editing videos received by Dropbox

[rosmari]

I downloaded some videos I received by Dropbox; they are now in a zip folder in Downloads (.mp4). I need cut them, and further edit them.
I tried to open them with Avidemux, which doesn't accept them. One of them is really long, and I need to cut it before I do anything else.

Please help!

[smrpix]

Did you extract the files from the zip before attempting to load them into Avidemux? Simply dragging from the zip folder isn't sufficient. Otherwise, please post MediaInfo reports on the files.

[Cornucopia]

You didn't get them from Dropbox, you got them from someone, via Dropbox (which is just a form of cloud storage).

If what you get doesn't work for you, get the sender to encode a copy that will.

Scott

[rosmari]

to s,rpix: yes, I did extract them and they are now sitting in 'Download'.

to Cornucopia: The friend who sent them to me downloaded them from her smart phone onto her computer, and then put them ob Dropbox. But she is just as computer-dumb as I am.

Is there a reasonably priced program that could handle all that for me?

[Brainiac]

Before thinking about any software, you need to know more about the files you have. Like smrpix said, you should load a file into Mediainfo (free) and post the results of the report here. After examining the report someone here can further advise you.

Brainiac

[usually_quiet]

Before thinking about any software, you need to know more about the files you have. Like smrpix said, you should load a file into Mediainfo (free) and post the results of the report here. After examining the report someone here can further advise you.

Brainiac

Definitely a good idea since this video was shot with a smart phone. Phone cameras can use variable framerate.

[Cornucopia]

...which is a pain to edit. Best to covert first (via ffmpeg or similar) to an edit-friendly format (and one that uses constant frame rate).

Scott

[TreeTops]

Scott, wouldn't 'Handbrake' be easier for a beginner?

[Brainiac]

Deleted

[Brainiac]

...which is a pain to edit. Best to covert first (via ffmpeg or similar) to an edit-friendly format (and one that uses constant frame rate).

Scott

Yes to this!

[rosmari]

allright - I downloaded ffmpeg, 32bit static. After it was downloaded, it asked me to look for an app in the store - I have no idea what to do.

Incidentally, in my desperation, I downloaded Movavi Video Converter: it did convert, first to .mov; then to .avi, since Avidemux prefers .avi. However, in the process, I lost the sound after I opened it on Avidemux. Perhaps I should find another video cutter? That one video is 237 MB - perhaps that's the trouble?
All I want out of it is about 30 seconds.

[Cornucopia]

Scott, wouldn't 'Handbrake' be easier for a beginner?

It would be, if the OP were just trying to transcode to a standard end-user consumer format. But she isn't: my suggestion directed her towards creation of (lossless, near- lossless) intermediates, which Handbrake is not capable of doing.

Still waiting on that MediaInfo intel... That will determine what kind of script is necessary.

Scott

[rosmari]

here's the picture of it on Mediainfo.

Now what?

[Cornucopia]

Don't want/need a screenshot which shows only a portion of the needed info. (sorry, that sounded too harsh)

How about uploading a text export?

Scott

[rosmari]

What's a text export? - sorry I'm so ignorant.

[LMotlow]

Using the top menu in the MediaInfoXp window, you can tell it to export a complete report in .txt format and upload it to the forum. In the menu at the top of the MediaInfo panel, click "File " -> "Export", then click the "Text" tab, click the "Advanced mode" check box in the resulting window, give the text file a location and name at the bottom of the window, and click "OK".

Or, if you notice the image of that Text View window you posted -- you can select all of the text in that window, copy it to the clip clipboard, and paste it as plain text in a forum post.

Below is an example from another file on my Pc. The text was selected with the mouse, copied to the clipboard (use right-click -> "Copy"), and pasted below inside "code" markers:

General
Format                                   : MPEG-4
Format profile                           : Base Media / Version 2
Codec ID                                 : mp42
File size                                : 1.09 MiB
Duration                                 : 3s 280ms
Overall bit rate mode                    : Variable
Overall bit rate                         : 2 781 Kbps
Encoded date                             : UTC 2015-10-22 09:46:02
Tagged date                              : UTC 2015-10-22 09:46:03

Video
ID                                       : 1
Format                                   : AVC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile                           : Main@L3.2
Format settings, CABAC                   : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames                : 3 frames
Codec ID                                 : avc1
Codec ID/Info                            : Advanced Video Coding
Duration                                 : 3s 280ms
Bit rate                                 : 2 555 Kbps
Width                                    : 854 pixels
Height                                   : 480 pixels
Display aspect ratio                     : 16:9
Frame rate mode                          : Constant
Frame rate                               : 25.000 fps
Standard                                 : PAL
Color space                              : YUV
Chroma subsampling                       : 4:2:0
Bit depth                                : 8 bits
Scan type                                : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)                       : 0.249
Stream size                              : 1.01 MiB (93%)
Encoded date                             : UTC 2015-10-22 09:46:02
Tagged date                              : UTC 2015-10-22 09:46:03
Color range                              : Limited

Audio
ID                                       : 2
Format                                   : AAC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile                           : LC
Codec ID                                 : 40
Duration                                 : 3s 240ms
Duration_FirstFrame                      : -3ms
Bit rate mode                            : Variable
Bit rate                                 : 192 Kbps
Channel(s)                               : 2 channels
Channel positions                        : Front: L R
Sampling rate                            : 48.0 KHz
Compression mode                         : Lossy
Stream size                              : 75.0 KiB (7%)
Title                                    : Stereo
Encoded date                             : UTC 2015-10-22 09:46:02
Tagged date                              : UTC 2015-10-22 09:46:03

In the reply window "Advanced View", the code marker icon on the reply window toolbar looks like "#". Or you can copy that clipboard text to Notepad, save it as a .txt file, and upload it here. There are several ways to do it. Making screen captures is a waste of your time.

[rosmari]

Well, here they are.

[usually_quiet]

@rosmari With MediaInfo in Text View, you can use cut-and-paste to copy the report from the window and to add it to your post as text. There is no need to make segmented screenshots and upload them as attachments.

[rosmari]

I'm learning! - is this easier to read?

General
Complete name : C:\Users\rosmari\Downloads\Videos and photos for 2016 calendar\VID_20150419_185706.mp4
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media / Version 2
Codec ID : mp42
File size : 96.4 MiB
Duration : 1mn 38s
Overall bit rate : 8 188 Kbps
Movie name : 2015-04-19T18:57:07
Recorded date : 2015
Encoded date : UTC 2015-04-19 22:57:06
Tagged date : UTC 2015-04-19 22:57:06

Video
ID : 2
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4
Format settings, CABAC : No
Format settings, ReFrames : 1 frame
Format settings, GOP : M=1, N=31
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 1mn 38s
Source duration : 1mn 38s
Bit rate : 8 011 Kbps
Width : 1 280 pixels
Height : 720 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Variable
Frame rate : 30.035 fps
Minimum frame rate : 14.925 fps
Maximum frame rate : 58.752 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.289
Stream size : 94.1 MiB (98%)
Source stream size : 94.1 MiB (98%)
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2015-04-19 22:57:07
Tagged date : UTC 2015-04-19 22:57:07
mdhd_Duration : 98760

Audio
ID : 1
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : LC
Codec ID : 40
Duration : 1mn 38s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 192 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 2.26 MiB (2%)
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2015-04-19 22:57:06
Tagged date : UTC 2015-04-19 22:57:06
mdhd_Duration : 98760

[usually_quiet]

Yes, the report is easier to read. Unfortunately, the smart phone camera indeed uses variable frame rate, as suspected.

I've never worked with variable frame rate video, but from what others have written about it here, I do know that it is troublesome. Cornucopia likely has needed to work with it, and will probably have some ideas on how to use ffmepeg to convert it to a more editor-friendly format using a standard constant frame rate.

[Cornucopia]

Much depends on your expectations WRT filesize constraints, but here is an example generic CLI script that forces the framerate to constant...

"...path_to...\ffmpeg.exe" -i "yourfilehere.mp4" -r 30* -c:v jpeg2000** -c:a copy "outputfilename.avi"

Obviously, you'll have to fill in your own file & path details, plus you may want to specify other features (bitrate, rez change, etc.)

*Try 30 or 30000/1001 (aka accurate 29.97) for standard US-centric framerates. There might be minor drift/desync between video & audio, but hopefully not.
**can use jpeg2000, or huffyuv, or dnxhd or prores as good lossless/quasi-lossless intermediate codecs

Sorry, it could be fine-tuned much better, but I'm in a hurry right now. There are lots of examples on the net about how to properly use those parameters, though.

Scott

[rosmari]

I really appreciate your trying to help me; sadly, I have difficulty understanding computer-speak.

I downloaded dnxhd, and I have it now as 'AvidcodecsLESetup.exe'.When I click this, it just wants to setup again. Perhaps, if I can open it, I can then fill in the file name and tell it to use a 30 frame rate? So, what should I do now?

Alternatively, if I want to use jpeg2000 as 'intermediate codec', how would I proceed?

I don't know what 'WRT filesize constraints' are.

Please have patience with me - thank you!
By the way, the videos were taken with a Blackberry smart phone.

[videobruger]

Download a static buile of ffmpeg here (x32 or x64)

Copy the downloaded file (ffmpeg-20151022-git-a7c5005-win64-static.7z) to C:\Users\rosmari\Downloads\Videos and photos for 2016 calendar\

Use 7-Zip (or WinZip or ...) to extract ffmpeg.exe (it's in a subfolder "bin")

In Windows Explorer at C:\Users\rosmari\Downloads\Videos and photos for 2016 calendar\ use File -> Open a command prompt.

Type in

ffmpeg -i VID_20150419_185706.mp4 -r 30 -c:v huffyuv - c:a copy VID_20150419_185706.AVI

I don't know what 'WRT filesize constraints' are

WRT : With Respect To, ie your generated output file (VID_20150419_185706.AVI) is going to be HUGE.

[rosmari]

OK - it took me all this time to get an acceptable result; I've cut it down to about 25 sec, and the only undesirable thing is a "flashy or explosive breakup" of the picture at the very beginning, but it's just for a second or so, and I'll just have to accept it.

I cut the 4 minute long video - which I had converted to .mov - both at the front and at the back end, with Avidemux. I also tried X2X, which was worse. Can you recommend a really good video cutter - preferably free?

Computers and software are supposed to make one's life easier - maybe for younger generations ---

Anyway, thank you so much for your patience.