Automatic splitting of video into separate files

[BobAchgill]

I would like to automatically split my long video up into 1000's individual seqentially numbered avi files.

Is there a free tool that will do this? My thought is that the tool would take a cue from the audio track like a whistle or loud click to prompt the location for splits.

Thanks!

Bob

[BobAchgill]

Let me clarify more about what I am trying to accomplish. I am making video of a hand sign dictionary and I want an easy way to split the hand signs up into individual avi files.

My thought was to make a sharp noise that would get recorded to large video that would signal the location of the splits. I will be throwing away the sound track portion of the video so the signal noise will not affect quality.

Can those tools that remove TV commercials from video be used to trigger off of a noise to split the video up into pieces?

Bob

[minidv2dvd]

if you are going to have to perform an action to create the marks, why not just press pause/play on the cam?

[BobAchgill]

At least on my camera... the start and stop is not very accurate which means sometimes I risk cutting off some of the hand sign because the signer started before the camera got going. Or the other side is that I leave too much dead space on the front end of the sign and make the dictionary clips not very punctual.

I don't have pause on my digital camera that I am using to record the video and I have the requirement to split the video up into different avi files.

I am trying to save having to physically edit by hand 1000's of clips out of the large clip. Maybe the answer is No answer... and I'll do it the hard way. Just thought I would ask.

[edDV]

There are many capture options that split files on time code discontinuity (e.g. pause button). You can work out your own hand signals to cue the talent.

Using sound cues to split files requires you to write software or at least muli-application scripts.

Easier to solve this problem with direction in the studio.

[minidv2dvd]

on most cams the pause is fairly quick to re-start recording again, as long as it isn't off long enough to cause the cam to shut down the tape transport motor. if it's a hard drive or memory card cam it's almost seemless.

a quick tap/tap on pause should do it.

you might consider a different cam for this job, if your tape transport is slow to restart.

[BobAchgill]

My digital still camera that happens to do video does not have pause. But that is good to know if I should use a regular video camera.

So back to my follow-on question... how do the applications do it that automatically edit out TV commercials? Do they cue off the change in volume since commercials are usually louder because they expect you to be getting something from the fridge.

If they can remove a piece of video then there would be a break in the time code and then your suggestion would take me the rest of the way in splitting the file up... follow my logic?

Still thinking of a way to solve my problem using my camera that does not have a pause button.

[edDV]

Use a MiniDV camcorder then capture over Firewire with WinDV ("Discontinuity" setting =1). It will split files on time code discontinuities.
http://www.windowsmoviemakers.net/PapaJohn/61/WinDV.aspx

Most other pay capture software will do similar.