Editing an AVI file question please

[Estam]

Hi everyone. I am attempting to edit an AVI file where I need to cut out about 5 chunks from a 1 hour plus video. I have the frame numbers or the exact times and am wondering if anyone could suggest a fairly simple program that would allow me to enter these values to crop the file. Many thanks....

[filmboss80]

VirtualDub is a free, simple AVI editor. Find it in the Tools section. Use Direct Stream Copy to keep it from reencoding your video.

[sanlyn]

What kind of "AVI"? AVI is a container that can accept DivX, XVid, h264, MPEG, decoded lossless video, DV, and other formats. The way it is encoded, the kind of cuts you want to make, and what you want for final output determines the best way to "edit".

[Hoser Rob]

If you use copy (ie. without reencoding) you won't be able to cut anywhere you want, just on keyframes ie. I-frames. If you want to cut on a frame that's not a key frame it will have to do some reencoding.

If you use a program that allows smart cutting (ie. anywhere), it won't do it with all formats that an avi format video may be. Avidemux, which is what I use for avi files,only supports this with mpeg-2 or mpeg-4 visual.

I never found virtualdub all that easy. I prefer avidemux. But I don't actually know of any really good editors that are also simple, and especially not free ones.

[Estam]

I downloaded Virtual Dub it's only allowing me one entry to keep, on entering the next it cancels the first.I'm not sure what type of avi I have but I do have gspot, would that tell me?
I tried avidemux, it allows me to enter the time by hand which really saves time but I'm not sure how to go further, is there a tutorial anywhere to show how to use? Has anyone used this before.

[Estam]

Thanks Rob, Avidemux would work if I understood how to use it, I have an hour long avi and have 5 small sections I would like to keep and make one file. Can I select these sections or do I have to do one at a time? Thanks...

[sambat]

Using VirtualDub to cut frames, use the slider and the two black flag thingies to mark the section to cut then press the 'Del' key.
Continue as required then save the file.

[Estam]

Thanks for the del comment, I was playing with Avidemux and find it easy to navigate and was looking how to delete parts of the movie, I was looking for something far more complicated. lol Many thanks to you all for you suggestions.

[Cornucopia]

In most of those kinds of apps, if you ALREADY know the places that you need to cut out (by timecode), it is fairly easy to do it. However, experience will show you that it is best to start from the END and move backward in time to the BEGINNING. Why?
Because if you cut out a section, the timecode AFTER it can shift to reflect the clips new relation to the start. If you go from the back, the elements you have to work with will not have shifted yet.

Scott

[Estam]

That is great info, many thanks....

[Hoser Rob]

There are tons of tutorials for avidemux (and virtualdub) out there. Just do a web search.