I have the Virtual Dub program. I have some guides which are mostly no good since the writers decided to quit before the text was completed. This to me is outrageous that sites even allow such garbage. So I'm looking for one complete guide to virtual dub. They don't seem to understand at virtual dub that these basic questions need to be answered, so here goes: I have an avi file made from a wintv capture card and a vhs player. The quality is passable but the file size is huge. I no longer have access to the source material which was a documentary on loan from the local library. With this post I feel like I am starting from scratch after months of frustration. Please do not answer if you feel you will get bored with some followups. The avi is about 11GB for an hour and 37 minutes of playback. There are some artifacts-- some mild moire effects which seem to go every which way. I have installed the Divx and Xvid codecs in Virtual Dub. Before attempting any filtering which I don't much understand either, how can I (in the simplest terms) 1.) Load the file I have 2.) Recompress to 700-800 mb for transfer to a dvd. No shorthand, please give all the steps. Sorry if this seems terse but I've been to a lot of dead ends.
Hi..ummm..if I read your post correctly?? your goal is to convert your AVI to DVD..you do not need to recompress...when any AVI is converted to DVD..the codec.."compression/Decompression" is not used in the MPEG conversion..the DVD conversion program will incode the compression rate according to the DVD media size preset. but you should find any VDUB guides you need here.. http://www.doom9.org/index.html?/virtualdub_procedures.htm also..if you do want to recompress in VDUB..it will need to be uncompressed first..IE.full processing mode/ save as AVI..the results of uncompressing an AVI could use 150 GIG or more of HD space
Thanks for answering. All I've really done with video is use DVD Shrink, Nero and to make dvds. If I am using Win2k which supports the large file sizes, Are you saying I can fire up Nero-- or some other burn routine that will give a result? My actual goal is to get the big .avi file down to a size appropriate for file transfers. The reasonable size ones are between 600 and 700mb. So in my attempts to capture that vhs tape "on the fly" I was not able to do my settings before 'make avi' gives adequate compression or shrinkage or whatever you'd want to call it. The result should be a 700mb file with maybe one of those Divx or Xvid watermarks on it. Quite frankly I didn't have much luck with the Doom 9 guide some months ago. The guides at Afterdawn have always been of much better quality. The guides I've seen get bogged own in theory and either get bored before they get to the actual procedure or "shorthand" through it with inadequate detail.
This is just for example so you don't think I'm nuts: http://nickyguides.digital-digest.com/video-capture.htm This shows part one of a capture guide, it's all theory. There is no part two anywhere to be found. However, the Nicky's guide for setup of Virtual Dub looks pretty good as far as it goes. All these guides and such are at least 3 years old. I'm making the request that a new guide be made for those like myself just coming into 'the sport' that doesn't have a cliff to fall off of once you get past the theory pages.
Ya..I know what you mean about Nicky's pages..He seemed to have lost interest in the site, I think Him and his Brother are focusing on Software developement, Althow..I had to remove "AVIinfo" one of his Brothers programs..system conflicts..But,Nicky's Pages.digital digest is actually a dead site, there are no updates to the site.. as for the watermark..thats a DIVX thing..never seen XVID watermark OK..first step is to find the video run length. right click on the the AVI file and choose properties. you should find the run length and frames per sec. write the run length & frms pr sec down so you have it handy open the AVI in Vdub/now click video tab and click full processing mode/open the same video tab again."it will close after clicking full processing mode"..and click compression/from the drop down list click/XVID MPEG4codec/to the right..click configre/from profile level from the drop down choose advanced simple L5/from encoding type choose..single pass/from target quantizer you can type in 4.00,or adjust the slider below to get there/to the right click the..CALC button..this is the important part..target size>665600/format>AVI openDML/under video you need to type in your video length & frms per second/for Audio format I sugest MP3-CBR/for average bitrate I sugest 128/ then click OK on all 3 open panels now..from Vdub click audio/click full processing mode/reopen then click compression/click MPEG layer3/on the right click 48 Kbit 24000 HZ stero/click OK.. your now ready to start compressing..from Vdub/click file tab/click save as AVI/ a directory will open..choose location..name it click save..thats it...wait for completion..your system will be running at full CPU usage so unless you have a dual core..I wouldn't do nothing on the PC while in progress..I hope this helps..
Thanks! I'll be able wail on this tomorrow. Today I RTFMed a bit and was trying to get a handle on how the source and target windows work. If I have filter set in Virtual Dub, I should be able to see the effect in the target (right hand) window. But when I try to set this up I can't seem to get everything going. In other words, the source avi plays and the filter should display the results in the target but the target window doesn't open and play. Other thing is when I freeze frame I can see the artifacts from the transfer from vhs. But can't even describe what I'm seeing more than what we used to call 'interference' in the days of black and white tv. It's a sort of horizontal banding pattern that runs through the full motion playback. The freeze frame shows horizontal dashes and dots like morse code. :-/ I'll be able to do more with this tomorrow. When I write back, I'll collect the information you mention.
in VDUB do you have bothe the "display input video", & "display output video" checked under the options tab..they are also the F9 & F10 keys on your key pad...?? I have never used any filter options..most all of my conversions are DVD rips..and I use Gordian Knot for that..I use TMPGEnc for most other conversions to AVI that are not DVD..I use Vdub for splitting/audio sync issues/ and do compress small FLV streaming video captures that I first convert with total video converter to lossless AVI..
I ran into a snag pretty quickly. Can't find run length and frames per sec. In Vdub, I started the program. The avi is listed in the drop down menu under files way at the bottom of the screen. Right clicking on that entry does nothing. After the file is loaded, same deal: no place to find run length and frames per second except if I hit the play button and then some numbers start advancing in the lower right. What did I miss? This is why I like to work off a completed guide if possible. I copied out in longhand the remainder of your instructions because I don't have a printer. Also I'm slowed down because I have to reinstall a drive each time I want to work with this. That's ok, no rush. But I'm stopped at the first step already. These practice things I'm doing on a drive that I can load the file but is too small to do the work and the machine is too slow. When I get the hang of it, I'll plug the newer drive and devote the faster machine and big drive to doing the job.
I dont know what version of windows you have..but with XP you go directly to the AVI file..rightclick..choose properties..and there,and in the summery tab is all the info..you can also download and install Gspot from AfterDawn page..open the AVI file in Gspot..and it will produce all the Video data you will ever need. you cant do anything without that information.
I have Gspot someplace. All I have to do is match up what install I need the Gspot on. What I'm not understanding is how a standard properties check of the file is going to give frames per second and run length. The run length is an hour and 37 minutes which lists out in VDub as the on the fly avi was recorded. I'll practice with Gspot on a sample avi I have handy and see if I can get some results. For all these reasons, a complete guide written from scratch is needed.
becaus that is what the video properties consist of.. I am unsubscribing from this thread...good luck..!!
Ok. Well I found the starting point anyway. Overall, I'd say there should be a better program for doing these simple compressing tasks than Virtual Dub and those are probably in the pay-for market rather than open source.
