Simple free program editing.

[Traveller]

Hi All.

Am looking for a simple free program that simply allows parts of video or audio to be removed, and would it be possible to remove the sound from a video and add your own instead?

Thanks.

[redwudz]

Depends on the format of the video. Freeware Video Editors

For MPEG, try Mpg2Cut2 or Cuttermaran

For AVI types, try VirtualDub.

To replace the audio, you may need to use a demuxing program. Some here: https://www.videohelp.com/tools/sections/video-de-multiplexers

VirtualDub can also demux and mux back the audio with the video, but only for AVI type formats. Most simple video editors won't let you edit the audio and video separately, this is to avoid sync problems.

[Traveller]

Thanks redwudz, will give them a try.

[Traveller]

Hi again.

I've installed Virtual Dub now but when I try to open an AVI, I get the error

"Couldn't locate decompressor for format 'XVID' (unknown)

VirtualDub Requires a Video for Windows compatible codec to decompress video. DirectShow codecs, such as those used by Windows Media Player, are not suitable."

I have done a search for this on the boards and also on the Internet but the results I've seen so far date back to 1995, so I thought I'd ask the question here since things will have been updated/changed greatly since then.

Thanks.

[Ai Haibara]

For that, all you need to do is install the Xvid codec.

[Traveller]

Hi Ai Haibara, I just did that only SECONDS before I saw your reply and was now logging in to post here that this is what I tried and it didn't work! haha.

Any other thing I could try?

[Ai Haibara]

Which version did you install? The Xvid installers usually include the Video for Windows codec, which is what VirtualDub uses. (The reason I ask, is because there are some installers that only install DirectShow filters and not the VfW codec.)

You can also install ffdshow, then go to VFW Configuration in the ffdshow folder in your Start menu and make sure Xvid's enabled in the Codecs section. But installing the standard Xvid codec should (at least theoretically :/ ) work.

[Midzuki]

Besides XviD, DivX, 3ivx, On2, WMV9, Huffyuv and DV
are a must-have.

++++++++++++

[Traveller]

I installed Koepi's XviD Codec, version XviD_1.1.3-28062007.

I am not good at remembering what I have installed on my pc, so I carried out a search for ffdshow using 'Find', and found the following files on my pc.

ffdshow.en (in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM)
ffdshow.ax (in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM)
ffdshow.ax.manifest (in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM)
FFDShow (in C:\WINDOWS\Start Menu\Programs\XP Codec Pack 2.0.8\Configs)
FFDShow VFW (in C:\WINDOWS\Start Menu\Programs\XP Codec Pack 2.0.8\Configs)

From the above results, I gathered that 'ffdshow' and 'ffdshow vfw' were already installed as part of XP Codec Pack, so I opened both and noted the following settings. (I'm running W98SE; does this make any difference?)

In the ffdshow 'properties' box, there is only one tab available, which is labeled 'ffdshow'. It displays the supported codecs on the right hand side. The following is the very first one in the list.

Format - XViD
Decoder - Libavcodec
Supported FourCCs/remarks - XVID, XVIX


If I open ffdshow vfw, in the ffdshow vfw 'properties' box, there are two tabs available (Encoder and Decoder). The first line of the box displays the following.

Encoder - MPEG 4
Fourcc - XVID
Mode - one pass - constant bitrate


What does all the above mean in relation to my problem?

Thanks Midzuki; do you mean in general or for my specific problem? Thanks.

[Ai Haibara]

Nah. That you're using Win98SE shouldn't make a difference; I've got a Win98 tower in another room with ffdshow and Xvid coexisting just fine with VirtualDub. (Okay, okay, I know that doesn't really help... )
However... if you're using 98SE, why install a codec pack meant primarily for XP? (Of course, I generally don't recommend installing codec packs, anyway, other than ffdshow.)

Which version of ffdshow do you have installed? You might try updating it to one of the latest builds (check the link on the ffdshow page in VideoHelp's Tools section). Also, ffdshow should have an option to let the Xvid codec DLLs decode, rather than libavcodec - just change the dropdown from libavcodec to Xvid, and see if that changes anything.

But since you've installed a codec pack, you might also want to run a utility like Codec Sniper, to see if there are any damaged or conflicting codecs installed on your system.

Midzuki likely meant in general - though to be honest, I'm not really sure about 3ivx being needed (and not just because it's now shareware/commercial). I've never really had reason to use it. (Of course, that's just me.)
I think ffdshow also supports the On2 codecs to some extent (VP3, 6, 7, etc.)... but it would still be better to have On2's codecs installed, if possible (in which case ffdshow's support for those codecs should likely be disabled).

[Traveller]

'why install a codec pack meant primarily for XP?'

I don't know. I really hate when I have to deal with codecs, etc, because I don't understand ANY of it! With all the things that have the term 'XP' added to them, I can never tell whether they call it 'XP' because it is for Windows XP only or because it is compatible with Windows XP as well as other operating systems.

(Of course, I generally don't recommend installing codec packs, anyway, other than ffdshow.)

As I said, I don't know anything about this topic, so I wouldn't know the difference between the XP Codec thing I installed an anything else!

'Which version of ffdshow do you have installed?'

October 12 2004 HA HA HA HA!

Another interesting thing I notice when checking for the version is that when I clicked the area where the version is indicated, a 'versions' box appeared with a list of items (under a column labeled 'library'). Xvid was in the list and next to it (in the version column) it stated 'not found'.

[Ai Haibara]

In this case, though, not everything written for XP will necessarily work in previous versions. Divx 6, for example, only works with XP and above. If you have a codec pack installing codecs on the system even though they may not work on a version of Windows earlier than XP, they might be causing some of the problems you've been having (VfW codecs might not be recognized correctly (Xvid, in this case), or even that WMV problem you were describing in another thread.) Especially if the codec pack creators don't have a version-check to make sure they're not installing things to incompatible versions of Windows.

I'd still recommend using a tool like Codec Sniper (or others that you can find in VideoHelp's Tools section, including Radlight Filter Manager and DirectShow Filter Manager, if I remember the names correctly), to see if they detect anything broken among the codecs and DirectShow filters.

You might end up having to uninstall the XP codec pack, if it did cause some problems, and hope that that helps.

[Traveller]

OK, but I hope uninstalling the XP codec pack won't make something else stop working, as I am guessing that I installed it because something wasn't working, which started to work after installing it.

Thanks for your help, appreciate it!