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Splitting, compressing video (.DAT) file

  • I shot a video in mini DV of 15 minutes duration and got it converted to Video CD format by a third party for a small fee. The resulting file is a DAT file of 150 MB that can be played on Windows Media Player or home Video CD player. (The home video CD is popular in Asia but not the US.) I need to email this file but could not compress this file much. I tried ZIP and ALZip. I use WindowsXP. Question: Is there a program that can compress DAT files substantially in 'spanned archives'? If not, please suggest the best file split program. There are several file split programs available as freeware or for a price. Pl suggest the best. If it is a freeware (preferable but not necessary) kindly ensure that it works and is user friendly. Kindly support your answer - why you consider it the best. Ideally the recipient of email should not need any program to extract/ combine the files ; if he does, he should be able to download the program free. (I cannot oblige him to buy after all.) Also, for the recipient, it must be easy (or automatic) to combine the file into one.


  • Many thanks for the quick turn around. You wrote: "… neither MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messenger) will resume if the recipient manually cancels the transfer (because then the recipient is instructed to delete the partial file)." (1) Please clarify: what if the recipient manually cancels the transfer and does not obey the 'instruction' to delete the partial file. (2) I will wait for your confirmation if MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messenger will resume, if sender cancels. (3) I note that I can use AIM. I may check it out. But if all 3 clients (AOL, Yahoo, MSN messengers) are same/ identical with regard to resumption of an interrupted transfer, I perhaps need not bother about AIM (unless the recipient insists on using that). Best regards


  • In AIM and ICQ at least (I don't have MSN or Yahoo Messenger) if you mess up a transfer, (say if one party accidentally turns off their computer or internet glitches drop the connection unexpectedly, all that needs to be done is just to send the file again, and the recipient will be asked if they would like to resume the transfer, or start over. As for one party specifically cancelling the transfer, you can cancel it and have it resumable, but if the recipient cancels it, the temporary file of what's been downloaded already get deleted (again, this is just the norm in ICQ and AIM). skermit-ga


  • Many thanks. You wrote: "All of these instant messenger programs support resumable transfers, so it's not lost time if something goes awry with the transfer halfway through. That's just another option to think about." (1) Please explain how to resume the transfer if something goes awry? (2) What happens if a receiver cancels the transfer halfway? Can it be resumed? This really happened once when during a large file transfer, the recipeint walked away and soembody else came on his computer and closed the screen! Regards


  • Do you intend to get back to me please?


  • I do not subscribe to AOL's service yet use their AIM client. It is a free client which you can download for yourself at http://www.aim.com/. I'm sure you'll be able to use it yourself even though you are not in the US, I have a couple friends overseas myself who use it regularly with no problems, and we've traded pictures and songs before. As for the other two clients you asked about, neither will resume if the recipient manually cancels the transfer (because then the recipient is instructed to delete the partial file). I'm pretty sure both will resume if the sender cancels, or if it gets dropped unexpectedly, but I will try later on this weekend with my friend overseas to test it out. skermit-ga


  • Scheduling a time seems harder than I expected with my other friend. I'm going ot ask if other researchers have used either Yahoo or MSN, because although I have both installed now, I have nobody to test the files with. With AIM at least, if the recipient cancels the file transfer, a partial is saved in the transfer directory, and it doesn't ask to delete the partial. I'll keep trying to find another test partner for MSN and Yahoo. skermit-ga


  • I asked about splitting and compressing of large files. skermit-ga advised me to try Instant Messengers instead. Messengers can transfer photo and files is a common knowledge (eg MSN Messenger displays this prominently). I was agreeable to accept the answer provided I am told about the interruption/ resumption pitfalls. Despite few requests, I did not get a FULL answer. There were contradictions and delays as well in response. One delay was explained but not other delays.


  • I'm sorry, due to an emergency, I was away for the entire weekend and until now. I'm slowly working through all of the backlog of questions and clarification requests today. I'll get to yours today. Sorry! skermit-ga


  • It's been a week since your first answer. Please find time to wrap up this answer. Kindly keep your appointments. Kindly don't answer with "I think ..." or "I am pretty sure ...". Kindly check the facts before writing. Can you please clarify in ONE answer the following? "Whether file transfer can be resumed in a)MSN Messeneger, b)Yahoo Messenger, and c)AOL Messeneger if the transfer is interrupted by a)sender b)recipient?" Regards


  • Could you clarify the points please as listed in my previous communication?


  • aaz, you can use a conjunction of WinRAR (www.rarsoft.com) and FSRAID (www.fluidstudios.com/fsraid.html). Both of them are freeware. You and skermit are right that MPEG2 (VCD native format) cannot be compressed much further. First you use WinRAR to split the DAT file in chucks. FSRaid is simply a software RAID program. Since it is software RAID, redundency is a feature for recovery purposes. FSRAID will generate a bunch of PAR files (PAR for parity). I don't want to go too deep to how everything works. WinRAR abd FSRAID come highly recommended because I know they work. As a matter of fact, this is a common solution for people posting large files on USENet (or, newsgroups). P.S. In order your receipient can take advantage of the recovery feature, you need to send him/her the PAR files, in addition to the RAR files. Good luck.


  • (1) Yes, you did say for for AIM in the PREVIOUS email. I have been insisting for info about MSN and Yahoo Messengers. Btw, you also wrote previously: "All" of these instant messenger programs support resumable transfers, so it's not lost time if something goes awry with the transfer halfway through. You wrote about "All" instant messengers, then you write: "... I don't have MSN or Yahoo Messenger ..." Then you write about AIM: "... if the recipient cancels it, the temporary file of what's been downloaded already get deleted (again, this is just the norm in ICQ and AIM)..." You should give me a quality answer, devoid of contradictions, not rush with a reply. You don't get back in time. You had a reason once. What about the second time? You wrote in the first answer: "Let me know what your options are after speaking to the other party, and I'll work with you further on selecting the best method." Other researchers post such answers as comments when they are enquiring about the options. Can I have just one reply - exact answers to my questions in the next 3 days? "Whether file transfer can be resumed in a)MSN Messeneger, b)Yahoo Messenger if the transfer is interrupted by a)sender b)recipient?" If relevant please clarify: "what if the recipient manually cancels the transfer and does not obey the 'instruction' to delete the partial file." I want answers on Google Answers, not correspondence. Regards


  • Unfortunately, compressing VCD video will not save you much in overhead relative to your 150mb file size, and the medium through which you are considering sending the file (e-mail). Most e-mail providers do not allow individual messages of over 2mb (hotmail) to about 10mb (many local ISPs). On top of this, a total mailbox quota of ~50-~100 mbs is normal as well. Make sure that your recipient is able to receive this much information no matter how split it is before you send off the e-mails, or you'll just waste your time uploading. As an example I took a 34mb VCD capable MPG (same as the .dat file in the video subdirectory of the VCD) to get an estimate of how a compression tool would benefit. What I found is that compressing the mpg file with WinRAR (free for evaluation use, and capable of making self-extracting multipart archives) only yields a ~10% (4mb) decrease in filesize, which can be applied to a ~15mb decrease in filesize for your VCD. This may seem like a bit better, until you realize that it still doesn't help you overcome the transfer hurdles I mentioned before. WinRAR (www.rarsoft.com) has a simple multispan option on the add to archive dialog box called "Split to volumes, bytes" which allows you to type in a number such as 2000000 (2mb) so that you can make roughly 75 parts able to be filtered through to your friend, or roughly 15 parts if his ISP is more lenient with large e-mail attachments. They have great documentation by pressing F1 (or going to the help menu) which walks you through multispanning. My next and best suggestion would be to forego the e-mail AND compression/spanning procedure and instead organize a set time for you and the recipient. Most if not all instant messanger programs offer direct file transfer options built in (such as AIM, MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, ICQ, etc.), and this 1-to-1 transfer ensures that no parts of a multispan get lost in the transfer and that the most efficient use of bandwidth is achieved (you send as fast as they can receive, and neither your mail server nor theirs will retain a copy even temporarily, possibly violating any disk quotas either of you might have. It's relatively fast, it will take you approximately 25 minutes transferring at 100kb/sec (speeds not uncommon for Cable/DSL/T1 line speeds) and if worse comes to worst, it will take about 6 and a half hours if he (or you, or both) are on 56k modem. All of these instant messenger programs support resumable transfers, so it's not lost time if something goes awry with the transfer halfway through. That's just another option to think about. Let me know what your options are after speaking to the other party, and I'll work with you further on selecting the best method. Thank you for your question, and I'm happy to answer it. skermit-ga


  • I already stated a couple times that yes, it can be resumed in "c)AOL Messeneger if the transfer is interrupted by a)sender b)recipient?" Both are resumable. skermit-ga


  • No problem but I do hope you will get back to me today as you said. Best regards


  • Thanks S Kermit. My original question was for splitting and compressing software of files. But I accept that by CONFIRMING that splitting and spanned archiving are not possible/ practical for a very large file, you have part answered the question though perhaps it should have been posted as comment. The limitations of emails, the near futility of compression of video files such as .DAT and the ability of Messenger to transfer file and photo - I knew all that. I live in a different time zone - Singapore than the recipeint - US. Singapore and US are 12-15 hours apart. So fixing a time is not practical for file transfer. But if I sit up during nights to transfer the file, I should know the pitfalls. You also wrote: "... "All" of these instant messenger programs support ..." In Asia (or at least in Singapore) AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) is rare. I don't know if non-AOL subscribers such as me can use it. Can I request a clarification? Kindly research and advise whether file transfer can be resumed in MSN Messeneger and Yahoo Messenger if it is interrupted by a) sender b) recipient. Can non-AOL subscribers such as me use AIM? Regards







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