MPEG2 MUXED file on FCP6

[V.G.Ramesh]

Hi all,
This is my first posting on this forum.
I have a MPEG2 muxed file to edit on FCP Studio 2. When I import in FCP, I can't play the file nor edit.
I tried using MPEG StreamClip to convert to Quick Time but could not play.
So I converted the file into DVD using Toast and extracted the video using DVDxDV. I noticed a lot of difference between the origanal MPEG2muxed and extracted QT file.

Is there any better way to do this? Your reply is much appreciated.

Thanks,
V.G.

[Ben Balser, ACT]

Well, you could have used the original MPEG-2 file with DVDxDV I believe. You simply want to take it from an MPEG-2 file to a normal NTSC-DV QT file.

As for quality, MPEG-2 is very highly compressed, and a very lossy codec to start with. So, you will see some degradation in video quality in the transcoding process, to be sure.

I wonder if you could just open that file in QT Pro and Export it as NTSC-DV? I'm not sure if QT Pro will open a muxed MPEG-2 file...

BTW, my most favorite 2 decoders are DVDxDV and Cinematize 2.

[V.G.Ramesh]

Ben, Thanks for the quick reply. We have PAL system here (in Singapore) and I wanted to convert the file to DV - PAL.

I'll try using original MPEG-2 file with DVDxDV.

I do not QT Pro, planning to buy one. Hope it can open Mpeg-2.

[Igor Pryshlyak]

FFmpegX, DVDxDV, Cinematize 2, MPEG2 Streamlink, FCP-6 etc.
Which one is the best recent software in order to convert MOB or MPEG2 into editable file for FCP?

[Ben Balser, ACT]

Best bet for quality, IF you're making a living with this, and have clients to answer to, are either DVDxDV, or Cinematize. Both do great jobs. The rest are freeware, work "ok", and have very limited options. Plus, you don't get the customer service like you can with DVDxDV and Cinematize, when you have a deadline bearing down on you. You get what you pay for, so to speak.

[Ben Balser, ACT]

If you have FCP, you have QuickTime Pro, it installs automatically with FCP. Once FCP is installed, when you open something in QT Player, it's actually QT Pro Player, and you can do a bunch of stuff. The book "QuickTime Quick Reference" by Peachpit Press is only $20 something US, and is very worth getting.

But yes, open the original file with DVDxDV, convert to PAL-DV, that'll be about the best you'll get.

[Richard Sprinkle]

If you're trying to pull files from a DVD, the best way I've found is Cinematize. It just works.