ASF==>RAW AVI and WAV==>MPEG1 for VCD. :)

[Seamus]

Hello there forum,

I have some ASF files and I want to get the best quality conversion possible. Someone told me that I should use VirtualDub1.3 and select "uncompressed RGB" in the compression options on the video menu to get RAW output. For the audio I was told to select "uncompressed PCM" in the compression options as well but every time I select uncompressed PCM, when I go back to double check it, it is deselected. So I am kinda stuck at this stage. I think I can get VD to decompress the ASF/AVI Video component to the RAW format but I have having difficulty decompressing the audio.

Thank you.

[Seamus]

Okay, so using VirtualDub1.3 I've turned a 279,776 KB AVI into a 19,093,246 KB RAW AVI. Prior to this I saved a WAV from the 279,776 KB AVIs audio track.

Can anyone tell me if I am doing most of the process correctly and what changes I should make in order to get it right? Thank you.

I did this within VirtualDub1.3:
Select File, then opened MyVideo.avi;
Select File, Save WAV and named the file MyVideo.wav.


Once the WAV was created I did this:
Select Video, Full Processing Mode;Select Video, Compression, [Uncompressed RGB];
Select Audio, No Audio;
Select File, Save AVI and named the file MyRAWVideo.avi.


When the RAW file was ready, I did this:
Open TMPGEnc;
Selected the Browse button in Video Source and navigated to MyRAWVideo.avi;
Selected the Browse button in Audio Source and navigated to My Video.wav;
Selected the Browse button in Output file name and navigated to the place I wanted to store the final MPEG;
Selected the Setting button and loaded the NTSC.mcf template;
Selected the Setting button again and loaded unlock.mcf template;
Selected the Motion Search Precision option Best Quality [Very Slow];
(I think that in order to make the quality even better I should modify the Advanced option called Noise Reduction - I read about it once but until I'll look into it again later);

Finally, I selected:
Start button and the process of converting/compressing the RAW AVI and the WAV file into an MPEG commenced. I am at this point now. Estimated time remaining is 01:37:55 as I write this.

I am not confident that I will be successful because I am under the impression that I should have been able to fully decompress the WAV just as I decompressed the AVI. All I could do in Virtual Dub was save the audio as WAV file. It decompressed a bit (I think), but I don't think it was an audio equivalent of the RAW video file. There was no option to save the audio as a fully decompressed WAV.

The first time I made a RAW file I selected the following audio and video options in Virtual Dub 1.3:
Selected Video, Full Processing Mode;
Selected Video, Compression, [Uncomressed RGB];
Selected Audio, Full Processing Mode;<No Compression [PCM]>Selected File, Save AVI and Yes when I was warned I was about to create a giant 19 GB RAW AVI.

So by selecting the above Virtual Dub options you'd think I could create fully decompressed Video AND Audio files wouldn't you?

The problem I was having here was that the Audio compression option <No Compression [PCM]> would not remain selected when I went back to double check it. Other audio compression options such as DivX ;-] Audio 128 kbps, 44 kHz, Stereo do remain selected when I go back to double check it.

For some reason, Virtual Dub doen't want to make a PCM sound track for me.

[KingJohn]

Audio > full processing mode
Audio > compression > PCM
(You could now use File > SAVE WAV)

Also audio > conversion > 44.1Khz to convert at same time.

Video > full processing mode
Video > Compression > Uncompressed

Save AVI (This saves video and audio uncompressed)


However, its not necessary to split the audio unless its something special like AC3 or VBR, even then TMPEGNc may still be able to convert it, depending on what your system is made up with.

TMPGEnc will also convert ASF, its only when there are junk frames present, that you may hit a problem and need to save out Uncompressed video and Uncompressed audio in ASF files.

You did save out the video uncompressed without audio, so the uncompressed audio and that video would be fine in TMPGEnc, if there were no other problems like junk frames (Which you can't use 1.3 to scan for)

No point in splitting the audio, if your going to use it in TMPGEnc as the original audio, might as well just save out the video uncompressed and leave the audio compressed.

Anyway, what you did should still work

When you go back to change the audio settings, I guess its canceling it at that point, try it, don't go back in, save a little then use File > information to view what you have. (uncompressed is default anyway, in full processing mode)

[Seamus]

Thanks KingJohn.

When you go back to change the audio settings, I guess its canceling it at that point, try it, don't go back in, save a little then use File > information to view what you have. (uncompressed is default anyway, in full processing mode)

If you can remember, would you mind double checking the PCM selection in your copy of Virtual Dub to see if it has remained selected?

[KingJohn]

Yes but the PCM is at the top of the list, if you select full processing mode and saved, then it would be PCM anyway, unless something else was selected. If you go in there what is selected ?

I just did this as a test

Load Vdub

Video > full processing mode
Audio > full processing mode
SAVE AVI

Its saved them both uncompressed, its only when you have the program loaded and you select something else that it would retain the settings.

[Seamus]

Sorry, I think what you are saying is starting to sink in, hehe.

I think you are saying that if I select "full processing" the default is fully decompressed audio and/or video.

This is how it looks to me: http://www.users.on.net/seamus/MiscellaneousPictures/VirtualDub1.3_001.gif

Thanks.

[KingJohn]

Yes looks like they have a blank line at the top, and it does make you think that nothing is selected, but its a default anyway, try it you will see that you don't need to select it to get uncompressed, just select full processing mode only.

People will say to go in there and select it, just in case something else had been selected previously.


Audio > full processing mode
Audio > conversion > 44.1Khz
SAVE WAV

The Audio > compression has not been selected, that's because its a default

[Seamus]

I've been fiddling around with a particular AVI for a while and have started to forget what I've been doing. I think the whole idea of making a RAW AVI and saving a separate WAV file and later using the RAW AVI and saved WAV together in TMPGEnc came about because I could not seem to get the sound in sych with the lips of the actors.

Thanks again for all your help King John.

[KingJohn]

You should have a "fiddling around time limit" when you reach the limit, delete it and go get another copy that is different