While trying to convert something to an SVCD, the file kept getting undersized and the audio was choppy as hell. I'd never had that problem before. Then on FH somebody said about a movie with a corrupted header that if you put it into Virtual Dub it'd be repaired automatically - sure enough, I open it Virtual Dub (never used it before), and it gives me a message about VBR audio with an .avi file.

Great, it'll fix it for me. That's nice to know and all, but what the hell do I do with Virtual Dub for it to give me a repaired .avi file? I've checked the website FAQ, no dice.

okay doke its really pretty simple if you know the procedure.

These steps must all be performed (i'm assuming your problem is from lack of/corrupted key frames):

1) load up vdub (or better virtual dub mod)
2) Go to file> open. Navigate to your avi. Now check the box that says "popup extended open options". Now open the avi
3) notice the new popup. Check the first option that says "re-derive keyframe flags". Then okay that popup
4) wait for vdub to sort the problem... this will take ages. Previously you fixed the frame problem, but with the lack of keyframes, all you can do is play, if you try and scan/fast forward/rewind your programs will crash and CPU will go to 100% so its important to have them
5) many years later, it will finish. Now go to video>direct Stream copy, audio>direct stream copy
6) file>save as avi , and give it a new name

And there you go, a fixed avi with corrected file overhead. Now do what you wish with it you wicked child!

Thanks, spud, followed all those instructions - but the audio goes out of sync somewhere in there. It says when I first open the file...

"VirtualDub has detected an improper audio encoding in the source AVI file and will re-write the audio header with standard CBR values during processing for better compatability. This may introduce up to 15462ms of skew from the audio stream. If this is unacceptable, decompress the *entire* audio stream to an uncompressed WAV file and recompress with a constant bitrate encoder. (bitrate: 97.8 +- 5.6kbps"

What is this 'constant bitrate encoder' they speak of? Ugh, I've burned at least 50 avi files, I've never gotten this shit before..

Use Vdubmod or nandub and you shouldn't have that message..regular vdub doesn't have all the features like the other 2.You can pick up the mod on doom9 or just download gnot and it will have it all for you.

yup your not using virtual dub mod or nandub, virtual dub can not handle anything other than wav or CBR mp3 audio ie. the audio handling sucks

Nope, it was VirtualDub Mod that I used. The audio went out of sync after all that. There's no 'audio' pulldown menu though, so I couldn't select audio direct stream copy, but still..

try nandub