Can't find a simple video editor.

[A Traveller]

Hi All.

I am having trouble finding a simple video editor and was hoping that someone may be able to suggest something suitable.

I do not need a fancy program. I only want the following.

1) I want to be able to cut a piece of video out of a longer video and save the smaller piece.

2) If I can cut pieces out of a video and keep the longer video, then that would be wonderful. (However, would there be gaps where the pieces were cut out or would it just play back to back?)

3) I'm not too fussy about the format of the output file as long as MPG, WMV, AVI and FLV can be input.

4) Must be freeware.

5) Must be compatible with W98SE.

Thanks.

[Ai Haibara]

You can always give VirtualDub, with the MPEG, WMV and FLV plugins a try (and/or install Avisynth and frameserve the videos into VirtualDub).

Edit: For #2, just save your edited video under a different name from the original video. You shouldn't overwrite your only copy of the video, anyway. If you do the cuts correctly, there shouldn't be a gap - but depending upon the content, you might notice the jump regardless. (You'll probably need to use smart-rendering, or you may be limited to cutting on keyframes. Someone else who knows more about this than me will probably correct me if I'm wrong. )

[A Traveller]

Hi Ai.

Thanks.

I think I had tried VirtualDub a long time ago but it didn't work. However, I tried it again and this time it worked! However (there is always a 'however', isn't there? Haha) how do I 'give the MPEG, WMV and FLV plugins a try'? I couldn't find any info in the documentation/website about 'plugins'. I'm assuming that is why I received the following errors.

When trying to open an FLV file: The file "x.flv" is an of an unknown or unsupported file type.

When trying to open a WMV file: ASF files are not supported.

When trying to open an AVI file: Couldn't locate decompressor for format "DX50" (unknown)
Virtual Dub required a Video for Windows (VFW) compatible codec to decompress video. DirectShow codecs, such as those used by Windows Media Player, are not suitable

For some AVI files I get the same message as above but the error is that it couldn't locate decompressor for format "DIVX" (DivX 4+)

It did work with MPEG video files, but the final video (and video's audio) is too jerky and choppy, (in both GOM and MPC).

I'm assuming that there is a simple way of doing the plugin thing, however, what about the jerky video?

Thanks for any help.

[guns1inger]

Try AVIDemux. It can do pretty much all that virtualdub can do, but doesn't need as many extra codecs installed. It has enough built in filters to handle most of the general stuff.

[A Traveller]

Thanks guns1inger. Will try both.

[usually_quiet]

Needing an editor that is good, free, works under Win98SE and is able to import several different video formats makes your request a bit more difficult than average.

When I looked a few days ago, all I could find about AVIDemux and specific flavors of Windows said Win2000, WinXP, or Vista. Good thing, guns1inger knows more. Otherwise, VirtualDub would be about the best editing ap you could find that comes anywhere near meeting all your requirements. If you used WinXP, I would have recommended MPEG Streamclip in addition to the others, but the authors are pretty definite about it needing WinXP, Vista, or possibly some versions of Win2000.

[CSULB71]

X2 for AVIDemux -- I love it. One significant thing that AVIDemux can do that VirtualDub can't do: you can make your "start" and "end" cuts for your new clip on any frame, not just a key frame like VDub requires. Also, when you save your edited clip, remember that you must enter the file extension along with the file name; e.g. "Newclip.AVI". Not sure if it works with Win98SE, tho.

[Ai Haibara]

Regarding the VirtualDub plugins, you can find a link to them on VideoHelp's Tools page for it (under the heading "More information and other downloads:".) To install them, create a folder in your VirtualDub folder named 'plugins32', if it doesn't already exist, and extract the .vdplugin files into that directory. (The Quicktime plugin has an additional .ini file that must be placed in the main VirtualDub directory, though.)

I don't know if the latest versions of AVIDemux can be used with Win98, but I'll go ahead and see if it lets me install on my Win98 tower.

CSULB71: I think you don't have the keyframe requirement in VDub if you use the new Smart Render mode - but I haven't experimented with it, yet, so I'm not sure.

[A Traveller]

Thanks usually_quiet, CSULB71, Ai Haibara.

I have tried installing various versions of AVIDemux up to 2.3.0, however, none of them work. For the later versions, I get the message that the application is expecting a newer operating system and for older versions, I get an error saying that a file is linked to a missing export something or the other. Normally, I would locate the missing file and add it to the Systems directory but I've got a feeling it's probably to do with not being supported on W98. One thing I really don't understand is why do program makers not state clearly what versions their software is compatible with? It would save is having to download and try a list of versions.

Thanks for the link, brilliant! I'll give that a try. Another thing, VitrualDub is described as being 'mainly geared toward processing AVI files'. Then how come the AVI files won't work but the MPEG ones do? (This is using the program as it is without anything added.)

Thanks.

Update - Ok I've extracted the plugins into the plugins folder. It has made a difference to what happens but still not working. For AVIs, I still receive the same error message as before or it goes through the blue progress bar (which didn't occur before) but black windows load up with 'MISSING CODEC' displayed in the centre. The same is happening with WMV. Still only MPEG works.

[Ai Haibara]

Do you have the plugins loaded into <VirtualDubDirectory>\plugins32 ?

I should note that VirtualDub is a VfW (Video for Windows) editor only, so you'll need to have VfW codecs installed as well (though VirtualDub should tell you if you don't). Did you extract all the files from the VirtualDub archive with the directories intact?

You may also need the WMV9 VCM installed for WMVs.

[CSULB71]

Ai Haibara: OK, that must be because I'm using an older version of VDubMod that doesn't have the "Smart Render" mode. I may look into that. But I'm still very pleased with the capabilities of AVIDemux, and it's about twice as fast at re-encoding as VDubMod on my machine.

[A Traveller]

Hi Ai.

No, my plugins have been extracted into the folder named 'plugins' only. It is not named 'plugins 32'. The folder contains a readme text file which states "Filter plugins (*.vdf) placed here are automatically loaded by VirtualDub on startup." So, I am assuming that is the correct place for them?

Error messages mentioned previously:-

When trying to open an AVI file: Couldn't locate decompressor for format "DX50" (unknown)
Virtual Dub required a Video for Windows (VFW) compatible codec to decompress video. DirectShow codecs, such as those used by Windows Media Player, are not suitable

For some AVI files I get the same message as above but the error is that it couldn't locate decompressor for format "DIVX" (DivX 4+)

Thanks. I'll try your suggestions.

[TJohns]

No, my plugins have been extracted into the folder named 'plugins' only. It is not named 'plugins 32'. The folder contains a readme text file which states "Filter plugins (*.vdf) placed here are automatically loaded by VirtualDub on startup."

Correct. Except if you actually look at those video plugins you've extracted, you'll notice that they're NOT *.VDF files - they're actually *.VDPLUGIN

Note: there's no space in "plugins32" folder name

[mgh]

you will also need the ffdshow codec with , wmv,h264,flv etc enabled in its vfw decoder.

[jagabo]

VirtualDub source plugins: http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=ST&f=7&t=12664

[A Traveller]

Thanks for your replies.

TJohns, yes, they are .vdplugin and not .VDF. There isn't a <VirtualDubDirectory>\plugins32 anywhere on my pc at all. Where is it? Do I simply need to manually create a folder in the same folder as the plugins folder and name it 'plugins32'?

mgh, that sounds complicated. I hope you don't mind if I need further instructions on this. Thanks.

jagabo, thanks for the link. I am assuming that these need to be extracted to the above directory as well.

Thanks.

[Ai Haibara]

Yes, you'll most likely need to create the plugins32 directory.

To do this in Explorer, go to the directory in which VirtualDub is stored. If I remember correctly, all you need to do is right-click within the directory window, select New... > New Folder, then Explorer will create a folder with the name ready for you to enter.

[jagabo]

I have all my VirtualDub plugins in the regular plugins folder, not plugins32.