Streamclip 1.1

[sdm]

I have no affiliation with the programmer, I'm just excited about what a great mpeg editor this is.

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/24055

try it out.

-- sdm

[AntnyMD]

The much-requested addition of ac3 audio support is implemented in this version.

[havema-1]

MPEG Streamclip can now also edit MPEG files. Just set in/out points (with I/O keys), cut unwanted material off and do a Save as. Shift-dragging the playhead can also be used to define a selection.

You can use the Trim-command to more closely see a part of the video before cutting, then choose Revert Trimming to see all material. Moving with the arrow-keys is also nice as is navigation and fast scanning via the JKL-keys.

What else does a MPEG editor need? Do people need to edit MPEG in iMovie-style? Is it even possible because the accuracy is only about 0.5 seconds?

[sjk]

I'm a relative newcomer to A/V editing*and MPEG Streamclip has already become essential since starting to use it this week. Big thanks to the developer (havema-1?)!

The Current time doesn't update while dragging the playhead and sometimes I've wanted to keep track of different times its "landed" at without selecting in/out points, then jump back to them later. Being able to set temporary markers and/or use absolute times for select in/out points might be useful. And would displaying increments of seconds be worthwhile?

Joining VOB files is useful. Being able to generate a simple toc and other authoring info for making a Toast 6-burnable VIDEO_TS folder when saving a VOB would be nice.

I'm still confused with how different apps handle muxed and demuxed files. Seems like QuickTime and Toast 6 (without Jam) can automagically use audio stream when a video stream is opened. This morning I demuxed an EyeTV MPEG1 file to M2V and AIFF streams using MS, then opened the M2V in QT and the audio track was there, too. Exporting to MPEG-4 created a properly muxed version. A few times I've tried adding M2V and AC3 files (demuxed using MS) to Toast 6 and it grumbles about needing Jam, but the saved disk image has muxed audio/video. Still figuring how different ways to convert/export from MS that keep Toast from reencoding (S L O W L Y).

Can MS do anything with DTS audio?

Oh, I've noticed MS uses about 10% CPU if a stream is open even when no editing or playback is in progress.

Anyway, I'm not unsatisfied with the progress I've made with all this in about a week.

[havema-1]

> Big thanks to the developer (havema-1?)

No, I'm also just a satisfied user of MPEG Streamclip. But do send your suggestions to the author -- he appreciates feedback.

[sjk]

But do send your suggestions to the author

Done.

[AntnyMD]

What is it in this software that enables it to play MPEG2 viedo muxed with AC3 audio and you hear the audio? I didn't think QuickTime supported playback of Dolby Digital audio?

[vaj]

What is the best format to save a video clip in with Streamclip 1.1 so that it can simply be used in the Toast 6 "video tab" and not have to endure "reencoding"--i.e. so that it simply burns to DVD/CD?

TIA,

Vaj

[sjk]

vaj,

I don't have a definite answer to your question but some of the information in:

DV, DVD and (XS)VCD on a Macintosh memo and cookbook

... might be helpful.

I'm still trying to figure out optimal SVCD to DVD conversion for some EyeTV recordings since letting Toast do it creates larger than desirable files.

[Iceman67]

Vaj,
Any luck on finding out how to make the Toast burn faster or easier? I hate enduring the hours if not days of Toast-Reencoding. Does anyone know how to make the Toast DVD-Video process faster?

Ice

[Frobozz]

Toast 6.0.7 does not re-encode an existing MPEG2 file. It will demux/remux the audio. If Toast is re-encoding the MPEG extracted by Streamclip then my guess is you haven't updated your version of Toast to 6.0.7.

[Iceman67]

No, I have Toast 6.0.7 and use VOBs created by ffmpegx under Toast's Video Tab using DVD Video option. Whether they are mpeg 1 or 2s originally, Toast decides to re-encode away. I know Toast re-encodes because the progress bar says "Encoding." Not trying to sound like a jerk but that's what it says.

I read on this page http://www.sjoki.uta.fi/~shmhav/SVCD_on_a_Macintosh.html#edit_convert_MPEG about halfway down there is a little segment about Streamclip that regarding Toast and the processing. Good luck.

Ice

[Case]

No, I have Toast 6.0.7 and use VOBs created by ffmpegx under Toast's Video Tab using DVD Video option.

Toast won't re-encode an authored DVD if you use the Data tab with DVD-ROM (UDF) selected (in Advanced), as adviced.

[alph]

This is what I do

I use FFMPEGX to create MPG files, mpg-2 and ac3. No need to let it go to vobs. Then open the the mpg in Streamclip. From the Streamclip File menu "Demux to headed M2V and AC3" (it's near the bottom). Make sure to save the 2 files to the same location. When done, drop the M2V file in the Video tab of Toast and it will find the AC3 itself. This way, provided the mpeg file falls within the DVD standard, toast never re-encodes. It does however multiplex and add the chapters every 5 minutes. (I really wish I could modify that chapter setting)

Hope this helps

Cheers,
Alph

P.S. This process lets me put up to 6 hours of video, not the greatest quality mind you, on 1 DVD. You can add movies until your total size reaches 4GB. 3 movies in HalfDVD fit nicely. Toast makes a nice menu too.

[basie1955]

I'm very new at this and trying to follow along.

Are you saying that Streamclip is Mac's version of Mpeg Wizard for PC?

I read that in Wizard you don't need to convert the VOB to DV for

editing but you make your cuts right in the Mpeg format.

I'm looking for a method by which I can edit video on my Mac that

I've burned onto DVD's from VHS. I was going to use iMovie for the

editing (DV) but would rather not if it's possible.

Thanks,

john

[sdm]

I don't know about mpeg wizard, but you are right, you can make cuts without converting to DV. I haven't been able to paste together two or more mpeg clips. Does anyone know how to do this?
You can however open one VOB, and streamclip will paste in the other VOBs from the video_ts folder.
--sdm

[AntnyMD]

To "paste" two or more MPEGs (same resolution at a minimum), just name the files in sequence and save them into the same folder. Open the first of the sequence with MPEG Streamclip and it should ask you if you want to open the others as well. Then do your edits and save to a new file.

[sdm]

thanks AntnyMD
I must have the naming format wrong. This is what I've tried:
track1.mpg
track2.mpg
track3.mpg

track.mpg1
track.mpg2
track.mpg3

track.mpg.1
track.mpg.2
track.mpg.3

track1.mpeg
track2.mpeg
track3.mpeg

these are vcd mpgs that have the exact same res, bitrate etc.

what do you think I should try?

thanks, sdm

[AntnyMD]

Heres a thought: try renaming them as if they were DVD files, i.e., vts_01_1.mpg, vts_01_2.mpg. See if that works.

[sdm]

hmm that doesn't work either.
but thanks, any other thoughts?

[AntnyMD]

Yeah, maybe it only does this when the video is MPEG2. I've had it work before but I never tried it on MPEG1 video.

My only other thought its to use the join feature of ffmpegX, first joining parts 1 and 2, then taking the outtputted file and joining part 3, and so on and so on.

[sdm]

I've been using mpgtx wrap. It seems to do a good job, but for some reason I'm not entirely confident that everything is kosher. You know with timecode breaks and junk headers etc.
Thanks for your help. I will try it with mpeg 2 files.
-- sdm

[havema-1]

MPEG Streamclip can concatenate similar MPEG files: Put the desired MPEGs in the same folder, and rename them so that they sort as desired in list view. Then select them via MPEG Streamclip's "File/Open Files..." dialog box (Shift- or Command-click to select multiple MPEGs). Then choose "Edit/Fix Timecode Breaks". After this MPEG Streamclip should report the combined length of all MPEGs. Then choose "File/Convert to MPEG..." or "File/Save As..." to save them in a single file.

For more info check:

http://www.sjoki.uta.fi/~shmhav/SVCD_on_a_Macintosh.html#edit_convert_MPEG

[sdm]

well there you go! It worked. The resulting Mpeg appears good.
Would you say that the concatenation doesn't introduce any new errors? (timecode issues, header problems, or synch problems)

Thanks, sdm.

[vaj]

Vaj,
Any luck on finding out how to make the Toast burn faster or easier? I hate enduring the hours if not days of Toast-Reencoding. Does anyone know how to make the Toast DVD-Video process faster?

Ice

Yes. What I do is open the extracted video file off my harddrive in Streamclip, typically a MPEG-2 file, extracted from a DVD. Then pick what part (or all of it) that I want to export. Then I export as Demux to M2V and AC3 in Streamclip. When I have number of clips I want to burn I add them to DVD Video tab of Toast 6.0.7. When you click "burn", Toast will simply "remux" the files, then burn them. If you do this correctly it will NOT reencode them. A HUGE timesaver. NOTE: the above assumes you have extracted the AC3 sound portion.

It would be nice to see an export option in Streamclip which did NOT demux the files--them they would simply burn with no need to remux.

If you have a single file from a single DVD source, by far the easiest thing is to simple extract/rip (and possibly de-encrypt) that file to your HD, then add the Video_TS folder to the UDF option under Toast's data tab. Then it simply burns. For multiple clips, the first method is best, for entire DVD backups, the second way is best.

Fast, easy, simple.

[alph]

Even if Toast accepts the video and does not re-encode, it's been my experience that Toast remuxes everything: I think it has to do it with adding the chapters and such. If I remember correctly, Sizzle does this too. A finished DVD from Toast contains about 100 megs of extra data per 1000 megs of source video (mp2/ac3) it remuxes. I've always been curious as to what that process Toast calls multiplexing involves because it sure takes longer than simply muxing video and audio does in any other application.

Regards

[sjk]

An iVideo Discussion post claims:

Also MPEG Streamclip has a very big bug in it - try to convert a movie to MPEG2 that is longer than 1h42m and you will have a white screen after this time.

Has anyone here confirmed that? I haven't had a chance to check it yet.

[AntnyMD]

It would be nice to see an export option in Streamclip which did NOT demux the files--them they would simply burn with no need to remux.

Save As MPEG doesnt demux the file(s).

[AntnyMD]

An iVideo Discussion post claims:

Also MPEG Streamclip has a very big bug in it - try to convert a movie to MPEG2 that is longer than 1h42m and you will have a white screen after this time.

Has anyone here confirmed that? I haven't had a chance to check it yet.

I had it do Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2, both just over 2 hours each, and there is no bug. People say the darndest things on the internet.

[vaj]

[quote="AntnyMD"]

Save As MPEG doesnt demux the file(s).

IIRC correctly, Toast reencoded these when I tried that.