Video mepeg merging/combining

[rbrass1981]

Ok first I would like to point out the effect I need for what I am making:
I have 2 videos, one where I am playing guitar hero, and the other is of the TV while I am playing the same song.
I want to combine these videos so they play at the same time so I have a video where you can see me playing, and also the TV.
There are several ways I know of that would work... something like a split screen, where each side of a center line is the respective videos. Or perhaps a insert... so you have the shot of the TV with a little box in the top corner where you can see me playing etc.
Firstly, are there any cheap or free programs that can do this task and or another way I could do this???

[midders]

Use avisynth with a script based on the following:

bg = QTInput("ray belly dancer.MOV",color=2,audio=false).Addborders(352,302,48,32).ConvertToRGB32()
mk = Imagesource("bellydancer mask.jpg").ConvertToRGB32()
top = QTInput("bellydancer.mov",color=2,audio=true).TurnRight().Addborders(48,128,432,128).ConvertToRGB32().Mask(mk)
Layer(bg, top)

The file loaded with Imagesource is a simple black and white mask (white to show that part of the video, black for transparent). You'll need to change QTInput to DirectShowSource() or equivalent for the type of videos that you want to load and may want to resize the videos, add different borders etc. before overlaying them.

Slainte

midders

[Gavino]

That script is OK, but has a lot of details specific to the videos it was originally written for.

For the OP's purpose, a simpler script using StackHorizontal (for split-screen) or Overlay (picture insert) would be more appropriate.