Using Mac files in video studio pro x10

[Al Marotta]

I'm trying to get files shot in a local access cable tv studio with a Mac system---Mac computers---imported into video studio pro x 10. The guy at the studio says he uses an h.264 files out of the switcher in HD. When I attempt to import the file the studio guy gave me (and he did some manipulating of something in an attempt to make it pc compatible) the files download but there is a question mark on the files and I think it says "Invalid file". Nothing works. Strangely enough, when I attempted this download in Movie Maker---the editing system that comes with Windows 10----the audio of the files worked just fine, but the picture was black.
I have windows 10 on a Samsung laptop I think with 64 bit. Again, this was a TV show shot on cameras and dealing with Mac computers in the control room.

Thanks,
Al Marotta

[Ken Berry]

Hi Al -- and welcome (finally!!) to the forum...

Can you please tell us the extension which the video has e.g. is it ***.mpg or ***.mts or even ***.mov or something else?

And with Video Studio open and the video in the timeline or library windows, can you please right click on it and copy the Properties of the clip here or take a screen grab of the Properties box and upload it here as an Attachment.

If the extension happens to be .mov, do you have the Quicktime codec installed on your PC?

Until we know the exact Properties, the only thing I can think of which might help would be to use a freeware video converter like Handbrake to convert the video to another version of AVCHD H.264 with similar properties. That will usually work with problem videos -- though I hasten to add that normally Video Studio has no problem at all with AVCHD files.

[Al Marotta]

Thanks Ken for responding.The file I'm working with has an MOV extension. It's properties as listed in My Computer on windows 10 (I could not get the properties to work inside Video studio) are mov file, opens with movies and tv, 1.34GB.
I do not have Quicktime on my computer. I would have tried it before writing this post but I'm scared off by a disclaimer saying you might have problems booting if you use third-party software.

Al Marotta

[Ken Berry]

A lot of us have the Quicktime .mov codec installed, and it is in fact required to be able to deal with the output of quite a few cameras which use the .mov format. Corel in fact used to include the codec as part of VS, but stopped that a few versions ago.

More recently some confusion has arisen over Apple's announcement that it would no longer support development of Quicktime for Windows, and associated worries arose over some perceived vulnerabilities in QT software. However, it is possible to install the .mov codec alone without also installing the associated QT player and other software.

[Al Marotta]

Hi Ken,

I'm a bit confused here. Is there such a thing as a mov codec, or is that part of Quicktime mov codec? And you say installing just the mov is possible?

Thanks,

[Ken Berry]

Yes there is a thing (or things) called the .mov codec. But like .avi, it is what is called a 'wrapper' codec which can cover a number of formats. These days it mostly covers high definition AVCHD, but it can also include a number of other formats. It is part of the Apple Quicktime suite. But as I say, Apple has now discontinued development of the QT suite for PCs.

But it is indeed possible to download just the .mov codec. When you go to www.apple.com/quicktime/download you will eventually end up at a page where you can choose between a "Typical" install (which includes not only the codec but also the player, web browser plug-in and other things) or a "Custom" install where you choose what is installed. At the top of the list is "Quicktime Essentials" which is what you are after -- this is essentially the .mov codec. Make sure you X all the other things in the list below Essentials. Then make sure to untick the boxes that offer to install desktop shortcuts and updates. Then Install, and the process is done.

[Al Marotta]

I would like to thank the apparently indefatigable Ken for his wonderful help. For now, my last question is: do you feel it's worth the risk to install a mac thing in a PC program? Have people you know been having any problem with this? AS I think I indicated, Microsoft itself warns against third party stuff. Your good words her would be greatly valued.

Thanks,
Al

[Ken Berry]

First of all, I am not aware of any problems caused by simply having the .mov codec for users of Video Studio or any other video editing program. The fact is that the .mov codec is required by most (all?) of these programs to deal with video filmed in the .mov format; and there are a heck of a lot of video and still cameras which use it. The alternative for owners of such cameras would be to use third party video conversion programs to convert the .mov to some other format which the built-in codecs which these days come with Video Studio can deal with without the .mov codec installed. But those converters will have some version of the .mov codec built into them in order to be able to see and convert .mov files, so one way or another it is going to be on your computer... But if you don't have a camera which produces .mov files, then you don't have to worry about installing the codec.

I mentioned "third party video converters, which brings me to the other part of your question. I am not aware of any general warning from Microsoft about not installing "third party stuff". In fact, if you think about it, apart from the Windows operating system and any other Microsoft programs you might have installed, everything else on your computer is already "third party" software. Some of it may be dodgy, and you should always have up to date -- and again third party (with apologies to MS Defender!) -- antivirus and anti-malware programs on your computer. But most of it is safe and designed to work with Windows.

Quicktime is a special case in this regard. It was designed by Apple for its own operating system, along with the .mov codec. But thirteen or fourteen years ago Apple made it cross-platform by bringing out a version designed for Windows PCs. Tens if not hundreds of thousands of PC users around the world have use it successfully for year. But Apple have now stopped developing it for PCs though are continuing it for Apple operating systems. The vulnerabilities in it on PCs apparently relate to the player and web browser plug-in, not the .mov codec itself. And you can install that without the other bits and pieces of Quicktime software... I rest my case!

[Al Marotta]

Thanks Ken, for your good words. I confess I did not really know what a third party program was when I mentioned it. I got it from some site I thought was connected in some way to Microsoft. The topic was using Quicktime on a pc and there was a disclaimer, assumedly by Microsoft, about something (I have the memory of a sieve) about using Apple or Mac products on a pc.
Can I squeeze one more question out of you? If I download the mov codec, can I expect video pro to now work on my mov files with my having to do absolutely nothing, or are there reconfigurations I need to make?

Al

[Ken Berry]

Apple products designed to work on their computers/tablets will not normally work on PCs -- though I believe there may be a program which filters the Apple program to sort of work on the PC. Or am I thinking of the program (Wine?) which makes some Windows programs work on Apple/Mac machines...? Anyway, those Apple programs will only work directly and properly on a PC if Apple itself develops a version of the product to work with PCs, like they did with Quicktime.

And I would say that if you install the .mov codec, then VS should be able to edit your video without problems. The only exception I can think of for now is where the .mov comes from a recent smartphone which uses variable frame rates. There are a number of such smartphones now and we have seen this problem a few times. But I should add that it is not restricted to .mov files, but video from any smartphone which uses variable frame rates. Video Studio prefers standard, fixed frame rates set in international video standards e.g. 25 fps, 29.97 fps, 50 fps and 60 fps being the main ones.

[Al Marotta]

Thanks for all the help, Ken.

Al

[Al Marotta]

Hi Ken,

I downloaded the MOV codec and it worked--I got sound and picture. BUT---and I did my damndest here checking the PDF instruction book and a Corel video tutorial---I can't get the import to work. I do the following:
1)Click import from digital media
2)I select the thumb drive and hit start and a dialogue box with thumbnails appears.
3)I selct one of the thumbnails
4) The working folder says C/users/Al/videos
5)Import says "Import files to corel video studio pro. The down arrow to the right of this doesn't work.
AND THE START IMPORT BUTTON DOESN'T WORK! Nothing works.
I don't want to bug people with trivial matters, but I am stymied.
Do you know of any good books that help people out of problems like this?

Thanks,
Al

[Ken Berry]

I'm not sure why you are using the Import function. Your thumb drive is just another drive on the computer, so to get files -- any files, video included -- you just use Windows File Explorer. Highlight the files you want and use Copy/Paste to transfer them to anywhere you want on your PC. No magic involved, and no VS involved either. Once they are somewhere on your PC, open VS and then right click in either the library window or timeline and use Insert Video. Then navigate to where the video files are stored and select those your want to edit. Easy peasy!