Virtualdub is a popular tool to encode video from a variety of sources. It is originally made to handle AVI, but it can also import MPEG. This article will show you how to use virtualdub to compress or encode a video.
Firstly your machine needs to be set up properly with a number of video and audio codecs.
Open your copy of virtualdub and load your avi or mpeg file from the file menu.
1. Determine the best codecs for the job. (see section Trouble Shooting).
HINT: Under File –> File Information you can view all the properties of the original. Use this information to your advantage.
HINT: DivX can only be encoded when the width can be divided by 2 and the height by 4.
2. Determine the correct bitrate by using a bitrate calculator for the specified codec.
3. Open the video menu and set it to “Full processing mode”.
4. From the same menu select “Compression”.
5. Select the desired codec and make sure to fill out the calculated bitrate.
HINT: It is possible to apply filters from the filter menu. These are suitable for actions like: resizing, cropping etc.
6. Open the audio menu and set it to “Full processing mode”.
7. From the same menu select “Compression”.
8. Select the desired codec and make sure to select the correct calculated audio bitrate.
9. Go to the File menu and select “Save as AVI”.
The video will now start encoding. If the estimated size is lower or higher then it should be, it will correct itself at the end.