Playing a Ccreated video file in media player and Realplayer

[Davidk]

I've created a small clip about a visit to an aviation museum last Feb, and a friend who has an interest in that sort of thing would like a copy. He doesn't have VS 11 or WinDVD, but I thought he may have either of windows media player or Real player. So I tried to play the finished video clip in either one, and in each case the imagery plays fine but the audio track is apparently missing or at least not recognised by either program. The clip plays imagery and audio fine in WinDVD, and it was supposedly created as an MPG2 file - at least that's what the share, create video settings say.

Does anyone know why this happens and how to fix it???

puzzled
davidk

[Ron P.]

What audio codec was used? In VS, right-click on your video file and select properties, then post them here, so we can have a look at them. If you used Dolby digital, then the person(s) you're sharing it with will need to have Dolby installed, and it is not a free codec.
What version of Windows Media Player are you using? I have no problems playing any of my created MPEG-2 video files in WMP 11, and I believe that at least with version 11, it does include the Dolby decoder, so at least you can play and hear Dolby audio..

Real Player I will not allow on my PCs!! There are other free video players such as Windows Media Player Classic, and VLC that you can download and try. If the video and audio plays fine in any of them, just provide a copy for your friend to install..

[Ken Veal]

Ron,
Can you advise why you dont like real player, I am not for or against it but have it, but what I dont like is the message centre popping
up all the time and I have not found a way of getting rid of that happening........Ken

[Ken Berry]

I will let Ron answer for himself, but must say that, like him, I have refused to allow Real products on any of my computers for years. Why? Because precisely it is so invasive, as you have found...

[sjj1805]

Ron,
Can you advise why you dont like real player, I am not for or against it but have it, but what I dont like is the message centre popping
up all the time and I have not found a way of getting rid of that happening........Ken

I was surprised to find I still have Real Player on my laptop but it does not run unless I tell it to. No doubt it is one of those programs that alters the Windows Registry "RUN" Sections so that it starts running when you turn the computer on. This would explain why I don't have a problem with it because I regularly check the startup locations and delete anything I don't want running in the background.

1. Check the Windows START button | All Programs | Startup
and delete any unwanted entries.
2. Windows START button | Run | Regedit
This opens the Windows Registry.
3. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
(After making a Registry Back Up) Delete any programs that you know you don't want to run when the computer starts up.
4. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Repeat the procedure you just did at step 3.

NOTE: Making changes to the Windows Registry should only be done if you are competent and know what you are doing and how to reverse any changes you make should you delete something that you shouldn't have!

[Ron P.]

Ron,
Can you advise why you dont like real player, I am not for or against it but have it, but what I dont like is the message centre popping
up all the time and I have not found a way of getting rid of that happening........Ken

Invasive, Intrusive, and I just don't like it..

[Davidk]

Firstly, attributes. I'd attach a screen dump but that doesn't seem to be possible so the details are:
File format: PAL DVD
file size: 245,774KB
duration: 390.160 seconds
video type: mpeg-2 video, upper field first
total frames: 9754 frames
attributes: 24 bites, 720x576, 16:9
frame rate: 25 frames/sec
data rate: variable bit rate (max 8400kbps)
audio type: dolby digital audio
total samples: 18,727,680 samples
attributes: 48000 hz
layer: none
bit rate 384kbps

Next, WMP version. I had version 9 to start with, but downloaded and installed version 11 to make sure the latest was in use.

Realplayer. Version 10. I've had it for a while but it's irritating so I simply unticked it for the default player. Runs only on demand and then from the start/applications list, not the system tray or autostart - usually when I want to test something that's playing up, as in this case.

Any help wpuld be appreciated.

Davidk

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi

Its almost certain that your friends pc does not support AC 3, that¡¦s Digital Dolby.
Would be included with VS 11.

Re-code your video, use all the same settings but change the audio to Mpeg Audio.

I would use the Make Movie Manager using the Add option to create a template of the video file.
Then edit the template changing the audio to Mpeg.

Render the video using this template, will be available from Share Create Video File, near the Custom option.

[Davidk]

Ahhh! success.

The clip is only 4.5 mins long so re-rendering it is fairly quick.

I'd noted the earlier comments about Dolby and tried re-rendering the project in the DVD format (bypassed the projects settings option and set DVD, PAL 4:3. That did not work and it turned out to be an LPCM audio codec.

After Andrew's suggestion I went looking for the MPEG audio button in the share choices and - after some looking - found it under the custom settings, options, compression tab. Created a new version of the project and - presto! WMP 11 played it fine.

I know the original version played fine on my DVD player - which has a Dolby capability, and I suspect most do - so this little exercise does not say much for the capabilities of wmp and Microsofts' efforts to make it the default multimedia player software for PC's. Realplayer too for that matter, although the results with that package really only served to hone the focus on what was "wrong".

Thanks to all.

Davidk

[Ken Berry]

Dolby of course requires a licence fee to be paid for every piece of software or hardware which uses the codec. For Microsoft, that would be a fairly significant outlay, even for a company with its resources, for ever copy of WMP in every copy of Windows it distributes.

It is also the reason why Ulead, and now Corel, do not include the Dolby codec in the try-before-you-buy version or SE version of Video Studio. These, of course, are free, and no software company is going to pay a licence fee to another company to distribute the latter's codec free...

[Davidk]

Well, there's another glitch . . .

The video file created with mpeg audio plays fine - if the file name is right clicked and "opened with" media player.

But when I open VS11, insert that video file, make no changes and simply share/create a disk, DVD, (no menu), and burn: the output disk won't play - as before, images and no audio - with media player. There's even a codec error message shown.

Whyso??

Davidk

[Ken Berry]

Yes, but did you tick the little box in the second (middle) icon in the bottom left of the burning screen, that said 'Do not convert compliant mpeg files"? And if not, what did the bigger box above that give as the default burning properties?

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi
First of all, if you are intending to play the video file on your friends pc there is no need to burn a DVD.
Once you have created the video file simply burn the file as a data file at 4.5 minutes a CD would probably do.

If you do burn it to a DVD
Start a new empty project-Share Create Disc¡XAdd Video

As you added the video file in the edit timeline, then share create disc VS will re-code the file in the burner module, probably using Digital Dolby. (I don¡¦t have VS 11 to check the default settings).

When you re-code the video you should only be changing the Audio properties. Your video properties from the earlier post look ok.
Try this
From File ¡V Preferences¡Xtick Show Messages when inserting the first video.....
Start a new project
Insert your original 4.5 minute video clip.
From the pop-up window select ¡¥yes¡¦
File Project Properties-Edit-Compression tab-change the Audio option from Digital Dolby to Mpeg Audio
Select OK ¡V Ok
Share Create Video File¡XSame AS Project Settings
This will create a new video file.

Otherwise Use Make Movie Manager¡XAdd¡Xcreating a template¡Xedit and change the audio properties.
Share Create Video File using your new template.

[Davidk]

First, Ken's suggestion . . .
The 'do not convert compliant mpeg video' box is ticked as default, and was when I burned the file.

Second, Andrew's suggestion
That was basically how I created the file in the first place. And I did check that the resulting file was an mpeg audio file, both by looking at the properties and playing in wmp11. It was a bit later - as the posts indicate - before I attempted to burn that file to a disc.

I've just now checked the burned DVD (started VS, loaded the burnt disc, imported the DVD and looked at its properties). What its telling me is that the audio is dolby 2 channel, which means that despite the 'don't convert compliant mpeg video' box being checked, the burn process has converted a source file with mpeg audio into dolby.

Which explains what happened, but - since it seems illogical - is it supposed to do that?

davidk

[Trevor Andrew]

David

After you have created the Mpeg 2 file.

You start a new project. Do not add any clips here.
Share Create Disc
The program opens the burner module
There is no video in the timeline
Now
Add the video file, the Mpeg 2 file you created earlier.
Right click this file and select properties, make sure they are Mpg and not VSP.
Continue to create your menu.
On the final page when you select to burn the disc a progress bar appears.
It should indicate Create Menu

If you see Create Title then your video file is being re-coded to the settings under the Options Cogwheel. (this is not what you want)

Please read my Quick Guide to Mpeg in particular the section Burn a DVD.

http://uk.geocities.com/trevor.andrew@b ... e_mpeg.htm