Can anyone suggest an Mpeg editing program

[Bahboom]

Hi folks.
I need an Mpeg editor but can't find one yet.
I'm pretty familiar with VirtualDub for avi's and if only it would save Mpeg(1) in original format I wouldn't need to look.
I don't want to re-encode to avi. Just want to chop and join and save out in original format, much like VDub's 'Direct Stream Copy' function.
No waitng, just spits it out.
Any suggestions?
Oh, and freeware would be great and small download size as well!
But at the moment I just need any suggestions at all.

[ilovejedd]

TMPGEnc 2.5 - File >> MPEG Tools... >> Merge & Cut

[Bahboom]

Thanks ilovejedd
Turns out I had v2.59 on a cd so I gave it go but the navigation's pretty abysmal.
I had to open the file in VDub, get my start & end times for a cut then type them into TMPG but the first couple of seconds in the output file were simply missing (just doing a test cut of a couple of minutes from a 60min MPEG1).
I think I'm looking for something more accurate than TMPG.

[foxyshadis]

You can also try Cutterman or ChopperXP, but I don't have a lot of experience with either.

[BigDid]

Hi,

Cuttermaran or mpeg2cut2 (http://www.geocities.com/rocketjet4/) or even ProjectX. I use mpeg2cut2 for that usage with success and no problem.

Did

[Pookie]

A second vote for Mpg2Cut2 . Great app for chopping up your MPEGs. Fast, too. The demuxer has worked when other apps borked (or is it bjorked?).

[AlanHK]

MPEG2VCR seems to be quite reliable.
http://www.mpegvideowizard.com/vcr/vcr-trial.htm
Not free though.

[Bahboom]

Thanks guy's. Trying Mpg2Cut2 and navigation is good.
I did some test cutting and joining with it. CrystalPlayer wouldn't go past the join, MPClassic & VLC didn't mind but whatever it does to the audio renders it unreadable (= no audio). I'm working on an MPEG1 file and Mpg2Cut2 does say that it only partly supports that format.
Cuttermaran requires MS .NET installed. I'm a little shy of MS extras.
I found another program that looked promising: AviDemux
http://www.free-codecs.com/download/AviDemux.htm
It navigates and cuts accurately but it won't join it's own cuts and screws the audio as well (maybe it works with MPEG2).

hrs later........
I gave up stuffing around with these programs. I tried all the options but they just don't cut it (so to speak). At least not with MPEG1.
BUT I found one that works perfectly (Hooray!): MPEG-VCR (aka MPEG2VCR)
After finding it on the web I found I already had it on a CD. If it was called mpeg-editor I might have twigged.
I copied the Help>About info from the program in case anyone's got a similar project and having the same problems finding a program that actually works:

MPEG-VCR V3.14 (MPEG-2) (06/2005)
1997-2005 Womble Multimedia, Inc.
Supported Video and Audio Formats:
MPEG-2 Video Streams
MPEG-2 Program Streams
MPEG-2 Transport Streams
MPEG-1 Video Streams
MPEG-1 System Streams
AC-3 Audio Streams
Linear PCM in MPEG-2 Program Streams
DVD Movie (VOB) Files
JPEG and Windows Bitmap Images
http://www.womble.com [ Update Release June 2005 ]

The version on their website is still 3.14 but has a number of updates and has the name MPEG2VCR. (~1.25MB downloaded)
It's not freeware (US$49) but they have a fully-functional 30-day trial.
They ask for your email to send the trial key which I did but the key is actually the name of the file you download (minus the ' .exe ') so there's no need to give your email.
http://www.mpegvideowizard.com/download/WIN32-MPEG2-20fa0fd4ae81.exe
Trial key: WIN32-MPEG2-20fa0fd4ae81

Quote from the email I received:
"Please note that the editor is the FULL and the ONLY
version, and that it has NO function been disabled.
It is only the license key that is time limited.
If you are using MPEG-VCR for the first time, we highly
recommend that you take a quick review of the help file
downloaded from the link below.
<http://www.womble.com/mpeg-vcr.pdf> "

Note: the help file in the program is pretty good. Probably similar to the pdf without the screenshots.

It works flawlessly, cut, copy, paste, save - no audio problems, no join problems, no wasted time. Didn't have to do any de-muxing. (I assume that's separating vid & aud). It simply does the job correctly. I tested the output on 8 players and it's all good and proper.
If I could find a free program as good I'd be laughing. None the less I can easily do what I want even in the 30-day trial.

Thanks for the program suggestions. I'll try them with some MPEG2 & VOB files. My problem was MPEG1.

Cheers
Bahboom

PS
AlanHK you're right! I'd written all this before I saw your post.

[Your_Idol]

thanks Bahboom. I love it when someone else does the running around. And you even went to the trouble of telling us about the trial key and copying the about info and giving links and everything. Thank You.

[astronob]

I have to concur with bahboom. I've tried most mpg editors, mpeg video wizard is hands down the best of the lot. Worth the bucks.

[halsboss]

Maybe item 2 of http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=814236#post814236