I have a QTplayer installed. Currently using VP10e 64-bit and VP10d 32-bit. Just haven't gotten around to updating the 32-bit version yet. I still use that because a number of audio plug-ins I use are not 64-bit compatible. But that isn't the issue with these video files. So, I need to do something with QT? Seems odd when they play in WMP just fine. This is a Windows 7 machine if that makes a difference.

Jim

This was all covered just yesterday, although I was unaware of a 64 bit QT for Windows at the time . . .
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?MessageID=772463&Replies=3

Where can I download the 64 bit version of QT?

Jøran

"Where can I download the 64 bit version of QT?"Yeah, let me second that question. I've just spent 20 min looking for the download location. I can only find two (unacceptable) options - either download iTunes first or download from an unknown site.

...Jerry

Hopefully JR will pop in on one of these discussions and illuminate us all.

Apple is loath to deliver QuickTime without iTunes. However, it's not really that bad to install iTunes. It's easy to deactivate it so it doesn't run automatically, and it doesn't grab any file associations until it's first run at which point it asks for permission. You can easily ignore that it's installed.

Okay, I've got QT7.7, and the QT/iTunes update downloading. But, I really don't understand why I need QT for H264 to work in VP10, when it works just fine in Windows Media Player. Why should Vegas need QT to work?

Downloaded and installed the updates to iTunes/QT and QT7.7. Still can't bring any of these files to the timeline in 64-bit VP10e, and in 32-bit VP10d I can get the video, but not the audio on the timeline.

Surely there must be a better way to get the necessary codecs working with VP10.

In Vegas Pro 10.0e, I could open .mp4 files without Quicktime. The only examples I have on this machine were encoded with the Sony AVC codec. Quicktime is necessary to recognize the .mov wrapper.

I understand the .mov wrapper needs QT, but these files are .avi, not .mov. They play in WMP. Seems to me this is more a Sony VP issue than a QT issue. That's what is really annoying. My computer has the necessary codec on it. Other programs can use it. Why can't Vegas?

"but these files are .avi"

Sorry for taking you off on a tangent. You mentioned the codec but not the wrapper. Silly me asssuuuumed .mp4.

From Wikipedia on AVI:

AVI was not intended to contain video using any compression technique which requires access to future video frame data beyond the current frame. Approaches exist to support modern video compression techniques (such as MPEG-4) which rely on this function, although this is beyond the intent of the original specification and may cause problems with playback software which does not anticipate this use.

Not sure where to go here. Where do the files come from? Camera, cell phone, capture device?

Perhaps you could post the complete file data from MediaInfo?

"but these files are .avi"Hmmm.... MPEG-4 in an avi wrapper. This is really a WAG, but do you need to install ffdshow?

Here's a MediaInfo on an ffdshow encoded .avi



...Jerry

Oh, it's AVI

I'm going to start asking for a complete MediaInfo readout before making any more assumptions about codec questions.

Install the x264vfw codec from Sourceforge and all should be well.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/x264vfw/
Quicktime is not used for opening VFW wrappers.
Vegas doesn't use Directshow filters like Windows Media Player. That's the difference.
Please do not install any ffmpeg codec packages on your system. You only need one codec.

Okay, I don't know exactly "where" it came from. It arrived at the lab on a flash drive. It's a series of shorts each one a different piece of equipment on a shaker table shot with a locked down camera. When I compared the clip length with the file size, I was thinking it was straight out of the camera.

The files definitely end in .avi but when I went to the website Mediainfo pointed to, it was a mp4 codec. But if it came out of a camera, why would it be compressed to mp4? I can't really imagine the engineers who shot the clips would have any reason or thought even to run it through something else before putting in the flash drive.

Here is the information from Mediainfo. There's quite a bit. Hopefully that won't cause any issues.

General
Complete name : E:\AV Files\Video\Jack Harms\IEA\V EC100 145 EW.AVI
Format : AVI
Format/Info : Audio Video Interleave
File size : 68.5 MiB
Duration : 52s 252ms
Overall bit rate : 11.0 Mbps
Recorded date : 2011-04-08
Writing library : AMBA
ICRT : 12:30:59

Video
ID : 0
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Main@L4.2
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames
Format settings, GOP : M=3, N=15
Codec ID : H264
Duration : 52s 252ms
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 10.9 Mbps
Maximum bit rate : 16.5 Mbps
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate : 29.970 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.175
Stream size : 67.6 MiB (99%)

Audio
ID : 1
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : LC
Codec ID : FF
Duration : 52s 245ms
Bit rate : 128 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 816 KiB (1%)
Alignment : Aligned on interleaves
Interleave, duration : 21 ms (0.64 video frame)

I followed your link, downloaded the file, and ran it. I think that was supposed to install the codec. I noticed no changes in how VP reacted to the files. 64-bit still could't figure it out, and 32-bit could make the video happen, but couldn't determine the audio streams. Now, I had a couple of things on the computer I couldn't save and close, so I didn't restart it. I don't know, but that may make a difference. I a restart is required for a lot ot things.

x264vfw is a 32 bit video codec. I don't know if there is a 64 bit version.
As for the AAC audio, you will probably have to convert to PCM in AVIDemux or another utility, and load it separately.

This video likely came from a digital camera. The number of possible combinations of codecs, wrappers, and audio types are myriad; many of them nonstandard, as are yours. Best of luck.

"Why should Vegas need QT to work? "

Apparently,
Because that's the way Apple wants it. Apple owns QT and Apple can dictate the terms for using the CODEC in QT. My guess is that Apple won't license the codec for any editor - I can't think of any that don't require you to go to the Apple website to get QT.

Here's where I would spend less time trying to guess what the video is and more time trying to get someone to indentify the source. Knowing the source could possibly make the task very quick.

I'm reasonably sure the clips are just downloaded from a camera to the flash drive. None of this stuff is very pretty. The only ones who are going to find this the least bit entertaining are engineering types, who will love knowing the radiators they are considering are earthquake proof. If I can't get the proper codec into a recognizable form for Vegas, is there a way I can convert the clips to something Vegas likes?

If I can't get the proper codec into a recognizable form for Vegas, is there a way I can convert the clips to something Vegas likes?

You might try musicvid's suggestion about avidemux and remux the video to MPEG2 program stream with 48 kbps PCM audio. Vegas works well with MPEG 2. There are probably other programs like avidemux.

It's the AAC audio that is hanging you up. I've had this happen before with MP4 files. You have to demux (outside of Vegas). The video will now import. The AAC however will have to be converted to something else to be imported.

Now, I'm feeling a bit dumb. Downloaded and installed avidemux, but can't figure out how to get it to extract the audio for me. In fact, I can't even seem to figure out how to make the help files work. Sheesh, I hope this isn't going to be one of "those" days.