Codec's for Dummies...

[kodebuster]

I keep reading and trying to get up to speed on things video, but sometimes it's just best to ask, rather than stumbling around in the dark for day's on end.

Regarding Codec's, once they are installed on your system, will most, or all app's take advantage of these.

As an example, I'm playing with PE1, Window's Media Player, VirtualDub, and most recently I installed K-Lite and the Media Classic Player.

K-Lite installs a slew of Codec's and filters that the Media Classic Player takes full advantage of (very nicely).

So how does one take advantage of these Codec's in WMM, Or Virtualdub, Or even PE1.
Do you need to separately install, or make these app's aware of these Codec's that are on your system.

As far as PE1, I couldn't find a method of making this app aware of additional Codec's, so maybe what you see is all that you get.

My basic premise for these tools, is conversion of Mpeg to DV-AVI, for easy workflow and encoding within PE1. Currently Windows Movie Maker converts to DV-AVI okay, but I was playing with other tools for viewing and conversion as an alternative (VDub as an example).

But it seems at every turn, I'm always missing some codec, filter, plug-in, or add-on for each app.

Who knows, maybe I'm just having a bad hair day...

Any help or insight on this topic is appreciated...

[Steve Grisetti]

Codecs end up on your machine in a variety of ways, kode. Some web sites install them (that's how I ended up getting Divx -- though obviously you want to make sure you can trust the site that wants to install one), some software installs others. And, of course, there are packages, like the K-Lite Pack, that will load dozens on your machine. Ironically, this means the newer your computer, the less versatile it will be with video files.

Once they're there, it's up to the program to make use of them. MovieMaker will use almost any codec you've got installed. Version 4 of Premiere Elements seems to also. (I haven't yet imported a video file format it didn't recognize.) However, just to keep things simple, I always convert a file to a DV-AVI before I import it into a larger Premiere Elements project. That's just my workflow.

As for VirtualDub, it's more of a video processor. It either works or it doesn't, and I don't think it matters which codecs you've got on your system.

But I'd be a liar if I said I had it all figured out. With the countless video formats and codecs out there and more being invented all the time, you're unlikely to find any universal translator. (Did somebody says MPEG-4?) Programs like the K-Lite Pack, though, can do wonders for your file tolerance though.

[Chuck Engels]

Using a tool like G-Spot, or Sherlock (they both come with the k-lite mega codec pack) will show you many things about your system.
The codecs are prioritized, highest priority get used first...
With G-Spot you can change the priority for a specific format to open (decode) with a specific codec, or create (Encode) with a specific codec.
This could fix or really screw up your machine if you do or don't know what you are doing.

All in all there are various ways that users here have already figured out that work.
All we are usually concerned about is getting various files into the DV-AVI format so we can use them in Premiere Elements, anything else is secondary.

Virtualdub to convert various AVI files to DV-AVI
Movie Maker will convert AVI, WMV, and some mpeg files to DV-AVI
MPEGStreamclip will convert mpeg and vob files to DV-AVI
Virtualdubmod will convert mpeg to DV-AVI
QuickTime Pro when working with MOV files and converting them to DV-AVI

Those are some of the basics. In many cases users will not even need any of those tools, I don't use them anymore.
Premiere Elements handles all of the files I throw at it just fine. I wouldn't worry so much about the codec issue, I spent way too much time and learned that it really isn't that important.
All you need is to know how to convert anything to DV-AVI and you will live a long and happy life

[kodebuster]

In many cases users will not even need any of those tools, I don't use them anymore.
Premiere Elements handles all of the files I throw at it just fine.

Thanx for the insight into this grey area.

I'm beginning to understand that part of my issue revolves around the fact that I need to get to PE4, but first I gotta upgrade my hardware. The fact that PE4 will handle most file types, including .vob type files, is just what the doctor ordered (for me anyway).

BTW, I also believe that there is "no free lunch", so I just signed up for a Muvipix Annual Membership.

A small price to pay to help with this forum's continued access by folks like myself...

Thanx...

[Steve Grisetti]

What? There's no free lunch? Why didn't somebody tell me!!??

[Chuck Engels]

BTW, I also believe that there is "no free lunch", so I just signed up for a Muvipix Annual Membership.
A small price to pay to help with this forum's continued access by folks like myself...
Thanx...

Gotta love that attitude

By the way, I haven't had problems with very many file types at all since version 2
And no problems at all so far with version 3

Steve, I'll buy you lunch buddy

[Steve Grisetti]

Whew! Thanks, Chuck!

[Bob]

Regarding Codec's, once they are installed on your system, will most, or all app's take advantage of these.

Good question. The short answer is "No". Let's just talk about Windows (because I'm not familiar with how the MAC handles this). There are two main systems for handling the encoding and decoding of video. The older system is VFW (Video For Windows) and this is the most common system, being the oldest, and is the one used by Windows Media Player Classic and Virtual Dub to name a few. The newer system is DirectShow and is what's used by the current Windows Media Player. The two types of codecs use incompatible interfaces. Applications written to DirectShow specifications will not see the VFW codecs, while applications written to VFW will not see the DirectShow ones. To get around this limitation, some codec suppliers, divx for example, install both VFW and DirectShow versions. Microsoft wants to eliminate the older VFW system. DirectShow calls it's decoders "filters" rather than codecs. The K-Lite codecs contain both VFW codecs and DirectShow filters, but I'm not sure how complete the DirectShowFilters are.

So how does one take advantage of these Codec's in WMM, Or Virtualdub, Or even PE1.
Do you need to separately install, or make these app's aware of these Codec's that are on your system.

Once the codecs are installed in the system, applications will be able to see them. Depending, of course, on the type of codec, i.e. VFW or DirectShow, and whether the application can handle that type of codec. But, even here, some applications will not necessarily go looking for them. It's also possible for an application to use private codecs that are installed in the application but not made visible to the OS. Whether the codecs will be usable is largely up to the way the application was written.

My basic premise for these tools, is conversion of Mpeg to DV-AVI, for easy workflow and encoding within PE1. Currently Windows Movie Maker converts to DV-AVI okay, but I was playing with other tools for viewing and conversion as an alternative (VDub as an example).

And, that's certainly reasonable. I'd like to just mention that, once encoded, the media files do not contain the codec. What they do contain is the encoded data streams with an identifier as to what encoding was used so that you can decode them. You can encode or playback using either DirectShow or VFW based applications assuming that you have the proper codecs and/or filters.

But it seems at every turn, I'm always missing some codec, filter, plug-in, or add-on for each app.

Such is the Tao of Windows.

[kodebuster]

Okay, thanx Bob, your comments were informative and quite helpful.

I'm currently running XP-SP2, with intentions of getting to Vista shortly.
I'll assume that Vista app's would look for DirectShow first, but would also honor VFW...

Also, maybe this helps explain some of the issues I've encountered with VirtualDub and PE1 on Mpeg to DV-AVI conversions.
The Vdub conversion to DV-AVI works fine, but when imported to PE1, the video is good, and the audio is present, but empty (no sound that is).

Thread ~ http://muvipix.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=1394

Thanx again...