Freeware that can direct stream cut VOB/MPEG video files?

[kingmustard123]

Boilsoft Video Splitter and Ultra Video Splitter are not free.

[ricardouk]

Mpg2Cut2 or Avidemux

[hech54]

....as long as you cut on key frames.

[ricardouk]

....as long as you cut on key frames.

forgot that

[kingmustard123]

Mpg2Cut2 or Avidemux

I opened the VOB file in Avidemux.

I set Marker A and Marker B (with both Video Output and Audio Output set to Copy) and then used File > Save.

It saved an AVI file.

Isn't a VOB file really an MPEG file?

If so, hasn't Avidemux had to "re-compress" in order to save/convert it to an AVI file?

[usually_quiet]

Mpg2Cut2 or Avidemux

I opened the VOB file in Avidemux.

I set Marker A and Marker B (with both Video Output and Audio Output set to Copy) and then used File > Save.

It saved an AVI file.

Isn't a VOB file really an MPEG file?

If so, hasn't Avidemux had to "re-compress" in order to save/convert it to an AVI file?

If you select "Copy" for Audio Output and Video Output and "MPEG PS" or "MPEG TS" for output format, Avidemux doesn't re-compress.

[kingmustard123]

Mpg2Cut2 or Avidemux

I opened the VOB file in Avidemux.

I set Marker A and Marker B (with both Video Output and Audio Output set to Copy) and then used File > Save.

It saved an AVI file.

Isn't a VOB file really an MPEG file?

If so, hasn't Avidemux had to "re-compress" in order to save/convert it to an AVI file?

If you select "Copy" for Audio Output and Video Output and "MPEG PS" or "MPEG TS" for output format, Avidemux doesn't re-compress.

Ah, so if I leave both Video Output and Audio Output to Copy, it doesn't really matter what Output Format I use, does it? (as they're just containers, I think)

[usually_quiet]

If you select "Copy" for Audio Output and Video Output and "MPEG PS" or "MPEG TS" for output format, Avidemux doesn't re-compress.

Ah, so if I leave both Video Output and Audio Output to Copy, it doesn't really matter what Output Format I use, does it? (as they're just containers, I think)

AVI is not a good choice for MPEG-2 video. The AVI container is not intended for any type of video that uses B-frames, and DVD compatible MPEG-2 video has them.

[kingmustard123]

If you select "Copy" for Audio Output and Video Output and "MPEG PS" or "MPEG TS" for output format, Avidemux doesn't re-compress.

Ah, so if I leave both Video Output and Audio Output to Copy, it doesn't really matter what Output Format I use, does it? (as they're just containers, I think)

AVI is not a good choice for MPEG-2 video. The AVI container is not intended for any type of video that uses B-frames, and DVD compatible MPEG-2 video has them.

I appreciate your help

Which do you suggest?

• FLV Muxer
• MP4 Muxer
• MP4v2 Muxer
• MKV Muxer
• MPEG-TS Muxer (ff)
• MPEG-PS Muxer (ff)
• Webm Muxer

[jagabo]

MPEG-PS (program stream, *.MPG) is most common and compatible for MPEG 2 from VOB.

[kingmustard123]

MPEG-PS (program stream, *.MPG) is most common and compatible.

Thank you!

So to confirm, if I use Copy for both Video Output and Audio Output and MPEG-PS for Output Format, there will be no re-encoding taking place?

[jagabo]

In Copy mode nothing is re-encoded.

[hech54]

....as long as you cut on key frames.

[kingmustard123]

....as long as you cut on key frames.

How can I ensure I'm doing that with Avidemux?

[jagabo]

Avidemux shows you the 'Frame Type" at the bottom center of its window. "I" is a keyframe.

[hech54]

I was hoping someone would answer that. My version of Avidemux is archaic.....I have no idea how a newer version works.

[kingmustard123]

Avidemux shows you the 'Frame Type" at the bottom center of its window. "I" is a keyframe.

Ah!

The first 16 on my VOB seems to show:

00:00:00:120 I-FRM (05)
00:00:00:160 B-FRM (09)
00:00:00:200 B-FRM (09)
00:00:00:240 P-FRM (07)
00:00:00:280 B-FRM (09)
00:00:00:320 B-FRM (09)
00:00:00:360 P-FRM (07)
00:00:00:400 B-FRM (08)
00:00:00:440 B-FRM (10)
00:00:05:101 P-FRM (07)
00:00:05:141 B-FRM (09)
00:00:05:181 B-FRM (09)
00:00:05:221 I-FRM (05)
00:00:05:261 B-FRM (09)
00:00:05:301 B-FRM (09)
00:00:05:341 P-FRM (06)

So I'll only cut on the I-FRMs, yep?

[jagabo]

My version of Avidemux is archaic...

Mine is a few years old too.

By the way, in Copy mode the program will never reencode. If you mark in/out on a non-keyframe it will either complain or use a nearby keyframe instead of where you marked.

[kingmustard123]

Mine isn't so new either.

By the way, in Copy mode the program will never reencode. If you mark in/out on a non-keyframe it will either complain or use a nearby keyframe instead of where you marked.

I did notice it wouldn't match :/

Does that mean that I'll lose some frames when cutting?

[jagabo]

You'll either lose a few or get a few extra.

[hech54]

My version of Avidemux is archaic...

Mine is a few years old too.

By the way, in Copy mode the program will never reencode. If you mark in/out on a non-keyframe it will either complain or use a nearby keyframe instead of where you marked.

I think I've come across that situation once or twice, but I never say that here because you KNOW a newbie will come back and complain that it's not cutting exactly where he/she wanted it.

[kingmustard123]

I always presumed that of the x frames per second (such as 24), I could cut at any of those frames.

Then again, that's probably before compression, I presume?

[davejavu]

Avidemux will only cut on keyframes in copy mode, but if you are reencoding the video you can cut on any frame you want.

[kingmustard123]

Avidemux will only cut on keyframes in copy mode, but if you are reencoding the video you can cut on any frame you want.

Ah! Thank you

[davejavu]

Well, as stated above, it will let you cut on non-keyframes but will give you a warning before letting you save the new video file and it may sometimes fail when trying to save. Not a good idea to even try this (I always abort and recheck my cut points if this happens to me) as you will get a bit of garbled/jumbled video at the cut point as the frame you cut at was missing a lot of data and the device/software you use to play it back will not know to display the whole of that frame properly.

The keyframes are fully encoded with the whole picture being represented and the subsequent set of frames, up to the next keyframe, contain information on what parts of the image have changed since the frame before it. When reencoding the new video will be given a new fully encoded keyframe at the start of each cut segment so it will play back properly.

[kingmustard123]

I have tried to add a clip that I created with Avidemux 2.6 (I-FRMs for Start markers and End markers, Copy for both Video and Audio Outputs, MPEG-PS for Output Format) into Windows Live Movie Maker 2012.

The preview in WLMM is black and the sound is garbled (appears to be playing too quickly).

WLMM has played almost every format I've ever thrown at it; it certainly shouldn't be struggling with files such as this.

Any ideas? (not how to fix WLMM but how to fix the files Avidemux is producing).

[jagabo]

Does your MPG file play properly in a media player?

VOB files can be tricky. They aren't designed to be accessed without the accompanying IFO files. Most of the time you can get away without the IFO files but not always. Sometimes the IFO file contains information that's needed to correctly play/extract the video.

AviDemux is a pretty crappy program. It is full of crash and die bugs, an lesser bugs. I don't use it for anything. I would try Mpg2Cut2 instead of AviDemux. It's ugly but it works much better.

Movie Maker also isn't very good at handling a lot of different input formats. I don't know how well it handles MPG files.

If you can't get an MPG file that plays properly with the above tools you should try using VOB2MPG. It parses the IFO file correctly and virtually always produces correct results. If you no longer have the IFO files you may be SOL.

[kingmustard123]

Does your MPG file play properly in a media player?

VOB files can be tricky. They aren't designed to be accessed without the accompanying IFO files. Most of the time you can get away without the IFO files but not always. Sometimes the IFO file contains information that's needed to correctly play/extract the video.

AviDemux is a pretty crappy program. It is full of crash and die bugs, an lesser bugs. I don't use it for anything. I would try Mpg2Cut2 instead of AviDemux. It's ugly but it works much better.

Movie Maker also isn't very good at handling a lot of different input formats. I don't know how well it handles MPG files.

If you can't get an MPG file that plays properly with the above tools you should try using VOB2MPG. It parses the IFO file correctly and virtually always produces correct results. If you no longer have the IFO files you may be SOL.

I now have the accompanying BUP and IFO files in the same directory.

Unfortunately, VOB2MPG doesn't run on Windows 10 x65 (build 14965).

I'll try Mpg2Cut2 now.

[usually_quiet]

Unfortunately, VOB2MPG doesn't run on Windows 10 x65 (build 14965).

There are instructions on VOB2MPG's VideoHelp page under "More information and other downloads" which should correct that problem.