[SOLVED] Fast and good tool to join MPEG files?

[yetanotherlogin]

Hello

My Sony camcorder uses Fat32 as its filesystem, so records files as 2GB MPEG files* that I need to join prior to editing.

I've tried the following tools for Windows, which all have issues:

• ffmpeg : When played in VLC, no sound and lots of video streams:
  

  c:\>ffmpeg -i "concat:file1.mpg|file2.mpg" -c copy full.mpeg

  (see attachment for an illustration)
• Mpg2Cut2: Usually works, but sometimes, the joined file won't open right in Corel VideoStudioPro
• AviDemux: Because it's much slower than Mpg2Cut2, tool of last resort but it worked when a file joined with Mpg2Cut2 wouldn't open in Corel

What do you guys use?

Thank you.

* eg. "Audio: ac3, 48000 Hz, 5.1(side), fltp, 448 kb/s, Video: mpeg2video (Main), yuv420p(tv), 720x576 [SAR 64:45 DAR 16:9], max. 9100 kb/s, 25 fps, 25 tbr, 90k tbn, 50 tbc"

[Kerry56]

I don't join mpeg files that much, but the Append function in AviDemux has worked for me, and I haven't noticed it being particularly slow. But I'm not working with 2gb files either.

Since I own a copy of VideoRedo TV Suite, I use it for this task occasionally. VideoRedo isn't free.

[Keyser]

The concat protocol of ffmpeg concatenates the files themselves. Try the concat demuxer which joins the streams.

Like this:

ffmpeg -f concat -i mylist.txt -c copy output

mylist.txt should have the format:

# this is a comment
file '/path/to/file1'
file '/path/to/file2'
file '/path/to/file3'

[yetanotherlogin]

Thanks, but does this work for Windows?

AviDemux takes 30mn while Mpg2Cut2 takes 10mn.

[netmask56]

Give ProjectX a go - ugly interface but is very good. MPEGStreamclip might do it as well.

[yetanotherlogin]

"ProjectX is a demultiplexing, editing and repairing tool for MPEG2, TS, DigitalTV Transport streams. Requires Java."

I hate Java

"MPEG Streamclip is a powerful free video converter, player, editor for Mac and Windows. […] Requires Quicktime MPEG2 Decoder or Quicktime Alternative 1.81."

I hate QuickTime

Hard to believe something as basic as joining two MPEG files is so hard-core.

[netmask56]

You can download a version of ProjectX that is a standard Windows executable without the need to have java installed as a free standing application on your computer.

http://www.watchersnet.de/Downloads/tabid/53/rrcid/2/rrscid/8/rreid/345/rrpid/0/rrepp/...0/Default.aspx

You can use it to append files and demux if you need to otherwise select To PS or TS. Simple and quite quick.


PS I agree with you about java and Quicktime but perhaps I'm a tad more pragmatic

[Baldrick]

Or a portable version of projectx, https://www.videohelp.com/tools/ProjectX#download (under More downloads )

And I added watchersnet ProjectX versions.

[jack616]

If you are using mpeg2 : copy /b file1.mpg+file2.mpg output.mpg
I've used that for 15 years+ with no problems (in a .bat file for simplicity).

Failing that virtualDubMod every time.

As mentioned above this just cats the files but it should work with mpeg2 if your reader handles
files in a standard manner. If it doesnt I'd look for different software to avoid issues down the line.
For years handbrake was creating non standard mkv files - I dont know if thats fixed now but
it does mean the net is full of files people who moved on may have "odd" problems with
in future.

[yetanotherlogin]

Thanks. Much as I hate Java-based applications, I gave ProjectX a try, but couldn't figure out how to join a few MPEG files.

Since there's no documentation on their site, I went ahead without knowing what I'm doing:

1. Added files in empty grid at bottom
2. Selected all files
3. Right-clicked on the selected files, chose "new Output as", and gave a name for the joined file, not knowing if ProjectX would save it in the same directory as the other files
4. In the left hand-side of the main windows, clicked on "Quick Start": The app went to work, saying "Demuxing…"

After a few minutes, I'm left with two new files: An ac3 file (audio stream, I guess) and an m2v file (video stream?). Sigh.

Moved on to try the "copy /b" trick above: Seems to work, although I'd like it if Windows/DOS would show some progress bar to be positive it's not stuck.

Thank you.

[netmask56]

Go to File and select ADD then select 1st file and then press Ctrl and select 2nd file

At the bottom of the page there are 3 tabs FileTable - CutControl - FilterControl

Select CutControl and you will see the 2 files on the time line (this is where you can edit if you wish) with a small white bar where one file ends and the 2nd starts.

Next go to Prepare NOT Quickstart

Select at the top To TS if you don't want to Demux a TS file or select M2P for making or joining existing mpeg files
or 1:1 Binary copy

Press the Green triangle on it's side Process

In your example M2P would be the better option - depending on your file player you may have to change the suffix from M2P to MPG

Voila!

[yetanotherlogin]

Thanks. I'll give it a try the next time Corel VS has trouble importing a joined MPEG file.