Converting to what?

[plehoediv]

I don't think you'll have any trouble with any of those. FFDShow gives you the option of installing no codecs initially; I'd do that and then add codec support when and if you need to decode an oddball codec.

None of those will upset Scenalyzer.

Good to know.

The general idea is things like the K-lite mega packs are not a good idea.

Thats what I thought.

Thanks.

P.S. Not sure what I am doing wrong. Read the instructions and all that, but I am too stupid to figure it out. How do I mark a "section" in Scenalyzer and delete that section. So let's say video is 60 min long and I want to delete 30 - 40 section. Now I go ahead and just split it at those times and delete one of the parts it created...

[plehoediv]

BTW, I still have a ton of VOB files. I think it was a friend who captured my tapes using a VCR to CD player... Anyhow, what should I convert those to, so I can use them with Scenalyzer? Preferably convert with no loss of quality, or as little as possible. : )

I used Shutter Encoder to convert to ProRes. ProRes LT keeps the size somewhat the same. ProRes turns a 850mb file into a 4GB file. Just saying.

Thanks.

[Alwyn]

How do I mark a "section" in Scenalyzer and delete that section.

Drag out the yellow box to select the area you want to keep (you can drag box left edge and right edges to fine-adjust), then use the buttons at the bottom eg "trim selected frames". The other buttons have various other functions.

VOBs... what should I convert those to, so I can use them with Scenalyzer?

Scenalyzer only works with DV-AVIs, unfortunately. I remember thinking, when VOBs/MPEGs first became the in-thing, that a Scenalyzer-type program would be marvellous but alas, it wasn't to be. The closest I got was VideoRedo, another amazing program, which sadly has gone out of production.

If you wanted to hack into your VOBs, try bringing them straight into DR and edit them there, then export/save/output them as MP4s. VOB is just a subset of the bog-standard MPEG 2 format so I wouldn't imagine DR would have an issue with them.

If you need to convert the VOB sets to one MPEG first, use AVIDemux. Open the first VOB and the others will be opened automatically in sequence, then do a Copy/Copy/Output format MPEG PS.

[jagabo]

Many programs can edit MPEG 2 video losslessy but can only cut on keyframes. With DVD video there are typically keyframes every half second or so.

[plehoediv]

How do I mark a "section" in Scenalyzer and delete that section.

Drag out the yellow box to select the area you want to keep (you can drag box left edge and right edges to fine-adjust), then use the buttons at the bottom eg "trim selected frames". The other buttons have various other functions.

I did that a few times but it seemed so counter intuitive. Anyhow, now I know.

VOBs... what should I convert those to, so I can use them with Scenalyzer?

Scenalyzer only works with DV-AVIs, unfortunately. I remember thinking, when VOBs/MPEGs first became the in-thing, that a Scenalyzer-type program would be marvelous but alas, it wasn't to be. The closest I got was VideoRedo, another amazing program, which sadly has gone out of production.

I don't have to use Scenalyzer. Any software that does the job will do. Of course it always helps when you learn one software and can do everything with it. BTW, I just checked out VideoReDo and it is 44 Euros.

If you wanted to hack into your VOBs, try bringing them straight into DR and edit them there, then export/save/output them as MP4s. VOB is just a subset of the bog-standard MPEG 2 format so I wouldn't imagine DR would have an issue with them.

I forgot if I DR can handle them and I am on a different computer now... but I think it can.

If you need to convert the VOB sets to one MPEG first, use AVIDemux. Open the first VOB and the others will be opened automatically in sequence, then do a Copy/Copy/Output format MPEG PS.

Copy that.

Thanks.

[plehoediv]

Many programs can edit MPEG 2 video losslessy but can only cut on keyframes. With DVD video there are typically keyframes every half second or so.

I have to look up what that means... cut only on keyframes. If it is something that I need to watch out for or if the software does it automatically... but only on keyframes. : )

Thanks.

[jagabo]

How do I mark a "section" in Scenalyzer and delete that section.

Drag out the yellow box to select the area you want to keep (you can drag box left edge and right edges to fine-adjust), then use the buttons at the bottom eg "trim selected frames". The other buttons have various other functions.

I did that a few times but it seemed so counter intuitive. Anyhow, now I know.

If the authors have any sense, after marking a section you can press the Del(ete) key (like 99 percent of other programs) to cut it out.

Many programs can edit MPEG 2 video losslessy but can only cut on keyframes. With DVD video there are typically keyframes every half second or so.

I have to look up what that means... cut only on keyframes.

keyframes are also called i-frames. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_of_pictures

In short, most frames are not encoded in their entirety, the compressed data for most frames only contain changes. In the simplest sense "Repeat the last frame then add these changes..." If an I frame is removed the rest of the GOP can't be reconstructed. In general GOPs can range in size from one frame to hundreds of frames. MPEG 2 for DVD limits the GOP size to 18 frames for NTSC, 15 frames for PAL.

"Dumb" editors can only cut on keyframes because other frames of the GOP cannot be reconstructed without the keyframe. Smarter editors can cut on any frame because they know how to re-encode cut GOPs.

[rgr]

EDIT: So, I can use DaVinci Resolve to edit my files. (I wouldn't call this editing. Just want to split the files).

Re-encoding is needed anyway because miniDV rips have a range of 16-255 -- and you need 16-235 or 0-255.

[Alwyn]

If the authors have any sense, after marking a section you can press the Del(ete) key (like 99 percent of other programs) to cut it out.

I was going to say that they must have taken their lead from the "sense" authors over at AVISynth! But I did get it wrong, in that what I described was how you trim the ends off a clip.

To delete a section, you do do what Jagabo suggests is "sensible": drag out the section you want to remove, adjust the left and right edges, then hit Delete (or the X icon at the bottom of the clip). The left hand portion will stay on that clip line and the right hand portion will become a new file on the next clip line down. You can, of course, join them up with the Join command.

Scenealyzer development ceased in 2005. For it to be still useful all these years later is remarkable.

[Bwaak]

EDIT: So, I can use DaVinci Resolve to edit my files. (I wouldn't call this editing. Just want to split the files).

Re-encoding is needed anyway because miniDV rips have a range of 16-255 -- and you need 16-235 or 0-255.

I am not sure about that. DV follows Rec 601, so nominal white is 235, but it allows excursions above 235 for superwhites to prevent hard clipping. AFAIK, this was the point of the superwhite area at the first place when Rec 601 was being designed. As such, occasional values above 235 is not an error.

OTOH, maybe superwhites are not an error during shooting to prevent ugly clipping, but must be brought back below 235 for playback devices? IDK.

[jagabo]

I am not sure about that. DV follows Rec 601, so nominal white is 235, but it allows excursions above 235 for superwhites to prevent hard clipping. AFAIK, this was the point of the superwhite area at the first place when Rec 601 was being designed. As such, occasional values above 235 is not an error.

It's not just a little overshoot here and there. DV camcorders routinely blow out brights and hard clip at 255. You can move those brights down to 235 to recover a little detail there. But the OP can adjust levels later when encoding to his delivery format.

[Alwyn]

Interesting YT video showing the (over) boosted whites from passthrough DV (although the source isn't 8mm):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfUz69fztT0

[Sharc]

Interesting YT video showing the (over) boosted whites from passthrough DV (although the source isn't 8mm):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfUz69fztT0

Maybe, but you need a bit of biased phantasy to spot truly overboosted whites, no? I see more the possibly elevated blacks in the DV variant.

[rgr]

EDIT: So, I can use DaVinci Resolve to edit my files. (I wouldn't call this editing. Just want to split the files).

Re-encoding is needed anyway because miniDV rips have a range of 16-255 -- and you need 16-235 or 0-255.

I am not sure about that. DV follows Rec 601, so nominal white is 235, but it allows excursions above 235 for superwhites to prevent hard clipping. AFAIK, this was the point of the superwhite area at the first place when Rec 601 was being designed. As such, occasional values above 235 is not an error.

OTOH, maybe superwhites are not an error during shooting to prevent ugly clipping, but must be brought back below 235 for playback devices? IDK.

These are not occasional values, this is the rule. I've never had a miniDV cassette that was recorded in the 16-235 range -- they're all 16-255.

[rgr]

Interesting YT video showing the (over) boosted whites from passthrough DV (although the source isn't 8mm):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfUz69fztT0

Maybe, but you need a bit of biased phantasy to spot truly overboosted whites, no? I see more the possibly elevated blacks in the DV variant.

This is probably due to the brightening the image after cutting out the 236-255 range (from DV). And the original range of 16-~216 (from VHS) has been extended to 16-235.