Video file= Audio file?

[nf67]

Hey there,
This might not be the good forum, but well just my favorite forum
Instead of recording with fraps I decided to record something outside, with my camera. The camera isn't really good, it's just for photo's but also has a film function on it. So I used it and put the files on my PC. All files were .AVI so I could just open them with Windows Media Player. But when I imported them to Vegas, they appeared as Audio files... ( Not in the import media pop-up window, but after the import in the Project Media thing ). Also when I drag them into the timeline there is no video. Just some audio. What am I doing wrong? I also tried right click and open with Vegas, same result.

Thanks for your help

[Thiras]

Thats because vegas doesnt know which codec your camera used for the video.

Try the Sony forum: http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/....asp?ForumID=4

[nf67]

Thanks, but I am not really expirienced.
I don't even really know what a codec is.. isn't it some script to encode movies so you can watch them used by WMP or Divx Player for example?
I heard that the codec used by my camera is MJPEG. I googled it and found a codec, but this wasn't free. Also when I downloaded it to just look what it was it was more like a program. So now I have the following questions:

To find a codec, do I have to search the Nikon site or the Vegas site?

Are codecs totally custom or are there types of codecs ( just as for movies, wmv for example )?

Is a codec a file or some kind of program?

If I find a codec, how can I let Vegas use it?

Thanks

[Thiras]

Originally Posted by nf67

To find a codec, do I have to search the Nikon site or the Vegas site?

My computers always had a MJPEG codec installed by default, i can play the movies my camera makes in media player or winamp for example.

Are codecs totally custom or are there types of codecs ( just as for movies, wmv for example )?

Codecs are drivers, of sorts. Codec is short for COmpression DECompression - the typical codec does both, while some only offer decompression. Xvid creates a video stream that can be decompressed again with xvid.

Is a codec a file or some kind of program?

Usually codecs come with an installer, and after installation they should work rather silently.

If I find a codec, how can I let Vegas use it?

Good question. Vegas sucks at figuring out what codecs your system has installed. Doesn't exactly cater to everyones needs. It cannot read xvid for example, but this is as far as I know due to a error in xvids VFW part so it doesn't register correctly as a codec and yeah. Winamp, media player, etc, use directshow instead of VFW so it works well there.

You could try this: http://www.warcraftmovies.com/articleview.php?id=45

Should work for MJPEG as well as xvid. It's a damned stupid solution, but it's the only way I know to get Vegas to cooperate. Sorry