Joining several small avi's with VirtualDub creates HUGE file, time is off

[JackJ59]

I'm trying to append several small avi's (that I'd cut from longer ones). I'm trying to create a highlight film of a soccer game (that was filmed with numerous clips of several minutes each). I cut out segments, each time saving them as Direct Stream Copy. So, I have 28 clips, that total 3 gb and should run 15 minutes or so; I start with the first, then File - Append Avi Segment and add each one, and when done it shows it being over 3 hours, and only part way through it's already at 10 gb. I even tried doing half of it and it was at 9gb when halfway through!
Is there a limit as to how many one can join? Or is it just two?

[hech54]

that I'd cut

What video codec is in the "avi's"?
Did you cut on key frames?

[sambat]

When you load the 28 segments and scrub to the last frame it shows the running time ~ 15 minutes?

[jagabo]

You forgot to select Video -> Direct Stream Copy when you appended them. The default in VirtualDub is to decompress every frame and save as uncompressed AVI.

[JackJ59]

Not sure what codec (if any?) I guess it needs one, though... These were filmed with my camcorder, then captured to my computer using WinDV version 1.2.3. I don't set any keyframes, and if there are any, they're fairly close together, bec. I never have a problem cutting precisely.
I just found another thread where someone thinks that WinDV uses MS DirectShow codec.

[JackJ59]

When you load the 28 segments and scrub to the last frame it shows the running time ~ 15 minutes?

No, then it shows it as 4+ hours; but the individual files should total only 15 minutes. When I aborted it halfway through, and it was showing as much longer than it is, I noticed in playback that it's counting time faster than it really is, too. So, say 10 seconds goes off, it's saying it's 15 or 20 seconds.

[JackJ59]

You forgot to select Video -> Direct Stream Copy when you appended them. The default in VirtualDub is to decompress every frame and save as uncompressed AVI.

Oh.... So each time I Append, I THEN have to select Direct Stream Copy? Not just when I choose to save it? But I just did it, and after appending, it still shows Direct Stream Copy as selected. In fact, I've noticed that as long as I keep that instance of VirtualDub open, once selected, Direct Stream Copy stays selected. DOes it do anything to select it again, even if it shows it as being selected already?

[jagabo]

You only have to set Video -> Direct Stream Copy once after starting VirtualDub (any time before saving).

If VirtualDub is showing 4 hours but you only appended 15 minutes of video something is wrong. Are your files sequentially numbered, like vid01.avi, vid02.avi, vid03.avi? VirtualDub will automatically append sequentially numbered files on the first Append. In that case all you have to do is Open the first file, Append the second file, (all the rest of the files will automatically be appended). Then Save as AVI.

[Selur]

I normally use Avi-Mux GUI (http://www.alexander-noe.com/video/amg/) to join avis.
1. start Avi-Mux GUI
2. drag&drop all he files
3. select all the files and press 'generate data source form files'
4. hit 'start' and enter the output name of the new joined file

Cu Selur

[JackJ59]

DING, DING, DING!!! You win the door prize, jagabo!! That was it. I appended the first and it did all 28. So it was appending all 28 files, 27 times! Lol.... Funny, bec. in looking through the partial one, I thought I'd seen a duplicate scene, and then searched through my 1.avi, 2.avi, 3.avi, etc. but couldn't find the duplicate.
Thanks a ton!!

Thanks for the suggestion, too, Selur.