Why can't I trim this video on VirtualDub?

[Clever Sleazoid]

I'm trying to use Direct stream copy and marks to trim this video without any re-encoding in VirtualDub, but all I get is a black video which can't be played.

It works with other video file, but not with this one.

Any idea about how I could make it to work with it? If you got some other suggestion about other program to do the same job (without re-encoding), you're welcome

Here's the info about the video.

General
Complete name : I:\Video 1.avi
Format : AVI
Format/Info : Audio Video Interleave
File size : 224 MiB
Duration : 23mn 37s
Overall bit rate : 1 323 Kbps
Writing application : VirtualDubMod 1.5.4.1 (build 2066/release)
Writing library : VirtualDubMod build 2066/release

Video
ID : 0
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L5.1
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 16 frames
Codec ID : h264
Duration : 23mn 37s
Bit rate : 920 Kbps
Width : 720 pixels
Height : 544 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 4:3
Frame rate : 23.976 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.098
Stream size : 155 MiB (70%)
Writing library : x264 core 55 svn-662
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=16 / deblock=1:2:2 / analyse=0x3:0x133 / me=umh / subme=6 / brdo=1 / mixed_ref=1 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=2 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / chroma_qp_offset=0 / threads=1 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / mbaff=0 / bframes=2 / b_pyramid=1 / b_adapt=1 / b_bias=0 / direct=2 / wpredb=1 / bime=1 / keyint=300 / keyint_min=25 / scenecut=30 / rc=2pass / bitrate=920 / ratetol=1.0 / rceq='blurCplx^(1-qComp)' / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=10 / qpmax=51 / qpstep=4 / cplxblur=20.0 / qblur=0.5 / ip_ratio=1.20 / pb_ratio=1.30

Audio #1
ID : 1
Format : MPEG Audio
Format version : Version 1
Format profile : Layer 3
Mode : Joint stereo
Mode extension : MS Stereo
Codec ID : 55
Codec ID/Hint : MP3
Duration : 23mn 37s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 128 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 21.6 MiB (10%)
Alignment : Split accross interleaves
Interleave, duration : 42 ms (1.00 video frame)
Interleave, preload duration : 500 ms
Writing library : LAME3.97

Audio #2
ID : 2
Format : MPEG Audio
Format version : Version 1
Format profile : Layer 3
Mode : Joint stereo
Mode extension : MS Stereo
Codec ID : 55
Codec ID/Hint : MP3
Duration : 23mn 37s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 128 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 21.6 MiB (10%)
Alignment : Aligned on interleaves
Interleave, duration : 42 ms (1.00 video frame)
Interleave, preload duration : 504 ms

Audio #3
ID : 3
Format : MPEG Audio
Format version : Version 1
Format profile : Layer 3
Mode : Joint stereo
Mode extension : MS Stereo
Codec ID : 55
Codec ID/Hint : MP3
Duration : 23mn 37s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 128 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 21.6 MiB (10%)
Alignment : Split accross interleaves
Interleave, duration : 42 ms (1.00 video frame)
Interleave, preload duration : 500 ms
Writing library : LAME3.97

[poisondeathray]

Did you cut on keyframes ? You can't cut randomly anywhere using direct stream copy with a long GOP video. (And smart rendering doesn't work properly for AVC in vdub)

[Clever Sleazoid]

Yes, I did. It seems AVC is so problematic...

[hello_hello]

Does it have to remain AVI? You could open it with MKVMergeGUI and split it with the options under the global tab. If need be you can then use it to append some of the split sections back together again. The output files will be MKV, although you could always remux them as AVI again.

Or try Video To Video Converter. It has a splitter and commercial remover under the Tools menu and it'll open lots of file types. When you're done you'd add the job to the queue and from the list of conversions presets that pops up, pick "direct stream copy" (download the portable version as it doesn't try to install any crapware).

Or instead of VirtualDub try splitting it with VirtualDubMod, given it appears it was used to create the AVI in the first place. You never know....
Does VirtualDub support multiple audio streams these days? If not, VirtualDubMod does.

[poisondeathray]

Yes, I did. It seems AVC is so problematic...

It's not that AVC in general is so problematic. It's AVC with high compression settings in AVI. The file you have is supposed to be a final format, not edited

That's why you are having problems with it in almost every program. That's why you should decode it to an I-frame format before manipulating it

Even within vdub, try scrubbing around back & forth you will most likely see the frames become out of order, or green frames, or black frames.

Since you don't have HDD space to use an I-frame intermediate (or if you do use a small one the quality will deteriorate significantly) , and the manipulations you are doing in vegas don't sound too difficult, another option would be to use a program like aviutl to do the editing (ie replace whatever you're doing in vegas) with the import plugin set to l-smash. This will edit most videos natively (even ones in MKV container, and highly compressed ones like yours) and frame accurately because it indexes the file.

[Clever Sleazoid]

Aviutl seems a nice program. The problem is that it only saves black videos, just like Virtualdub. The difference is that videos saved by Virtualdub can play sound. Aviutl videos can't.

[poisondeathray]

Probably user error. You probably didn't enable audio export, or configure the video export correctly. But some people have problems with the newest version of aviutl, you might want to try an older version

Or get a new HDD and use a lossless I-frame codec like lagarith, or ut video in vegas

[poisondeathray]

In aviutl, make sure you have file=>settings=> import plugin priority => "L-smash works file reader" ABOVE the AVI and VFW file readers. You might have to close/re-start it. Otherwise you will have the same problems as vegas and vdub . The whole point of the aviutl exercise is so you don't have mixed up frames, or black frames, or green frames while editing the native file instead of some larger intermediate file.

It's not as easy to use or a complete editor as vegas, but for basic edits / compositing it should be fine. There are some video tutorials by racer-x and maverick tse on how to use and configure aviutl on this forum and youtube so look for those if you're lost on basic operation

I personally use the 1-10[win7] version and find it stable. I also use the 1-6[XP] version, also stable. The XP version works on other Win versions like Win8 as well . 1-11 changed to installer format, so some people prefer to stick with the older versions which are "portable"

[MaverickTse]

If both VD and AU saves to a black video, that suggest either user operation error, or something peculiar with the source file.

Can you share the file here or upload it to onedrive/dropbox?

[Clever Sleazoid]

Well, thanks for all the help. It seems my laptop is problematic, since I couldn't manage to make VirtualDub or Aviutl do it, even doing all the stuff you and video tutorials said.

By the way, Aviutl is a good program, but it seems not to work so well with mkv (yeah, I tried to mux it as mkv). It also seems to take too much RAM on my laptop.

I'll say the only thing which really worked for me. I used Vegas itself. I've trimmed the video and rendered it as mjpeg.