Help needed on useing MPEG Streamclip

[bilnrobn]

I've just downloaded this product and have what I know is a basic question, but I can't work it out from the directions.
I currently want to remove the tail end of a 40 second .mov file. I just want the first 18 seconds. I've gonev to Edit/Trim and have set the 18 second poin t at the in point and 40 seconds out. What do I do next? There isn't, (to me), an obvious next step.

Also do I set the in and out to what I want to remove or what I want to keep?

Would appreciate some help please.

[DB83]

To keep the first 18 seconds, set in at the start of the clip and out at 18.

Just save the clip then.

Been a long time since I used the prog but that is the usual method with all editors. Save to a new filename so you do not overwrite the existing one should you get it wrong

[racer-x]

To trim losslessly without re-encoding, you'll need to set in and out points on key-frames. Press Ctrl+K to go to nearest key-frame. To export trimmed clip, go to File > Save As...

[bilnrobn]

Thanks guys, that is so simple I feel stupid having asked. However I still have a problem. I set the 'out' point to 18 seconds and left 'in' set at zero, then went to File/Save As... The file it saves (a Quicktime .mov file) is empty. .. zero MB. The download takes less than a second so something is obviously wrong. The original file is 15.5MB. My first thought is Quicktime not working properly. I did download the Quicktime Alternative, (or whatever it is called), recommended .

Bill in Oz

[DB83]

You assume you do have a quicktime.mov and not some other codec within the mov container. Not sure ? Get mediainfo and check the file.

I only used the prog with mpegs so do not know if it works with pure quicktime.

[bilnrobn]

Thanks for that. I downloaded MediaInfo and during the download Malwarebytes said it had stopped some malicious software. The download continued and completed. I'm not sure what to do with it now I have it. Running MPEG Streamclip still produced a zero MB Quicktime file. The intrusion Malwarebytes stopped was two copies of PUP Optional Candy. Not sure if that had anything to do with it, but I don't like to over-ride Malwarebytes as a quick Google search says it is hard to remove annoying malware.

Any comments please?

[DB83]

Never read that the installation of mediainfo has any malware. Did you get the program direct from the link here ?

If the install does have malware, or more likely adware, you should just be careful what and where you click. There is also a portable version which is just a folder install and that will be clean.

But I would not worry too much about those PUPs. Just quaranteen/remove.

[bilnrobn]

The download link on the left of the page that link opens didn't work for me, (and still doesn't). I googled and used https://mediaarea.net/en/MediaInfo/Download. I'm, not concerned about the PUP. Malwarebytes caught it so no problem there.

[bilnrobn]

I've just uninstalled it and downloaded again, this time from Download.com, which should be a genuine download. It also resulted in the PUP Open Candy.

Can you suggest any other easy to use software I could use to crop video clips?

[smrpix]

As long as you pay attention to what you're clicking on you can work around open candy. Without a Mediainfo report on your file, no one can really tell you what might work.

[DB83]

Well you are the only person who seems to have problems with the direct links from this site. This is the first port of call for everyone who has issues with video.

Ok. So you installed it again. Does it work ?. Can you now produce a report. Before one can rec software we really need to know what you have.

[bilnrobn]

I began documenting each step by running through the process, but using a different mov clip. It worked! Then I tried a second mov clip and that worked as well. So I went back to my initial mov clip and followed the identical steps as with the other two, but again it saved a zero MB file as before. So the only conclusion I can draw is that there is something about that particular clip that MPEG Streamclip doesn't like. I've gone to properties and compared the originals of all three files and the only marked differences I can see are that, under 'Details' the other two have Data Rate and Total Bitrate of around 4500, whereas with the troublesome file it is around 3700. Not sure if that is significant. It is important to note that the clip runs perfectly just like any other and I've uploaded it to Youtube as well; it just can't be edited for some reason.

[smrpix]

MediaInfo can probably reveal that reason. At the very least, use the inspector in quicktime on the source to see what codec is being used.

[racer-x]

MPC-HC uses media info when you click "Properties". It's what I always use, no need to install MediaInfo.

[bilnrobn]

Thank you both. I've downloaded MPC-HC and uploaded to this post the properties it has produced for the problem clip. Is this what you need?

[racer-x]

Looks like it uses MJpeg compression. Can you post a 3 ~ 10 sec shot to confirm?

[bilnrobn]

Not sure what you mean... The clip is about 30 seconds and I want to trim it to the first 18 seconds, but it won't do it. So I can't post anything shorter than 30 seconds.

PS, the Compression Mode on both this clip and one I can edit both say "Lossy" if that is any help.

[smrpix]

Your shot is 15mb. You can post it here.

[bilnrobn]

Murphy_Laser.MOVIt is attached. You will see why I want to trim the end and remove the sound track.

[DB83]

Got your clip although you did the attachment wrong (use the 'paper clip' from a full reply)

Now you can see why mpeg stream clip can not edit this. It is not quicktime. It is not mpeg. It is mjpeg. You were confused by the .mov container format.

Here is approx. the first 18 secs (to nearest I-frame). Could not mux to .mov as software - avidemux - does not support that.

[bilnrobn]

Thanks DB, and all others who helped on this thread. I appreciate your help very much. I have no idea why the file is a different format to the others as it was filmed using the same camera, an Olympus FE200, and there seems to be no control to change the format between mpeg and mjpeg. On checking other clips I did find one other clip that has the same problem, but all others mpeg Streamclip can handle. Strange, but at least I now know why mpeg Streamclip didn't like it.

[MovingParts]

Does Quicktime, too, say that it is mjepg? When you open the original movie in QT and then (on Mac hit cmd+i) choose show something like window -> show movie information from the menue.
You can also find something like "show movie information/specification" inside mpegstreamclip from the menu or cmd+i.

I heard people say that the QT info AND mediainfo sometimes show the wrong information/specs, so I was adviced trying others like videospec and one that I forgot. At the time I didn't test it, because my system didn't support it.

Also question to the community, shouldn't it be possible to make an mpeg2 (without changing bitrate) movie out of mjepg, since somewhat mpeg2 is a lot of jpegs following each other? I wonder, why mpegstreamclip couldn't see mjpeg, since it does convert to several jpeg formats, if you choose export to quicktime movie and then choose one of the jpeg options (Apple motion jpeg A, apple motion jpeg B, jpeg foto, jpeg 2000 encoder) from the dropdown menu.

[racer-x]

It probably doesn't work because you're using QTalt instead of QT pro.

You can also cut losslessly with ffmpeg:

ffmpeg -i Murphy_Laser.MOV -t 00:00:18 -c copy 18_sec.mov
pause

[poisondeathray]

Something is wrong with that specific original clip - it won't save in QT Pro either , but other mjpeg/mov videos have no problem. I think it's slightly corrupted

What was the reason for cutting it? Just curious

Also question to the community, shouldn't it be possible to make an mpeg2 (without changing bitrate) movie out of mjepg, since somewhat mpeg2 is a lot of jpegs following each other?

Not without re-encoding - because MPEG2 is a different compression standard than MJPEG

[racer-x]

Maybe it has to do with variable framerate as it was shot in low light situation. ffmpeg sees it as VFR anyway.....

[bilnrobn]

Movingparts, Quicktime will run the full version and the one DB83 and racer-X kindly trimmed, but doesn't indicate the file type, only its size.

poisondeathray, The reason for cutting it was pretty minor, just that I wanted to send it to the relative who gave our cat the toy last Christmas. As with most occasions when you video an animal doing something, you don't quite know when it will stop, and he did at about 17 second of the 30 second filming. I also wanted to remove the sound track, which I didn't realise was running at the time.

DB83, (going back to an earlier comment) Media Info definitely inserts PUP Optional.OpenCandy. It did it twice when I installed it, once when I later ran it and three times this morning, as a last fling apparently, as I uninstalled it. Malwarebytes Pro picked it up on each occasion and quarantined it, and I then deleted it, so no harm done.

[netmask56]

I've been using MediaInfo for years - no problems with it at all, maybe not all the information you may be looking for... as for pups, these can be easily removed by running malware bytes after the install although my super paranoid detection system has never picked up any problems with mediaInfo

[netmask56]

OK I have tracked down the problem. If you use MalwareBytes to check the installation file for MediaInfo you do indeed get a PUP (Possible Unwanted Program). If you proceed to install anyway as Administrator you get a screen that looks like the regular I accept type page. Actually it's a I accept to install 3 other programs along with MediaInfo ie they are the Possible Unwanted Programs! Naughty MediaInfo! Just tick "I do not accept" and move on. Mediainfo installs, run MalwareBytes and lo and behold there are no PUP's.

[bilnrobn]

Cheeky buggers! I thought it was just the usual acceptance of their conditions, in which case saying you don't accept usually means you can't download it.

[MovingParts]

Movingparts, Quicktime will run the full version and the one DB83 and racer-X kindly trimmed, but doesn't indicate the file type, only its size.

My QT (not a Pro version) does show details like the codec/format.

Edit: this is version 7 something under Mac OS X 10.4 PPC, the newest version under 10.9 Intel even shows me a tiny bit more detail.

But it gave me 15mbit/s as data rate for a movie that mediainfo said had 5Mbit/s video and 256Mbit/s audio. This is why people say QT is not always right about the movie infos, because it doesn't analyse the movie but searches for some embedded info or something. I don't know...