help with dv files

[schmosef]

Hi guys,

This is probably a stupid question but here goes...

I customer just gave me a data DVD with three movie files that do not have an extension. Windows Media Player is able to play them. If I check the properties in Media player it says that they are using the "DV Video Codec".

I need to make a DVD with them. I can't seem to import them into any authoring software. They all give me an "unsupported media" error message.

What can I do to allow the files to be imported into the authoring software?

[Technoid]

give them the .AVI extension and try again

[schmosef]

I've already tried avi, mpg, and wmv. No Luck. Maybe there's a codec I need to install or maybe I need to somehow re-encode them to a different format

I've done this with Windows Movie Maker before. It is able to import the video and is even able to play the preview, but when I try to save it in a new format it has an error and tells me to verify the locaiton of the source files.

Nero Re-code is able to import them but it recodes them to "Nero Digital" format, which is too low a quality file.

Is there a utility I can use to properly identify the codec used? Or to covert from one movie type to another?

[landrover]

Tried VirtualDub yet? It should be able to read the files, provided you have a VfW DV-codec installed, like Mainconcept or Panasonic.

b.t.w. If Nero Re-code is able to import them, then probably so would Nero Vision Express.

[schmosef]

I haven't heard of VirtualDub before. I'll look into it.

I've already tried Nero Vision Express.

I just realized that CyberLink PowerProducer 2 is installed on my PC. It must have come with some peripherial. It seems to be working if I change the extension to .avi.

I'll still like to be able to work with these files directly so I can add some titles and make some minor changes. What exactly is VirtualDub?

[landrover]

VirtualDub (www.virtualdub.org) is a popular Open Source video-editing/capturing/processing tool. It will let you apply filters , cut out unwanted segments of footage, capture video (provided your capture card uses Video for Windows drivers) and convert videofiles in the avi-format to and from almost any available VfW codec. A must-have if you´re into desktop video.
There are also some modified versions around which support features not available in the standard version, like for example MPEG-2 import.

[schmosef]

Thanks for the info on virtual dub. It can't open my files though.

VLC player says that they are encoded with the DVC codec. I can't seem to get any info on it.

Anyone have any ideas?

This is so frustrating because I can play the darned videos in media player! I just can't convert them to another format.

As I said before I am able to burn them to a DVD with PowerProducer. I might just have to settle for ripping them off the DVD into a more managable format.

[jeff b]

I did a google search of "dvc codec", and on this page found a list:

http://www.codec-download.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=1#D

In this list, "DVC" is called the Apple Quicktime DV codec.

Jeff B

[landrover]

That's sounds plausible, except for the fact that WMP is able to play them. A.F.A.I.K. WMP doesn't support quicktime codecs and definately not the Quicktime container format.

[schmosef]

I did the sample google search and found the same thing about quicktime.

The funny thing is that the quicktime player can play the video files but not at as high a quality as WMP.

I figured it was a red herring.

[schmosef]

Right now my plan is to burn them to a DVD with Power Producer and then rip the DVD back as a more manageable format.