Snipping / Trimming / Cropping Video in Virtual Dub or...?

[Tolwyn]

I promise I looked at the guides and either didn't see it, couldn't find it, or what.

I have some "scenes" of video that I'm going to bring together and encode as a chapter in a DVD....

Some of the scenes have crap at the beginning, some dead space in the middle, and some wasted stuff at the end.

How do I just trim this stuff?

Trim a little at the front/back and then work with what's left? (Cropping)?

Is this like the ultimate stupid question?

[andkiich]

Go to the GUIDES section, then in the drp down for "How To Category", go to the EDIT section. Find the type of file under EDIT that you are working with. There are guides galore!

[Tolwyn]

Yeah, I did that and got https://www.videohelp.com/guides?tools=2&madeby=&formatconversionselect=&osselect=&howto...or+List+Guides <-- that.

But I can't find anything on trimming.
I think I got it though with marking and "cutting"

[Tolwyn]

I think I got it. Thanks.

If I'm working with a DV compressed AVI file (is that the right terminology?) and use Direct Stream Copy, why is the saved file so much larger?

[Bondiablo]

...because you didn't set the video compression so it was saved as "(Uncompressed RGB)". You didn't say what you're using to convert to MPEG2 but if it's TMPGEnc there's no need to use VirtualDub to trim out the stuff you don't want. In TMPGEnc go to Settings > Advanced > Source Range > Cut Editing.

[Tolwyn]

So Direct Stream Copy doesn't put the DV source stream back into a DV destination?

So TMPGenc will snip/trim sources without the need to re-encode?

After I get a few streams, I will create a chapter, and THEN output to MPEG2.

But the streams need some cleaning before editing (wipes, etc.) to the final MPEG2.

You say I should TMPGenc?

[Bondiablo]

VirtualDub will output DV if you set the video compression to DV.

TMPGEnc Plus will do the cut editing and convert to MPEG2. If you need to do more significant editing before converting to MPEG2 you'll have to use something else.

[Tolwyn]

Ok.

Yeah. I need to get the snippets "cleaned up" a bit BEFORE editing, and THEN will encode to MPEG2.

Is there a recommended compression format that is good for "storing" the video as I work with it before finally compressing it to MPEG2?

I don't want to lose too much quality, but filesize is somewhat of an issue. Uncompressed is unbelievable.