help needed converting and editing an flv please

[Witzend]

My bruv has given me an flv video file and wants only a section of it, he then wants a copy of that clip in slow motion and another copy of that clip in fast motion. He is doing a presentation and wants to put the edited videos into PowerPoint, using Windows 7
I’m working in the belief that to be able to remove the audio, cut out unwanted stuff, and to get the slow motion and fast motion clips, I need to use Virtualdub with an avi file.
I am using Vista and I used an online converter to convert the flv to avi. I used Virtualdub to remove the audio, to cut and keep the required clip, I then changed the frame rate to slow it down and changed it again to speed it up. So I have the 3 clips he wants but they are very badly pixelated. Checking back to the original avi I found that that is badly pixelated also.
I’ve used GSpot which reports on the flv as question marks for the Codec and Flash Video Unknown Type on the video name and that Code Status is Undetermined. On the converted avi GSpot reports the Codec as FMP4 the Video Name as FFmpeg/ffdshow ISO MPEG-4 and the Status as Codec(s) are not installed. I’ve got Klite pack and ffdshow installed.
I have spent nearly 3 weeks, all day every day (till 4am) researching on the net, reading all sorts of stuff and am more confused than when I started. The clock is running and I haven’t got a clue what to do next, can anyone help and point me in the right direction please?

[Baldrick]

Tried cut with avidemux?

[Witzend]

I've never used Avidemux, I don't understand what I'm supposed to do with it, the info that I've read isn't easy, so I'm no further forward.

The problem seems to be the pixellation which occured when flv was converted to avi. Any suggestions how to convert flv to avi without pixellation occuring please?

[DB83]

Your conversion can only be as good as the original. Many flv's are low quality, small frame (eg 320*240 etc videos). When you blow that frame size up, pixelation is un-avoidable.

BTW cutting with avidemux is straightforward. Move to the first frame you wish to cut - hit the icon with the big red 'A'
Move to the last frame you wish to cut - hit the icon with the big white 'B' (next to the big red 'A')
Hit the delete key (your keyboard)
Voila, the selected sequence has been cut out.
Made a mistake ? Just select 'Reset edits' from the edit menu

[Witzend]

Hi, I put the original flv into FLV Extract and ended up with 2 files, one was AAC the other was .264.

I changed the extension to .h264 and the video played brilliantly in VLC Media Player with no pixellation, clear as a bell.

Now all I need to do is find a way to convert the .h264 into a format that i can cut sections out of, speed them up, slow them down and save each one separately in a format that can be imported into Powerpoint.

Given that it's taken me 3 weeks, full time, to get this far, it will probably only take me about 2 years.

[DB83]

Well you can also ignore the previous advice on how to use avidemux to edit the original flv. Which can also perform frame-rate changes and export to other formats.

Or post back in two years when you are still trying to do this.

[Witzend]

Hi

Done it, thank you so much. Please understand, I wasn't dissing your advice, I just didn't understand, I know less than nothing about computers and file conversion etc. I've only had my computer for 2 years and have found that forums tend to be inhabited by people who know so much but sometimes forget that there are some of us who know absolutely nothing. I did give it my best shot at trying to get to the bottom of it but there is so much software and so much information it can be a bit overwhelming. But when you meet somebody who knows what they're talking about it takes only minutes. So Thank You