Blank Preview w/new action cam (MOV, H.264)

[godzakka]

First off, I tried searching for several key phrases, but I keep coming up empty for finding a solution.

When I import my files, I am only getting a blank, or black, preview.

I'll immediately state that I am brand new to video editing. I recently purchase VideoStudio Pro X7, which is the first editor I've ever used (other than Windows Movie Maker, and that was several years ago). I made sure to update with Service Pack 1 and have since restarted the software.

I am using video footage from a SJCAM SJ400, a GoPro-style action camera that appears to record in H.264 to MOV files. I have recorded all footage in 1080p at 30p.

Do I need to convert the files prior to editing? Do I need to enable a button for previewing this type of file? Thanks in advance for any help/suggestions.

[Ken Berry]

Welcome to the forum!

First off, have you installed the latest version of Quicktime on your computer? That is what "governs" .mov files.

One initial thing you might try, though, is to simply change the extension of the video clips from .mov to .mp4. Try it out with one clip to start off with. Use Windows File Manager to make the change, then try inserting the clip into Video Studio's timeline. Does the video show now? (FWIW, I have a GoPro Hero 3 and it creates h.264 videos with the .mp4 extension, and I have no trouble editing those in VS X7 with the latest version of QuickTime installed...)

It would in any case help to know the exact properties of the video. So please right click one of the clips in the VS timeline and copy ALL its Properties here, or take a screen grab of the Properties box and upload it here as an attachment.

[godzakka]

Thanks so much for the welcome and immediate help.

Before I did anything, I verified the MOV files played via Quicktime. I tried changing the MOV to MP4, which did not work, so I put it back as MOV. I then updated Quicktime to the latest and greatest and tried again. Video still plays in Quicktime, but still nothing showing in the preview.

Attached is a picture of the properties, as requested.

I also found other video I had taken with my Canon SLR, which was recorded in H.264/MOV as well. The video properties are the same as the above camera (SJCAM) when I right click, yet it plays with no issue within VideoStudio. Not sure if there's a more advanced property lookup (like EXIF for pictures).

Any other suggestions?

[Ken Berry]

Have you installed service pack 1 for VS X7? If not you can find it at http://www.videostudiopro.com/en/suppor ... fault.html Make sure you choose the correct version (32 or 64 bit) appropriate to the version of X7 you installed...

[godzakka]

Sure have!

I'm going to try (when I get home) to convert the video to MP4 (or do you suggest something else) within VideoStudio. Once that's done, maybe I'll be able to see the preview and edit the footage.

I'm new to video and editing (been dealing with only photos for years), so I don't understand the differences in all the formats, containers, etc. I'm doing all the searching/googling/reading I can to try to find answers and get my footage to show up for editing without extra steps.

Thanks

[pogonips]

I'm just curious. When you 'import' these files, do they take up a time frame on the timeline? I'm used to 'dragging and dropping' files onto the video track of the timeline, and most of the time the file shows as an object that fills the portion of the timeline that it will occupy, but now and then when I try to drag a file that is somehow 'incompatible' I just get a circle with a bar through it (I assume VS (X7) is telling me it can't accept that file) and nothing appears on the timeline. With particularly large files, I often get this circle with a bar through it, and have to wait for several seconds, and then the file loads. I assume this is just a delay while my laptop processes the file and brings it to the timeline.

[godzakka]

Regardless of "importing" via clicking the folder icon and browsing for the file, or dragging and dropping, it always appears in the preview pane as a black screen, and the timeline as a black bar. I see the name overlaying the black bar (file-name.mov for instance). When I click play, the scroller moves along the blank image and appears to be playing as normal, just without showing the actual video. I can't speak to audio, as thus far I've had my camera on mute.

I've been testing this on smallish (150MB or so) files since I thought it may have to do with large files. I've waited a good while but still nothing in the preview pane.

I've been doing tons of reading and tried copying the QTCF.dll to the C:/Windows (and Corel) folders. I've already updated to the latest service pack (automatically in software, so I know it's the right version, 64 bit). Still no luck.

[lata]

Hi godzakka

Corel brought out a Hot Fix for a similar problem, I did not associate that with your post till now??? I have looked at the original problem and maybe the Hot Fix will help.

The Knowledge Base has the description Unable to import .MOV Video files from Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 or DMC-GH4 into VideoStudio Pro X7 \ ...
Unfortunately I am having problems connecting to their site for more details

I will look on my pc to see if I saved the details.

Ok I found the fix, worth giving it a go anyway?

When trying to import.zip

word doc info

(2.96 KiB) Downloaded 295 times

GH3 MOV.zip

dll files

(1.34 MiB) Downloaded 273 times

[godzakka]

Well, now Corel force closes every time I try to load it. I used the x64 and the x32 thinking maybe I somehow had the wrong one. I have 64bit Windows 8.1, so I expect that's what I need.

First, any suggestions where to get a working .dll now?

Second, any other thoughts?

[lata]

Hi

That’s strange, I don’t think I provided the wrong files.
Did you make a copy of the original ulmp4lib.dll file by renaming it ulmp4lib old.dll
Then add the new ulmp4lib.dll.

I have just applied this file to by program and it fixes the problem for my sample file.
I have also included my original version of the ulmp4lib.dll. file.

Hope that helps, otherwise it’s a re-install.

64 bit GH3 MOV.zip

(1.21 MiB) Downloaded 344 times

[godzakka]

lata,

Thanks. I ended up re-installing, which wasn't too bad. I was hopeful that re-installing with the latest Quciktime already installed may do the trick, but it did not.

However, after reading pages and pages of web-forums, I found this link: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthre ... st29115001

Within it, the author (fede97) wrote a script that allowed me to quickly (about 10 seconds for a 150mb file) change the "container" to MP4, which was then promptly accepted by Corel. I expect that with the short turn-around time, the file was not re-encoded (which is what I was trying to avoid).

In the end, it's not as elegant as I'd like, but it works fine and I'm now about to use my editing software.

Thanks for you and everyone else for their help in solving this.

[Ken Berry]

Thanks for that link. Just yesterday I used another program to convert a .mov file another user was having the same problem as you with, and it too worked fine and quickly. The program is Format Factory and its freeware -- just be careful in the installation to decline all the other things it offers to install. Like that script, it too uses ffmpeg...