How to turn big video into little video?

[jnojr]

I have an .mpg file that's 63MB, for less than two minutes of video. How can I turn that into a ~5MB or less file without making it tiny or grainy? I know it's possible... thatvideosite.com, for example, has lots of 5MB or so files that are a couple of minutes in length.

I need info about free software... I just want to convert a couple of little videos now and then for my own amusement, not for any kind of commercial use. I would also like to wind up with a format that is just going to play in a browsewr, hopefully regardless of which browser or platform. I suppose Quicktime is a good format, but can I do that with free software? What about WMV? I know the Windows Media Encoder won't work with MPEG2 for whatever reason...

[canadateck]

Try Windows movie maker, I have loaded MPEG-2 files in that before. And save out to WMV

[jnojr]

Is there a way to just download Movie Maker? I don't want to turn on Automatic updates, and I can't install SP2. I just want the installation files for it with no nonsense

[canadateck]

Oh boy, I'm really not sure I think you may need service pack2.

[greymalkin]

don't you want automatic updates and additional security patches for your legitimate copy of windows xp??????

[Baldrick]

Virtualdubmpeg2->dv avi->windows media encoder.

[sacajaweeda]

don't you want automatic updates and additional security patches for your legitimate copy of windows xp??????

Hell no.

[jnojr]

Virtualdubmpeg2->dv avi->windows media encoder.

Waitaminute... I did that before. All the files were roughly the same size.

I take that back... VDubMPEG2 made a 3GB file... we're going the wrong way here

thatvideosite.com has small videos. How do I do that?

[Richard_G]

If you are running XP, even service pack 1, you should have Windows Movie Maker installed by default. It normally lives under Accessories. If not, download WMM2 from the microsoft website.

[tweedledee]

Try this program called Super It can do what you want. I use it to convert to a format for use on a cell phone.
http://www.erightsoft.com/home.html

This is what it can do
# drag & drop any VIDEO file and EXTRACT the AUDIO part by converting it to
mp2, mp3, ac3, aac & amr_nb (the last 2 are playable on Nokia) format.
# convert any type of video <--> to your favorite PocketPC or Mobile phone 3gp/3g2 format (or vice versa).
# convert Flash containing FLV video to any other format.
# convert RealMedia files to any other format.
# convert QuickTime files to any other format.
# convert Windows Media Files (WMV, WMA) to any other format.
# convert AviSynth script files (.avs) to any other video format. (Recommended when direct file conversion fails)
# convert AVI files to <--> any other video format (or vice versa).
# convert ASF files to <--> any other video format (or vice versa).
# convert DivX / Xvid files to <--> any other video format (or vice versa).
# convert MOV files to <--> any other video format (or vice versa).
# convert MP4 files to <--> any other video format (or vice versa).
# convert MPG files to <--> any other video format (or vice versa).
# convert OGG files to <--> any other video format (or vice versa).
# convert VOB files to <--> any other video format (or vice versa).
# AutoMode to convert any type of video to VCD, SVCD, DVD.
# Play all of the above!

[jnojr]

If you are running XP, even service pack 1, you should have Windows Movie Maker installed by default. It normally lives under Accessories.

I found the executable for 1.1.something, but it won't open .mpg files

If not, download WMM2 from the microsoft website.

How? Where?

I can't install SP2.

[Richard_G]

Why should you want to install SP2? Go to the Microsoft site and do a search for Windows Movie Maker, version 2 is the current version and is the default version for download.

I have Windows Media Encoder version 9 loaded on this machine, running Windows XP SP1 and it opens and converts MPEG2 files. Why you think that Media Encoder won't work with MPEG2 files I don't know because it does. Maybe Version 9 isn't the standard version and I downloaded and installed that from Microsoft at some point in the past. Try it and see.

[kschang]

STOIK won't read MPG, but VirtualDub should be able to turn that into WMV or AVI easily with some serious encoding.