When is an avi....?

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G

Guest

Hi all

I'm having a problem which I suspect is a compatibilty issue somewhere and
I'm hoping that one of the local gurus in here will be able to advise.

I've just resurrected my old digi-VCR (after a couple of years in store) and
tried to upload the old tapes to save the content. I've changed machines
since the last time I used the camera or editing software and now have a
machine running XP SP1 - I've heard there's compatibility issues between SP2
and Delphi and I *need* to run Delphi so have left SP2 alone. I've installed
Premiere 5.1 and DVTools, etc. I can scan the tapes, capture clips, etc, etc.

If I capture a clip, save it as avi (the only option) and load it into
Premiere, then all is well. If I try and view the clip on its own using WMP
then I get 'WMP has encountered an unknown error'.

Has the avi format changed in the last couple of years? Do I need new
drivers from somewhere? I've had a look around Pinnacle's web site and cannot
see anything relevant. I've *tried* to use their fora but, even though I'm
registered, it won't let me post. I tried their help desk from the only email
I could find but they told me that the fora were handled from the USA and
nothing to do with them! I've posted to rec.video.desktop but had no response
from there either. I'll have another go at Pinnacle but my hopes are not high.

Any old sweats around who can identify what silliness it is that I'm doing,
please? :)

MTIA

Ian Jennnings
 
You probably need to get the appropriate codec for the file.

The AVI format hasn't changed, however, it is simply a container for the
video format in question.

To see what codec you need, use GSpot... available at
http://www.headbands.com/gspot/

Then you'll see what codec you need by looking up the fourcc code.

Google the fourcc code, and you should be able to find a link to the most
updated version of the codec, which with any luck, should resolve the issue
you are having.
 
:

Hi Gary,

Many thanks for such a speedy reply. Were you waiting for me? ;)

To see what codec you need, use GSpot... available at
http://www.headbands.com/gspot/

Then you'll see what codec you need by looking up the fourcc code.
Click to expand...

dvsd, and tells me I have three of them installed. Pinnacle Systems DVCodec,
DV Video Decoder and AVI Draw.
Google the fourcc code, and you should be able to find a link to the most
updated version of the codec, which with any luck, should resolve the issue
you are having.
Click to expand...

I've just installed the latest DirectX 9 stuff directly from Microsoft -
that's what Google seemed to indicate. That's what delayed me replying and
thanking you sooner

It still doesn't like it. I've tried to 'render' as GSpot suggested (I'd
better not tell the wife I have a program named 'GSpot' <g>) It comes back
with "DirectShow was unable to render the file. Following is the error it
reported. 0x80004005: unknown". Instinctive, huh? )

Any further clues, please?

Regards

Ian Jennings
 
:

Hi Graham

Thanks for your post.
What do you mean by digi vcr? Is it digital and connected by firewire?
Click to expand...

No, sorry. I sort of meant digital VCR kit - cam, card, firewire, software,
et al.
If you are using premiere, why are you using pinnacles forum? Premiere is
adobe, I'm not familiar with dvtools though, is this Pinnacle?
Click to expand...

Yes, and Premiere used to come bundled with it, IIRC.
What did you use to capture?
Click to expand...

DVTools but it's one of the original versions and I guess that it doesn't
like XP very much. Another post on Google suggested that installing DivX
would ensure that the right codec was installed but it made no difference to
whether I can view the avi's with WMP. I can view them with DivX alright so
that may well help considerably. I had thought about an upgrade but it's all
gotten quite confusing since I last bought anything to do with video. It's
all 'this suite' and 'that suite'. And, as usual with a lot of the software
companies, they assume that everyone knows exactly what they mean in their
sales bumph.
What settings did you use?
Click to expand...

Default, which always worked before. I don't profess to know enough to go
fiddling. :)

Cheers

************************************************************
Ian Jennings

This post is made entirely from recycled ones and noughts
************************************************************
 
Graham Hughes said:
Have you tried capturing with premiere?
Click to expand...

I haven't. I looked at it the other day and then remembered what a pain it
was. I'll have to try a few frames just to test to see what is saved.

Because we've moved house since I used this lot last and, because I haven't
used any of this stuff for at least a couple of years, the manual is still in
a box somewhere. Finding that is going to be fun. It was fun enough trying to
find the cables two years after you'd moved house. :)

But thanks for the suggestion, Graham. It's one I hadn't considered and I'll
have a go at that.

One thing that I don't understand that I've come across since yesterday. I
read somewhere that the problem *could* be that Pinnacle put in 'dvsd' as the
4cc while the correct representation should be 'DVSD'. When I ran GSpot no
matter *what* I tried to put in it told me it had completed successfully and
then still had 'dvsd' as its 4cc. But then it didn't matter *what* I put in
there it still wuldn't render the short test clip I was using - as per one of
my earlier posts.

The best way would for me to be a little less tight and buy a new suite but,
for the amount of video we shoot, it hardly justifies the large sum involved,
even if I could figure out what it is I need to buy! :)

Cheers

************************************************************
Ian Jennings

This post is made entirely from recycled ones and noughts
************************************************************
 
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