Looking For A Cropping/Splitting/Converting Tool that supports MPEG2

[LordOfTheStrings]

Hey everyone!

Today, I bought a new computer with a built-in capture system that imports data from onboard composite inputs. I'm using a Roxio add-on that came with the computer to capture footage from an Xbox 360. The quality itself is incredible, so now all I want to do is be able to split clips, crop out certain parts of the frames (black bars, minor pixel distortion in the top part of the frame, etc), and put them into Windows Movie Maker to process into a YouTube-uploadable montage video.

The only problem is, the program/TV tuner only allows the footage to be recorded in MPEG-2 format, which makes Windows Movie Maker take a dump. If anybody knows of any MPEG-2-friendly programs that can split full videos into small clips (without much quality loss), crop out portions of frames, and save the newly-edited clips in WMV/AVI/MPEG1 (whichever) format, that'd be great if you could let me know what they are.

The program doesn't HAVE to be freeware, but I'd prefer that it is.

Thank you!

[olyteddy]

If some sort of MP4 or AVI is ok for output, VirtualDub Mod (or MPEG) should do you nicely. The regular VirtualDub can't read MPEG and no VDub variant encodes to MPEG (unless you frameserve).

[LordOfTheStrings]

Do you have any other suggestions? VirtualDub gives me some horrible lines in the clips I make.

[redwudz]

Maybe the freeware MPEG StreamClip or Cuttermaran or Mpg2Cut2 for editing the MPEGs. Then you can process them to a YouTube format with other programs. You may have to process them through some other formats to get to WMV. But what about Windows Media Encoder to convert to WMV? I don't know if it accepts MPEGs, though. Or SUPER, which probably does? Do you have to use WMV? Or will some other format work for YouTube?

And welcome to our forums.

[LordOfTheStrings]

Thanks. =)

Mpg2Cut2 works great on my old computer, but my new computers acts up when I use it for some reason. Meh, Vista's always been kind of dodgy.

I'll try MPEG StreamClip.

Also, remember that I need to crop out parts of the video - there are black bars on the left and right-hand sides of the video, as well as about 5 pixels of distortion in the top of the frame. VirtualDub has a crop feature that let me crop out 12 pixels on each side, and it made the video look fine - but like I said, after export, it would have these nasty black lines.

[LordOfTheStrings]

Also, it doesn't really matter what format the video ends up in before it goes to YouTube. As long it doesn't take up too much hard drive space, and it looks really good.

I just mentioned Windows Movie Maker because its interface is extremely user-friendly.

[thecoalman]

Also, remember that I need to crop out parts of the video - there are black bars on the left and right-hand sides of the video,

What capture card do you have and describe the settings. You should be able to capture full frame so you don't have to crop anything.

as well as about 5 pixels of distortion in the top of the frame. VirtualDub has a crop feature that let me crop out 12 pixels on each side, and it made the video look fine - but like I said, after export, it would have these nasty black lines.

The first thing you mention is most likely the overscan area which is normal whichcan't be seen on TV, for playback on a TV just leave it there or mask it. For computer playback you can crop it. The second thing is most likely interlacing and again is normal. You won't see this during playback on most software players because they deinterlace on the fly. If it looks like this, that's what it is.




You can apply a deinterlacing filter in virtualdub which will give you result like this:



Note that deinterlacing is destructive process, you are essentially throwing half the resolution away. It should only be done to video that is intended for playback on computer,phone , ipod etc .. or in you case if you're going to upload it to youtube.

For MPEG editing and nearly evey other thing your avergae person isn't going to want to do I suggest Ulead video Studio. They have a free 30 day trial.

[LordOfTheStrings]

I'm not using a capture card. I'm using an onboard TV tuner as a capture device. The computer has A/V jacks built into the motherboard.

[thecoalman]

I'm not using a capture card. I'm using an onboard TV tuner as a capture device. The computer has A/V jacks built into the motherboard.

Really makes no difference but that would be the first one I've heard of that was onboard a motherboard, onboard a graphics card is common but not onboard a motherboard. Do you know what motherboard? What's the name of the software it uses for tuning/capturing?

[mats.hogberg]

To edit mpg, VideoReDo and Womble mpg wizard are the ones that stand out from the rest of the crowd.

/Mats

[LordOfTheStrings]

I have no idea what type of motherboard it is, and I'm using an included Roxio Media Importer to capture the footage.

The device itself is like CaptureTV or something - it's based on the TV tuner.

However, I did find a way to split and crop the video clips. I'm using Mpg2Cut2 (in all of its Vista-glitching glory) to split the clips, and Windows Media Encoder to crop out the unwanted sections of the frames. I now have a few clips in extremely high quality WMV format that look fine.

Now, the only problem is, I can't figure out a way to splice them together (with music) to publish on YouTube. I'm making a small sample that has just two clips in it, just to see what the quality would look like. I tried Windows Movie Maker's 512kbps export format, and Ulead VideoStudio's AVI DivX export format, and both look terrible on YouTube.

Anyone have any suggestions?

[mats.hogberg]

There's a recent long thread here somewhere on how to optimize your encodes for YouTube publishing. I'm sure it's not too hard to find if you search this place.

/Mats

[LordOfTheStrings]

Of the ones I've found, they're either really weird (with HexEditing and complicated stuff like that), or they just flat out don't work on my computer.

Maybe if I post links to the videos, someone here can tell me why they look as terrible as they do, and how I could fix them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Bi6j77f6LU (made with Ulead)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B48-gpSfZAE (made Windows Movie Maker)

[LordOfTheStrings]

Nobody?

I know that there are tons of experts on this board who could look at the video and instantly tell me how I can fix the quality, so please help me out.

[mats.hogberg]

tell me why they look as terrible as they do

Beacuse they are YouTube videos? Don't think it looks any worse than most other youtube stuff I've seen. It's high action with fast pans and zooms, and would require a very high bitrate to look good - something that's out of the question for YouTube.

/Mats

[thecoalman]

Agree with mats they look average to me and without seeing your source it's impossible to give any definite judgement.

Having said that, if you really want to improve on the quality the first thing you need to do is go back to step one and find out why your getting letterboxing. You should have a full frame of video.

From there you need to edit in one of the MPEG editors suggested that doesn't reencode.

From there find the thread suggested by Mats to encode to format that youtube isn't going to touch, this would be the point you would preferably crop out any umwanted material.

[LordOfTheStrings]

It does capture in full frame. I made two uploads of the same video - one made with Windows Movie Maker, the other made with Ulead Video Studio. Ulead Video Studio put the letterboxing in there for some reason, but the source is in full frame mode, as you can see in the Windows Movie Maker version of the video.

As far as encoding for YouTube without having the video altered in any way, I only found one way to do such a thing, and it involved HexEditing, which I cannot do. Is there a different one you were referring to?

[mats.hogberg]

Not to sound like a MS fanboy, but perhaps try Silverlight Streaming instead of YouTube? As far as I can tell, it hosts your video the way you made it. But it seems like you have to use MS Expression Encoder to create the content. Free trial available.
http://www.microsoft.com/silverlight/streaming.aspx#1_4

Here's a small demo I just made, using the Expression Encoder, and the Streaming 256k preset, with WMA low q audio. The whole video is 2.6 MB
http://tinyurl.com/2nk3eb

The original source file is found here:
http://download.gametrailers.com/gt_vault/t_callofduty_3_stlo_gp_h264.wmv

/Mats

[LordOfTheStrings]

Bringing back my ancient topic, I have a new question.

I've found splitting software, as well as conversion software, but I'm still having a hard time getting my YouTube videos to look even halfway decent.

Here's an example. When I processed this video, I split it into an uncompressed AVI file at 640x480 resolution, and imported the file into Windows Movie Maker. I then exported the clip with Windows Movie Maker, applying maximum filesize (21 MB) settings to maximize quality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtiM-e3wiCc

Needless to say, the results were less than stellar.

I know there are tons of experts on this board that can look at the video and right away tell me the solution to this problem. If you have any advice, please let me know.

Thank you!

[mats.hogberg]

AFAIK, as long as you upload in a format YouTube will reencode (and if I've read things correctly that takes some hex editing to cheat YouTube, to avoid reencoding) it will look less than stellar, no matter how good it looks before you upload it.

/Mats

[AlanHK]

I now have a few clips in extremely high quality WMV format that look fine.

Now, the only problem is, I can't figure out a way to splice them together (with music) to publish on YouTube.

Asfbin is a simple free tool for cutting and joining WMV.

[LordOfTheStrings]

I've already edited everything perfectly; I don't need any cutting or splicing tools.

I just need to know if there's a certain VirtualDub filter or something that I can apply to the video before I send it off to YouTube. Maybe a different deinterlace method than the one I'm using - anything to make it less pixelated and blocky.