc. with APP? If not, and if I have to go through all these steps, then isn't there a simple way than using plugins on AviSynth?]

The Attempted Try-outs, Failed!
I have tried many different settings and software. I have tried many times AviSynth. But every time the video was like zebra when there is motion. I have tried Handbrake but find the results of Mpeg Streamclip much more satisfying. I have used Avidemux. I find it much more easier to control than Avisynth because of the interface. Using and editing scripts are all a new level of knowledge to me although I can describe myself as a computer geeky thingy. But Avidemux also didn't give satisfying results. Not as much as Avisynth and AvsPmod.

All the knowledge and guides and methods are mixed up in my mind right now and becoming a deadly cocktail!?! Error! Error! Overload! I really need help right now. Can someone talk to me, explain me things in a step-by-step and simple way, answer my questions? I know that I will be taking your time and I really appreciate it. But because right now I can not see any up-to-date guide especially making AMVs on Mac, this post can help may be many others too.

Thank you VERY VERY VERY much!
Domo arigato gozaimasu!

[Kionon]

1) I am going to assume English is not your first language. This is fine, but you should try to write very simple sentences, and use a simple outline of your ideas. That way it is easier to understood you.

2) The Japanese is unnecessary. Most people on the forums do not speak Japanese. The few that do will also speak English. None will care that it's written in romaji. This simply adds to the issues you should address with 1).

I will use APP CS5, here is the question: Can't I just copy the Vob files on my harddrive then rename them as .mpg and import them into APP? This way I do not have to go through the process of all the ripping and converting. But will it be problematic because I didn't work on image? Can't I deinterlace etc. with APP?

You can, but realise you will have very little control over filtering. No editing suite is set up to handle the type of filtering that needs to be done prior to using footage off DVD. That's why we use avisynth.

If not, and if I have to go through all these steps, then isn't there a simple way than using plugins on AviSynth?

If you don't use wine or crossover, or don't use windows, you can't use AviSynth. Besides, AviSynth is not difficult to use. The command structure is very simple to learn and write.

I have tried many different settings and software. I have tried many times AviSynth. But every time the video was like zebra when there is motion. I have tried Handbrake but find the results of Mpeg Streamclip much more satisfying. I have used Avidemux. I find it much more easier to control than Avisynth because of the interface. Using and editing scripts are all a new level of knowledge to me although I can describe myself as a computer geeky thingy. But Avidemux also didn't give satisfying results. Not as much as Avisynth and AvsPmod.

Handbrake is terrible, don't use it. MPEGStreamclip should only be used to move lossless footage to different containers (AVI or MOV, depending on which direction you're going). Avidemux is actually very powerful, because many of its filters are ported from Avisynth, but you have to spend quite a bit of time experimenting to find the right mix per source, and even then, you can't add filters, so you're stuck with what is in the particular release you're using. How are you running AviSynth if you're not using wine/crossover and not in windows?

All the knowledge and guides and methods are mixed up in my mind right now and becoming a deadly cocktail!?! Error! Error! Overload! I really need help right now. Can someone talk to me, explain me things in a step-by-step and simple way, answer my questions? I know that I will be taking your time and I really appreciate it. But because right now I can not see any up-to-date guide especially making AMVs on Mac, this post can help may be many others too.

Quite the contrary, while there is certainly information to be added and tweaks to be made, the overall basics of the process on Mac hasn't changed since I wrote version 1.0. Lion is not such a dramatic OS shift that it requires totally changing the process. You still need to rip, filter with avisynth, put in a .MOV container, edit in an editing suite, output to lossless or as losslessly as possible, and compress with x264 in an MP4 container. What information does need to be updated merely helps make this process easier, or faster, or more efficient. The process overall remains the same.

[AsukaSLangley]

Hi to everyone, again! Although there is no reply I decided to write my experience and questions about my 3rd day. May be this time someone hear my voice and give some of her/his time to answer me. Again, thank you very much, arigato gozaimasu.

Yesterday, on my MacBook Pro (as I mentioned before I will use APP CS5 and my source is Rurouni Kenshin DVDs), I have made many attempts to figure out how to and what to do in order to edit in HQ. First I have tried MacX DVD Ripper Pro. I have first ripped the DVD as a COPY in mpeg2 format so there will be no loss. Then, directly I have imported it to APP. I have wanted to try whether I can make the video better using APP rather than Avidemux or alike. Sharpening was great. I can crop anywhere I like with the Crop effect. But the biggest problem, the lines, wasn't gone even after I choose Interlace options. So I dropped it.

Secondly, I have tried to rip and convert in many formats with MacX DVD Ripper Pro like MP4 container with MPEG4 or H.264 codec. AVI with DIVX codec. MOV with MPEG4 codec. Of course, the file sizes were much more smaller. I just wanted to see whether there will be a big difference in quality. I was trying to decide which container and codec would be best for editing. I know that for distribution it is a whole another decision. Again in APP CS5 I have tried many effects but as above the problem with the lines stayed pretty much the same. By the way, I have read that the best container to edit with Windows is AVI and with Mac is MOV. Is it true? Do I have to choose MOV/MPEG4 for importing files into APP?

Thirdly I tried Mpeg Streamclip. But it needs Quicktime component which you must buy. I tried to bypass this issue installing Persian but after installing it, Mpeg Streamclip continued to warn me about Quicktime component and wouldn't let me convert in MPEG2 or so. I convert the video in AVI/H.264 and in MOV. Then I installed Avidemux. Because I thought making the ripped/converted video quality better and to deinterlace etc. APP won't get me anywhere. Avidemux indexed the file and I tried a few plugins. But I have totally lost inside it. Is there a general recipe for Avidemux? Which plugin to use with which advanced setting or like?

Lastly I installed MacTheRipper which is a program everyone talks about. I ripped the DVD as MP4/H264. I installed JES Deinterlacer. And for the last 15 minutes it is still trying to open the file! Which is only few minutes. I think there is a problem with the program.

Finally this morning, as confused as yesterday I woke up and right now writing this post. I hope that I will get a reply, I really need it. And I am sorry about my posts yesterday because they were missing words here and there! Oh my, I was really depressed and exhausted. Anyway, thank you for reading. Arigato!

[Kionon]

1) Rip VOBs from DVD using MacTheRipper
2) Index VOBs with DGIndex
3) Add filtering commands to AVS file, check in VirtualDub
4) Export successfully filtered video out as HUFFYUV AVI from VirtualDub
5) Open with MPEGStreamClip, Dave As MOV
6) Place MOV in Adobe Premiere
7) ???? (Edit your video, this is where the magic happens)
8) Profit! (Export out as Apple Lossless or as Animation or Apple Intermediate, something like that)
9) Use one of the several compression programs (MPEGStreamClip/Avidemux are good choices here) to create an x264/MP4 file
10) Upload to the Org

You're done. Steps 2, 3, and 4 require wine/crossover or windows. If you do not have them replace 2, 3, and 4 with:

2a) Open vob in Avidemux
3a) Apply filters
4a) Export as HUFFYUV/AVI

Continue via original Step 5.

[AsukaSLangley]

1) I am going to assume English is not your first language. This is fine, but you should try to write very simple sentences, and use a simple outline of your ideas. That way it is easier to understood you.
2) The Japanese is unnecessary. Most people on the forums do not speak Japanese. The few that do will also speak English. None will care that it's written in romaji. This simply adds to the issues you should address with 1).

Kionon, first of all thank you very much for taking your time and replying! I really really appreciate it! Really! And especially it is a very exciting thing to read. Because you have written the only Mac Guide I have came across. Thank you very much again. I am sorry about the points you mentioned above. Yes, my first language is not English. Generally and normally I speak and write English much more fluently but as I have mentioned in my post I was really in a very bad shape yesterday. So exhausted. And I have used the Japanese only as a friendly gesture. My intention was not to cause problem. I will not use Japanese in my posts from now on. I will try to write simple sentences too. I didn't realize that I was so complex. I was just trying to introduce my thoughts and problems clearly so there will be no misunderstanding.

By the way, I have written my 2nd post on this topic before I have seen your reply. So, there is still Japanese in it. Sorry.

Handbrake is terrible, don't use it. MPEGStreamclip should only be used to move lossless footage to different containers (AVI or MOV, depending on which direction you're going). Avidemux is actually very powerful, because many of its filters are ported from Avisynth, but you have to spend quite a bit of time experimenting to find the right mix per source, and even then, you can't add filters, so you're stuck with what is in the particular release you're using. How are you running AviSynth if you're not using wine/crossover and not in windows?

Ok, I won't use Handbrake. Yep, I have realized it too. And I have realized that I need to experiment with Avidemux too. I was just thinking, is it possible that my Rurouni Kenshin DVDs were actually VHS so they are in pretty bad shape? We know that sometimes old anime series' DVD releases are just VHS based versions. My MacBook Pro has Bootcamp. As I mentioned in post, I have both Windows 7 and MacOSX Leopard not Lion. But for particular reasons I have to use MacOsX.

You still need to rip, filter with avisynth, put in a .MOV container, edit in an editing suite, output to lossless or as losslessly as possible, and compress with x264 in an MP4 container. What information does need to be updated merely helps make this process easier, or faster, or more efficient. The process overall remains the same.

Thank you very much for explaining your thought! This paragraph has brightened my day! I was always under impression that I was missing or not seeing something because everything is changing so fast! 5 or 10 years ago we had nothing like a HD format or codec or as many software as right now.

Finally, there were also some questions in my 2nd post. If you can take a quick look at it I will be grateful! Thank you very very much for writing!!! You are such a great help Kionon! I feel always better when I can get a chance to talk with someone and brainstorm. Thanks a lot! And if I have made mistakes with my post again, I am deeply sorry. Thank you!

[AsukaSLangley]

1) Rip VOBs from DVD using MacTheRipper
2) Index VOBs with DGIndex
3) Add filtering commands to AVS file, check in VirtualDub
4) Export successfully filtered video out as HUFFYUV AVI from VirtualDub
5) Open with MPEGStreamClip, Dave As MOV
6) Place MOV in Adobe Premiere
7) ???? (Edit your video, this is where the magic happens)
8) Profit! (Export out as Apple Lossless or as Animation or Apple Intermediate, something like that)
9) Use one of the several compression programs (MPEGStreamClip/Avidemux are good choices here) to create an x264/MP4 file
10) Upload to the Org

You're done. Steps 2, 3, and 4 require wine/crossover or windows. If you do not have them replace 2, 3, and 4 with:

2a) Open vob in Avidemux
3a) Apply filters
4a) Export as HUFFYUV/AVI

Continue via original Step 5.

THANK YOU!!! (Is it OK to write in Caps Lock? I was just shouting with joy!Thank you.) Again, after I have written my 3rd post I have seen your reply above. Hours and hours of reading and you have explained the topic like just in 15 lines. Which is what I need! Exactly! A summary of all things. And a conversation to clear my mind and brainstorm. Thank you very very very much for your time. I really am speechless because of my happiness! I will just make a coffee and start my day. Kionon, you are the best ans sweetest! Thank you!