Question about VOB to MPEG2

[Zach]

I understand--I think--that a VOB is just a container format, but here's my very ignorant question about them.

When transferring my S-VHS tapes to DVD (via my DVR), it creates a bunch of .VOB files, one for each recording. For the past year, all I have been doing is renaming them to .mpg, and everything has worked fine. (I rename them, edit/trim them, filter them, and then archive them.)

Is this proper? Or should I be using some 3rd party program to explicitly "convert them" to mpegs? (Since they already are mpegs, I presume this would just be a matter of properly extracting the mpeg from the VOB container, right?)

[setarip_old]

Hi!

Since each of your .VOBs are being created via a DVR, I'm quite sure that they contain only one videostream, one audiostream, and no subtitle streams. As such, changing their extenders from ".VOB" to ".MPG" should not present any problems...

[Zach]

..., I'm quite sure that they contain only one videostream, one audiostream, and no subtitle streams.
That's correct.

I have the VCR connected to the DVR, and I just hit play (on VCR) and record (on DVR) to copy the A/V stream to the hard drive. Then from there I do a direct transfer to DVR-RAM (direct copy from the HD--no re-encoding) so I can move it to my PC.

I have the ability to create chapters before transfering the HD recording to DVD-RAM, though I have never bothered with that.

As such, changing their extenders from ".VOB" to ".MPG" should not present any problems...
Yeah, for over a year now I've never had any problems. I was just wondering what the "proper" procedure was. I always feel like I'm doing a quick and dirty hack when I just rename the files. :cool:

[setarip_old]

There's nothing inappropriate with what you're doing, in light of the fact that they contain only one videostream, one audiostream, and no subtitle streams. They ARE MPEG-2 files...