Arch Linux

fettouhi

Member

Registered: 2007-05-07

Posts: 745

Editing wmv file under linux

I have a 700 MB wmv file. It uses WMV3 for video and WMA8 I think for audio. I want to edit this file under linux, i.e. I just want to cut out small pieces from the file and use for a different video. Since it is in WMV I've been having troubles cutting it. Normally I just use avidemux, but it crashes everytime I try to save the part I have edited out and want to save. I usually convert what I have to xvid(video)/mp3(sound). If I just cut the parts I need and don't convert, then the video is fine but the sound garbled or almost mute. I tried then to run mencoder first in order to put the file into a different container (avi) and then edit it but there avidemux also crashes when I save it of. So has anybody any ideas how to convert this file and edit it maybe?

Regards

André

ArchArael

Member

Registered: 2005-06-14

Posts: 504

Re: Editing wmv file under linux

Install kino and try to import your video. It will convert your wmv video in dv format and you will be able to split it as you prefer. You can do it inside kino or you can export from kino an avi video and import it in avidemux.

Otherwise try this command:

ffmpeg -i your_video.wmv -sameq your_video.avi

-sameq option will attempt to keep the original video quality.

Then import your_video.avi in avidemux.

These are the MS formats that ffmpeg supports:

 DEA    wmav1           Windows Media Audio 1
 DEA    wmav2           Windows Media Audio 2
 DEVSD  wmv1            Windows Media Video 7
 DEVSD  wmv2            Windows Media Video 8
 D V    wmv3            Windows Media Video 9

So video should be fine. For the audio. If you can see video and hear the audio in your_video.wmv with ffplay you should be also able to convert it.

ffplay your_video.wmv

If kino and ffmpeg does not solve your problem, you could port your video on Windows and import it in Movie Maker and split it as you want.

Last edited by ArchArael (2009-05-18 12:39:31)

Ranguvar

Member

Registered: 2008-08-12

Posts: 2,549

Re: Editing wmv file under linux

I'm not sure if ffmpeg -sameq will re-encode the video or not. If it does, you will lose some quality. Worst case, this may be what you need, but you can try first remuxing the ASF (.wmv file) into AVI:

mencoder -oac copy -ovc copy -o OUTPUTNAMEHERE.avi INPUTNAMEHERE.wmv

If you _really_ need a conversion of the video format, convert to a lossless codec. AviDemux might even let you do that opening the WMV and saving pieces to lossless and then recompressing later to what you need. Keep in mind that this will introduce quality loss.

fettouhi

Member

Registered: 2007-05-07

Posts: 745

Re: Editing wmv file under linux

I'm not sure if ffmpeg -sameq will re-encode the video or not. If it does, you will lose some quality. Worst case, this may be what you need, but you can try first remuxing the ASF (.wmv file) into AVI:

mencoder -oac copy -ovc copy -o OUTPUTNAMEHERE.avi INPUTNAMEHERE.wmv

If you _really_ need a conversion of the video format, convert to a lossless codec. AviDemux might even let you do that opening the WMV and saving pieces to lossless and then recompressing later to what you need. Keep in mind that this will introduce quality loss.

This I already tried with mencoder and avidemux crashes when I try to save the clip I cut out (converted to xvid/mp3). If I just cut it in avidemux after using mencoder the sound is messed up (garbled and everything).

Regards

André