WMV -> AVI encoding question...

[SilentRipper]

This may sound like a stupid question coming from a stupid person, but is there a program out there that I can use to convert WMV files created by Windows Movie Maker v2.0 to .avi? I need to make them AVI without losing quality, which is not a problem for me to do. Thanks for any help in advance.

[Neo Neko]

Technically yes it is possible. Though not especially straightforward. Using "graphedit" and the Matroska Directshow Muxer it is possible to take any WMV file and it's contents even if it is DRM protected and repackage it in an MKV file. From there if it were still absolutely necessary to go to AVI you should be able to use "graphedit" once more to make the final translation. Problem is that the resultant AVI may not play directly many places. Traditionally the Microsoft decoders "refused" to decode any windows media streams not enclosed in ASF(ie ASF/WMV/WMA files). With Windows Media 9(actually version 3 IIRC) There is a VFW encoder portion of it that is avalible. I am not in a position to test this at the moment.(I am currently compiling and testing all avalible gentoo kernel patchsets for my PC) But if it is installed it should playback WM content from AVI files since it can be used to create AVI files with WM content. I still think however that direct repackaging of ASF contents in AVI via directshow is still restricted by Microsoft. As it circumvents their DRM.

IIRC you might also google for "asftools".

[BaronVlad]

try avisynth "directshowsource" - it should work ;)

[Neo Neko]

No that will not do what he wants. He wants to unpack the sreams from ASF and just remux them in AVI IIRC. He specifically said no recompress if I am not mistaken.

[SilentRipper]

All of that would have worked, but shortly after I posted that, I went snooping in Windows Movie Maker. I figured Microsoft wouldn't completely make their product uncapable of making a file format uneditable. Inside the "Save Movie Dialog" there is DV-AVI, which (obviously) makes an avi file, a very, very big avi file. I don't care though, I have the HDD space, and it's able to be recompressed in Virtual Dub and such. Thanks in advance, though.

[hartiberlin]

Originally posted by Neo Neko
Technically yes it is possible. Though not especially straightforward. Using "graphedit" and the Matroska Directshow Muxer it is possible to take any WMV file and it's contents even if it is DRM protected and repackage it in an MKV file. From there if it were still absolutely necessary to go to AVI you should be able to use "graphedit" once more to make the final translation. Problem is that the resultant AVI may not play directly many places.

Hi,
how can I enable the filter properties of the matroska muxer
in graphedit ?
It only says: "The requested property page can not be displayed !"

Can you please post a graph how to do it ?

Does it really work with DRM protected WMV9 files ??
Did you try it yourself yet ?
I can not load any DRM protected WMV files into graphedit !
Thanks a lot !
Regards, harti.

[ChristianHJW]

1. matroska muxer has no property page, there is nothing to set
2. no DRMed files wont work ( that would be a bit too easy, you agree ;) ? )