Cutting x264 Video Files

[Ruro Jiruries]

Heya folks,

Referring to; https://forum.videohelp.com/topic353573.html, I am having similar VirtualDub problems.

I'm using Super to convert FLV's to AVI files utilising x264 simply because the results always blow my mind, like the Master Exploder song. But VirtualDub v1.8.3 can read the video (sort of, doesn't display properly all the time in the Application), and direct streaming gives me the pieces from any section of the movie with a clean result.

But it seems to be limited to certain sections, like I can only cut Key-Frame to Key-Frame parts out, not specific frames. In this first instance, it's constantly adding on an extra 3 seconds of video footage.

AviDemux very cleanly navigates the x264 Video File I'm trying to cut up, but it doesn't have x264 Built-in. It seems possible by building it yourself, but as far as I can identify it involves using SVN (?!) and possibly a Linux system to accomplish it? I have an x264 VFW (Video For Windows) jobby installed, and... well, the x264Core somewhere O_o ARGH, just, I have been at this all day, making this Video. I'm listening to Ultra JMan scream about his gamepad - I'm at my wits end- GARGH!

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated -_- On how to cut out x246 AVI files, with ANY frame accuracey, that would just be a miracle.

Thanks much, seriously.

[filmboss80]

You've got a mess on your hands. The x264 format does not lend itself well to direct editing, due to its compression scheme. You should first convert your flv videos (or whatever source) to an intermediate format that most editing software can handle -- like DV-AVI (frame accurate). Once you are finished editing, you convert to x264 or whatever format floats your boat.

[Ruro Jiruries]

floats your boat.

I also love this expression, "Whatever floats your boat", "Whatever bakes your cake", brilliant, I LOVE IT!

Point taken, in fact, I only came back to my thread already, because I just decided the clips are generally SO short, for maximum quality I'll go with the alternative of Uncompressed. I know that can quickly roll into Hundreds of Megabytes, BUT given alot are 2-10 second clips, it'll be the winning solution. If that gets knarley, I will take up your recommendation ^^
Basically, I think I must have old versions of DivX (Currently version 5.2.1 I have or something), and Xvid, dunno the version for that. But I try a few Codecs and always get blurred imagery when recording game footage, or massive file sizes.

x264 completely blew everything out the water, utilising 768Kbps with average settings I swear it nukes the other Codecs results when they are set to 2Mbps, hence my preference for it ~_~ Not to mention the lack of CPU power x264 demands, it doesn't lag my games unlike some other Codecs. But I digress! (I just love x264, Oh my Gad!).

So yeah, thank you.

My next hurdle, is to see how VirtualDub handles multiple Video Clips, with the only difference being the Codec utilised... I think it will stumble, so I guess I'll have to export from SwishMax in uncompressed as well... I WILL GET THERE!

Thanks again! ^^

[poisondeathray]

AviDemux very cleanly navigates the x264 Video File I'm trying to cut up, but it doesn't have x264 Built-in.

avidemux does have x264 built in. I would use a newer svn build http://avidemux.razorbyte.com.au/

Right now, frame accurate editing of h264 is impossible with any application, so filmboss80' suggestion of editing before encoding to h264 is very valid

If you encode with small I-frame intervals, you can get closer cuts, but filesize will get bigger. You probably don't have much control using "super". If you use a command line or a better gui you could do this

[redwudz]

Frame accurate editing is determined by the codec used and the keyframe interval used. Xvid and Divx normally use about 300 frames between keyframes. I imagine X264 has even more spacing. That's how they get their compression. This makes them very bad for editing. As mentioned, if you really need frame accurate editing, use a lower compression format. DV is one decent choice as it is all keyframes. One downside is it only uses standard DVD type frame sizes.

Other choices are HuffyUV, MJPEG, Lagarith Lossless Video Codec, or a few others.

[Ruro Jiruries]

Frame accurate editing is determined by the codec used and the keyframe interval used. Xvid and Divx normally use about 300 frames between keyframes. I imagine X264 has even more spacing. That's how they get their compression. This makes them very bad for editing. As mentioned, if you really need frame accurate editing, use a lower compression format. DV is one decent choice as it is all keyframes. One downside is it only uses standard DVD type frame sizes.

Other choices are HuffyUV, MJPEG, Lagarith Lossless Video Codec, or a few others.

Thanks for further Information and help folks ^_^

I have been processing the FLV's into DivX v5 at almost 8Mbps, the results are fine and only churn out 25Mb files. By Full Processing Video Segments from that straight out, as opposed to Direct Streaming, I can grab specific frames. Direct Streaming seems intent on grabbing the Key Frame before my "Marker A", despite "Marker B" positioning (indicating the end of a Segment) does work spot on.

So yeah, Full Processing out to x264, to identical resolutions and so forth... I can hopefuly stack these clips (Append Segments) accordingly... and create a final product.

There is indeed... 2 Full Process Conversions there? And if VirtualDub kicks up a crap about all the various segments, then I guess I'll have to Full Process to get the finished product as well, but hopefuly I can Direct Stream all of it (since it will all be identical "Codec Setup"). Yup, some loss there, but... looking at it thus far, the result should be reasonable, it's not a Professional thing anyway.

Thanks again everyone!

[Ruro Jiruries]

Heya everyone, I thought I would just bump my own thread, since this is all about the same project - but it is a new issue, if you would so kindly help once more ^_^;;

Basically, I have finished the video clips, they are all ready to go, identical Codecs present in each and after some tweaking, all the same Audio as well (Bluddy sampling rates were off on some ~_~). For my own video clips I created, I either stuck my own music in them, or left them without Audio (which was later fixed with 1 second blank audio files; VirtualDub wanted a matching number of Streams for all files).

BUT... but... when exporting all the Files coupled together, Direct Streaming both Video and Audio into one full length Video... the Audio is out of synch eventually. I would imagine, it's because my own Video's do NOT have an audio stream matching the length of the Video. It's coupling the video fine, but it's also stacking the Audio from each video clip RIGHT next to each other, thus: Everytime a Custom Video Clip I made comes up, the Audio desynchronises, and just gets worse as my own Custom Video's pop-up in the Video as a whole.

There we go, an image attached to better show what I believe is happening. I'm seeking a solution to obtain the top result in the image: I do not want VirtualDub to delete the gaps between the Audio between each AVI File (The bottom result).

I'm praying there is a simple solution, but I doubt there is one since I don't think this issue would normally arise.

Thanks very much again guys!



EDIT: I needed to get it done tonight really (and I understand you're all sleeping, I wasn't expecting a reply soon :P), so I just went ahead and manually implemented Accurate length Blank audio files and what not, to align the Sound properly. It has worked, it's finally complete. It's just a shame my directing sucks, and didn't keep great scene effect consistency, but hey, it's my first ever Video I've made on this sorta scale.

Thanks for your help folks for all your support. I'd still be interested in knowing of an Automated solution, but... I don't care too much right now... it's really late, I'm tired... and I'm finished with this damn video XD

[redwudz]

Your guess on the audio sync problem sounds correct. When you edit the audio, you could add silence with a audio editor like Audacity to pad it out to the video length. Not so much work if you need to edit the audio anyway. Audacity will also let you taper the existing audio in and out so the transition to silence isn't so abrupt.

[Ruro Jiruries]

When you edit the audio, you could add silence with a audio editor like Audacity to pad it out to the video length.

This is indeed what I have done, except I use GoldWave :P Respect to Audacity though, it's also an awesome Sound Editor. Opening my video files in VirtualDub and scrolling to the last frame, it indicated the precise Time Code required the audio had to be (Which was easily setup by manually setting the Markers, thankfuly).

Sadly, although it works perfectly on my Computer (Playing back the AVI files), apparently Youtube struggles and it steadily desynchronises as my own clips steadily appear throughout the video. On the upside, it doesn't get terribly bad, so... Meh XD Be nice to fix though - I'm making a sequel, so I'll have another opportunity to get this all right from the beginning!

In fact, since I'm making a post, to anyone using SwishMax (Or perhaps any Flash Animation program to create video's), I would assume adding a 1 second blank audio file in the Animation before exporting to AVI will create a Precise length audio stream (As the empty space surrounding the sound file in the Flash will be filled in with more Blank sound by the Animation software). Thus, if you create a Title Scene without audio, including a blank audio file in Flash Files playback, I think that should do it.

Thread Closed. Arigato all!