AVI / MPEG Questions

[mjgreer]

Bear with me. I've read a dozen posts and guides on this and other topics today, my head is spinning. I've found several answers by reading these posts, but, it seems like the answers only read to more questions.

I'm trying to capture video from a VCR and store the video to DVD.

I have a Diamond Multimedia VC500 as a capture device, which, I gather, the input is Composite RCA. One of the facts I've sorted out today.

The VC500 package includes two pieces of software for capturing video, ArcSoft Showbiz and ExGrabber. I've been using ArcSoft Showbiz, because I can store the file as MPEG-2 directly.

The problem comes in when I want to edit my video by cutting out parts of the video I don't want (advertisements). For this, the only software which seems to work well is Avidemux. But, the only format I can save with Avidemux, is AVI. When I try the other formats, I get an error message:

"DVD: only 48 kHz audio accepted" or something like that.

I know, from what I've read today, that AVI is a multimedia file format, a container, as one poster put it, that can store a multimedia file in many formats including mpeg-2. This only adds to my confusion. Is there any way to tell the codec used by an AVI file?

After editing my videos using Avidemux, and creating an AVI file, I've tried using several conversion software such as Video to Video, XMedia Recode, etc., but they all balk at converting the AVI file created with Avidemux to an MPEG-2 or MPG file.

Also, I've downloaded and tried to use VirtualDub to capture video since it was recommended for my Diamond MM VC500 in several post, but that also crashes.

I guess the main question is, can I use the AVI files created with Avidemux to burn a playable DVD, or do I have to convert these AVI files to MPG files before I can save them to DVD and view them with any DVD player?

-Mike

[manono]

If all you're doing is cutting stuff out, you might be better off opening your captures in MPEG2Cut2, doing the editing and then saving as MPEG. No reencoding is done so no video degradation. The MPEGs (assuming they're DVD-compliant) can then be authored for DVD. You don't really want to be converting to some lossy AVI codec as an intermediate. A lossless AVI codec would be fine but I don't think that's what you used.

You mentioned something about the audio not being 48 kHz. That's required for DVD and I'm fairly sure if it's not 48 kHz, you can change something so it's captured as 48 kHz. Check in MediaInfo if you're not sure. And are you sure the included ArcSoft software doesn't include anything to edit your captures?

I guess the main question is, can I use the AVI files created with Avidemux to burn a playable DVD,

Not without being converted/reencoded to MPEG-2 DVD video.

[mjgreer]

manono,

I just got VirtualDub up and working, and it's great, that it captures and allows me to cut out sections of my videos that I don't want.

But, the problem again is, I can only figure out how to save in AVI format.

There must be a way of converting AVI files into MPEG2 format.

Also, I downloaded MediaInfo just now. It has a .7z extension. What do I need to open this type of file?

Never mind the last question, I have MediaInfo installed.

-Mike

[mjgreer]

OK,

I opened up an AVI file, that I want to convert to an MPEG file, with MediaInfo. It shows both the video and audio are stored in MPEG format. But, still, how do I extract an AVI file into an MPEG file?

-Mike

[mjgreer]

Manono,

"And are you sure the included ArcSoft software doesn't include anything to edit your captures?"

OK. I just went back again and played around with ArcSoft Showbiz, and I figured out a way to cut out the unwanted portions of my video. So, yes, there is a way to do it. It was just counterintuitive like the most of the video editors.

-Mike

[hech54]

While using AviDemux for cutting...... "you were doing it wrong".
With most softwares, there are only certain places in the video you can cut losslessly.
Split-second timing/edits are where the problems start.

[videobruger]

do I have to convert these AVI files to MPG files before I can save them to DVD and view them with any DVD player?

Depends on the software you use for making the DVD (Author)

Software like AVStoDVD and DVDStyler will use the video and audio without conversion if they fulfill the specs for a video-DVD - regardless of the container is a AVI, MPG, MKV ...

If the specs are not meet they will make a conversion.

[jagabo]

Avidemux. But, the only format I can save with Avidemux, is AVI. When I try the other formats, I get an error message:

"DVD: only 48 kHz audio accepted" or something like that.

In the Format section, press Configure. Then tick "Allow non-compliant stream". For new recordings see if you can force your capture software to use 48KHz audio so it won't have to be reencoded for DVD.