Easiest way to edit out commericials in VCD format?

[ronnald]

Obviously, I'm an amateur at this and need some help.

I'm capturing shows with my ATI AIW. I have it capture directly to VCD format to save a step. I've been using TMPengc (sp?) to edit out commericials, but it's time consumming!

Am I even doing it right? The only way it seems to work is by marking where the commerical starts, than saving the first part such as part1.mpg than marking where the first commerical ends and the second begins and saving that as part2.mpg and on and on. Than afterwards, merging all the parts together.

Is there a program where I can just mark where they begin and end all at once and than saving it?

Remember I'd like to work with VCD format directly, since I can capture directly to VCD.

Thanks for your help!

[neomaine]

ronnald,

I was going to suggest TMPGenc but you're already there. The merge/cut tool can do it all in one step for you. No need to do one segment at a time, though it works.

Since you've already learned how to do this to one segment, all you need to do is keep re-adding the same mpg, choose your next start/end points and continue this until you've isolated all the segments you want. Then, when you press 'run', it will merge each segment together for a final mpg.

I don't have TMPGenc in front of me, but here are the steps:

1 - TMPGenc -> MPEG Tools -> Cut/Merge
2 - Select the proper VCD template
3 - Add your captured file (the full mpg)
4 - Edit the file to add your start/stop points to define the segment
5 - Perform #3 and #4 for each of your segments
6 - Choose your output file
7 - Run !!!

TMPGenc will then create a single mpg file containing each of your segments. In the end, the same way you're doing it manually, just automated.

[ronnald]

Thanks neomaine, for the quick reply.

The problem is that TMPGenc, only lets me do one beginnning mark and one ending mark.

I'm probably not doing something right, however here is what happens.

After I load the vcd file, I snip off the beginning commercials by moving the scroll bar to the right and hitting the } button. The beginning of that little indicator slider goes from blue to "white". Now here is where I get confused, because if I scroll the slider to the next commercial segement and hit the { button, that segment of show that I want to keep turn white on that indicator bar. (I hope this makes sense, I'm new at this).

Shouldn't I see segments of blue in that scroll bar area? Basically I can only make one blue segment not multiples which I think I would need to do.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[thayne]

Womble MPEG-VCR is nice, it's fast too. I can remove commercials from a 1 hour program and save the new file in under 2 minutes. It's ver precise too, much better than TMPGenc mpeg tools.

http://www.womble.com/products.htm

[ronnald]

But will it do it in VCD format?

[thayne]

it does any Mpeg to any mpeg format. It can even convert mepg 1 to mpeg 2, mpeg 2 to mpeg 1, SVCD mpeg to DVD mpeg, etc...

[pixel]

When using TMPGEnc in the MPEG Tools under the Merge/Cut Tool:
1. Click "Add" open the file you want
2. Click on the file and go to "Edit"
3. Select the first part that you want to KEEP by putting in the Mark In and Mark Out points at the beginning of the show and end of part 1 (now the bar under the first part of the show should be blue)
4. Close that window
5. Go to "Add" again and open the same file
6. Click on the file you just opened and go to "Edit"
7. Select the second part of the program you want to keep by putting Mark In and Mark Out points at the beginning of part 2 and the end of part 2.
8. Close the window and repeat the above steps for however many parts of the show there is and when you make the file you will have one full program with no commercial breaks.

I must agree that Womble VCR is a much better cutting/joining tool as it is more accurate and I believe it is free for cutting MPEG 1's.

I just gave you the TMPGEnc guide for reference.

[ronnald]

You guys are great!! I just tried out the MPEG VCR and it works great. Agree that TMPGEnc isn't so great at accuarcy, even when using the keyboard.

Thanks a lot!!!

[ronnald]

pixel,
Thanks for the details,

I'm going to try MPEGVCR and see how that does, I see I was doing it wrong on TMPGEnc. Thanks for your help!

[neomaine]

ronnald,

Your going to give yourself a dope slap once you figure this one out.

That's right, it will only let you define ONE segment (mark in/mark out) per FILE you add. What you have to do is simply add THE SAME file for as many times as you have segments. Think of it as adding a different segment (merge) from 5 different mpeg files. Except, your getting them all from the same file.

This is fun..... :P

Just saw your using MPEG VCR....gonna have to try that one myself, if it works on MPEG2 as well.

[pixel]

Just saw your using MPEG VCR....gonna have to try that one myself, if it works on MPEG2 as well.

Yes it does and is very accurate. MPEG 2 functions only work on registered versions though.

Better get the plastic out

[Sulik]

If you're using MMC, you can pause/unpause the recording at the beginning and end of commercials. You might get a few frames of commercials in it, but there's no faster way.