My .MPG is not playing on other computers

AVCHD · Post by **AVCHD** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 5:07 pm

Hi Folks

I have a problem with encoding .MPG files.
They just play fine on my computer but not on others. I have tried on a Mac and also on a XP system.

My files are: .MPG, Resolution 1280x720, 25fps

Do you have any idea what the problem could be? Is there a special codec I have to use? I just want to create a video file everybody can watch.

I am using Vista Home by the way, in case that is important. (Of course the latest version of VideoStudio Plus 11.

Thanks very much.

DVDDoug · Post by **DVDDoug** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 6:06 pm

It get's kind of complicated...

You don't need a "special CODEC", but the playback computer needs a decoder to match your encoder.

Take a look at the this page about Windows Media Player formats. I suppose WMV is the most universal for PCs, and MOV (quick time) is probably the most universal for Macs.

Or, you can make a standard video-DVD, and then require the viewer to have a DVD drive and DVD-player software on his/her computer.

MPG is not a single format... It could be MPEG-1, MPEG-2, or MPEG-4, and of course there are variations of bitrate, framerate, resolution, etc. Also, there is an audio track multiplexed with the video, and it has it's own format. (The default configuration of Windows Media Player can play MPEG-2 audio, but MPEG-2 video requires an additional CODEC.)

AVCHD · Post by **AVCHD** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 6:44 pm

Thanks very much for your response.

The problem is that I need to create this .mpg file (mpeg-2) for my job. It needs to be a file with exactly these parameters:
Resolution 1280x720, 25fps, bitrate 6000, Sound 96

I can create them just fine with my new VideoStudio but of course the files need to be compatible to as many computers as possible.

Is there any way I can do it another way? I can hardly ask everybody who wants to watch a simple .mpg file to install another codec...

Thanks so much for your help.

heinz-oz · Post by **heinz-oz** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 10:34 pm

You can't but Microsoft can

Unless your MediaPlayer can decode the clip, it can't play it

DVDDoug · Post by **DVDDoug** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 10:34 pm

...exactly these parameters:
Resolution 1280x720, 25fps, bitrate 6000, Sound 96... files need to be compatible to as many computers as possible.

Well, you cannot achieve both of those goals with a single file! Most computers can't play MPEG-2. So, maybe you can generate one MPEG-2 file with the "specified parameters", and one or more additional formats to play on "many computers". And, maybe a DVD too.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 6:16 am

I had a similar problem bringing a few short samples of video into my workplace to show my colleagues short clips of some holiday stuff or an example of something created with Cool 3D Production Studio.

What you have to do is find out what plays on your works computers - which are normally locked down by the Companies I.T. Department preventing then from downloading/installing codecs into Windows Media Player. At the time my workplace was running NT4 SP6 - though we now have some XP computers, so I was quite restricted with only Windows Media Player 6.4 to play with! (and no codecs)

What operating system do they have at your workplace and perhaps we can work backwards.

AVCHD · Post by **AVCHD** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 9:34 am

Thanks for your responses guys!

At work we are using Win XP with SP2.

I just found out though, that the files are supposed to be Mpeg-1 with the parameters mentioned above.

The problem is I can't create mpeg-1 high definition files at all with my Videostudio Plus.

Is there a way to do it?

Thanks very much.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sat Nov 03, 2007 2:37 am

I think you are out of luck with MPEG1 - this was the fore runner of the digital video age and was designed to place up to just over a hour of video on a standard 650MB CD.

When DVD discs came along so did MPEG2 with higher quality.
For further information please view : Wikipedia

etech6355 · Post by **etech6355** » Sat Nov 03, 2007 2:28 pm

Do you have any idea what the problem could be? Is there a special codec I have to use? I just want to create a video file everybody can watch.

This best format would be the windows WMV9 HighDefinition Format. Encode your video to WMV 1280x720 at approx 6000kbs (for Highdef source) and it will play in the other windows computers windows media player.
If your source video isn't that good of a resolution you could easily drop the bit-rate down to 4000kbs.
The WMV should look fine.
I'm pretty sure that 1280x720 framesize is outside of the boundary of the Mpeg1 specifications (to large a framesize).

Just use Windows MovieMaker to create the video or you can customize the output from VS/MF if you have the windows encoder 9 series installed..

cernole · Post by **cernole** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 11:47 pm

Is there any mpg format VS 10 can save in that will be playable in other computers ?

Post by **Ken Berry** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 1:07 am

Haven't you read the preceding posts???

It all depends what decoders the other computers might have loaded on them, and this will vary according to their owners and what programs etc they might have installed.

The only codecs of which I am aware that are installed as part of Windows are mpeg-1 (low quality) and .wmv. I suspect the DV/AVI codec may also be installed for Windows Movie Maker, but I am not certain about that. All the rest, including mpeg-2, would need to be installed by the owners of the other computers, either by themselves or as part of a software package.

skier-hughes · Post by **skier-hughes** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 7:13 pm

Ken, yes windows can natively play dv.avi files in WMP.

WMV Of course depends on which version of WMP people have, as some people still use windows 98, there WMP is not going to be very up to date, neither will there wmv codecs, so getting these people to play a wm9 encoded wmv file is like getting them to play a MOV.

mp3 will also play on most up to date WMP's, as mp3 is of course an mpeg file, the new poster didn't stipulate what sort of mpeg he wanted to play