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Video codec quicklinks: AVI Samsung,  DAT,  MJPEG AVI,  MOD/TOD,  MPEG 4/MP4,  MOV,  VRO,  TS,  WMV

Audio codec quicklinks: AC-3

General

Depending on what codecs you have installed on your system, you may need to install extra codecs to allow MEP to display/use various video files that you need to edit.

"Out of the box", MEP can open DV-AVIs, MPEGs and VOBs.

If you don't have the required codecs, you may get all sorts of weird messages from MEP such as "Bad File Format!" or "File cannot be read by Movie Edit Pro!", even if the file is visible in the MEP Media Pool.

To help troubleshoot codec problems, you can use GSpot or MediaInfo to identify the actual codecs being used in the file. For example, an "AVI" is merely a "container" for any number of video codecs, which may be, for example, DVSD, XVID, MOV or MJPEG.

For more advanced users, FFDShow can be used to activate codecs, thereby allowing MEP to import various exotic files.

Codec Control

In Win XP, control or delete your codecs using Start>Settings>Control Panel>System>Hardware>Device Manager>Sound, Video and Game Controllers>audio or video codecs.

For more advanced users, how codecs are used by Windows can be controlled using programs such as Direct Show Filter Manager. GSpot can also be used to change the merit value of a codec.

Video Codec Specifics

Here are some specific codecs issues that I have encountered or have been frequently mentioned on the MEP user Board.

AVI MJPEG (Ricoh Digital Still Camera)

Earlier than MEP 15: To edit AVI files from my Ricoh digital still camera, I had to install an MJPEG codec. I use the Morgan MJPEG codec.

MEP 15 Plus (can't vouch for MEP 15) and later: MEP will open these files OK with no other codecs required.

AVI from Samsung Video Cameras

To open Samsung video files, (if you have not already installed the video codec software from the Samsung CD), download the Samsung video codec (SEDG) from here. After unzipping, double-click the CODEC.EXE file.

You will then be able to open and edit your Samsung video files in MEP.

DAT files from a VCD

Copy the DAT files from the MPEGAV folder on your VCD to a suitable folder on your hard drive and then change their extensions from DAT to MPG. MEP will then be able to open them.

MOD/TOD

See some background information on MOD files here (TOD files are the High definition versions). MEP should be able to import them, but if you have trouble, rename them to .MPG. If MEP still won't import them, activate the MPEG 4 function: Help>Activate Additional Functions>Activate MPEG 4...

You will also need to have an AC-3 (Dolby Digital) audio decoder installed; see below.

MOV

For processing of MOV files (including movie files from my Panasonic digital still camera), I had to install Quicktime Player. Use the custom setting and install all components. Alternatively, if you hate being annoyed by "upgrade to Quicktime Pro..." messages, then install Quicktime Alternative (includes media Player Classic) or Quicktime Alternative Lite (doesn't include Media Player Classic). It allows MEP to process your MOVs and also allows Media Player Classic to play them. It also means that the "QTTASK" program will not be running continuously in the background. That's one less process to slow your machine down...

MEP 14 Plus will not export MOVs if you have a later version of QT or QTA installed. Read this thread on the MEP user forum for details.

That said, I have come across a MOV file using the H263 video codec and the AMR audio codec that wouldn't open in MEP. I used Super to convert it to WMV and then I could open and edit it in MEP.

Regarding HD MOVs from AIPTEK video cameras, read this post.

MPEG 4/MP4

MEP 14 Plus and later has MPEG 4 support - it has to be activated though. Choose Help>Activate Additional Functions... This will send a request to Magix, who will email back an activation code. In MEP 15 and later (plus versions), no activation code is necessary.

TS Files

TS files are created by programs such as WinTV (from TV recordings). If you get no audio when you drag your TS onto the timeline, right-click on the audio track. At the top of the RC menu, if you have a "Switch Current Audio Track" option, choose an alternative audio track.

VRO Files

Basically, copy the file to your hard drive, then rename the extension to MPG. Then MEP will Smart Render/Copy it. For further info, see this post: Editing VRO Files.

WMV

I tried to import a particular WMV: no luck (it played in Windows Media Player fine). So I used GSpot to analyse it and it said that the file was actually an ASF, coded with the WMV3 codec (Windows Media Video 9). So I opened it in the free ASFTools, clicked on Convert, then Re-Encode, and I could then open it in MEP.

Audio Codec Specifics

AC-3 Audio

For MEP 14 Plus, if you intend importing AC-3 audio-based VOBs or MPEGs, download the free AC-3 decoder from Magix as follows:

Choose Help>Activate Additional functions... Activate Dolby Digital Stereo Decoder (if you want the AC-3/Dolby Digital 5.1 ENcoder, you'll have to pay for it).

For earlier versions of MEP, download and install an AC3 filter from here.

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