- Messages
- 945
- Reaction score
- 0
- Trophy Points
- 26
Mac Technical Help for Fan-Editors
A Beginners Guide
Please feel free to add or correct the information presented here.
1. The Original DVD
I would recommend that the source DVD should be NTSC format. Americans design most software for Mac so it generally works better with NTSC. PAL only adds to the myriad of problems associated with Fan-Editing on a Mac and is of noticeably lesser quality.
2. Ripping The DVD
Mac The Ripper is a good free tool.
http://www.mactheripper.org/
Wondershare DVD Copy works well.
http://www.dvd-ripper-copy.com/dvd-copy-mac.html
Wondershare DVD Ripper can rip a Video file in nearly all formats (AVI, QuickTime, MPEG-4 etc) directly from the DVD.
http://www.wondershare.com/multimedia/m ... ipper.html
Cinematize Pro 2 can copy a DVD and convert the file into a QuickTime movie. (It does not work with copy protected DVD source material).
http://www.miraizon.com/products/cine2profeatures.html
3. Video Conversion
VisualHub is a fantastic Mac Application. It can convert almost any video format into a format that your Mac will then be able process. For example it can convert an AVI file into a QuickTime Final Cut format so editing can start almost immediately.
http://www.techspansion.com/visualhub/
4. Mac Video Editing Software
iMovie
iMovie is a domestic editing application, which is good for quick home movies but difficult and unreliable with longer Fan-Edits. If you are going to use iMovie for a Fan-Edit then save the project every 5 minutes, religiously as it often crashes.
Final Cut Express
Final Cut Express is a professional editing program and works very well but for a bug that has been fixed for Final Cut Pro 6 users but not for Final Cut Express users. (A bug, which stops perfectly good projects from opening after they have been saved).
Final Cut Studio 2
Final Cut Studio 2 is the best Mac Video Editing option but the price reflects this. It comes with Final Cut Pro 6 editing program, which is pretty much the same as the Express version but with more plug-ins and options. This package also comes with Motion 3 (animation program), Soundtrack Pro (audio editing), Compressor 3 (change bit-rates etc), Color (color correction tool), DVD Studio Pro 4 (DVD authoring software).
5. DVD Authoring on a Mac
iDVD
iDVD does quite a good job at authoring a DVD but bit-rates can be very low as audio is set to PCM, which takes up a lot of DVD space.
iDVD comes with themes that can be personalized but I recommend that you "Save as Disc Image" once the DVD is complete and burn the DVD using the Disc Utility Application. The reason for this is that there seems to be less glitches with the final DVD when burnt this way. Using the iDVD Application to burn a DVD takes more time and is susceptible to a host of problems.
DVD Studio Pro
DVD Studio Pro only comes as part of Final Cut Studio 2 but has lots of options when authoring a DVD and so can create a much more professional DVD. It is also possible to add a commentary track, which is impossible with iDVD.
Toast 9
Toast 9 has some great features and can author a DVD but it has only a few themes. Users are squarely divided as to its reliability and performance.
6. Final Point
Finally, the main problem with iMovie and Final Cut is that the files once saved are huge, anything up to 20GB for a 1 Hour and 20 min film, so you need to think of external hard drives or plan very carefully if you have limited disc space.
A Beginners Guide
Please feel free to add or correct the information presented here.
1. The Original DVD
I would recommend that the source DVD should be NTSC format. Americans design most software for Mac so it generally works better with NTSC. PAL only adds to the myriad of problems associated with Fan-Editing on a Mac and is of noticeably lesser quality.
2. Ripping The DVD
Mac The Ripper is a good free tool.
http://www.mactheripper.org/
Wondershare DVD Copy works well.
http://www.dvd-ripper-copy.com/dvd-copy-mac.html
Wondershare DVD Ripper can rip a Video file in nearly all formats (AVI, QuickTime, MPEG-4 etc) directly from the DVD.
http://www.wondershare.com/multimedia/m ... ipper.html
Cinematize Pro 2 can copy a DVD and convert the file into a QuickTime movie. (It does not work with copy protected DVD source material).
http://www.miraizon.com/products/cine2profeatures.html
3. Video Conversion
VisualHub is a fantastic Mac Application. It can convert almost any video format into a format that your Mac will then be able process. For example it can convert an AVI file into a QuickTime Final Cut format so editing can start almost immediately.
http://www.techspansion.com/visualhub/
4. Mac Video Editing Software
iMovie
iMovie is a domestic editing application, which is good for quick home movies but difficult and unreliable with longer Fan-Edits. If you are going to use iMovie for a Fan-Edit then save the project every 5 minutes, religiously as it often crashes.
Final Cut Express
Final Cut Express is a professional editing program and works very well but for a bug that has been fixed for Final Cut Pro 6 users but not for Final Cut Express users. (A bug, which stops perfectly good projects from opening after they have been saved).
Final Cut Studio 2
Final Cut Studio 2 is the best Mac Video Editing option but the price reflects this. It comes with Final Cut Pro 6 editing program, which is pretty much the same as the Express version but with more plug-ins and options. This package also comes with Motion 3 (animation program), Soundtrack Pro (audio editing), Compressor 3 (change bit-rates etc), Color (color correction tool), DVD Studio Pro 4 (DVD authoring software).
5. DVD Authoring on a Mac
iDVD
iDVD does quite a good job at authoring a DVD but bit-rates can be very low as audio is set to PCM, which takes up a lot of DVD space.
iDVD comes with themes that can be personalized but I recommend that you "Save as Disc Image" once the DVD is complete and burn the DVD using the Disc Utility Application. The reason for this is that there seems to be less glitches with the final DVD when burnt this way. Using the iDVD Application to burn a DVD takes more time and is susceptible to a host of problems.
DVD Studio Pro
DVD Studio Pro only comes as part of Final Cut Studio 2 but has lots of options when authoring a DVD and so can create a much more professional DVD. It is also possible to add a commentary track, which is impossible with iDVD.
Toast 9
Toast 9 has some great features and can author a DVD but it has only a few themes. Users are squarely divided as to its reliability and performance.
6. Final Point
Finally, the main problem with iMovie and Final Cut is that the files once saved are huge, anything up to 20GB for a 1 Hour and 20 min film, so you need to think of external hard drives or plan very carefully if you have limited disc space.