VirtualDub

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VirtualDub

Screenshot of VirtualDub version 1.7.0 This image has an uncertain copyright status and is pending deletion. You can comment on the removal.
Developer:	Avery Lee
Latest release:	1.6.17
Preview release:	1.7.1 / Feb 7, 2007
OS:	Microsoft Windows
Use:	Video editing software
License:	GPL
Website:	www.virtualdub.org

VirtualDub is an open source video capture and linear processing tool for Microsoft Windows. It is written by Avery Lee, and is licensed under the GPL. It is hosted on SourceForge.

1 About VirtualDub
2 Advanced Systems Format support
3 Trade mark issues
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] About VirtualDub

VirtualDub has many advanced features, is able to use plugins to add different video processing techniques, and can process *.avi files, if the required video and audio codecs are installed.

[edit] Spin off projects

VirtualDubMod was started to include extra features not in Avery Lee's version – such as support for MPEG-2 and Ogg Theora.
VirtualDub-MPEG2 added MPEG-2 support
Nandub, a modification of the Open Source VirtualDub video encoder

[edit] Filters

VirtualDub comes with a number of filters. Examples include reducing the video size by half, converting the video to grayscale, arbitrary rotation and about a dozen more. Plugin filters further extend VirtualDub's capabilities.

[edit] Modifying a video

In addition to filters, you can save the entire image sequence onto your hard disk as BMP or TGA files. From there, you can modify the images and later add your modifications. Also you can extract the sound track of a video, and make modifications. You can then apply filters and make modifications to sound track and reapply them to the video. You can even replace an existing sound track or video or add a sound track or more frames to your own creations. Frame sequences and sound tracks must be edited in external software programs.

VirtualDub 1.6.9 is shown with a simple custom-made video.

[edit] Creating a video

VirtualDub can also be used to create a video file from a series of bitmaps or targas. Individual frames are created in an external graphics program like Paintshop Pro, Photoshop, or the GIMP, or a series from a digital stills camera. The images must be in sequential order without any missing numbers (e.g. 001.bmp, 002.bmp, 003.bmp...). From those, you can adjust the frame rate, add a sound track and make other modifications.

[edit] Capturing video

VirtualDub has excellent digital and analog capture capabilities. Supports DirectShow & VfW capture.

Capture features include capture to any AVI (only) 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 supports DV capture from Type 2 (VfW) FireWire controllers only (capture will not work with Type 1). There is no DV batch capture, still image capture, or DV device control capability.

[edit] VirtualDub on AMD64

VirtualDub is being released in a AMD64 version for Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition.

[edit] Advanced Systems Format support

Early versions of VirtualDub supported importing of Microsoft's ASF file format, but this was removed in version 1.3d following a phone call from a Microsoft employee alleging that it infringed one of Microsoft's patents. Avery Lee was never officially contacted by Microsoft's legal department, nor was any legal action ever taken. Microsoft never identified any specific patent numbers that it believed to have been infringed. Speculation by others is that US patent 6041345 might be relevant.[1].

Microsoft released a public specification of the ASF format in 2003, making its implementation possible in 3rd party software products, but no further attempts to bring back ASF import capability into VirtualDub have been made as of February 2007. It is believed that implementing ASF support based on the specification might still conflict with the terms of the ASF end-user license (terms that prohibit ASF code being subject to an "excluded license" such as GNU GPL), but no such restrictions exist on implementing ASF support via DirectShow or WM Format SDK APIs.^{[citation needed]}

Microsoft's patent has been labelled a software patent and is one of many such patents that have affected open source programmers as well as large software companies.

[edit] Trade mark issues

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 company that claimed to have German word mark on "VirtualDub". However this issue appears to be on the way to a settlement. [2] [3] [4]