Problem with MPEG-2 files: codec?

[petgray]

Good morning

I¡¦d appreciate some advice on a problem with my MPEG-2 files. I have a Sony Handycam DVD camcorder which generates MPEG-2 files which can then be transferred to my computer hard disk. The problem is, when I try to open any of these files with any of my video players (Real Player, Nero Showtime, Windows Media Center, even Sony Picture Package which is the program which created them) I get an error message which looks as though it is generated by Microsoft which says ¡§<program name> has encountered an error and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience¡KPlease tell Microsoft about this problem¡KSend/Don¡¦t Send error report¡¨. Because the error message is always the same, regardless of the program being used, I suspect that the ¡§we¡¨ in the above message is Uncle Bill. Trying to open the files with Windows Media Player on another computer I get "Error downloading codec" and "Windows Media Player encountered an unknown error".

Fortunately, my video editing program (Ulead Video Studio 10) can open most video files and it can open and play these. If I re-save the file in the same format (MPEG-2) the same thing happens and I get the same error message with the other programs. But if I re-save the file in MPEG-1 format, it works OK.

I am currently a lodger in someone's house and my computer is no longer connected to the internet, although when it was last connected about 3 months ago, it was kept fully updated. So it's difficult to download things or send error reports, although I could do it if necessary by taking the computer into work and patching it into my work internet connection.

Any suggestions? Thank you, Peter.

[petgray]

P.S. It's me again. I'm pleased to report some progress. I have now found and downloaded and installed a free MPEG-2 decoder ("Dscaler MPEG Filters") and my MPEG-2 videos now play in Windows Media Player. However, the aspect ratio isn't quite right. The video used to be widescreen (15:9 I think) but now it looks like halfway between widescreen and 4:3: it's been slightly squashed horizontally. Is there a better codec I should be using?

I have a feeling that this problem only started when I lost my internet connection (see above, the pitfalls of being a lodger) so I'm wondering whether, when I was connected to the Net, my programs used to download their own codecs from the Net without telling me?

[sjj1805]

Picture Package yeuk... I threw mine in the dustbin.
The correct way to import the files of a DVD camcorder is here:

VS : Importing DVD Files

[petgray]

Ah, the dustbin, not the garbage pail... Good man, we speak the same language. Thanks for that tip. I am glad to hear I can at last get rid of Picture Package because I repeatedly get messages to the effect "picture package is not responding" even when I am not using it. It seems to have a life of its own and fire itself up and interfere with other programs.