Rick's b.log - 2010/01/22
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Finally, a video cut tool that WORKS

VirtualDub won't touch it. It doesn't understand MP4 files. I used to transcode to MJPEG and reencode as XviD. Hardly efficient...

AviDemux will let me open the file, cut the adverts, and save the file. However it has a fatal flaw in that it works fine if you play the video from start to end, but skipping in the file would cause junk to appear on the picture until it could sync at the next keyframe. In addition, it has "issues" if you cut anywhere other than keyframe to keyframe. I've tried a variety of options, and the problem persists.

So currently I had been simply writing the files as-is onto DVD-Rs. With adverts, everything. Wasteful, but at least I would have the material as it was recorded, and I'd have no grief with using MPlayer to skip the adverts quickly.

Until today.

Today, I discovered Free Video Dub.

It is a drop-dead simple program to use. It is not able to join my MP4 files, but removing adverts and over-record (the minutes before/after the actual desired programme) is just such a doddle. It doesn't freak if you aren't bang on a keyframe. It doesn't screw up the ability to skip around in the edited file. It is nippy. It just works.

I will have to spend some time cutting up my current set of recordings, for episode 1 of glee in its raw form was 430Mb (60m). After edting, this became 309Mb (45m). Add a zero to those figures for a set of episodes (and about the capacity of one DVD-R) and you'll understand why this exercise is worthwhile.

I've been waiting a long time for a simple to-the-point and hassle free way of removing the adverts from my MP4 recordings.
The wait is over.

Your comments:

Ed, 11th August 2011, 11:34

That's a nice tool! I love making new videos out of several ones:) That's fun! I got so many videos by now that I even use <a href="http://excelforfree.com/">Exel</a> to keep them organized.

Rick, 13th August 2011, 15:50

Excel for Free? A bit of an untruth there, given it's not really Excel...    What's wrong with installing LibreOffice (http://www.libreoffice.org/) and having the entire office suite available?  Though, I have not - I still use the Microsoft Works that came with my computer, as I don't have much of a need for hardcore "productivity" software. My idea of productivity is a text editor that doesn't interfere, and a compiler that produces good code. ☺