movie data block

[boldy]

can somebody explain hat the heck this means when using virtualdub i go to append the second file i get this error, is there a solution to this madness. The avi file doesn't have a movie data block.

[jimmalenko]

Is "Movie data block" the only three words of the error message ? I only ask because I googled and couldn't find anything even losely related.

If not, could you upload a screencap of the error message ?

https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=271697 can assist you with this.

[gadgetguy]

As Jimmalenko said, that's not alot to go on, but let me take a stab at it. When you append a video file, vdub looks for any videos with the same name following a number sequence and tries to load them all. If something with the same name and number sequence is found that is NOT a video or if one segment in the sequence is damaged an error will be raised. (Different causes, different errors.) Check each of the segments individually before trying to append and see if you find a problem.

[boldy]

this avi file doesn't have a data movie block (movi), that's the error on vdub

[boldy]

As Jimmalenko said, that's not alot to go on, but let me take a stab at it. When you append a video file, vdub looks for any videos with the same name following a number sequence and tries to load them all. If something with the same name and number sequence is found that is NOT a video or if one segment in the sequence is damaged an error will be raised. (Different causes, different errors.) Check each of the segments individually before trying to append and see if you find a problem.

how do i check a segment.

[gadgetguy]

Open them one at a time (do not append).

[boldy]

Open them one at a time (do not append).

the trouble is, is that i want to join them so i have to append them.

[jimmalenko]

Open them one at a time (do not append).

the trouble is, is that i want to join them so i have to append them.

I *think* he means to open them one at a time first, to make sure that they all can open individually. At least that way you could detect if one particular file is causing the problem.

[gadgetguy]

I *think* he means to open them one at a time first, to make sure that they all can open individually. At least that way you could detect if one particular file is causing the problem.

Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding.

[boldy]

Open them one at a time (do not append).

the trouble is, is that i want to join them so i have to append them.

I *think* he means to open them one at a time first, to make sure that they all can open individually. At least that way you could detect if one particular file is causing the problem.

yep well thats what i do to start with before even touching the files.

[gadgetguy]

If they will all open OK individually, then compare the properties of each one and make sure they all have the same specs, (resolution, framerate, samplerate, etc.)

[boldy]

it's the video bitrate thats different.

[jimmalenko]

it's the video bitrate thats different.

Well there ya go - your files must be exactly the same to append them in that manner. What are you trying to end up with ? Just one big joined AVI, or are you gonna convert to DVD, or .... ?

[Abond]

In my opinion video bitrate doesn't make sense for joining. In former times IIRC GordianKnot makes the movie and the end credits with different bitrates and joines them together with Nandub without any problem.

[gadgetguy]

In this case, your opinion doesn't matter.
Vdub requires that all the segments must be the same or it won't append them. Period. The fact that other applictions can accept them being different is irrelevant.

You should be able to resave the one that's different with the correct bitrate and then it should work.

[Abond]

Hopefuly you know what is Nandub.
I think I am right - video bitrate doesn't matter for joining. Audio bitrate matters, resolution matters, fourCC matters (maybe), samplerate matters, framerate matters, but not video bitrate.
If you want a proof get a xvid file and cut a minute from it. I bet VDub will report different video bitrate from the whole file.

[gadgetguy]

I'm not familiar with GordianKnot nor Nandub as I've not used either, but in all cases when I've used vdub to append, all of the segments had to be the same. Try it and see.

[jimmalenko]

Isn't NanDub basically a variant of virtualdub (or vice-versa) ? I seem to recall reading that they're very similar, but with NanDub being the more advanced of the two.

It makes sense to me though that neither video or audio bitrates have to match - especially in the case of 2-pass video and/or VBR audio. Seems strange that you could split a file with these characteristics into two parts, yet you then cannot join it back up again !

There's obviously a reason though, and perhaps virtualdub is aimed at being more noob-friendly and in order to minimise problems, Avery decided to place stricter conditions on joining thru virtualdub ?

If NanDub can join them but virtualdub can't, perhaps it would be better advice to try NanDub instead of re-encoding to suit virtualdub ?

[Abond]

No, Nandub was a modification of Vdub which can deal with mp3 VBR and ac3. The guy who made it called Nando (IIRC) therefore the name. I think the same approach was implemented latter in VDubMod.

Seems strange that you could split a file with these characteristics into two parts, yet you then cannot join it back up again !

This is the point - you can!
But to return to the topic - there is obviuosly another differences beside the video bitrate between the segments OP want to join. Though we don't know which are they.
It might sound weird but boldy can run the files through VDub with direct stream copy and to try to join again.

[boldy]

damn got another 1 vdub isn't exactly that helpfull, i got another 2 avi files trying to join and the same message all properties are the same apart from the data rate if i just do 1 of the avi files be part A or part B they work in vdub no probs but at the append stage thats when the probs begin, anyone got any easy suggestions for this pain in the a**