Extract WAV from DV-AVI

[dbarndt]

Hi,

I've been using VirtualDubMod to successfully extract WAV audio from DV AVIs created via capture by a Canopus ADVC-50.

I just made a home movie using Windows MovieMaker 2 on XP, and saved it as "DV-AVI". When I brought that into VirtualDub to extract the WAV, it complained:

"AVI: Type-1 DV file detected - VirtualDub cannot extract audio from this type of interleved stream."

GSpot reports the file is fine, type = "Multipart OpenDML AVI", video source type = DVSD after successfully rendering it. (Strangely though, the GSpot "Video" and "Audio" sections are all "n.a" - I don't remember seeing that before, but GSpot's currently reporting this for any file (even ones that "work") I open.)

The Canopus creates Type-2 DV AVIs I think. So, what to do now? Do I need to install a codec, and if so, can someone recommend one? (I thought I read somewhere else that the Canopus and the Panasonic DV codecs don't play well together on the same machine? I've currently got the Panasonic VFW DVSD code installed.) Or, do I need to use some other tool? I tried AVIDemux but it wouldn't even open the file at all.

I'm not sure what to try next. Can someone point me in the right direction? I'm happy to provide more info if it would help.

Thanks!

Dave

[dbarndt]

Wouldn't you know...

Searching a little more in this forum, I came across this under the comments area of the Windows MovieMaker tool:

Windows Media Maker 2 is actually a reasonably good product and fantastic for those "Mums and Dads" who want to get "creative" with their new miniDV camera, but can't afford a proper NLE program like Premiere.

It is very easy to use for the beginner and the price cannot be beaten.

However, this is where it stops. WMM2 is very much limited in what in can do, and although this may be fine for the casual user, it is completely insufficient for any real degree of video editing.

Furthermore, Microsoft has put this program into a number of irritating shackles, obviously designed to lock the unsuspecting user into Microsoft products. Firstly, this program cannot export to anything but WMV (Windows Media Video) and DV-AVI Type I. This is completely unsatisfactory. If one wants to encode the video for DVD production, you will have to go into the convoluted step of encoding first to DV-AVI and then an external encoder. This is similarly so if you want to produce DivX video. Although WMV gives reasonably good quality for size, it is not a well supported standard over different platforms and this obvious product limitation, for the want of a better word, evil.

Also, DV-AVI Type I means that the DV file will not be able to be loaded with a VFW based program (which includes many freeware editors). To get around this, I suggest you have a look at my guide on converting Type I to Type II here: http://users.tpg.com.au/mtam

For the target audience, WMM2 is a reasonable program and a good introduction into video editing. However, if Microsoft removed some of the unnecessary shackles (e.g., allowed third party AVI codecs to be used, include MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 encoding, DV-AVI Type 2 output), it would be a much superior program.

Following that http://users.tpg.com.au/mtam link, I found a tool that lets me convert from Type-1 to Type-2 DV AVI. Now everything works in VirtualDubMod!

Hope this helps someone else!

Dave

[dbarndt]

The actual link I found the tool (plus a guide if you need it) was:

http://users.tpg.com.au/mtam/guide_wmm2.htm

[gadgetguy]

If you update to the latest version of VirtualDub, it will accept Type1 without complaint.

Edit: This does not apply to VirtualDubMod since it's still based on version 1.5.