Catastrophic failure

[dmz]

What a good start after just installing X4.
I tried to add my avi files for editing and every single one fails with the catastrophic failure message. If I double click any avi file, the windows media player plays it fine. I have edited these avi files many times with x2 before. I tried opening mpg files and they were ok. So im guessing its to do with an avi decoder? - but if so why does the avi file play fine in windows media player?

Cheers

David

[dmz]

I can also play the avi files successfully in any other program e.g. divx player, nero showtime, quicktime player etc.

[Ken Berry]

David -- you have well and truly been with us on this forum long enough to know that there are many -- over 800 -- different formats which use the AVI extension. So what is yours? Please right click on one of the files in the VS timeline or library window and copy ALL its Properties here... Then we might be able to suggest a sensible answer...

[dmz]

Thanks Ken,
The main point is that I have edited these exact same avi files dozens of times with many previous version of videostudio starting with VS 7. Its as though VS had the correct codec in all previous versions and somehow removed it in X4? I cannot right click on the file in the VS timeline as I cannot even open any avi files. In desperation (as I cannot do a thing right now!), I completely deinstalled X4, removed all folders and files I could find and removed all registry entries I could find then reinstalled. Still the same problem. I did find a program called mediainfo. When I open one of the avi files I get the following:

General
Complete name : F:\Video\source files\DV72-Mar08.AVI
Format : AVI
Format/Info : Audio Video Interleave
Format_Commercial_IfAny : DVCPRO
Format profile : OpenDML
File size : 3.57 GiB
Duration : 17mn 43s
Overall bit rate : 28.8 Mbps
Recorded date : 2008-03-08 11:14:19 / 2008-03-08 11:14:19 11:1

Video
ID : 0
Format : DV
Format_Commercial_IfAny : DVCPRO
Duration : 17mn 43s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 24.4 Mbps
Width : 720 pixels
Height : 576 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 25.000 fps
Standard : PAL
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Interlaced
Compression mode : Lossy
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 2.357
Stream size : 3.57 GiB (100%)
Encoding settings : ae mode=manual / wb mode=pre-set / white balance=sunlight / fcm=manual focus

Audio
ID : 0-0
Format : PCM
Muxing mode : DV
Muxing mode, more info : Muxed in Video #1
Duration : 17mn 43s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 1 536 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 16 bits
Stream size : 0.00 Byte (0%)

Cheers

David

[dmz]

I dont know if this is relevant but when I open X4 and go into project properties I only have two edit file formats, mpeg and microsoft avi files. Arent there supposed to be a heap more? How do you add things to this list? And if I select AVI, it says ntsc non-drop frame as the tv standard and I cannot change that when I go into edit. Why NTSC when I chose australia - shouldnt it be pal?

cheers

david

[dmz]

I fixed it. dont know why I had to do this as I never had to do it in the previous versions. I opened X4 and went to Settings >Project properties. I changed the edit file format from MPEG to microsoft avi files. I then pressed edit and in the avi tab I selected dv video encoder - type 1. I can now open my avi files!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ron P.]

Glad you have it figured out..

VS has since VS8 anyway, only those 2 main video file formats available for the Project Properties. What's been different is the MPEG options. You used to be able to select the DVD compatible MPEG-2 (NTSC or PAL), then MPEG-2, or MPEG-1. The AVI options have been the same throughout, having numerous possibilities.