rotated video and conversion for smaller file

[rtdavide]

OK.
I tried searching through the guides but i was a little lost anyway, so i thought it better to simply post and maybe someone could push me in the right direction.
I took some video using my digital camera in portrait mode.
when i import the video to the computer, the avi file is rotated 90 degrees counter clockwise.
Using windows movie maker, it rotates it, but keeps the aspect at 4:3 rather than changing it to 3:4

So then I used a freeware program called AVIedit to rotate it, but the result is much more pixelated than the original.

AND... if i then import that into windows movie maker to change the format and make the file smaller, then it squashes the file into the 4:3 ration and it doesnt look right.

the two questions then are:
1. how can i rotate the video without losing quality?
2. How can I convert the subsequent avi into something more manageable and NOT squash the video?

Since i'm a cheapskate, i'd like to NOT have to buy an expensive program, but if i have layout some cash, then what are the lower cost programs that will accomplish this?

thanks

dave

[zoobie]

maybe try WAX2 or ZS4 ?
saw them in another thread
both free

[rtdavide]

these programs will do the things i'm asking about?

[träskmannen]

1. how can i rotate the video without losing quality?
2. How can I convert the subsequent avi into something more manageable and NOT squash the video?

1) Rotating the video means re-encoding. Unless you use a lossless codec or uncompressed AVI you will lose quality, it can't be avoided AFAIK. I would use VirtualDub (open the AVI you have, go to Video - Filters - Add and choose the rotate filter. Go to Video - Compression and choose whatever codec you want to re-encode it to. Which one to choose is depending on what end result you want to have. A DivX-codec will make a smaller file but with more quality loss, a lossless codec like Lagarith will be without quality loss but the end result will be very big.

2) What do you mean with manageable? Smaller in size (as in the size of the stamp instead of the size of a postcard) or smaller in filesize as in not taking much space on your hard drive? For the first, you can combine the rotate filter with a resize filter and get the dimensions you want. For the second one it is depending on which codec you use.

I would recommend you to wait a while with WAX2 and ZS4, they are not really the easiest ones for a beginner.

Good luck!

[rtdavide]

i downloaded the wax 2 and was lost frankly. i had no idea how to output anything, i couldn't figure out how to rotate the video... basically, i could't figure out how to make it do what i need.

i did rotate the video using AVIedit and as a lossless file, it went from 500mb to 4 something gigs... that's out of the question.....

i took a 4 minute video using the webcam one time and it was around 40 megs. that is about the size i'd like to have for hte current 4 minute video as well. it can be transferred easily enough on an ftp without taking forever. i mean even if the final size is 60 that would be ok, but not 2-400mgs and certainly not 4 gigs.....

when you talked about combining the 2 filters, is that in VirtualDub?

[träskmannen]

when you talked about combining the 2 filters, is that in VirtualDub?

Yes.

[rtdavide]

can i save the avi as anything other than an avi using virtualdub?

[träskmannen]

Not as far as I know. You can frameserve to an encoder of your choice (it is a method to without any loss send the video frame by frame to an encoder) and use that to get another file format. What do you want as an end result?

[rtdavide]

whatever is a good source for a smaller file like what i had mentioned, wmv or maybe an mpg, is mpg generally pretty small?

[träskmannen]

A wmv could be a good choice. Why don't you first try to save it as an AVI with VirtualDub using some different codecs and see what you think of the result? I would use an XVid or DivX for one file and a DV-codec (for instance Panasonic DV-codec, look in the tools section under codecs) for another and compare the two. If it is only a 4 minute video the process will be fast and I think a DivX would be small enough already. If you feel that the resulting files are too big you could use something like Windows Media Encoder to convert it to a wmv.

[rtdavide]

alright i'll try those first.

[rtdavide]

you know not to be bothersome, but having looked around, when i do a save as, i didn't see options to use different codecs... where should i be looking for that?

[träskmannen]

Under Video - Compression.

[rtdavide]

well, i don't see the codecs you were talking about but i did put it under microsoft video 1 and it significantly lowered the file size.

however when i use windows media encoder to turn it into a wmv, it stretches the entire video out so that it looks squashed.

is there a way in the virtualdub resize to retain the original video taken in portrait, yet shrink it and add black to the outside so the 4:3 needed for the wmv will not end up distorting the original portrait aspect?

[träskmannen]

well, i don't see the codecs you were talking about

Then you most likely don't have those codecs installed on your machine. They can be found here in the tools section if you want them. Whatever you do, don't take a shortcut and install a codec pack! That might screw up your system completely. It may work for some but it has made such a mess of some systems that a re-installation of windows has been needed. Don't take that risk.

is there a way in the virtualdub resize to retain the original video taken in portrait, yet shrink it and add black to the outside so the 4:3 needed for the wmv will not end up distorting the original portrait aspect?

Check the "expand frame and letterbox image" in the resize filter and play around a bit with the parameters.

[rtdavide]

thought i'd report back: got everything worked out. thanks for the tips, and especially the advice on virtual dub.

dave