can't join lossless AVIs - incompatible data format message

[spicediver10191]

Anyone know how to easily join lossless AVI files like largarith, Huffuyv, UTcodec, etc?

When I want to create a lossless master file from several large Premiere project exports, the join using "append AVI" never works in VirtualDub or AVI Demux.

Vdub always says: "Incompatible Data Format - mismatch detected in opaque codec data at byte 28 of the format data".

I've heard you can edit the file headers or something with a Hex editor but if that's the case then I need some guidence using the Hex editor in VirtualDubMod. What I see when I open a file for hex editing is mostly incomprehensible to me.

thanks.

[pandy]

Use Avisynth.

[spicediver10191]

Use Avisynth.

The mean by opening both files in VdubMod with a single Avisynth script and then saving it?

Well it saves, but not right.

I don't want to re-encode - I want to preserve the format of the source (eg. largarith, UT codec, ect). So I choose "direct stream copy" aftre creating the Avisynth file but Vdub saves the new file as a massive uncompressed RGB file, 6 times the combined size of original source files. UPDATE: it seems AVIsynth doesn't support direct stream copy of compressed lossless formats.

[pandy]

You are not able to join different codecs in one AVI - if codec is lossless then decompresing and recompressing will not change anything - You need to re-encode anyway or to uncompressed or losslessly compressed with only one codec - limitation is AVI container.

[spicediver10191]

You are not able to join different codecs in one AVI - if codec is lossless then decompresing and recompressing will not change anything - You need to re-encode anyway or to uncompressed or losslessly compressed with only one codec - limitation is AVI container.

Sorry - let me explain.

I am not trying to join AVI files that were encoded with different codecs.

Sometimes its two Largarith files I want to join. Sometimes its two UTcodec files, or two Huffyuv. It depends on what I'm using at the time.

[pandy]

I don't want to re-encode - I want to preserve the format of the source (eg. largarith, UT codec, ect)

With respect but please also explain why You think that lossless codec is lossy - this one is not clear for me - unless they remains same color space there is nothing wrong to decompress, combine and recompress streams.

[spicediver10191]

I don't want to re-encode - I want to preserve the format of the source (eg. largarith, UT codec, ect)

With respect but please also explain why You think that lossless codec is lossy - this one is not clear for me - unless they remains same color space there is nothing wrong to decompress, combine and recompress streams.

Yes you're right, I can recompress/re-encode.

It's just not my preferred method because with large files (60+ minutes) my system sometimes throws up bad frames when I encode with these compressed lossless codecs. By doing it twice I have to re-watch the entire video again and manually remove the new offending frames.

But the AVIsynth method does allow joining, so thanks for that suggestion.

I just wish I could join such files with a direct stream copy - it would save me a lot of time.

[pandy]

You can try use ffmpeg or mencoder - however not sure what type effect You can expect... and AVIsynth is not able to combine compressed streams - they are uncompressed to RAW format.

Not sure why You use lossless codecs if they are not stable on Your system - personally i use ffdshow huffyuv and i never have problems with wrong frames (what happens sometimes in case of different lossless encoders).