Downsizing VideoPad for editing large files

[Russ Croucher]

I really learned this trick on this website several months ago.  I have a 4K drone that produces 900 MB of data every minute with no audio.  I use VideoPad to convert these 4K video files down to a smaller 1080p version with higher grade compression.  The result file is 20 times smaller than the original 4K video.  So I put all these files in a directory and use VideoPad to add my title, text captions, music, watermark additions.  Then once the results are completed I swap the directories over to the large files and run the result with the real files and don't care how long it takes because I'm not watching it.  I then make 3 different versions of the same file one in 4K mode, one in 2K mode, and the last one in the smaller 1080p mode.

Now for the problem: the latest version of VideoPad, and I have several licenses v7.25 requires that the video file has an audio addition.  So I had to find an old version that had not been updated which was one of my other licenses the 7.21 that allowed me to read the large file in and write it out in the same 4K mode.  It produces an audio channel with zero amplitude.  But at least it has an audio channel which is required for the new version.  So if you're experiencing problems with using a downsized version with 7.25 you need to find an older version unless someone can explain to me how you can create MP4 without an audio channel with VideoPad.  Thoughts?  Here is the final 2K version that I did last week on YouTube.
https://youtu.be/pcsgxAPacwA

[borate]

With an Mp4 here, UNlinked video from audio, then deleted audio.  Exported at 2K successfully.  Perhaps that's not what you are describing?

Test it out with this beta version.

[Russ Croucher]

Yes I always unlink the audio from the video but when it creates a video it makes a complete audio channel with no input try it.  I will try your beta version though.  What I found is best for me is to read the entire 4K video in which has no audio channel from the drone and then use a lossless export at 4K which creates an audio channel of zero amplitude.  Then later I can bring it in and don't unlink it and delete it as I see fit.  But the latest version 7.25 won't even let you bring an end because they do not match.  That's where I ran my problems.

[borate]

Humm.  Using the beta, importing the video-only Mp4 succeeds, with a flat-line, silent audio channel.  That doesn't appear to be an issue though as It can be unlinked and deleted.

[Russ Croucher]

Okay I just tried my same file with the new beta version that you provided.  Same problem.  I import a 4K drone video and then use a lossless export to export the same video to a different file which it does in about 5 seconds and it creates the exact same video with a audio channel of zero amplitude.  Normally that's not a problem but my entire set up was designed around a video that had no audio at all.  So by using an older version I was able to create lossless videos with zero amplitude audio files.  I wouldn't necessarily consider this a bug but a certain workaround.

[Russ Croucher]

Normally it would not be considered an issue but in the startup of the program it says the video is not the same and you need to resolve the issue and it won't let you resolve if the video has an audio and the original one did not have an audio.  It says there are 2 different files and will not use it.  So I had to make my smaller versions files that had a flat line audio.  Once I did that then it was able to use the big one or the small one.  So apparently that was never fixed in the latest version

[borate]

Starting with a 4K video that had no audio channel, a lossless export produced the same, but with a flat-line, silent audio channel as you note.  It is the same in 7.25 and 7.02.

It's not clear what you mean by not letting you "bring it in" or "the video is not the same."  Are there actual error messages?

Either the original or the lossless loads here, irrespective of the fact that the latter has a silent audio track.

If you're using Proxy Editing as described in the 'sticky' post near the top of this forum's index, then both files must have exactly the same name and path or VP won't understand.

[Russ Croucher]

Yes I guess that's what you call it "proxy editing".  Yes in VP the file must look exactly the same and the older versions were a little bit more forgiving but the newer versions require both the audio and video in the same file to be exactly the same.  I had trouble with V7.25 because it had a bug in producing lossless videos when it should've worked.  So my older versions 7.21 was able to create it lossless no problem.  As long as I have a good workaround I don't care.  I just created this thread to let other people see some of the issues I found.

[borate]

This scenario does not appear to be a VP fault.  Using another editor, a 4K file that had no audio was re-encoded to a smaller file.  The same flat-line silent track was created.

Perhaps the drone has the option to shoot with an audio stream?

[Russ Croucher]

That could be a possible option.  However, I have no problem bringing those files in and doing a lossless output with VP which creates a flat line audio channel.  That only takes about 10 seconds per file at most.  So I find is just a procedure thing just to make sure I have a file that looks exactly like a proxy file that I can downsize and use it for most of my editing.  Now that I have a solution I'm happy.