Webuser Forums: Problems will video files - conversion from VOB to AVi and then viewing!

Hi all,

I have continuing problems with my PC! :-( What I used to do was copy video files off a DVD (it's my own home DVD, not a copyrighted one!) and copy them to my PC as VOB files. I then used to use a little prog called avi.net to convert them from VOB to AVi and then work from there, i.e. splitting, converting AVI to MPEG or WMV. I'm not sure if there is a quicker method but this is what I was doing - any advice would be gratefully received!

Now, when I get my VOB file on my computer and then use AVI.net to get it as AVI, all well and good. But when I try to play the AVI to view it things like Quicktime or Windows Media Player won't play it and WMP just says it has an error and needs to shut down.

Other programs say the AVI is now not the right format. But this is the way I've always converted. And why is my WMP now struggling with video files? I don't understand what has changed though haven't done some video work for a while.

Can some help or advise me please? Is there an easier way to get files off DVD and convert them to MPEG or WMV? Any good progs you'd recommend? I seem to be faffing around in the dark here and encountering all sorts of problems and having all sorts of unexpected bits of software encountering problems. Maybe I need to start afresh and remove some stuff and try some new programs? Any help or advice for one frustrated bunny would be most welcome!