How to remove 2 seconds from avi file and how to replace title music..?

[acegap]

1) I have a set of avi files for a tv series where the adverts in the middle of the programmes have been removed ok. However, one or two episodes have a two or three frame 'flash' of the end of the advert slap bang in the middle of the programme. I'm wondering what software exists to help me remove the few frames and then join up the end of the first half and the beginning of the second half of the programme..?

2) Same tv series avi files - Some of the programmes have an anonymous announcer reading out details of the next unrelated programme over the top of the end credits. As most of the episodes have the full length Series Theme Music with NO announcer interference, I'm wondering if there is any software that would allow me to remove the final minute or so of 'announcer' soundtrack and replace it with the final minute or so of the original, intended, theme music.

Many thanks in advance

[guns1inger]

1 is easy. Either AVI Demux or the latest Virtualdub with Smart Rendering turned on will allow you to remove a few frames without re-encoding the whole thing. However, cutting on non-key frames will mean re-encoding the GOP in which the cuts occur, which in a Divx or Xvid encoded file could be as many as 300 frames. If you use a constant quality setting of 2 or 3 you should be fine.

2 requires more work. The simple solution would be to cut off a good credit sequence and use this to replace the bad ones. Assuming all the credits are the same, this is the solution of least effort. If, however, the credits are unique to the episode, your only choice is to demux the audio and use an audio editor like audacity (free) to replace the credit audio, then remux this audio back into the video. It's not difficult, just more time consuming than the first option.

[redwudz]

VirtualDub is the first program that comes to mind. But it depends on what you mean by 'AVI'. That's not a format, just a general container name. Assuming a format like Xvid/Divx, they need to be cut on a keyframe or re-encoded at the cut. That may be why you have the problem in the first place. Xvid/Divx commonly have keyframe spacing at every 300 frames or so. That makes frame accurate editing difficult. The newer VirtualDub has a 'smart render' function that just re-encodes at the cut point. You will need the proper Xvid/Divx codec installed.

For the audio, you can extract the audio track after editing, drop it into Audacity, then trim off the ends and insert your desired audio in their place, output again and add back into VirtualDub and replace the original audio, then save the whole file in direct stream mode. That's very quick and doesn't re-encode it, just joins the new audio to the video.

That's the methods I use most times. Both programs are freeware.

EDIT: guns1inger typed faster.

[acegap]

Many thanks guns1inger and redwudz - that lot should keep me busy..

btw the avi files are TTT XviD