MainConcept MPEG Elements plugin problem

[Andy_E]

I'd be interested to know if you get anything from them. I'm trying to get the demo version working under PE 3.0. On installation it creates nothing at all under the PE folders - the only files that appear are the DirectShow filters and dlls and ini files in C:\Program Files\Common Files\Mainconcept.

The project presets should be appearing under the Settings folder rather than Plug-ins\en_Us or Editing Modes

Do you have a Mainconcept folder under Settings?

I have tried uninstalling, cleaning the registry and re-installing and repairing the installation.

I would like to use this plugin to avoid the need to convert my VRO files to DV-AVI before editing.

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

I have it installed here:-

Program Files/Adobe/Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0/Settings/en_US/Main Concept MPEG

Wihin the Main Concept directory I have:

/DVD
/HDV/Micro MV
/Mobile
/SVCD
/VCD

Is this what you guys are seeing?

[Andy_E]

Well, I've just done a fresh install on a totally clean computer - PE3.0 + Demo of MPEG Elements. This time everything appears as expected.

Settings as John posted above with the only difference being 3.0 instead of 2.0
Editing Modes folder now has a MainConcept entry and Plug-ins\en_US also has a MainConcept folder.

I've run up PE3.0 and created a customer PAL DVD-VR preset that I'm hoping I can use on my footage. Unfortunately, I'm at work and didn't bring a VRO file with me, so that will have to wait for the return home.

I've created a self-extracting WinRAR archive of the MainConcept files and folders. I'll trying installing them on my home computer where the installation hasn't worked properly and see if that fixes the problem.

[Andy_E]

I suspect I shall be awarding myself the Numpty of the Week prize when I get home. I have, of course, got the PE4.0 trial installed on my PC. Almost certainly that where MPEG Elements installed itself and why I had no folders/files under PE3.0. Duh!

Note to self..... Engage brain before doing anything more complicated than tying shoelaces

[Chuck Engels]

Note to self..... Engage brain before doing anything more complicated than tying shoelaces

Thanks for the great laugh Andy I needed that

[Ken Jarstad]

Program Files/Adobe/Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0/Settings/en_US/Main Concept MPEG

I don't have a 'Main Concept MPEG' folder there and none of those other folders appear, either.

The 'C:\Program Files\Common Files\Mainconcept' folder is quite interesting. All the new presets are located there - so they are available - only if the \plugins\en_us structure is created properly.

Close - no cigar. BTW, no response yet from MC.

[RJ Johnston]

Are you still messing with that plug-in?

It took 2 weeks before I heard back from MC after I sent them an email.

[Andy_E]

Thanks for the great laugh Andy I needed that

I aim to please......

As anticipated the Numpty Award was duly made - everything had installed under PE 4.0. Attempts to manual create the structure manually for PE 3.0 failed - there are probably registry settings required as well.

Unfortunately, I then entered the realms of Codec Hell as my computer then decided that ffdshow (installed for XVID) was indeed the codec to use for DV-AVI playback and rendering which pretty much screwed up my editing environment.

I can only assume that the MainConcept setup also included their DV decoder/encoder which failed to install properly. I've managed to recover the situation by uninstalling, unregistering and re-registering various things but I shall be returning to my original workflow which is VRO/VOB -> MPEG StreamClip -> DV-AVI -> PE.

Too much time wasted on this already.

[Ken Jarstad]

It took 2 weeks before I heard back from MC after I sent them an email.

Now there is customer support!

Everything had installed under PE 4.0.

The install asks you where the folder is that contains the Elements executable! (Can't seem to get this quote to work)

Are you still messing with that plug-in?

Going Hi-def HDV soon. I will need something to edit that stuff.

edit - Ron: fixed the quote, Ken

[Paul LS]

I would go with PE3 or PE4 rather than the Mainconcept plugin and PE2. Pity you can't load the trial so you can give it a try.

[Ken Jarstad]

Any particular reason? My requirements are pretty basic.

[Andy_E]

The install asks you where the folder is that contains the Elements executable!

Not if you've got PE 3 or 4 installed - then it decides it knows best. However, that has given me an idea. If I renamed the exe in PE 4.0, then it would prompt me and I could install it under PE 3 instead.

[Paul LS]

As I said in an earlier post Ken:

"When you finally install it you may find it is problematic anyway... with HDV it just sucks up computer resources... PE is bad enough but add the plugin and it gets worse believe it or not. Also with HDV, if you do a simple cut and then use smart rendering it sometimes gives a pixelated frame or two around the cut... the only way to overcome this is to use a transition (cross fade for example) so that it is forced to render the transition... then you do not get the pixelated frames. Really I have given up with it."

Even on my core-2-duo It will suck up all 2GB of RAM and PE2 grounds to a halt even with only 10-20minutes of HDV on the timeline. The smart-rendering will sometimes just decide not to work on a clip and there is no way to get it working again short of starting a new project. Anyways best to get the trial working so you can test it on your machine.

[Ken Jarstad]

Thanks for the advice. Greatly appreciated.

I'm getting set up for HDV. Ordered the HV20 today - $834 and free shipping at Circuit City.

I need to update my very aged 17 inch Viewsonic CRT, and the 13 inch Toshiba monitor connected via the Pyro is, of course, standard-def.

Ordered an nVidia 7300 video card with component HDTV out and want to get a small 15 inch HDTV for monitoring via the HDTV output. Preview via video card HDTV out is supported by Sony Vegas PRO according to this thread: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=100179

QUESTION: Do ANY Premiere editors support high-def preview this way If Elements v4 supports this it will be a no-brainer.

If not, I may be looking for a more robust editor such as Vegas Pro since I think the pricing for a complete Adobe solution is too pricey.

BTW Paul, can you buy Magix Video Deluxe Plus? It has support for VirtualDub filters but Magix won't sell it in the US. http://support.magix.net/boards/magix/index.php?showtopic=25830&hl=virtualdub+filters

[Andy_E]

If I renamed the exe in PE 4.0, then it would prompt me and I could install it under PE 3 instead.

Sadly, this doesn't work. It left me in the same state as Ken with the MainConcept installation not present in the en_US folder and again manually moving the folders made no difference.

I then decided to try and get it working under PE 4.0. Installation put everything in the correct folder but an attempt to add a VRO (renamed as a .MPG file) just hung PE. Attempting to open or play the same file also hung WMP, GSpot and GraphEdit (previously it would play fine). I had to unregister and re-register the MainConcept "demodsmpeg.ax" file. Then it played back ok (albeit at 4:3 resolution which is OK because it always does) in everything but PE where it flickered and jumped terribly. A quick read of the MPEG StreamClip PDF let me know that I should probably run the "Convert to MPEG.." command to convert it into a properly MUXed program stream. This I did and I was able to get it added to the project and onto the timeline with no conversion although I had to "interpret" the footage to tell it is was 16:9. Playback performance isn't perfect and my next step is try and optimise my XP installation to make it smoother. Reading Paul's post above, I'm have to say that glad I'm not attempting HD editing.

Ken - have you attempted to install a PE 3 or PE 4 trial at some point? There may be some left-over registry entries confusing the MainConcept installation. I suspect if I uninstall my PE 4.0 trial, it will now never work under PE 3.0. This is a pain because I haven't decided yet whether I want to upgrade to PE4.0.