VirtualDub

Last updated
VirtualDub
Developer(s) Avery Lee
Initial releaseAugust 16, 2000;23 years ago (2000-08-16) [1]
Final release
1.10.4.35491 [2]   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg / 27 October 2013
Repository
Written in Assembly language, C++
Operating system Microsoft Windows
Type Video editing software
License GPL-2.0-or-later
Website www.virtualdub.org OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

VirtualDub is a free and open-source video capture and video processing utility for Microsoft Windows written by Avery Lee. It is designed to process linear video streams, including filtering and recompression. It uses AVI container format to store captured video. [3] The first version of VirtualDub, written for Windows 95, to be released on SourceForge was uploaded on August 20, 2000. [4]

Contents

In 2009, the third-party software print guide Learning VirtualDub referred to VirtualDub as "the leading free Open Source video capture and processing tool". [5] Due to its "powerful" [6] versatility and usefulness especially in the field of video processing (see below), PC World has referred to VirtualDub as "something of a 'Photoshop' for video files", [7] PC Perspective recommends it for its low overhead, [8] and nextmedia's PC & Tech Authority particularly praises it for its Direct stream copy feature to avoid generational degradation of video quality when performing simple editing and trimming tasks and the fact that VirtualDub "offers several valuable features that other packages lack, and helps you get quick results without any fuss or patronising wizards". [9]

VirtualDub is recommended for use by professional computer and tech magazines, guides, and reviewers such as PC World, [7] PC & Tech Authority, [9] PC Perspective, [8] technologies guide website MakeTechEasier, [10] freeware and open source software review site Ghacks, [11] Speed Demos Archive, [6] as well as third-party professional video production companies, [12] and the creators of Wine (software). [13]

Several hundred third-party plug-ins for VirtualDub exist, [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] including by professional software companies. [20] [21] Furthermore, Debugmode Wax allows use of VirtualDub plug-ins in professional video editing software such as Adobe Premiere Pro and Vegas Pro. [22]

Features

VirtualDub is designed for Microsoft Windows but may run on Linux and Mac OS X using Wine (for example, to use it with the popular Deshaker plugin). [23] However, native support for these systems is not available.

VirtualDub was made to operate exclusively on AVI files; however, a plugin API was added from version 1.7.2 which allows the import of other formats. [24] Appropriate video and audio codecs need to be installed.

Video capture

VirtualDub supports both DirectShow and Video for Windows for video capture. Capture features include capture to any AVI variant, audio VU meters, overlay and preview modes, histogram, selectable crop area, video noise reduction, auto stop settings (based on capture time, file size, free space, and/or dropped frames), and designate alternate drive(s) for capture overflow.

VirtualDub can help overcome problems with digital cameras that also record video. Many models,[ weasel words ] especially Canon,[ which? ] record in an M-JPEG format incompatible with Sony Vegas 6.0 and 7.0. Saving AVI files as "old-style AVI" files allows them to appear in Vegas.

VirtualDub supports DV capture from Type 2 (VfW) FireWire controllers only (It cannot work with Type 1). There is no DV batch capture, still image capture, or DV device control capability.

Video assembly

VirtualDub can create a video file from a series of image files in Truevision TGA or Windows Bitmap file formats. Individual frames must be given file names numbered in sequential order without any gaps (e.g. 001.bmp, 002.bmp, 003.bmp..). From those, the frame rate can be adjusted, and other modifications such as the addition of a soundtrack can be made.

VirtualDub can also disassemble a video by extracting its soundtracks saving its frames into Truevision TGA or Windows Bitmap files.

Editing

VirtualDub can delete segments of a video file, append new segments, or reorder existing segments. Appended segments must have similar audio and video formats, dimensions, number of audio channels, frame rates and sampling rates. Otherwise, VirtualDub is incapable of mixing dissimilar video files or adding transition effects between segments.

Video processing

VirtualDub comes with a number of video editing components known as "filters". They can perform basic tasks as arbitrary resize, converting the video to grayscale, arbitrary rotation, crop, or changing simple values like brightness and contrast. Filters may be used during the video assembly as well. Filter plug-ins further extend VirtualDub's capabilities. A plug-in SDK is available for developers to create their own video and audio filters. [25]

Besides those basic features, its many third-party plug-ins make VirtualDub a "powerful" [6] open-source tool when it comes to linear video processing, and in fact most of the hundreds of third-party plug-ins available for VirtualDub are filters related to either aesthetic effects or cleaning, fixing, and restoring image quality, such as various denoising and sharpening methods targeted especially at analogue and digital video signal and film defects (be they related to VHS, faulty cables, a distorted analogue terrestrial or satellite TV reception, or digital compression), deinterlacing and fields manipulation, colorspace conversion and manipulation, reverse telecine aka IVTC, deflickering, deshaking, adding and removing logos and subtitles, analysis of video content, etc.

All of these processing features are fully batchable to apply the same effects on a large number of files.

Development

VirtualDub is free software, released under the GNU GPL-2.0-or-later and hosted on SourceForge.net.

VirtualDub2 screenshot VirtualDub2-screen-filter1.jpg
VirtualDub2 screenshot

VirtualDub was originally created by the author, then a college student, for the purpose of compressing anime videos of Sailor Moon . [26] It was written to read and write AVI videos, but support for input plug-ins was added, enabling it to read additional formats including MPEG-2, Matroska, Flash Video, Windows Media, QuickTime, MP4 and others. Development stopped as of 2013 [27] and the site's forums closed down in 2015. [28]

VirtualDub has spawned several forks, including VirtualDubMod and Nandub. [29]

VirtualDub2

The latest fork is called VirtualDub2 (formerly VirtualDub FilterMod). [30] It has all the features of the original VirtualDub, plus support for high bit-depth (i.e., deep color). It is no longer limited to Video for Windows (Video Compression Manager) codecs, and AVI format limitations (such as limited VBR support, H.264/HEVC minor incompatibilities etc.).

VirtualDub2 has built-in encode/decode of any container and video and audio compression formats supported by FFmpeg (H.264, HEVC, VP9, AAC, Opus and other formats) and can open and save QuickTime File Format (MOV), MP4, Matroska, WebM, AVI based on FFmpeg or only the audio from a video in M4A, Opus in Matroska, Ogg Opus, Vorbis, AAC or MP3 formats. [31] [ clarification needed ]

It also has improved navigation, display and user interface (e.g. pan display when zoomed in, color format selection), improved performance, and support for high bit-depth color formats. [32]

Early versions of VirtualDub supported importing of Microsoft's Advanced Systems Format, but this was removed in version 1.3d following an informal phone call from a Microsoft employee in 2000 claiming that it infringed one of Microsoft's patents. Microsoft never identified any specific patent numbers that it believed to have been infringed, but speculation by others is that US 6041345   (expired in 2017) might be relevant. [33]

In August 2006, VirtualDub's German users who hosted copies of VirtualDub, or even linked to them on their web pages, began receiving cease and desist letters from a private individual that claimed to have German word mark on "VirtualDub". [34] However this issue has been resolved: the word mark in Germany has been deleted [35] and an injunction has been granted against the former owner of said word mark. [36]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plug-in (computing)</span> Software component that adds a specific feature to an existing software application

In computing, a plug-in is a software component that adds a specific feature to an existing computer program. When a program supports plug-ins, it enables customization.

Audio Video Interleave is a proprietary multimedia container format and Windows standard introduced by Microsoft in November 1992 as part of its Video for Windows software. AVI files can contain both audio and video data in a file container that allows synchronous audio-with-video playback. Like the DVD video format, AVI files support multiple streaming audio and video, although these features are seldom used.

Motion JPEG is a video compression format in which each video frame or interlaced field of a digital video sequence is compressed separately as a JPEG image.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FFmpeg</span> Multimedia framework

FFmpeg is a free and open-source software project consisting of a suite of libraries and programs for handling video, audio, and other multimedia files and streams. At its core is the command-line ffmpeg tool itself, designed for processing of video and audio files. It is widely used for format transcoding, basic editing, video scaling, video post-production effects and standards compliance.

Matroska is a project to create a container format that can hold an unlimited number of video, audio, picture, or subtitle tracks in one file. The Matroska Multimedia Container is similar in concept to other containers like AVI, MP4, or Advanced Systems Format (ASF), but is an open standard.

Windows Media Video (WMV) is a series of video codecs and their corresponding video coding formats developed by Microsoft. It is part of the Windows Media framework. WMV consists of three distinct codecs: The original video compression technology known as WMV, was originally designed for Internet streaming applications, as a competitor to RealVideo. The other compression technologies, WMV Screen and WMV Image, cater for specialized content. After standardization by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), WMV version 9 was adapted for physical-delivery formats such as HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc and became known as VC-1. Microsoft also developed a digital container format called Advanced Systems Format to store video encoded by Windows Media Video.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ardour (software)</span> Open-source digital audio workstation

Ardour is a hard disk recorder and digital audio workstation application that runs on Linux, macOS, FreeBSD and Microsoft Windows. Its primary author is Paul Davis, who was also responsible for the JACK Audio Connection Kit. It is intended as a digital audio workstation suitable for professional use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virtual Studio Technology</span> Audio plug-in software interface

Virtual Studio Technology (VST) is an audio plug-in software interface that integrates software synthesizers and effects units into digital audio workstations. VST and similar technologies use digital signal processing to simulate traditional recording studio hardware in software. Thousands of plugins exist, both commercial and freeware, and many audio applications support VST under license from its creator, Steinberg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VirtualDubMod</span>

VirtualDubMod was an open-source video capture and processing tool for Microsoft Windows, based on Avery Lee's VirtualDub.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RealPlayer</span> Media player app

RealPlayer, formerly RealAudio Player, RealOne Player and RealPlayer G2, is a cross-platform media player app, developed by RealNetworks. The media player is compatible with numerous container file formats of the multimedia realm, including MP3, MP4, QuickTime File Format, Windows Media format, and the proprietary RealAudio and RealVideo formats. RealPlayer is also available for other operating systems; Linux, Unix, Palm OS, Windows Mobile, and Symbian versions have been released.

ffdshow Open-source unmaintained codec library

ffdshow is an open-source unmaintained codec library that is mainly used for decoding of video in the MPEG-4 ASP and H.264/MPEG-4 AVC video formats, but it supports numerous other video and audio formats as well. It is free software released under GNU General Public License 2.0, runs on Windows, and is implemented as a Video for Windows (VFW) codec and a DirectShow filter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AviSynth</span> Computer frameserver program

AviSynth is a frameserver program for Microsoft Windows, Linux and macOS initially developed by Ben Rudiak-Gould, Edwin van Eggelen, Klaus Post, Richard Berg and Ian Brabham in May 2000 and later picked up and maintained by the open source community which is still active nowadays. It is free software licensed under the GNU General Public License.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MediaPortal</span>

MediaPortal is an open-source media player and digital video recorder software project, often considered an alternative to Windows Media Center. It provides a 10-foot user interface for performing typical PVR/TiVo functionality, including playing, pausing, and recording live TV; playing DVDs, videos, and music; viewing pictures; and other functions. Plugins allow it to perform additional tasks, such as watching online video, listening to music from online services such as Last.fm, and launching other applications such as games. It interfaces with the hardware commonly found in HTPCs, such as TV tuners, infrared receivers, and LCD displays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">REAPER</span> Digital audio workstation by Cockos

REAPER is a digital audio workstation and MIDI sequencer application created by Cockos. The current version is available for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux. REAPER acts as a host to most industry-standard plug-in formats and can import all commonly used media formats, including video. REAPER and its included plug-ins are available in 32-bit and 64-bit format.

In computer music and professional audio creation, a DirectX plugin is a software processing component that can be loaded as a plugin into host applications to allow real-time processing, audio effects, mixing audio or act as virtual synthesizers. DirectX plugins allow the replacement of traditional recording studio hardware and rack units used in professional studios with software-based counterparts that can be connected together in a modular way. This allows host manufacturers to focus on the conviviality and efficiency of their products while specialized manufacturers can focus on the digital signal processing aspect. For example, there are plugins for effects boxes, such as reverbs and delays, effects pedals, like guitar distortion, flange and chorus, and for mixing and mastering processors such as compressors, limiters, exciters, sub bass enhancers, stereo imagers and many more.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GB-PVR</span> DVR software brand

GB-PVR was a PVR application, running on Microsoft Windows, whose main function was scheduling TV recordings and playing back live TV. GB-PVR is no longer under active development and has been superseded by NextPVR, also known as nPVR.

Photoshop plugins are add-on programs aimed at providing additional image effects or performing tasks that are impossible or hard to fulfill using Adobe Photoshop alone. Plugins can be opened from within Photoshop and several other image editing programs and act like mini editors that modify the image.

A demultiplexer for digital media files, or media demultiplexer, also called a file splitter by laymen or consumer software providers, is software that demultiplexes individual elementary streams of a media file, e.g., audio, video, or subtitles and sends them to their respective decoders for actual decoding. Media demultiplexers are not decoders themselves, but are format container handlers that separate media streams from a (container) file and supply them to their respective audio, video, or subtitles decoders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magix Samplitude</span> Digital audio workstation

MAGIX Samplitude/ Sequoia is a computer program made by MAGIX for recording, editing, mixing, mastering and outputting audio. The first version was released in 1992 for the Amiga and three years later for Microsoft Windows. The latest versions of the software are Samplitude Pro X5, Samplitude Pro X5 Suite and Sequoia 16. Samplitude is an example of a digital audio workstation (DAW).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VideoPad Video Editor</span> Video editing application

VideoPad Video Editor is a video editing application developed by NCH Software. It is complemented by the VirtualDub plug-ins that work with the software. VideoPad integrates WavePad, a sound-editing program; MixPad, a sound-mixing program; and PhotoPad, an image editor.

References

  1. ↑ "virtualdub-win" . Retrieved 2019-05-25.
  2. ↑ "VirtualDub - Browse /virtualdub-win/1.10.4.35491 at SourceForge.net".
  3. ↑ "VirtualDub features".
  4. ↑ VirtualDub on SourceForge
  5. ↑ Georgios Diamantopoulos, Sohail Salehi, John Buechler (2009). Learning VirtualDub: The Complete Guide to Capturing, Processing, and Encoding Digital Video, Packt Publishing Ltd, 197 pages (quote taken from back cover blurb)
  6. 1 2 3 Entry VirtualDub on Speed Demos Archive
  7. 1 2 Gralla, Preston (2009). Capsule review: VirtualDub (32-bit version), PC World, Mar 13, 2009
  8. 1 2 Shrout, Ryan (2017). NVIDIA FCAT VR - Preview of a New Performance Tool, PC Perspective, March 1, 2017
  9. 1 2 Fearon, David (2011). How to: convert video footage with VirtualDub, PC & Tech Authority, 18 February 2011
  10. ↑ Sharninder (2009). How To Compress A Video File with Virtualdub, MakeTechEasier.com, 31st May 2009
  11. ↑ Brinkmann, Martin (2011). How To Change A Video's Speed With VirtualDub, ghacks.net, June 26, 2011
  12. ↑ Splitting a Video File into a Sequence of Images (virtualdub) on the website of Viscoda, a developer of professional video and digital cinematography software solutions
  13. ↑ Entry VirtualDub on winehq.org
  14. ↑ VirtualDub filters index on infognition.com
  15. ↑ VirtualDub-Filter Archive on hlinke.de
  16. ↑ VirtualDub Filter Pack 2014 on techspot.com
  17. ↑ Donald Graft (formerly Neuron2.net): VirtualDub Filters and Hosted Filters and Tools
  18. ↑ Video filtering and compression by MSU Video Group, CS MSU Graphics & Media Lab
  19. ↑ Andreas Dittrich: VirtualDub Filters and Modified VirtualDub Capture Routine with High Quality Realtime Sample Rate Conversion and Phase Servo Loop (formerly a project at the Kaiserslautern University of Technology where these VDub plug-ins were originally hosted)
  20. ↑ VideoPad Video Plugin Effects, NCH Software
  21. ↑ "Download Demo | Neat Video". www.neatvideo.com.
  22. ↑ "Wax - [ Homepage ]". www.debugmode.com.
  23. ↑ oldcpu. "HowTo install VirtualDub under wine with deshaker plugin" . Retrieved 2010-01-13.
  24. ↑ "VirtualDub 1.6.18 and 1.7.2 released - virtualdub.org". virtualdub.org.
  25. ↑ "Plugin SDK - virtualdub.org". www.virtualdub.org.
  26. ↑ "VirtualDub history - virtualdub.org". www.virtualdub.org.
  27. ↑ "VirtualDub Stable Versions at SourceForge.net" . Retrieved October 27, 2013.
  28. ↑ "Not found - VirtualDub forums". 2015-10-12. Retrieved 2015-12-12. Sorry, the VirtualDub forums have been closed, and as of this date (22 Oct 2015), it's now down
  29. ↑ "Nandub / SBC Encoding". Nicky Pages' Digital Solutions. Retrieved 2009-11-18.
  30. ↑ Shekh. "VirtualDub2 / Code / Browse Commits" . Retrieved 2019-05-25.
  31. ↑ Shekh. "VirtualDub2 / Wiki / Home" . Retrieved 2019-05-25.
  32. ↑ "VirtualDub2 20 Update 19 Free Download - VideoHelp".
  33. ↑ "Microsoft patents ASF media file format, stops reverse engineering". Advogato . Archived from the original on 2008-07-04. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
  34. ↑ "Illicit word mark registered on "VirtualDub" in Germany [Archive] - Doom9's Forum". forum.doom9.org.
  35. ↑ "DPMAregister | Registerauskunft des Deutschen Patent-und Markenamtes (DPMA)". register.dpma.de.
  36. ↑ ""Preliminary injunction granted in regard to German word mark VIRTUALDUB"".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.