Professional Documents
Culture Documents
CONTENTS
+ Cropping
+ Resizing
+ Smoothness
+ Brightness & Contrast
+ Deinterlacing
+ Removing Encryption
+ Encoding Video
+ Extracting Audio
+ Interleaving Video & Audio
Finding Software
Say you have a 100 MByte file - you want to compress it to around 60 Mb or even less
You hear through the grape-vine that DivX and VirtualDub are the way to go
Here's how.
First off make sure you have installed the DivX codec and VirtualDub on your system
By the way... in case you don't already have a copy of either of these...
take a look at the "Finding Software" section below
VirtualDub Editing & DivX Compression Made Very Very Very Easy Page 2
..or to find those programs (and just about anything else) just type in the phrase in a search engine....
...of course this is how all kinds of other stuff can be found too......
Once you have them, and you've installed, and you've rebooted your computer
Now run VirtualDub
There are several things you can do to make the original file smaller while not sacrificing quality
* Video Compression
* Frame Rate
* Audio Compression
From there you can make the picture quality better and possibly diminish file-size even more
* Video Filters
* Scene Editing
NOTE : Most sections of this manual have been reordered, rewritten, and redone.
Even if you have read the previous version of this manual, PLEASE READ through the entire manual in order again.
NOTE : Load a small file into VirtualDub right now, and try this out while reading it.
Choose the type of codec (compressor/decompressor) you want to use - generally that will be DivX
NOTE:
Low-Motion is best for most movies
Fast-Motion is only good when almost the entire movie is very fast paced (action movies..)
Typically, use the highest numbered DivX available (divx-4), and use the Low-Motion setting.
REMEMBER
What you are aiming for is MAXIMUM compression with MINIMUM quality loss
So just choosing the compressor is NOT ENOUGH
Now you have to configure it and fiddle around with the settings
Suffice it to say for now, simply change this value from "10" to "1", unless file-size is an
absolutely critical issue (which in 99.9999% cases it will NOT be).
The filesize will be slightly larger with a 1 setting than with a 10 setting.
The increase will be so small, however, that it will be insignificant in most cases.
NOTE : Experiments on a 10-Mbyte .avi file resulted in a size increase of only 4-Kbytes by adding the convenience of extra keyframes. That is less
than one percent size increase. It's really worth it.
NOTE : For a more detailed explanation of what "key" frames versus "delta" frames are,
choose "Contents" in the HELP menu of VirtualDub itself, then double-click "Introduction to digital video".
(some numbers to experiment with initially : 500 kbps, 400 kbps, 350 kbps, 300 kbps..)
Choose the Data Rate value you want (much lower than 910!!), and click the OK button
NOTE : You may have to create a number of test files before finding just the right values..
NOTE : Typically, video captures from an American DVD or videotape will be 29.97 frames per second (fps)
This is because of the NTSC (television) standard for color frames (black-and-white is shown at 30-fps)
There are also different frame-sizes and frame-rates for PAL, SECAM, and other video formats.
24 fps usually is fine - for slower or more dramatic sequences even 15 fps might turn out to be ok
NOTE : simply changing from 30 fps to 24 fps could result in as much as 20 percent file size reduction!
NOTE about NOTE : but probably not exactly 20 percent, because of the way video frames are actually stored.....
Choose FRAME RATE from the VIDEO menu (as seen in the first picture above...)
and the following menu appears
In the top box there is a "Frame Rate Conversion" option - the standard is "No change"
In the example shown the file was captured at 30 frames per second (30 fps)
Is that too much ? - Yes it is.
NOTE : Not only is 29.970 frames-per-second 'too much' for most videos,
it will make some aspects of Scene Editing (one of the Steps below) much more complicated.
It's better to choose a slightly lower, 'round-number' frame-rate in most cases, such as 24.0, or 25.0.
To change the frame-rate simply click the radio button reading "Change to", and type in the value you want
Typically 24 fps lowers file size significantly, without sacrificing overall video quality
NOTE : In the case of frame rates, file quality does NOT mean the picture quality of a frame,
but rather it means the 'smoothness' frame-by-frame, when playing back.
If the frame rate is too low, the picture tends to become "jerky" - this is often due to the divx codec
'computing' the in-between frames which are now missing...
NOTE : Remember to test the playback by saving the file under a NEW FILENAME at this point
If there is no 'jerkiness' yet the filesize is smaller, go to the next step keeping the changes you just made;
if however there IS unacceptably jerky playback, you probably chose TOO LOW of a frame-rate
NOTE : this is of course the minimum file size possible for audio (zero!!)
If you DO choose to add audio, choose the type of audio that is used first
- IF you are using the audio ALREADY IN the original video file, leave the default of "AVI audio" checked
(whether the original file is AVI or MPEG)
- ONLY use WAV AUDIO if you have a specific .wav file to be inserted into the video,
then select the audio file you want to include inside the target video file
Generally, you will keep the AVI AUDIO setting, which is the default setting.
If the original file already has compressed audio (and many .mpeg and divx files already do have this...)
you may wish to keep the audio how it was originally
To keep the original audio EXACTLY how it is stored in the original file
leave the default checked value of "Direct stream copy" alone....
Unless the file-size is at the very brink of going over some limit (servers, etc.),
16 kbps is a good overall setting.
In some cases with more complex audio 18 is a better choice because of a
tendency for 16 to still have "swirly" sounding artifacts.
NOTE : You can test how good the compression is so far, by .ZIP'ping the resulting video file.
If there is less than 5% compression, the compression is probably about as good as it will get.
If there is more than 5% compression, the audio and/or video can probably be compressed even further.
NOTE : Consider writing down the final changes you made for each step above. (on paper or a simple .txt file)
That way, if you ever need to re-edit the file later you'll have your preferred settings "immediately" available.
This is particularly important because you might make changes later to the file with video filters.
Filters process all of the frames of the video, in sequence, one frame at a time.
They modify the video image, resulting in significant changes and improvements to the overall picture quality.
NOTE : Filters can be made by third parties which perform all sorts of other functions as well, including titles and subtitling. They are included in
VirtualDub as "plug-ins".
NOTE : Video filters may or may not decrease the file size of your final file.
In some cases they might end up increasing file size, though typically this would be by a very small amount.
It depends upon the filter, and what its effect on the picture is.
The standard filters are very useful for changing the quality of the individual frames of a movie.
NOTE : If you are just getting started trying to compress videos with VirtualDub,
you might want to skip this step on filters initially.
They improve the picture quality, but typically do not 'shrink' the size of the file significantly.
It also will probably take some time to become familiar with which filter does what,
and what sequences are best for what purpose.
Eventually, however, you will want to get back to this section.
Not only can filters make the video look significantly better,
you might even be able to make the file a little smaller by using the 'right' filter combinations.
And, they can also 'repair' seemingly damaged videos. The results are sometimes surprising.
The video will be modified by filters in-the-order in which the filters are added.
Of course, even once they are added the order of the filters can be changed around.
Clicking on ADD allows you to add filters which will be performed in sequence upon the video you have loaded in.
Clicking on DELETE removes the single filter you have selected in the filter list on the left.
Clicking on MOVE UP moves the selected filter up one position in the list of filters.
Clicking on MOVE DOWN moves the selected filter down one position in the list of filters.
The CROPPING feature is greyed-out by default. Once any filter has been added to the list, it can be selected.
With it you can "crop off" the edges of a video. See the list below for more info.
NOTE : Cropping is always performed first. It is done before any of the filters in the Add-List.
The CONFIGURE feature opens up a unique pop-up window for each filter.
When you first add a filter, this pop-up window comes up automatically.
To change the configuration settings of an added filter after it's been added,
left-click on the filter in the Added-Filter-List once, then click the "Configure" button.
Once you choose the "Add..." button, a dialogue box like this will come up
Notice that they are listed in alphabetical order, with a text-box at the bottom that prints out basic information about what a filter does when you click
on it.
NOTE : Remember, every filter you add will be applied to the ENTIRE video.
NOTE : Each filter will add some extra time to the recompression process. Some a lot, some a little.
The filters included by default are very basic, but they process the frames very quickly, and get the job they are designed for done very well. Here's
some more information about the ones which will be most useful when you first get started:
NOTE : Part of the following is descriptions of what the filters actually do,
and part is observations of how they work best, based on experiences.
NOTE : The best thing way to learn about filters is to open up a few small 'test' files,
and experiment with an individual filter, and then with combinations of filters.
It's easy once you get the hang of it.
One of the most basic filtering features, is being able to crop off edges of a video.
This is most useful for captures from VHS tape, where the edges have distracting "video noise" or "glitches".
By adding any filter to the list, the "Cropping" button is made selectable.
Select any filter from the ADD list, and then click the CROPPING button to edit its values.
Simply click the UP and DOWN arrow buttons for whatever side of the picture you would like to remove.
NOTE : See the section below on Resizing for more info on how to use that filter
NOTE : You could also just crop the video to say 314x237,
or some other unusual size, and just keep it that way, WITHOUT resizing.
Then you don't have to do any of this extra multiplication or division.
But then it'll be a "funny" -- that is unusual -- frame size.
NOTE : This really is easy & straightforward. Look past the river of words. The basic idea is logical.
Resizing : Changing Frame Size For Picture Quality And/Or File Size
SHRINKING VIDEO
Two shrink the video image to exactly half of its original size.
They are listed at the very top of the list (2:1 resize).
One of those two filters simply works faster, by removing pixels from the original image during the resizing.
It processes faster, however the resulting picture quality might not be as good as it could be.
The other of these two filters performs a "high quality" shrinking, by having a slight overlap for each pixel and its neighboring pixels. In this way
lines tend to be less jagged than with the 'faster' 2:1 resizing filter.
If you are going to shrink the video size, it is recommended to use the "2:1 resize (high quality)" filter.
The time difference is very slight, but the picture quality difference can be significant.
NOTE : Always capture video at the largest frame size that your processor and memory can handle.
This applies to TV video, VHS tapes, and DVD captures as well.
If a larger video is shrunk to 320x240 or similar size, the quality will be MUCH HIGHER
than by simply capturing the same video at 320x240.
Shrinking the frame size from say 640x480 to say 320x240,
will often result in about the same picture quality as the original 640x480 video,
but the new 320x240 file will probably be much much smaller.
* Processing considerations
The larger each frame is, the more time is required to process each frame. This is true even if both a 320x240, and an 'equivalent' 480x360 video file,
are set to "full screen" mode with a video player.
In consideration of those who will be playing back the video, a smaller frame size means smoother playback if the processor and/or hard drive speeds
are limited.
NOTE : Although shrinking a 320x240 or 352x288 video to half size will make the resulting file a lot smaller,
the picture quality will probably DEGRADE TREMENDOUSLY.
Make certain to test the shrunken video at full-screen, or whatever size you are planning to play it back at.
There's no point in making a file smaller and smaller, if the quality becomes unacceptable in the process!
NOTE ABOUT NOTE : You could of course experiment with 'in between' frame sizes, such as shrinking 320x240
to 240x180. The picture-quality versus file-size changes might be acceptable in some cases.
ENLARGING VIDEO
Enlarging video will almost certainly introduce video artifacts, including 'jagged' edges, and extrapolated inconsistencies in detailed areas (pixels
being drawn as a result of the filter, "guessing" what would have been in an original larger picture).
As it turns out, an enlarged video can then have additional video filters in the filter sequence.
These will further process the frame images, and in some cases this improves the overall picture quality.
Smoothing the image, or performing mild (gaussian) blurs, are particularly effective at improving enlarged images.
The resulting video will often end up looking significantly better in full-screen mode, than the original smaller video did.
On the other hand, a 160x120 video can often be improved by enlarging it.
In any case, enlarging video will almost certainly require additional filters to be added in the sequence after it as well. Otherwise it will tend to look
too 'pixelated', or 'blocky'.
Enlarging the video requires the generic "Resize" filter from the standard VirtualDub filter list.
Calculate the new frame size dimensions (probably by multiplying by a round number, like 2 or 3),
and then writing in those new values.
NOTE : Like with the shrinking video example above, you can also use fractions, such as 1.5
This would enlarge a 320x240 video, to 480x360 -- that being the result of (320x1.5)x(240x1.5)
For example, 160x120 will become (160x2)x(120x2) = (320)x(240) when doubled in size.
NOTE : For example, try resizing a 320x240 video, to 480x320. It'll look "squashed".
The DIVX compressor (in Step One above) has a smoothness/crispness setting. This can be used to make the frame picture quality smoother. The
edges between objects in the picture will seem less harsh.
Higher levels of smoothing or blurring can also provide an 'emotional effect', making the video seem more like a 'day-dream'.
As you will recall, there is a "Smoothness / Crispness" setting in the DIVX compression window (see Step 1 above).
When first starting, however, just keep the divx-compressor crispness setting to 100%, that is as sharp as possible.
Then, if the picture still looks "jagged" after compression, go to the Filter menu and add a 'smoothing' filter.
NOTE : As with everything else in this section, experiment with this to discover your own preference.
There are actually a number of standard filters in VirtualDub which perform smoothing of one kind or another.
These include smoothing, temporal smoothing, blurring, and matrix averaging.
Probably the best way to get started with smoothing or blurring video, is to choose the 'generic' "Smoothing" filter, enable the 'noise prefilter', enable
the preview image, and set the smooth level to a low number (initially try around 8 to 12).
Then compress the file, and play it back at full-screen to see whether to increase or decrease the smoothing-effect.
- The "3x3 Matrix" interpolation filter takes an average of neighboring pixels. There are no configuration options.
It can have an good effect on some videos.
- The "Temporal Smoother" can have a very noticeable effect on the picture, as opposed to most of the other filters in this section which are generally
rather subtle. The 'ghost' images which tend to result might enhance the movie's playback, but it might also end up distracting more from the original
video.
Experiment with the various other methods of blurring and smoothing the image, by selecting different filters.
Try putting the smoothing filter in a different order in the sequence:
For example, there is a big difference between smoothing first and then shrinking the video 2:1,
versus shrinking the video 2:1 first, and then smoothing.
Try it out!
NOTE : There is also a "Sharpen" filter included as a standard filter. This obviously does the 'opposite' of smoothing or blurring, and emphasizes
lines or contrast between parts of the video's picture. Use this filter if the original movie already seems too blurry or hazy, to 'cancel' the original
blurriness out.
NOTE ABOUT NOTE : As with smoothing filters, sharpening filters can introduce distortion to the picture if overused. Make sure you test the
resulting changes in full-screen mode, or whatever conditions the video will probably be played back in.
The title description is self-explanatory. There are a few filters included which adjust the brightness and contrast, as well as the 'luminosity' of the
frames. This is useful if you notice :
- the foreground images (people, etc..) blend in too much with the background scenery
- the picture looks too dark, too light, or too muddy
- you want to be able to emphasize the edges of the foreground images
The "Brightness & Contrast" filter is very straightforward to use. Unfortunately it does not offer a preview image in the configuration window.
As you would expect, brightness up and down makes the picture lighter or darker respectively.
And contrast changes how much the images stand-out from one another.
You really have to try it out for yourself, to know the difference.
Another useful way to alter the brightness and contrast of the video, is the "Levels" filter. It appears that this filter makes adjusts equivalent to the
"gamma level" changes in still image editing programs.
It fine-tunes the luminosity of the image. Unlike the brightness/contrast filter, this one does have a preview image, so you can see immediately what
the effect of changing the controls is going to be upon a typical frame of the movie. Very helpful.
NOTE : The brightness and contrast of a picture can typically be adjusted later in the sequence of filters.
You should probably put these filters low in the filter-sequence list.
This can be very helpful for videos captured from VHS tapes or directly from NTSC (American) television.
When capturing to a computer, the video is often captured with each of these 'swipes' stored separately, with the even scans separate from the odd
scans. When they are shown onscreen, they are presented as they were on TV.
What was 'invisible' on a television screen, however, is usually VERY visible on the higher-quality computer screen.
The video tends to appear split-up, into 'jagged' horizontal lines.
Deinterlacing combines the even and odd scan-line double-images, into single, combined full images.
NOTE : Deinterlacing may or may not improve the picture of video captured from PAL, SECAM, or other video standard sources. Try it out and find
out.
The deinterlacing filter included with VirtualDub can work wonders for a 'horizontal-jaggie' video.
Simply choose the "Deinterlace" filter, and keep the "Blend fields together (best)" option.
NOTE : Typically only add the deinterlace filter to videos which have been split-up as described above.
If added to other videos, it might end up making the picture MORE jagged, rather than less.
NOTE : This filter should probably be high on the Filter-Add-List -- maybe even before resizing.
Experiment with deinterlace versus blurring or smoothing.
Some videos might look better with blurring before or after.
Some might not need deinterlacing at all once blurring is added, even if the video is interlaced.
Different video clips will yield different results.
Unfortunately, a standard "RGB editing" filter is missing from the present version of VirtualDub.
RGB stands for "Red-Green-Blue", and editing this allows you to change the actual color levels of the captured video.
This can be particularly useful for fine-tuning skin-color, which might be too red or too green as a result of the video capturing process. Small changes
in the blue or red values, can significantly change the overall picture quality.
You can scour the 'Net and look for third-party plug-in filters, including ones for RGB editing.
NOTE : This step assumes that you have already completely COMPRESSED the file you are editing, using the methods in the sections above. The
video and audio should be exactly the quality and size that you wish them to be. This step will simply make "Direct Stream Copies" of the audio and
video, which performs NO compression whatsoever.
VirtualDub has basic editing capabilities, which can be used for several purposes.
NOTE : For now VirtualDub only allows Selection and Deletion. There is NO cutting or copying, and therefore no pasting. So, scenes cannot be
moved around.
The row of buttons along the bottom correspond to most of the options available under the EDIT menu,
but you will probably feel more comfortable at the beginning simply pulling-and-dragging the frame position
marker just above the row of buttons, or by using the keyboard to maneuver around.
The frame position marker is the downward pointing prompt at the bottom
of the VirtualDub window (as shown in the VirtualDub window immediately above).
It is always updated to indicate the exact frame VirtualDub is 'on' at any given moment.
It can be moved by holding-and-dragging it with the mouse,
or through various keystrokes indicated in the picture above,
and as described in the table below.
Still, there are lots of possibilities and uses given these basic tools.
NOTE : deleting frames from the video DOES NOT delete the frames from the original file loaded in --
however do keep a backup copy, and also always save changes under a new filename.
Now, with those basic keystrokes and mouse movements you know how to move around within a video file.
EXAMPLE : Using VirtualDub Editing To Extract A Single Scene From A Bigger Movie
You've already captured the latest "Batman Beyond" episodes DVD onto your hard drive.
NOTE : There's a section later on how to rip a DVD onto your hard drive and encode it into a DIVX/MP3 file.
BUT, there's only ONE episode out of the five that you want to make available.
But VirtualDub DOES have a "Cutting" feature, by being able to delete frames and frame-selections.
As it turns out, this is enough to accomplish the task.
Use the mouse, clicking-and-dragging the frame position pointer to the 'general area' of the scene,
then use the left-and-right arrow keys for frame-by-frame precision to get to the EXACT ENDING.
It turns out the scene ends on frame 154113. The entire movie ends on frame 182228.
You chose this spot as the ending, of course, because the episode FADES-TO-BLACK.
NOTE : The precise frame numbers are indicated in this example, to emphasize
how much control you really have over editing your movie using VirtualDub.
As it turns out, for this example you don't really need to keep track of exact frame numbers.
You press the HOME key on that frame #154113 to start the selection.
Then you move to the end of the entire movie -- the very last frame --
(using the mouse on the frame pointer)
and you click the END key once you reach that final frame.
You simply press the DELETE key once, and the frames in the selection
DISAPPEAR without a trace..
FIRST move the to Frame #0, the very start of the entire movie,
by moving the frame position pointer to the furthest left,
and click the HOME key. That starts the next selection.
You decide that frame 120982 is where the scene should start,
mainly because the screen is ALL BLACK there, right before the FADE-IN.
So you press the END key, and another selection is made.
You simply press the DELETE key once again, and the frames which have been selected
also VANISH from the set of frames comprising this video.
All that remain, are the 33131 (that being 154113 - 120982) frames of the scene you wanted.
NOTE : There might be some 'extra' frames included in your final video, once saved to disk.
See the discussion on the importance of keyframes, in the section on 'splitting files manually' below.
Yup, it worked.
Third Move : SAVING THE ISOLATED SCENE AS ITS OWN SEPARATE FILE
Since you have already compressed the file using DIVX video and MP3 audio,
AND saved that original file to your hard-drive and/or to a CD-R[W] disc,
you now simply choose "Direct stream copy" for BOTH VIDEO AND AUDIO settings,
and then choose "Save As.." using a NEW FILENAME under the FILE menu.
This file saves to disk VERY QUICKLY, since there is no new compression to perform. It's a direct stream copy.
The resulting file is compact, high-quality, and contains only and exactly what you want it to.
THIS ENDS THE EXAMPLE ON VIDEO EDITING. THE SECTIONS WHICH FOLLOW ARE "TRICKS" YOU
CAN USE, NOW THAT YOU KNOW HOW TO EDIT VIDEO WITH FRAME-BY-FRAME PRECISION.
Any AVI movie can be split using the built-in VirtualDub feature "Save Segmented AVI..." in the FILE menu. This introduces artifacts however, most
noticeably green and pink coloring at the start and possibly the end of each segment of the movie.
Segmenting the movie "manually" will take a bit longer than the automated method (since it has to be done manually....), however the resulting files
can be made completely free of additional video artifacts.
You will also have greater control over the cutting process, and can divide file segments
according to scenes, or by time or by frames -- whatever standard you wish to use.
If you are already familiar with video editing as described above, this splitting method will be simple to learn.
It involves deleting all frames other than the particular file segment you are working on at the moment.
All you need to do, is making sure a file ALWAYS starts on a keyframe,
and always ends just before a keyframe.
NOTE: There are obviously numerous avi-chopping programs available. Try them out and see what they're like.
This section is just describing how to accomplish movie-splitting in VirtualDub, with no 'side-effects'.
Example:
Another Batman episode you decided to extract later on, and to share across a network,
is simply too big to deliver as a single file.
BUT even after some serious compression, it's over 100-Mbytes long.
NOTE : Keep your trusty pocket calculator handy. And a small piece of blank paper.
NOTE : You have to be REALLY precise about the keyframes here. It's not hard. You just have to do it.
--------
File Segment #01: Starts on Frame #0000. Ends right before Frame #2160.
File Segment #02: Starts on Frame #2160. Ends right before Frame #4320.
File Segment #03: Starts on Frame #4320. Ends right before Frame #6480.
..
..
File Segment #12: Starts on Frame #23760. Ends right before Frame #25920.
File Segment #13: Starts on Frame #25920. Ends right before Frame #28080.
and finally
File Segment #14: Starts on Frame #28080. Ends on Frame #29681, the end of the movie.
(This 14th segment is the 'leftover' segment, and will be smaller than the other files.)
--------
NOTE : You can simply write down the frame number to end each file segment on,
"2160, 4320, 6480, ....", on a small piece of paper,
and then cross off each one once you finish a file segment and save to disk.
OR, you could simply look at the display of the calculator you are using.
Either way will help "keep track" of what the last frame of the segment should be.
* every segment starts on a keyframe (so the remaining video includes it), and
* every segment ends immediately before a keyframe
(so the next video segment includes it and starts on it).
Notice (in the image immediately above) that at the bottom of the VirtualDub window,
it displays "Frame 23760", followed by the video time,
followed in brackets with "[K]".
The frames which have this [K] when you move the frame-pointer on them, are keyframes.
Every new video segment MUST START ON A KEYFRAME.
This means to make every file segment END JUST BEFORE the next keyframe.
That next keyframe will then become THE FIRST FRAME of the next file segment.
NOTE : READ that last paragraph OVER AGAIN. It's REALLY IMPORTANT.
* when rejoined with Peck's Power Join or some other avi joiner, there will be
NO overlapping or repeating frames where the file segments connect with each other
-- the files will join together perfectly and smoothly
* there will be NO green or pink artifacts at the start of any file segment
(that is, assuming they weren't there to begin with...)
NOTE : If there is a selection made, the DELETE key deletes the starting frame and all frames up to and including the last selected frame. In other
words, every frame within the selection is deleted.
Let's go through the first few file segments carefully, just to get the hang of it.
Always start your splitting by turning off "Preview input video" and "Preview output video"
in the OPTIONS menu, by unchecking them.
Seeing the video images is not going to be important for this section.
but TURNING OFF the preview feature lets you navigate through the file A LOT FASTER.
NOTE : If you made the frame-rate a nice even number while compressing, like 24 or 25, rather than keeping it the NTSC standard of 29.970, doing
file splitting manually is actually pretty easy.
If you do have a fractional frame rate like 29.970, you might want to consider just using the automated splitter, and tolerate the 'green moss' at the
start of each segment.........
Just to drill the point home, notice the differences between Frame#2159, and Frame#2160
NOTE : The preview images were kept on purely for dramatic effect.
Ordinarily they would be turned off before split-editing.
They basically look EXACTLY the same, except look at the bottom line of each window:
Frame #2159 ends with merely [], whereas Frame #2160 ends with [K]
This means that the first file segment should only include Frames #0000-2159.
So, you have to delete Frames #2160-29681 (29681 being, of course, the end of the entire movie).
Therefore, you move the frame pointer to #2160, and press the HOME key.
NOTE : This will select AND DELETE Frame #2160, which is a keyframe.
This is what you want to do, because it will be the first frame of the next file segment.
Then you move the frame pointer all the way to the right (Frame #29681), and press the END key.
You simply press the DELETE key once, and the selection disappears.
All that remains, are the Frames #0000-2159.
You choose "Direct Stream Copy" for BOTH video and audio,
and choose "Save As" under the FILE menu.
By now it should be pretty straightforward how to make the cuts and what to look for.
Just remember to always make the FIRST frame of a selection to be deleted actually on a keyframe,
and the LAST frame of a selection to be deleted immediately before a keyframe.
NOTE : You can "GO TO" an exact frame, that is jump directly and precisely to it,
by either pressing the <CTRL> <G> keys, or by pulling down the EDIT menu and selecting "Go To".
Then simply type in the frame you want the frame pointer to jump to, for example "2160".
It's a real time-saver when you're doing manual splitting.
These are the actual commands you need to perform to create the next file segment, Bat.02.AVI.
They are given here without any further explanations.
Fill in the blanks yourself, and make certain that you understand how to do this yourself for later.
Once you get the hang of it, there's really nothing to it.
----
----
And now the ripped-from-DVD, high-quality video is split up, and ready to be shared.
And that's how you make these perfectly split AVI files manually.
NOTE : If there's another AVI chopping program that does this splitting as precisely and flawlessly as the "manual" method described here, by all
means use it!
But realize, a lot of these choppers result in overlapping or missing frames, as well as visible artifacts in the individual file segments...
It's all a matter of whether you want convenience, or quality.
NOTE : As you probably understand by now, you will want to use a 'round' number for a video you are going to split up.
30.0 fps is okay. 24 fps is good too.
But 25 fps might turn out to be 'the best' setting of all, because you can then make file segments according to 'even' jumps of 50 or 100 frames!
There will be a keyframe every 50 and 100 frames -- No calculator would even be needed!!
For example, Segment #1 frames 0000-999, Segment #2 1000-1999, Segment #3 2000-2999, and so on.
You could even use the <left> and <right> arrow keys along with the <ALT> key, and simply jump 50 frames at a time,
and you will ALWAYS land DIRECTLY on a keyframe...
It's a real time saver!
Frequently there is an MPEG-1 or AVI movie, which was either uploaded or downloaded with errors in it. This video oftentimes plays perfectly well
using Media Player or another application, but whenever you try to load it into VirtualDub it "rejects" the file and does not allow it to be loaded in
and edited.
NOTE : This "trick" works equally well on both AVI and MPEG-1 standard files.
NOTE : Learning how to use HJ-Split is outside the scope of this little manual. It is easy to learn to use even if you are new to it. Experiment with
"Splitting" a large file, and then "Joining" it back together into the identical original file before continuing.
What used to make you cringe (that error message), now is not that big of a deal...
Why?
Because you can cut the problem off of the file. LITERALLY:
5430 x .9 =.
and then click on the "Input File" button and choose that file you are trying to edit with VirtualDub
(in this example, it's called "LousyCopy.MPG").
Then you can simply press the "START" button, and start the file splitting.
- LousyCopy.MPG.001
- LousyCopy.MPG.002
The first .001 file will have ALMOST ALL of the original file, as well as
the 'header' video-file information which is needed in order to load it into VirtualDub.
The .002 is really small, and is not recognized as being a video file.
You can pretty much delete it, and never look back.
Now you can simply open the .001 file with VirtualDub.
Either click-and-drag the icon, or choose "Open" in the FILE menu, and change the file type to "All Files".
NOTE : You might get a warning about the keyframes. If you are recompressing anyway, that problem will probably be fixed with the resulting file.
NOTE : You can experiment with the 'chopping' number "90%". You might be able to make it 95%, or maybe even 99%. The higher the number, the
more of the original file you will be retain.
On the other hand, if you have a really damaged file, you might have to make it 85%, or whatever. It all depends.
90 is as good a number as any to start with.
NOTE : If the damaged file is of type .AVI, the 'cut' file WILL NOT load into Media Player or another program designed to PLAY videos. It will load
into VirtualDub however, allowing it to be EDITED. Then the file that is recompressed and saved with VirtualDub WILL BE able to be played with a
video player.
There are many possible reasons why there could be video artifacts, audio artifacts, or other 'blemishes' in any given video file. A partial list of these
include:
Whatever the cause, once you have a video file on your hard-drive, you can 'tweak' it to your liking.
This includes of course deinterlacing or changing the video or audio quality, as described in previous steps.
However there are times when you just want to remove certain frames, because of how they detract
from the quality of the movie itself.
Here are some frequent problems, and their quick solutions using VirtualDub:
NOTE : This section assumes you are already familiar with frame-by-frame editing and selection editing, as described at the top of this step.
NOTE : You can load MPEG-1 standard files into VirtualDub, and you can load ASF files into VirtualDub Version 1.3c, however saving changes to
files of either of these formats in VirtualDub will require recompressing AND converting to the AVI file type.
Save the resulting file -- using "Direct Stream Copy" for both video and audio
NOTE : If the original file is MPEG-1 standard, you will have to recompress the video
PROBLEM : Joined movie overlaps and "jerks back" whereever two of the files were joined
SOLUTION :
Though a very slight problem, it is distracting to see the movie overlapping and repeating for a half-a-second or a second.
You can use the VirtualDub editing features to remove the 'redundant' frames,
by positioning the frame pointer (using the mouse AND the left-and-right arrow keys)
precisely (to the frame) where the "overlap" starts,
and then pressing the DELETE key successively,
until there is a smooth transition between frames.
Keep going back (<-leftarrow) then forward (->rightarrow) one frame every once in a while, to make sure you don't delete too much. When you have
it how you like it, choose "Direct Stream Copy" for both audio and video if it's an AVI file, and the identical movie without the overlap will be saved.
If it's an MPEG-1 movie, you will have to recompress.
PROBLEM : Sudden video or audio "glitches" in the midst of an otherwise good video
SOLUTION :
Of course at this point the solution is now simplicity itself.
You simply load the file into VirtualDub, move to the offending frames, delete them one frame at a time, and then save the resulting file either as
"Direct Stream Copy" for AVI files, or recompress it (with DIVX) if it's an MPEG
NOTE : If you're going to use a video file strictly for your own personal use, and have the hard drive space for it, go ahead and use a lower
compression rate when recompressing the original file. You might even keep it somewhere around the default 910-kbps setting..! The resulting file
will lose as little due to recompression as possible.
This section covers the method of ripping DVD's briefly, and understand that this is only one of numerous possible ways. There are different
programs available for each step of this process, including those for ripping the original DVD, for encoding .vob files, and for extracting editing and
compressing audio from a DVD source.
If you have already gone through the previous sections of this manual, you can experiment with the applications mentioned here, and end up with a
DIVX version of a DVD movie. Other websites listed in the "Finding Software" section below provide other programs and instructions on how to rip
DVD's. In the meantime this will probably be a good start on the subject.
NOTE : Ripping and encoding a typical 2-hour movie using the method below could take upwards of 7 Gigabytes of hard disk storage, or even more.
Make sure you have that much free space available.
NOTE : DVD ripping and encoding can also take a great deal of time, particularly when first starting, because you may have to redo some of the
most time-consuming steps.
SmartRipper removes encryption from a DVD, and saves that unencrypted version, all 5 or more Gigabytes of it, onto your hard-drive. This will be
in .vob file format.
Typically the ripped files will include the original movie's full video and sound.
The unencrypted files, however, might not keep subtitles, special features, and so on.
NOTE : This is the most space-consuming step of the process. Make sure you have all of the empty Gigabytes which the DVD movie consists of,
available on your hard drive, before performing this step.
This program is really easy to use. Simply put the DVD of choice into the drive, run SmartRipper, and after it unencrypts the disc, it will show a
screen where it is going to save the 'target' .vob files, and how much space it will consume.
Ordinarily it will be in a single folder, called for example "DVDMovie", and will be located directly on the C Drive.
In other words, that folder will probably by default be located at C:\DVDMovie.
You pretty much just have to click the Start Button in the window, and it will start ripping.
The time it takes depends upon the speed of your DVD player. Expect less than an hour for most new players.
NOTE : You might have to run the DVD for several seconds using your standard DVD playing program for SmartRipper to work correctly. There are
technical reasons for this. Try SmartRipper first, and if it doesn't work, play the movie for half-a-minute first using a DVD player, then try
SmartRipper again.
----------------
NOTE : If you have a new Pentium IV allow 3 to 8 hours of compression time using FlaskMPEG. Fast Pentium III's might take 8 hours up to 15 hours
or more, depending upon the video quality desired. If you have a Pentium II or older, consider completing this step only when you are going to be
away for a long weekend, and won't be using the computer for anything else.
NOTE : This program compresses the entire DVD. If you know you only want a small part of the movie, you will still have to compress all of the .vob
files using this program. Then you can edit out the extra scenes later using VirtualDub.
Once you have opened the first .vob file in the sequence (using Open under the FILE menu),
choose "Output Format Options" under the OPTIONS menu.
Then click on the "Configure" button, and a very familiar window should pop-up.
Make the compression settings that you would like
NOTE : You may want to use a bit calculator to estimate what bitrate you should use for compression.
BUT you will probably find that they are over-rated.
For a 2 hour DVD :
if you are going for really high quality, make it at least 900 kbps.
If you are going to isolate a high-quality scene and present it on a network, go for around 600-900 kbps.
If you are going to put the DVD onto a CD-R, try around 425-500 kbps.
If you need to absolutely minimize the filesize, you can always recompress later using VirtualDub.
Once you have chosen the compressor and picked the compression rate
click the three OK buttons to come back to the beginning Flask menu.
There are features for resizing the screen, for changing the frame rate, and all sorts of other options.
It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you make the settings according to how you want the FINAL video to look.
In other words, avoid recompressing later with VirtualDub, if at all possible.
This includes setting the *frame-rate, *frame-size, and *video-compression-rate.
NOTE : There are additional settings which might increase the overall picture-quality of the video.
However, they will probably also significantly increase the time required to finish the compression.
When you first get started, just keep the default settings, no fancy stuff, and measure how long it takes.
If your machine is fast enough, and if you want the higher quality, recompress after
tweaking the additional settings to your liking.
NOTE : For some reason FlaskMPEG seems to require restarting the system EVERY TIME you are going to use it again. If you quit a compression
early, or even if a compression is fully completed, and you then want to make further changes, it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you quit the
program, reboot, and then run it again.
Before changing any settings, make sure the movie's frame-size is reset to its default value:
Click the "Show Output Pad" button at the bottom right of the screen.
It displays EXACTLY what the frames look like right now.
Click on the "Reset Settings" button in the new pop-up window to restore the default frame size.
Then click on the "HIDE" button to close the Output Pad preview window.
NOTE : The Output Pad can be used to remove black borders as well, by CROPPING.
For your first attempts at compression, probably just leave the settings alone.
Later, experiment by enabling the "Crop" checkbox, and adjusting the "Height" and "Top Offset" settings.
FURTHER NOTE : The width and height of the movie can also be adjusted 'manually' in this window.
Or, they can be changed more precisely by typing in the values in the Global Options Window.
NOTE :If the frame size is already 320x240, or 352x288, or somewhere around there, just leave it alone.
- Click the AUDIO tab, and choose the "Don't Process Audio" radio button.
Audio extraction and encoding will be covered in a LATER SECTION.
FlaskMPEG will not be used to do ANYTHING with the movie's audio.
Now with all of that set, make sure the Output Format under the OPTIONS menu is set to "AVI Output",
and then choose "Start Conversion" in the RUN... menu.
About a day or less later, depending on the processing speed, you will have a single AVI file on the desktop.
----------------
The audio of most DVD's is in AC3 format, which allows for Surround Sound (5.1 digital) and other formats. There are also probably multiple
languages, and other audio formats (such as commentaries) on the DVD.
The application AC3DEC (meaning AC3 file format DECoded) converts the AC3 audio in the .vob files, into Windows .wav file format. It almost
always works perfectly, and is remarkably easy to use, too.
NOTE : This step will require about 1 Gigabyte to create a single .WAV file.
This is in addition to the .VOB files already created with Program #1.
Those .VOB files are used to create the .WAV file.
Make sure you have the hard drive space for all of this before continuing.
(Both the program and the GUI can be found as described in the "Finding Software" section below.)
NOTE : If you choose to use the GUI, copy it into the folder where AC3DEC has been unzipped, and put that folder somewhere 'permanent', for
example drag it into the Programs Folder. Create a shortcut of the GUI program, so that you can simply double-click the icon to run the GUI version
of AC3DEC afterwards.
--
Since it is such a small file, copy the AC3DEC.exe file into the folder containing the .vob files. There is probably another system file along with the
executable, which also should be copied in. Copy both files in using the Extract command of WinZip.
After making the copy, run MS-DOS and enter the folder which contains the .vob files (using the cd command).
Then (using the dir command) find out what the name of the FIRST .vob file is.
For example, say the folder is called BATMAN, and the first .vob file is called vts_01_1.vob.
Then you would type in the following at the prompts (what you type in is in bold):
C:\WINDOWS> cd..
C:\> cd BATMAN
C:\BATMAN> dir
Volume in drive C is ......
.
..
vts_01_1.vob
vts_01_2.vob
vts_01_3.vob
vts_01_4.vob
vts_01_5.vob
vts_01_6.vob
ac3dec.exe
C:\BATMAN> _
NOTE : The parts inside [BRACKETS] mean you go by the particular filename
* ac3dec is the name of the application being run -- you can also write "ac3dec.exe", with the identical effect
* FILENAME1 is the name of the first .vob file -- in this case 'vts_01_1'
* FILENAME2 is the name of the .wav file you are going to create -- you chose 'BatmanSound'
* -allvobs means to include all .vob files in the folder sequentially (as a single logical file)
* -out means you want to specify the name and path of the output file
Using the example above you will simply type in the following line
(where the blinking prompt was above) :
A complicated-looking prompt-window appears, saying things like "PCM", "44,100" or "48,000", and other stuff
simply press the <ENTER> key, and the saving process will begin.
When it finishes saving, about half-an-hour or more later, you can type in
C:\BATMAN> exit
to quit the MS-DOS prompt. You won't need it for the DVD ripping anymore.
----------------
The process is almost the same as that listed in Steps 1 through 3 above.
This time, you will simply use the "Direct Stream Copy" of the video
(since it was already compressed using FlaskMPEG),
and then load in the .WAV file created with ac3dec,
and compress that .wav file into an mp3 file while the new file is being saved.
NOTE : This is assuming you have already sufficiently compressed the video portion.
If you have to recompress, use FlaskMPEG directly on the DVD .vob files again, to ensure maximum quality.
This is done by going to the AUDIO menu, and choosing "Use WAV file". Select the .wav file.
Make sure under the AUDIO menu, that "Full Processing Mode" is chosen.
Then choose "Compressor", choose the MP3 codec,
and then select whatever quality compression rate you would like.
NOTE : if you are ripping a complete DVD movie for personal use,
or if the network version will have higher quality, consider using a higher bitrate;
128 is a minimum for high-quality audio, and perhaps go even higher, to 160, 192, or even higher.
The difference in sound quality can be significant..
Otherwise, if you are trying to really minimize file size, use the settings of 16 or 18 kbps,
NOTE : You might find that the Audio Volume Level has to be raised when saving the final version.
Choose Volume under the AUDIO menu to change it.
Just to make certain, go under the "Frame Rate" option in the VIDEO menu.
Make certain it is EXACTLY the value you used when compressing the .vob files in FlaskMPEG.
If you compressed at 24.0 frames-per-second, and it reads "24.001", CHANGE it to read 24.000.
If you compressed at 29.970 fps, and the frame rate reads "29.90", CHANGE it to read 29.970.
NOTE : VERY SLIGHT changes in the frame rate here can make BIG differences in audio-video synchronization
in the final video file.
Make sure the value is the same as the original value while compressing.
Since you are only compressing audio during this step, and using the Direct Stream Copy of video,
the time required to save the final file will be MUCH less than required for FlaskMPEG.
Expect anywhere from 25 to 50 minutes, given good processor and hard drive speeds.
By the end of this last step, you will have an entire 2 hour DVD, ripped and encoded, as a single AVI file on your hard drive.
FINDING SOFTWARE
www.download.com
is a great site for all different kinds of programs
as well as an occasional codec
it also usually lists the author site of a featured program
www.divx-digest.com
is a great site for codecs programs and manuals
Thanks to DaveUK for pointing out that MPEG-3 audio compression is the way to go
Thanks to rafael for reminding how simple and useful keyframe rate changes are
Thanks to Rene for providing results of VirtualDub-DivX compression in posts
Thanks to Stanky for coaxing this version into being completed in less than a month
Thanks to fellow posters for thanks on this manual and providing questions and feedback