Best program to join mpeg-2 files without re-encoding video?

[ccrider895]

I am trying to put together a chaptered video with some mpeg-2 files. I have not had to deal with joining lots of small files into one big one for a long time, so I am trying to figure out what program would be best for Windows XP.

It's going to eventually be authored in TMPGEnc DVD author 1.6, but right now I need to merge a bunch of smaller files into 2 bigger MPEG-2s. I have TMPGEnc MPEG editor 2.0, but I can't remember if it fucks with the files or not. I haven't used it in years. If that is not acceptable, aren't there some freeware progs that do this?

I've searched online and haven't found a suitable answer.

Thanks in advance.

[peaktime]

I had to do this recently myself. I tried joining several mpg2 clips with VideoReDo after cutting the original with VideoReDo and making patch clips, but found that VideoReDo couldn't join them successfully. Time would be missing and it would go out of sync I think. What I wound up doing was adding the clips to TMPGEnc DVD Author 3.0, and joining them that way. TMPGEnc joined and authored these without re-encoding, as the entire DVD was rendered in about 15 minutes. If it had re-encoded the clips, it would have taken hours and said "encoding" in the window.

TMPGEnc 1.6 doesn't even have an encoder, so if it accepts the clips it will join and author them without re-encoding, into one title set if you want.

The only thing that disappointed me was that after joining the clips, there would be a slight audio hiccup at the transition between the clips. I think the fix for this is to demux the joined authored semifinal dvd, and then with an audio pencil tool redraw the wav at those transition points so there is no pop. This would only matter if the footage was a continuous show. If they were clips from different shows, you could author each clip as a separate title (I'm not sure how many titles you can have per DVD).

a little long winded, but I hope it helps.

[ccrider895]

No, can't do it in the Authoring program. They are not split on the correct chapter markers and it won't render them as one MPEG instead of 5 and 18 separate clips. I need to manually do the chapters in the first part. The 2nd piece I don't even want chapters in at all.

It's easy and quick to do it in the TMPGEnc MPEG encoder. I just want to make sure it's an acceptable program. I seem to recall that it may encode the places where the files are joined. I'm also getting cranky because I should have had this done by now and I'm tired.

[peaktime]

It doesn't matter if they are not split on correct chapters, you can still manually add correct chapters with multiple clips. Just make sure to delete the 00.00.00 chapter at the beginning of each clip that TMPGEnc will add, and then add the correct chapter marks within the clips. Also it doesn't join them into one mpg first, as it will author them directly into split DVD vob files. But maybe only 3.0 can do this, and not 1.6.

[ccrider895]

DVD author 1.6 is the last decent version they made. Everything after that re-encodes the video. Also, I don't want to add chapters from a bunch of seperate clips that are actually part of the same concert. It's much better to join them first and work from there.

It's just been so long since I had to deal with something like this...

[peaktime]

It may be easier to make chapters from one clip, but it isn't necessary. If one song spans two clips, then delete the 00.00.00 chapter that tmpgenc will add by default at the beginning of each clip, and otherwise chapter it like you normally would.

Also, 3.0 doesn't re-encode unless it finds something wrong with the files. But this is getting repetitive now. You could try VideoReDo or maybe even VOB Merge to join them into one file. Good luck.

[ccrider895]

Originally Posted by peaktime

It may be easier to make chapters from one clip, but it isn't necessary. If one song spans two clips, then delete the 00.00.00 chapter that tmpgenc will add by default at the beginning of each clip, and otherwise chapter it like you normally would.

Also, 3.0 doesn't re-encode unless it finds something wrong with the files. But this is getting repetitive now. You could try VideoReDo or maybe even VOB Merge to join them into one file. Good luck.

A freeware program.

See, if you mentioned the freeware program in your first post, there would be no need for all this repetition. I know how to put in the chapters, but I just don't fell like dealing with the extra annoyance. I've already dealt with enough annoying stuff today.

Thanks, and have a good night.

[paddington]

C C you need need the Boilsoft Video Joiner v5.x

http://www.boilsoft.com/


try free, send money if you like

I use it ALL the time.. great splicer - no encoding at all. It appends the data and and re-writes the header - that;'s it.


Direct stream clone, without re-encode
Support join AVI, DivX, Xvid
Support join MPEG-1, MPEG-2, VOB
Support join ASF, WMV, WMA
Support join 3GP(.3gp, .3g2) video files
Support join MP4 (.mp4, .m4a, .m4v) files
Join video files as many as you want
Scramble and rearrange the video clips in the sequence that you exactly desire.
Very User-friendly interface

[ccrider895]

thanks.

[lpmaskman]

Avidemux. Just append segments. It's only works when the files have the same specs!

[spidergawd]

mpeg streams tend to concatenate nicely, on a 'nix system you can often get away with

"cat *mpg > joined.mpg"

but I'd still recommend the concat protocol of ffmpeg:

https://trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/Concatenate#protocol