Altering Frame Rates

[AnnaMayBelle]

I'm working on a video right now that requires I use downloaded footage... Before anyone asks, the series is brand new, not available on DVD in Japan, and has not yet been licensed. This is the only way to obtain the source.

Unfortunately, the groups who made raws were psychotic. One group released 640x480 24fps files, another released 640x320 120fps, and another released 1024x768 120fps. I mean... What the heck. I thought TV was only 30fps?

So essentially, I have a lot of giant 120fps files. If I simply use AVIfrate to alter the fps, then the files are still huge and just play incredibly slowly in Premiere. My solution so far has been to import into Premiere, speed up, and export the sped up version to use in my video. Does anyone know of a better way of doing this? I do have VirtualDub 1.4.13, Premiere Pro, and AMVapp 2.0.

[AnnaMayBelle]

Man I wish there were an edit button...

I realize now that other people have been told "this website does not condone downloaded footage". Having read Ermac and Absolute Destiny's guide, which talks about using footage that "absolutely cannot be obtained by any other source" (namely the Daicon openings), I assumed that as long as video was not available for purchase in any way, it was okay. If I've assumed wrong, I appologize now and request that you please lock or delete my thread.

[Zarxrax]

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=82264
Download the avi_tc_package v1.3 from here.

Run tc-gui.exe.
Load your 120fps avi file, choose a place to save the output file, then choose a place to save the "TC" file. After you hit run, it will save you a normal avi. You can discard the TC file, you wont need it for editing amvs.

[AnnaMayBelle]

Unfortunately, I get this...

tc-GUI.exe Application Error
The application failed to initialize properly (xc0000135). Click on OK to terminate the application.

Redownloading and re-unzipping didn't fix it and the file is free from viruses.

[Zarxrax]

Odd, it works for me

[AnnaMayBelle]

Stranger yet is the fact it doesn't work on Ma Belle's computer either, just tried it... We're both running Windows XP Pro but I'm running Service Pack 2 (blech) and she's running SP1 (oh how I miss ye).

[Qyot27]

Check to see what version of the .NET Framework you have. It may require 2.0 instead of 1.1. You can check that by going into Add/Remove Programs and scrolling down until you see 'Microsoft .NET Framework [version number]'. I'm pretty sure SP2 comes with .NET 1.1, so you might need 2.0 for it to run correctly. You can get that for free from Microsoft's download center.

[AnnaMayBelle]

Okay, here's something odd... there is no Microsoft .NET Framework on the list, of any kind. Ma's computer, either.

[Qyot27]

Okay, here's something odd... there is no Microsoft .NET Framework on the list, of any kind. Ma's computer, either.

Well, then, you probably need to install them (having both 1.1 and 2.0 on the same computer doesn't harm anything, and for some things, it's required, since some programs depend on 1.1 and others on 2.0). Maybe it only comes with computers that have SP2 on them when you buy them rather than when you use Windows Update to get it.

1.1:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... laylang=en

2.0:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... laylang=en

You may need Windows Installer 3.1 to install these, though:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... laylang=en


To sort of explain the 120fps deal, though:

Many series now use two different framerates: 29.97fps is often used for the introduction to the series, while the core of the show itself is 23.976fps. Since AVI doesn't allow you to have two different framerates in the same file, it requires a hack to get them both in there without duplicating frames to get the 23.976fps segments up to 29.97fps, or cutting out frames from the 29.97fps segments to make them 23.976fps (which would make them jerky).

The solution that was devised was to insert null frames into the AVI to bring it up to the least common denominator of 24 and 30, which is 120. A null frame is basically just a placeholder that doesn't hold anything in it. When the decoder finds one, it just skips it and goes onto the next frame. One example of a series where this technique was used were the RAWs for Negima. Generally, the null frames take up about 10 megs of space, if I remember correctly, but VirtualDub renders them just the same as a normal frame, which makes them very frustrating, and why I wish I'd have known of avi_tc earlier, even if it was just for the purpose of putting those RAWs in Matroska files (that's what the timecode - TC - files are for, since MKVToolNix can read those files).

[trythil]

I'm working on a video right now that requires I use downloaded footage... Before anyone asks, the series is brand new, not available on DVD in Japan, and has not yet been licensed. This is the only way to obtain the source.

Unfortunately, the groups who made raws were psychotic. One group released 640x480 24fps files, another released 640x320 120fps, and another released 1024x768 120fps. I mean... What the heck. I thought TV was only 30fps?

That's not necessarily psychotic. NTSC runs at 29.97 frames per second, with two sets of fields interlaced per frame. However, you don't always get a signal so clean. Sometimes, broadcast programs will send e.g. telecined film material mixed with "regular" interlaced material. If you capture at 29.97fps, you'll miss some of the data you need to properly reconstruct the video stream.

One early solution involved capturing at the least common multiple of 24 and 30fps, i.e. 120fps. (Well, really, it's supposed to be something like 119.88, but whatever.) These days, things are starting to change, but old habits die hard.

So essentially, I have a lot of giant 120fps files. If I simply use AVIfrate to alter the fps, then the files are still huge and just play incredibly slowly in Premiere.

Yes, because you are not actually decimating the video stream; you're just slowing down the per-frame display time.

My solution so far has been to import into Premiere, speed up, and export the sped up version to use in my video. Does anyone know of a better way of doing this? I do have VirtualDub 1.4.13, Premiere Pro, and AMVapp 2.0.

http://neuron2.net/fdecimate/fdecimate.html