Video DIVX

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Converting to DivX

If you are using sound, you need to convert the files from their raw 2002 windows codec, to an updated codec that can handle key frames, that keep the audio and video synchronized.

  • Note: Using audio with single movies gets really tricky because they are in mono. We're working on figuring this out.

1. The first step is to pick the movies that you want to use. All raw movies are available at z:\datasets\BSDS\Original Raw files\ (single screen or double screen).

2. Copy the movies to the computer you are working on. DO NOT edit the original movies, and DO NOT do video rendering over the network. It will take forever.

3. Download the virtualdub folder from the server software, z:\software\virtualdub\VirtualDub-1.8.6.zip. Install it to the local computer (just unzip).

4. In this folder are a series of preset files (.VCF). You can most likely use these presets for what you are going to do. Most likely the divx.vcf works fine. The +stereo items are for using single movies, and don't necessary work (awesome I know).

5. So you have your folder full of the movies you want to have processed. Within that folder, make a new folder called something like "done".

6. There is a script that sets up a job file that will process all of your movies automatically. This is much easier than doing it all by hand. To activate the script, pick which .VCF file you want, and drag it on top of the VirtualDub.vbs file (and release the mouse button).

7. It will bring up a box with movie formats. The default is alright, just press ok.

8. It will ask you for the SOURCE folder. This is where your movies are stored. This had better be a folder on the computer and not on the network, (i.e. not on the Z drive).

9. It will ask you for the DESTINATION folder. This is where you want your movies to be saved. Because they will have the same name as the source files, they need to go in a different folder. Probably the folder you created in step 5.

10. When the script is done it will create a new file called VirtualDub.jobs. Don't worry about this file, you don't have to do anything with it.

11. Double click on VirtualDub.exe to start the program.

12. Go to file -> job control.

13. This will bring up a window that magically has all the files in it that you want to have processed, as well as all the settings for how to process those files. If this isn't the case, you did something wrong, go back to step 1 (and do not collect $200).

14. Press start. Rendering begins. DO NOT TOUCH THE COMPUTER WHILE RENDERING or else it will drop frames. Dropped frames = jerky videos = have to do everything again.

15. When the processing is done, close virtual dub, get your processed videos out of the "done" folder, and move on to video cutting. Be careful to label your folders accurately, as movies in the original folder and the "done" folder look identical.

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