VS X2 - combine 2 mpg's

[snifferpro]

I'm a new user to VS and need a little help combining 2 mpg files into 1 large video.

I have 2 mpg files that I would like to merge together to create 1 large continuous video.
The 2 mpg files are in a folder on my D drive.

Is this possible with VS X2 and if so, can you give me detailed instructions on how to do this?

Thanks

[Ken Berry]

Welcome to the forums!

Insert both mpeg's into the X2 timeline. Select Share > Create Video File > Same As First Clip. This will produce a single new mpeg containing both the original ones.

In saying this, I am assuming that the two together are under one hour in duration and using a high quality bitrate of 8000 kbps. (You can right click on one of the files in the timeline and copy ALL its Properties here, if you like, so we can double check...) If the videos are more than an hour long in combination, you would need instead to go to Share > Create Video File > Custom, and lower the bitrate. 6000 kbps will allow you to burn 90 minutes to a single layer DVD, and 4000 kbps would allow two hours -- though the quality starts getting pretty ordinary at this bitrate.

If you go the Custom route, you also need to ensure that the Field Order is the same as the original videos. If they are Upper Field First, then you must make sure the Custom settings are also Upper Field First. If the originals are Lower Field First, then make sure the Custom settings are Lower Field First. This does not apply if you select Share > Create Video File > Same As First Clip as the Field Order will automatically be the same as those of the original videos. (I assume further that both videos have the same Field Order. A basic rule of video editing is that you should not mix Upper and Lower Field videos in the same project.)

[Ron P.]

Welcome to the forums,

Are they MPEG-1, MPEG-2 (what video DVDs use), or MPEG-4? VS X2 should not have any problems with any of those. If what you're after is just making one long video clip from the two, it's real simple.

1. With VS open, right-click on the time-line, or Select File>Insert Media File to Timeline>Insert Video.
2. Navigate to where the 2 video clips reside on your system, select them, click open.
3. You should now have 2 clips in the timeline. If you do not want to edit (cut), add transitions, effects or filters, the go to #4.
4. Click the Share tab at the far top-right.
5. Go to Create Video file> Same as first video clip.
6. In the Create Video File dialog, provide a name for your new video clip, and a location to save it to, press Save.

That's it..

If you want to do more in-depth editing, then play around with the clips in the timeline. Don't be worried that anything done will damage or destroy your original video clips. VS is a non-destructive NLE (non-linear editor). When you imported your clips to the timeline, you really did not do that. VS produced a representation, sort of a duplicate of those clips. When you apply filters, cut, re-arrange, whatever, is not done to the original source files. When you go to Share>Create Video file, VS then uses parts or your original source clips, duplicating them, applying whatever you want done to a new video file. Your source clips are left untouched.

So don't be scared to explore, investigate and have fun, that's the only real way to learn..

[snifferpro]

Thanks everyone.

That worked perfectly.

Great to have people helping people.

I'm sure I'll have more questions in the future.

Again, Thanks everyone.