When making a movie with fraps - what do people find is the best way to compress avi?

illu

Part of the furniture
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Hi all

I am dabbling with fraps at the moment (until gamecam bring out their next version), and apart from the huge avi files, I like it.

The problem I am having is converting the avi's into either wmv's or just smaller files using xvid or divx codecs. I have tried Virtualdub 1.6.11 and this does a pretty good job, but the result comes out a bit dark :/
I also tried sony vegas dropping avi's in there and rendering them to different types of files, and adjusting the default settings for the wmv conversion seemed to make an ok ish output.

What do you budding movie makers use to make raw avi footage come out as small as possible BUT not coming out dark or losing too much quality?

If you could possibly put in the exact settings for whatever program you use - it would be much appreciated :>

Oli - Illu
 

Kagato

Fledgling Freddie
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I just used windows movie maker to compress for best play back once finished editing it all. Aiteal can probably give you more tips on it.

I tried vega's but couldn't get on with it though still plan to practise with it more in future if can be arsed to.
 

censi

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use sony vegas to render to avi. with uncompressed sound

use virtual dub to compress sound with lame mp3 codex.
 

Dallas

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edit in vegas, save video uncompressed, compress in virtualdub, and add what filters you need, deinterlace etc..

vegas does pretty bad job at compressing at good qual.
 

SethNaket

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illu said:
I have tried Virtualdub 1.6.11 and this does a pretty good job, but the result comes out a bit dark :/

Before you compress the file select Video->Filters (Ctrl-F) in the menu. Click add and pick brightness/contrast then adjust the slider until you are satisfied with the brightness. You'll be able to see the result immediately in the preview window, I usually use 2-3% brightness on clips that are too dark.
 

rure

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I'll let vegas do all my work, except compressing sound which I do in vdub. But dont use wmm, its piss easy yeah. But it gives crap quality and the editing looks amateurish in my eyes. (not that my movies are any pr0 but wmm gives no diversity when it comes to editing)

However, Sethnaket been whinging on me so I'll prolly start using some other program to render movies soon. :D Liek nero or vdub.
 

Vodkafairy

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as far as i understand you want to compress the clips before you actually start editing them, to save hd space?

i compress and capture at the same time, using picvideo mjpeg4 codec - it gives filesizes about 5 times smaller then fraps produces and there is very little to no quality loss.

if you think those files are still too big, you can compress them at 5000 kbs with xvid codec. this is what i did with the footage i sent to Rure for his xmas-video, the quality loss wasn't very significant and the files were quite small. remember that premiere does not work with files compressed with xvid, but does work with the picvideo codec.

infact, i lied, it doesn't work with the picvideo codec. you need to download another mjpeg4 codec to decode it before you start editing, but its fine to compress them with picvideo. i use morgan multimedia codec to decode (with inverted field order), then everything is fine :p

remember to add brightness before you compress, just play around with it some until you fight the right setting. personally ive increased the brightness a tiny bit when recording so night-time footage looks good too, and next to that i always have my torch on. torch is very very important to increase quality i think, even though its not optimal to play with it on :D

once you're done editing, render the video/audio separately, add them together in vdub and compress :)
 

SethNaket

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rure said:
However, Sethnaket been whinging on me so I'll prolly start using some other program to render movies soon. :D Liek nero or vdub.
Nero is <3
 

Naffets

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censi said:
use sony vegas to render to avi. with uncompressed sound

use virtual dub to compress sound with lame mp3 codex.

Same :D
 

illu

Part of the furniture
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Mxn said:
Giv vid Illusb

Hehehe - one day.

And thanks for all the advice - I will look into adjusting some of those settings.

I need to build up footage again as Gamecam has been borked for me since the latest release :/ Missed out on 2-3 amazing fights in the last few months :/ I'm recording in fraps at the moment which I love the quality, but I don't like the file sizes and the having to record before you get into a fight.

I wish fraps would do the same thing as gamecam and let you leave it running, but just overwrite the same hd area and let you save the last few minutes of fighting instead of needing a huge hd to capture footage :(

Anyway - next vid will be in a long while yet :/ Need to get a lot of footage and need to think of some amusing things to put in there :>

Oli - Illu
 

Vodkafairy

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buy a tvcard if you have two pc's, quality of the recording is amazing and filesize is very low. can send you a small sample of mine if you want :)
 

Vladamir

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Push it together really really hard.

Or get an elephant to sit on it.

Insta-compression ftw.
 

Forf

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Oct 19, 2005
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illu said:
Hi all

I am dabbling with fraps at the moment (until gamecam bring out their next version), and apart from the huge avi files, I like it.

The problem I am having is converting the avi's into either wmv's or just smaller files using xvid or divx codecs. I have tried Virtualdub 1.6.11 and this does a pretty good job, but the result comes out a bit dark :/
I also tried sony vegas dropping avi's in there and rendering them to different types of files, and adjusting the default settings for the wmv conversion seemed to make an ok ish output.

What do you budding movie makers use to make raw avi footage come out as small as possible BUT not coming out dark or losing too much quality?

If you could possibly put in the exact settings for whatever program you use - it would be much appreciated :>

Oli - Illu

Tried adobe premier and tweak it with photoshop (effects editing are easier that way tbh), and adobe is goood for overlay graphics and re-rendering the "snow" effects off, plus ofcourse the gama correction feature adobe offers ><

might be answer prior tbh i didnt wanna read all posts to see if it was :p

gl looking forward to the vid ;>
 

Forf

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forgot adobe is primary using xvid/divx/nandub/matroska as conversion util.

and i just realise it wasnt as many posts as i guessed without looking :p
 

rure

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Forf said:
Tried adobe premier and tweak it with photoshop (effects editing are easier that way tbh), and adobe is goood for overlay graphics and re-rendering the "snow" effects off, plus ofcourse the gama correction feature adobe offers ><

might be answer prior tbh i didnt wanna read all posts to see if it was :p

gl looking forward to the vid ;>

Uhm, what kinda effects do you do in photoshop that you later on add to premier?
 

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