How to convert MP4's with the new AMVapp 3.0 beta

[Daniel_BMS]

Now that we are on AMVapp 3.0 beta how do we convert MP4's? I have collaborated with somebody in Japan to create clips with video game footage and the source footage is in the MP4 format. It looks like ffmpegsource and ffvideosource no longer works with the new AMVapp. What is the solution now?

[Kariudo]

same as always (avisynth + vdub/mod)

redownload ffmpegsource
place in plugins folder
????
profit

and for reference, the amvapp v3 has been out of beta long enough to become obsolete itself

[Daniel_BMS]

OK I have uninstalled everything from the beta version of AMVapp 3 and installed everything except the Premier plugin from the final version of AMVapp 3. I also tried installing the latest ffmpegsource. I also downloaded the latest VirtualDubMod as backup. However Neither VirtualDub allows me to open up an MP4 with my convert MP4 avs script. ffvideosource works, but without audio it is impossible to time the clips properly. Why does ffmpegsource no longer work?

[Kariudo]

development continued on ffmpegsource, and I guess they changed it to ffmpegsource2()

that is if you have ffms2.dll

and if all else fails
video = ffvideosource()
audio = ffaudiosource()
audiodub(video,audio)

[Daniel_BMS]

ffmpegsource2 will open, but trying to play the video creates access violations. All else failed.

The second option intrigues me. How do I use the audiodub feature? I copied what you gave me and inputted my video's address with file name, but VirtualDub tells me it doesn't know what video means.

Edit: Looks like I need to extract the audio from my MP4. What is the best way to do that?

[Mister Hatt]

You're all wrong about ffms2 etymology. The only avisynth plugin for it uses ffvideosource, not ffmpegsource or ffmpegsource2. There is a wrapper script as well to link ffvideo and ffaudio but it's not really needed. I have no idea where you got your information from but the original FFMS was made obsolete almost 2 years ago and development on it was halted. http://code.google.com/p/ffmpegsource is the homepage for the latest version.

[Daniel_BMS]

So how can I edit an MP4 in VirtualDub with sound. I can easily convert the MP4 with DVD Copy 6, but I want to know how everybody else handles MP4's.

[Mister Hatt]

ffvideosource("file.mp4") and don't use audio in avisynth because it is remarkably stupid.

[Kariudo]

If you're going to tell someone to not do something one way, it is generally a good idea to tell them about an alternative (bonus points if you do it without sounding pompous).

Now, the normal user won't care if method A works slightly better than method B (nor about the minutiae of its operation) as long as method A gets the job done. So as far as that end is concerned, audio in avisynth is fine (read: good enough)

[Mister Hatt]

Audio in avisynth doesn't always work (it sucks with certain things on PCM which are common on bluray) and even when it does it is lossy. The best way to get audio cut properly is using a perlscript like split_aud.pl (google it) which reads trim points from an avs file and after taking a framerate argument uses mkvmerge to cut and rejoin stuff. You can splice with mkvmerge directly if you need to join multiple segments. There are plenty of good documents people can google about why audio in avisynth is bad and there is no reason I should need to explain when people are just too lazy to look it up themselves.