Hi everyone:

Just wanted to let everyone know I AM BAACK from my forced hiatus (More on
that in an upcoming post to As My World Turns).

That said, I have a problem.

Recently I bought a Mustek DV 5300 SE Digital Camera that does still photos,
video and audio (Jay, didn't you and Ryanne buy one too or is it from a
different manufacturer or a different make and/or model?).

Anyhow, my problem is this.

The camera records video in ASF format. I have Windows Media 11 with the
VCM and Bonus Codec Packs and it can't find a codec to render the video.
Not sure if the problem lies with the audio portion or the video portion

GSpot (Which, for those who don't know, is a utility that can be used to
give specific details about a video when it comes to being able to decode
it, what codec was used to encode it, and whether or not you have the codec
on your system to render it) says that the video is a _COMPLIANT_ MPEG-4
video HOWEVER it also says that the codec status is UNDETERMINED.

It is the codec status that STUMPS THE HELL OUT OF ME.

Screenshots of GSpot's findings can be posted on the web and/or put in the
files section if need be (I've also got a minute long video I can post too).

The screen resolution is 640 x 480 (Which is the factory default setting for
some oddball reason).

It is because Windows Media can't render it that I can't get another player
to play it (I've tried EVERYTHING under the freakin' sun from MPC to obscure
players like GOMplayer (Which like MPC will play everything under the sun AS
WELL AS partial downloads from file sharing networks).

I've also tried converting it to a traditional WMV video using WME and Movie
Maker (More on MM in another post as I have another problem there too) and
tried converting it to AVI using STOIK VideoPak and VirtualDub. I've also
tried converting it to MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 using TMPGEnc (Which usually works
on just about anything related to Windows Media). And I've even tried
converting it straight to MP4 using Videora and Jodix.

All have been fruitless and out of futility.

Just moments ago (Now that I'm back amongst the online world), I went
digging and Googling on the web to see if there was a codec and/or plugin
out there that would work. The closest thing I found wouldn't work with WMP
11 (It was designed when WMP 10 was the order of the day).

Given all of this, I am out of places to turn to and am now seeking H E L P
in resolving the issue. I'd like to be able to decode/render them so I can
edit them with Movie Maker as soon as I get that fixed and ultimately be
able to post my videos from that camera to AMWT TV and my political vlog.

Any help you can give me would be appreciated

Cheers

Pat Cook
Denver, Colorado
BLOGS & PODCASTS -
AS MY WACKED OUT WORLD TURNS - http://pchamster.livejournal.com/
**NEW VLOG** AS MY WORLD TURNS - http://asmyworldturnstv.blogspot.com/ (Same
As Above - Only In Quicktime MP4 format)
PAT'S REAL DEAL VIDEO BLOG - http://patsrealdeal.livejournal.com/
PAT'S HEALTH & MEDICAL WONDERS VIDEOCAST -
http://patshealthmedicalwondersvideocast.blogspot.com/
YOUTUBE CHANNEL - http://www.youtube.com/amwowttv/
THE PAT COOK SHOW - http://www.livevideo.com/thepcshow
THE PAT COOK SHOW (Blogger Page) - http://thepctvshow.blogspot.com/
THE PAT COOK SHOW (Audio Podcast) - http://thepcradioshow.blogspot.com/

"Pat Cook" wrote ...
So I got 243 hits from Google when I entered:
Mustek DV5300 codec

Did you investigate some of the more likely
possibilities? I'd bet your answer is in there
somewhere. You could also try a similar
search at videohelp and doom9

On Thu, 4 Oct 2007 21:23:02 -0600, in 'rec.video.desktop',
in article <Problems Decoding Video Captured By Digital Camera>,
"Pat Cook" <pchamster@gmail.com> wrote:

Did you install any software that may have been included with the
camera? If not, that could be a good starting point. Surely if the
camera isn't using standard formats/codecs, it came with software for
allowing playback on a PC, right?

I don't have time right now to look up the specs on the thing, but
does the camera have a video output of any sort? Composite baseband or
perhaps even an S-Video (Y/C) connector, perhaps, and if it does, does
your recorded video (and audio) play back correctly when you attach
the camera to a television? I'm thinking that if the camera has a
video output and it can't playback it's own footage correctly, then
you may have a defective unit that requires either repair or
replacement.


Does GSpot report a FourCC for the video and if so, what is it?


I can't promise a solution, but if you post that clip, I'll take a
look at it and report back.


Nothing oddball about 640 by 480. It's the square-pixel, 4:3 aspect
ratio, digital equivalent of NTSC video. In PAL-land, it would be 768
by 576. For some oddball reason, they get more pixels per frame than
we do. Of course, we get more frames per second (29.97) then they do
(a measly 25).


Story of my life. You'll get used to it.


As above.

--
Frank, Independent Consultant, New York, NY
[Please remove 'nojunkmail.' from address to reply via e-mail.]
Read Frank's thoughts on HDV at http://www.humanvalues.net/hdv/
(also covers AVCHD and XDCAM EX).

Hi everyone:

"Frank" <frank@nojunkmail.humanvalues.net> wrote in message
news:cvtbg39rkeuslfgin8qj3r3tchem0q2dij@4ax.com...
Yes. It came with the following software which was bundled together....

* Ulead VideoStudio 7 SE VCD
* MAX Console
* Sound'Em

It also came bundled with Windows Media 7.1 core components which was
automatically installed (You would think Windows would detect this).

Yes.

I haven't connected the camera to a TV but playback while viewing within the
camera itself is normal.

I'm thinking that if the camera has a
But it DOES playback its own footage normally though. That's the thing.

It makes no mention of a FourCC for the video however here is the info it
DOES read (See the captured image at the URL below).

http://www.geocities.com/againsthest...alcamvideo.jpg

The video is at the URL below (DOWNLOAD the video DO NOT stream it)

http://www.qsl.net/kb0oxd/IMAG0003.ASF

(A word of caution, it is a 640 x 480 screen resolution, which BTW is the
factory default setting, even though it lasts only 90 seconds)

Okay but to address Richard's post.....

I googled Mustek DV5300 codec just as he did and got a slew of things (None
of which were the least bit helpful). I also went to the Mustek website and
it appears as though they've stopped offering any kind of support for it.
No drivers. NOTHING.

BTW I purchased the camera at my nearby Radio Shack store about a couple of
months ago.

Cheers

Pat Cook
Denver, Colorado
BLOGS & PODCASTS -
AS MY WACKED OUT WORLD TURNS - http://pchamster.livejournal.com/
**NEW VLOG** AS MY WORLD TURNS - http://asmyworldturnstv.blogspot.com/ (Same
As Above - Only In Quicktime MP4 format)
PAT'S REAL DEAL VIDEO BLOG - http://patsrealdeal.livejournal.com/
PAT'S HEALTH & MEDICAL WONDERS VIDEOCAST -
http://patshealthmedicalwondersvideocast.blogspot.com/
YOUTUBE CHANNEL - http://www.youtube.com/amwowttv/
THE PAT COOK SHOW - http://www.livevideo.com/thepcshow
THE PAT COOK SHOW (Blogger Page) - http://thepctvshow.blogspot.com/
THE PAT COOK SHOW (Audio Podcast) - http://thepcradioshow.blogspot.com/

On Fri, 5 Oct 2007 19:37:04 -0600, in 'rec.video.desktop',
in article <Re: Problems Decoding Video Captured By Digital Camera>,
"Pat Cook" <pchamster@gmail.com> wrote:

So what happens when you attempt to open/play/edit one of these files
within the bundled version of VideoStudio? Do you get error messages,
and if you do, what are they?

Just for the record, I have no idea what MAX Console and Sound'Em are
or do, but I do have an old version of VideoStudio on some system
here.

With regard to installing older Windows Media 7.1 components on a
newer system is concerned, that may not actually be a problem. Your
current installation may have been missing some components/codecs that
were originally included with 7.1. If anything, WMP 11 may have broken
your system's ability to play these files.


Dumb question, I know, but did you install *all* of the software that
came with the camera, or were you selective in your install?


Okay, so the files would appear to be in proper working order,
although it might be worthwhile to connect the camera to a television
just as a further test.


The FourCC, as reported by GSpot, is M4S2. The audio track is encoded
with the DVI ADPCM codec. I have several flavors of ADPCM codecs, but
I don't think that I have that particular one but Format Tag 0011
sounds familiar, so maybe the audio will play for me after all.

Looking further at the GSpot output, I see IMA ADPCM. That I do have
(it's probably the most popular flavor of ADPCM), so I expect that the
audio track will play back just fine for me after all.


Downloading (on another system) as I type this.


Okay, Pat, your sample .asf file just finished downloading. My quickie
analysis is as follows. (The file, by the way, has a frame rate of 10
frames per second and all of my work was conducted on a special Win2K
SP4 system that I use for testing things such as this. It only has,
according to GSpot, 290 video codecs installed on it.)

The file opened and played just fine (audio and video) in Microsoft's
Windows Media Player 9.0 program (WMPlayer.exe).

The file opened and played just fine (audio and video) in Microsoft's
Windows Media Player 6.4 program (MPlayer2.exe).

The file opened and played just fine (audio and video) in Microsoft's
ActiveMovie 2.0 ActiveX Control (AMovie.ocx).

I launched Microsoft's Filter Graph Editor program (GraphEdt.exe) and
asked the program to render your file (File | Render Media File...)
with the result that it did so without a problem, and I was able to
play back your file from within the Filter Graph Editor program
without any problem (both audio and video).

Your file also opened and played just fine in GSpot using the
Microsoft DirectShow playback facility.

I checked your file for structural errors in two different programs -

Microsoft's Windows Media ASF View 9 Series 1.00 program (ASFView.exe)
displayed the internal structure of the file properly and did not
indicate that any serious errors were found, although several packets
were flagged as multiple payload but with a payload count of 1. The
program reported codec usage (video FourCC M4S2 "ISO MPEG-4 Video V1"
and audio format code 0011 hex or 17 dec "IMA ADPCM") that was
consistent with your posted GSpot screenshot.

Microsoft's ASFCheck (ASFCheck.exe) program, with the Verbose switch
on, reported the following.

ERROR: IMAG0003.ASF contained some errors, but they are repairable.
The Following problems were detected:
1. The preroll field in the ASF is inaccurate.
2. The indexes do not point to the appropriate key frames.

These are commonly found errors in .asf, .wma, and .wmv files, Pat,
especially amongst those found on the Internet. Personally, I never
post files with these sorts of errors, but others often do. Anyway, I
made a backup copy of your file and reran the ASFCheck program with
the Fix switch and, as usual, ASFCheck reported the following.

Any fixable problems with the ASF file have been repaired.

I then ran ASFCheck for a third time to determine whether the
previously reported errors still existed and the program reported the
following.

IMAG0003.ASF was processed with no errors.

At this point, Pat, we know that we have a file that's error-free.

I then tested the "fixed" (repaired) version of your file in WMP (both
6.4 and 9.0) and the ActiveMovie 2.0 ActiveX Control, with the result
that it continued to play back fine, just like the original version
with the errors did.

I then played the "fixed" (repaired) version of the file in the
VideoLAN VLC media player 0.8.6c program and it played just fine, both
audio and video.

I was also able to successfully import both the original version and
the "fixed" version of the file in Windows Movie Maker (WMM).

I took screenshots as I was going along doing all of the above. I've
ZIPped up all eight of them (file size = 1,824,223 bytes) and would be
happy to send it to you as an e-mail attachment if you wish.

I think that your problem is caused by a missing or improperly
installed Windows Media codec, specifically mp4sdmod.dll, which is the
Corona Windows Media MPEG-4 S Video Decoder DMO (DirectX Media
Object). You might want to check to see whether or not you have a copy
of this particular file on your system. It should be in the Windows
System32 directory.

A working copy of the file qasf.dll (Quartz Advanced Streaming Format)
will also be required in order to properly play back your Mustek DV
5300 SE files. If you're having a problem with either or both of these
DLLs, then your Mustek .asf files will not play properly.

To resolve your problem, I would suggest downloading and installing
the following Windows Media codecs.

http://www.wmplugins.com/ItemDetail.aspx?ItemID=1023

When you get to the above referenced Web page...

Under "Download Sites:" follow the link called "Click here to go to
the codec download page."

On that new page, under "Codec Installation Package for Windows Media
Player 7.1 and later", download the Windows 2000 version of the file
(WM9Codecs9x.exe) and then run it.

Then, further down on that same page, under "Codec Installation
Package for Windows Media Player 6.4", download the file
(wmp6cdcs.exe) and run it.

Now test to see whether WMP 11 will successfully play your file.

If that doesn't solve your problem, please post back here, and if you
want me to send you a copy of my screenshots, let me know that as
well.

Good luck!

--
Frank, Independent Consultant, New York, NY
[Please remove 'nojunkmail.' from address to reply via e-mail.]
Read Frank's thoughts on HDV at http://www.humanvalues.net/hdv/
(also covers AVCHD and XDCAM EX).

Hi everyone:

"Frank" <frank@nojunkmail.humanvalues.net> wrote in message
news:gpoeg3hdvpvkp31vvg8o9gtler9dm4ojhf@4ax.com...
I can load them and put them in the timeline just fine in VideoStudio, but I
can't export them into anything (My ONLY options are DV Recording, Web Page,
Email or Greeting Card) nor can I extract the video for use with any other
program (It crashes without doing anything).

I did get this little tidbit of info from the properties dialog box
though....

VIDEO:

24 Bits (640 x 480) - No surprise on the screen resolution as I knew that
all along

ISO MPEG-4 Video V1
Comp. Ratio - 0%
Frame Rate 30 fps.
Total Frames - 2665 frames

AUDIO:

Format - IMA ADPCM
Attributes - 8000 Hz 16 Bits Mono

However the RulesPlayer, which is a player I downloaded earlier tonight with
all the codecs it comes with from http://rulesplayer.lessequal.com/ WAS able
to render it and yielded these results....

rp| "C:\Program Files\rulesPlayer\mplayer\mplayer.exe" -pp 0 -vo directx -ao
dsound -subcp cp1251 -nokeepaspect -zoom -brightness 0 -saturation
0 -contrast 0 -osdlevel 0 -colorkey 0x010001 -priority abovenormal -alang
en -softvol -softvol-max 100.0 -af volnorm -font
"C:\WINDOWS\fonts\arial.ttf" -subfont-text-scale 3 -subpos 100 -speed
1 -spualign 2 -subalign 2 -vf
expand=-0:-0::0,screenshot -noframedrop -slave -identify -wid 723800 "C:\PSP
Movie by PQDVD\IMAG0003.ASF"
MPlayer 1.0rc1-3.4.2 (C) 2000-2006 MPlayer Team
CPU: AMD Duron(tm) processor (Family: 6, Model: 7, Stepping: 1)
CPUflags: MMX: 1 MMX2: 1 3DNow: 1 3DNow2: 1 SSE: 0 SSE2: 0
Compiled with runtime CPU detection.
Setting process priority: abovenormal
Playing C:\PSP Movie by PQDVD\IMAG0003.ASF.
ASF file format detected.
ID_AUDIO_ID=1
ID_VIDEO_ID=2
VIDEO: [M4S2] 640x480 24bpp 1000.000 fps 0.0 kbps ( 0.0 kbyte/s)
ID_FILENAME=C:\PSP Movie by PQDVD\IMAG0003.ASF
ID_DEMUXER=asf
ID_VIDEO_FORMAT=M4S2
ID_VIDEO_BITRATE=0
ID_VIDEO_WIDTH=640
ID_VIDEO_HEIGHT=480
ID_VIDEO_FPS=1000.000
ID_VIDEO_ASPECT=0.0000
ID_AUDIO_FORMAT=17
ID_AUDIO_BITRATE=0
ID_AUDIO_RATE=0
ID_AUDIO_NCH=0
ID_LENGTH=88.00
Opening video filter: [screenshot]
Opening video filter: [expand w=-0 h=-0 y=0]
Expand: 0 x 0, -1 ; 0, osd: 0, aspect: 0.000000, round: 1
================================================== ========================
Opening video decoder: [ffmpeg] FFmpeg's libavcodec codec family
Selected video codec: [ffodivx] vfm: ffmpeg (FFmpeg MPEG-4)
================================================== ========================
ID_VIDEO_CODEC=ffodivx
================================================== ========================
Opening audio decoder: [imaadpcm] IMA ADPCM audio decoder
AUDIO: 8000 Hz, 1 ch, s16le, 32.2 kbit/25.19% (ratio: 4031->16000)
ID_AUDIO_BITRATE=32248
ID_AUDIO_RATE=8000
ID_AUDIO_NCH=1
Selected audio codec: [imaadpcm] afm: imaadpcm (IMA ADPCM)
================================================== ========================
AO: [dsound] 8000Hz 1ch s16le (2 bytes per sample)
ID_AUDIO_CODEC=imaadpcm
Starting playback...
VDec: vo config request - 640 x 480 (preferred colorspace: Planar YV12)
VDec: using Planar YV12 as output csp (no 0)
Movie-Aspect is 1.33:1 - prescaling to correct movie aspect.
ID_VIDEO_ASPECT=1.3333
VO: [directx] 640x480 => 640x480 Planar YV12 [zoom]
Full DR not possible, trying SLICES instead!
[Mixer] No hardware mixing, inserting volume filter.
Full DR not possible, trying SLICES instead!

Do you get error messages,
I can give you the technical info. when I try to extract the video and it
crashes. Here it is....

ERROR REPORT -
http://www.geocities.com/againsthest...rrorreport.jpg

TECHNICAL INFO (Sorry I couldn't get it all) -
http://www.geocities.com/againsthest...s7techinfo.jpg

I think is they are proprietary to Mustek or something.

It's not an issue of a newer system inasmuch as it is overwriting new
components and files with older ones.

Your
That may be true because it's hardly a secret that Microsoft wants to move
away from the old stuff and may have started in that general direction
beginning with WMP 11 for Windows XP (Which BTW is my OS).

Add this to the fact that Mustek no longer offers any support for the DV5300
SE anywhere on its site and that just compounds things. They didn't even
make sure they were bundling THE LATEST Windows Media components (Which are
WMP 9 if I'm not mistaken) with their software. You would THINK they would
take the time to do this, dontcha think?

Can anyone here say *DUH!*?????

I installed EVERYTHING.

Well as I said earlier, I finally found a player that can render the video
and play it so the problem isn't with the videos themselves, but rather the
codecs which the rest of the system will/can use to render them (Even SUPER
has problems decoding these videos - AND IT CAN DECODE/ENCODE ANYTHING)

See the info. above.

All this just goes to prove your point about WMP 11 taking away all the
older components. Microsoft, in it's infinite "wisdom" (Note the sarcasm?)
FORGOT to stop offering those old components to companies like Mustek and
have them use the WMP 9 components instead.

All this could've been AVOIDED if they had just done something as simple as
THAT.

But then again, we ARE talking about MICROSOFT here....

Anyway, I
Well as I was typing this, SUPER was able to convert the VERY SAME file
we're talking about into a VCD Compliant MPEG-1 file. The ONLY adjustment I
had to make was to NOT use the DirectShow filter. It took a little while to
get started, but when it was finished, I loaded it in WMP 11 and it played
normally.

I have since extracted the audio from that file and am now in the process of
eliminating the noise using GoldWave's noise reducer. I will then export it
as a WAV file and run it through either Cool Edit 2000 (Which I have a
licensed version of) or Audacity to give it a SERIOUS treble boost.

Apparently not or all of my players capable of playing ASF files would've
probably called upon that file to render the video. If it IS there, then it
must be corrupt or something.

But since I have Windows XP, I'll download that version too because I'm not
sure the Windows 2000 version you mention will work.

And while I'm at it, I'll google ASFCheck and download that little utility
too.

Yeah. Thanks. Hopefully I won't need a lot of it though. *LOL!*

Pat Cook
Denver, Colorado
BLOGS & PODCASTS -
AS MY WACKED OUT WORLD TURNS - http://pchamster.livejournal.com/
**NEW VLOG** AS MY WORLD TURNS - http://asmyworldturnstv.blogspot.com/ (Same
As Above - Only In Quicktime MP4 format)
PAT'S REAL DEAL VIDEO BLOG - http://patsrealdeal.livejournal.com/
PAT'S HEALTH & MEDICAL WONDERS VIDEOCAST -
http://patshealthmedicalwondersvideocast.blogspot.com/
YOUTUBE CHANNEL - http://www.youtube.com/amwowttv/
THE PAT COOK SHOW - http://www.livevideo.com/thepcshow
THE PAT COOK SHOW (Blogger Page) - http://thepctvshow.blogspot.com/
THE PAT COOK SHOW (Audio Podcast) - http://thepcradioshow.blogspot.com/

On Sat, 6 Oct 2007 21:41:59 -0600, in 'rec.video.desktop',
in article <Re: Problems Decoding Video Captured By Digital Camera>,
"Pat Cook" <pchamster@gmail.com> wrote:


Pat, I'm about to crash, having been at it for about 22 hours now, but
here are two things that you should do.

1. Check C:\WINNT\system32 (or whatever your Windows System32
directory happens to be called) for the file mp4sdmod.dll.

2. Download BOTH of those Windows Media codec distributions that I
described above. Install them in the sequence that I listed them,
please.

After doing the above, try to play the file that you posted (and I
downloaded) in WMP 11 and let's see what happens.

Thank you and good night.

--
Frank, Independent Consultant, New York, NY
[Please remove 'nojunkmail.' from address to reply via e-mail.]
Read Frank's thoughts on HDV at http://www.humanvalues.net/hdv/
(also covers AVCHD and XDCAM EX).

Hi everyone:

"Frank" <frank@nojunkmail.humanvalues.net> wrote in message
news:gpoeg3hdvpvkp31vvg8o9gtler9dm4ojhf@4ax.com...
Naah. Just post 'em on the web somewhere for me to download. Looks like
I'm gonna need 'em.

Tried it. Wouldn't even install on this machine (Windows XP)

Just did after installing the above file (Choosing the REINSTALL ALL
COMPONENTS option in setup) and restarting the computer. Same result.

Like I said, it looks like I'm gonna need those screenshots (And it looks
like I'm gonna need that luck too!)

Cheers

Pat Cook
Denver, Colorado
BLOGS & PODCASTS -
AS MY WACKED OUT WORLD TURNS - http://pchamster.livejournal.com/
**NEW VLOG** AS MY WORLD TURNS - http://asmyworldturnstv.blogspot.com/ (Same
As Above - Only In Quicktime MP4 format)
PAT'S REAL DEAL VIDEO BLOG - http://patsrealdeal.livejournal.com/
PAT'S HEALTH & MEDICAL WONDERS VIDEOCAST -
http://patshealthmedicalwondersvideocast.blogspot.com/
YOUTUBE CHANNEL - http://www.youtube.com/amwowttv/
THE PAT COOK SHOW - http://www.livevideo.com/thepcshow
THE PAT COOK SHOW (Blogger Page) - http://thepctvshow.blogspot.com/
THE PAT COOK SHOW (Audio Podcast) - http://thepcradioshow.blogspot.com/

On Sat, 6 Oct 2007 22:13:58 -0600, in 'rec.video.desktop',
in article <Re: Problems Decoding Video Captured By Digital Camera>,
"Pat Cook" <pchamster@gmail.com> wrote:

http://www.humanvalues.net/hdv/PatCook.zip


Drat!


Drat, again!


Link above, but I STILL want to know whether or not you have a copy of
the file mp4sdmod.dll in your C:\WINNT\system32 directory (or whatever
your Windows System32 directory happens to be called).

As to the screenshots, I'm not certain just how much they will help
you. My primary reason for creating them was simply to provide proof
of what I had written with regard to my ability to play back your file
in the several applications that I had listed (WMP 6.4, WMP 9, WMM,
GraphEdt, etc.).

I also uploaded a ZIPped version (9,453,684 bytes) of the fixed
(repaired) version of your .asf file - the one produced by ASFCheck
with the /f (fix) switch that I had mentioned a couple of posts back.

http://www.humanvalues.net/hdv/IMAG0003FIXED.zip

You might want to conduct all of your future testing with this
repaired version of the file rather than the (slightly invalid)
version that you originally posted.

In fact, in the future, assuming that you're going to continue using
this Mustek DV 5300 SE Digital Camera, and assuming that it
consistently produces files that ASFCheck reports as containing
errors, please be aware that it takes just moments for ASFCheck to fix
such errors, and the program can even do a directory's worth of files
with a single command.

In other words, you can very easily make fixing files from the camera
in ASFCheck a standard part of your camera-to-computer import
procedure. It's an extra step, I know, but it's a quickly accomplished
extra step and in my opinion is well worth it.

Note that ASFCheck is a CLI application, not a GUI application, so if
you're not familiar with using the command line, there may be a small
learning curve in that respect.

That reminds me. You surely have a copy of the Filter Graph Editor
program (GraphEdt.exe), right? Launch it and do a File | Render Media
File... operation against IMAG0003FIXED.ASF and see if it will render
properly. That would serve as a good test in determining whether your
DirectX subsystem is working correctly.

If GraphEdt is unable to render the file - and you will receive an
error message if it can't - you could then try manually drawing a
graph.

And here's something else to try: When you looked at your file within
GSpot, did you try to render it? If you don't know how, go down to the
"Proposed Codec Solutions and Tests" portion of the UI (user
interface) - it's in the lower-left corner - and click on those
numbered buttons in the following sequence.

First try:

GSpot
Vid
1

This will probably fail.

Then try:

GSpot
Aud
1

This will probably also fail.

Then try:

MS
A/V
1

Hopefully, you'll get a "Render OK." message with a list of the filter
chain used. If so, then try to play the file by clicking:

MS
A/V
2

Let me know what happens.

Here's a screenshot (147,835 bytes) from GSpot after having just
rendered the fixed-by-ASFCheck version of your file.

http://www.humanvalues.net/hdv/GSpotPlayback.zip

Please report back on your results with regard to all the above. Then,
if you want to continue this, I have other things that we can try.

If only such a thing could be sent through the tubes of the Internets.

--
Frank, Independent Consultant, New York, NY
[Please remove 'nojunkmail.' from address to reply via e-mail.]
Read Frank's thoughts on HDV at http://www.humanvalues.net/hdv/
(also covers AVCHD and XDCAM EX).

Hi everyone:
"Frank" <frank@nojunkmail.humanvalues.net> wrote in message
news:m8chg3pj9112bfkcsmhv8nknlk57oefmi4@4ax.com...
Yes I do. It's in C:\Windows\system32 The only difference is that the
filename is in uppercase lettering.

No. But I can google for it though.

Launch it and do a File | Render Media
Okay.

No.

If you don't know how, go down to the
I'll give it a try.

Sure will. You've been most helpful thus far.

Cheers

Pat Cook
Denver, Colorado
BLOGS & PODCASTS -
AS MY WACKED OUT WORLD TURNS - http://pchamster.livejournal.com/
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As Above - Only In Quicktime MP4 format)
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THE PAT COOK SHOW (Blogger Page) - http://thepctvshow.blogspot.com/
THE PAT COOK SHOW (Audio Podcast) - http://thepcradioshow.blogspot.com/

P.S. BTW....A search of *.col files for my other problem with Movie Maker
turned up nothing. I'm gonna try searching for oddball WMV files as someone
else in the videobloggers group on Yahoo! suggested. If that doesn't fix
THAT problem, I'll reply to my other thread.

On Sun, 7 Oct 2007 08:34:16 -0600, in 'rec.video.desktop',
in article <Re: Problems Decoding Video Captured By Digital Camera>,
"Pat Cook" <pchamster@gmail.com> wrote:

No problem. As you may know, Microsoft operating systems, unlike
Unix/Linux-based systems, for example, are case-insensitive when it
comes to directory names and file names.

The fact that you have this file (mp4sdmod.dll, that is) but yet can't
play back your .avi test file in WMP makes me wonder if maybe it's not
registered, but we'll look at that possibility later. Just for the
record, do you know how to register a DLL (Dynamic Link Library) file?


It's not officially available as a stand-alone download (where
"officially" means directly from Microsoft). It's included as part of
one of Microsoft's DirectX, DirectShow, Windows Media, or Windows
Media Format SDKs (Software Development Kits), I just can't recall
which one, since it's been so long since I last refreshed it.

Try the MSDN (Microsoft Developer Network) site at
http://msdn.microsoft.com/ and search for SDK, and then narrow down
the results until you find it.

I'm sure that there are lots of other sites out there offering just
the Filter Graph Editor program alone, but you might be better off
using an official distribution of the complete SDK. Don't want to mess
up your system. Do note, however, that the full SDK will require a few
megabytes of disk space, whereas the Filter Graph Editor program
itself is just a few small files.

Yes, please. In fact, if you can play it in GSpot but still can't in
WMP, then that sort of indicates that your WMP installation may be
broken while your DirectX/DirectShow install is okay.


I try, but do note that my free time is limited, even on weekends.

--
Frank, Independent Consultant, New York, NY
[Please remove 'nojunkmail.' from address to reply via e-mail.]
Read Frank's thoughts on HDV at http://www.humanvalues.net/hdv/
(also covers AVCHD and XDCAM EX).

Hi everyone:
"Frank" <frank@nojunkmail.humanvalues.net> wrote in message
news:tjmgg390f8se69215onmds8ogbd0atjk13@4ax.com...
UPDATE - I did what you suggested Frank with GSpot about having GSpot
propose audio & video codecs to playback one of the videos I was having
problems with (I only posted the small one). Guess what GSpot is telling me
now...

It's telling me now that while the video can be decoded, the audio cannot.
The message is in this image....

http://www.geocities.com/againsthest...mvideo-new.jpg

Note, this is a DIFFERENT video than the one you've been working with Frank.
I'd post it, but it's 40 minutes long.

Any ideas now?

Cheers

Pat

On Sun, 14 Oct 2007 22:30:28 -0600, in 'rec.video.desktop',
in article <Re: Problems Decoding Video Captured By Digital Camera>,
"Pat Cook" <pchamster@gmail.com> wrote:

Well, my basic idea now is about the same as it was when this thread
first started and I downloaded your original test file and started
playing around with it. Namely, that there's something fundamentally
wrong with your system - whether caused by the installation of WMP 11,
or something else, I don't know. If I can play your test file in a
variety of applications with no problem (which I clearly documented
with screenshots), and you can't, there's obviously something amiss at
your end.

Looking at the Web server log files, I don't think that you ever
downloaded that last screenshot that I posted for you. It's the one
where I'm playing back your test file in GSpot, both audio and video.
Take a look at it, please.

http://www.humanvalues.net/hdv/GSpotPlayback.zip

Aside from the fact that we're playing back two different files, it's
essentially the same as the screenshot that you just posted. Slightly
higher datarate in your newer file, 837 kbps versus 802 kbps in your
original test file, but the same codecs.

Let me ask you this - what happens when you try to play (in GSpot)
your original test file - either your original version or my ASFCheck
"fixed" version? Does it render both audio and video, or do you see
the same problem as with this new file where the video renders but the
audio doesn't?

Also, did you ever manage to get ASFCheck and the Filter Graph Editor
program installed? If not, and you're still interested in doing so,
but wish to avoid the hassle of locating the proper SDKs, just let me
know. Last week I zipped up an archive for you containing both of
these programs, plus a few others. I uploaded it for you to download,
but never posted the URL here because I hadn't heard back from you.

So if you're still interested, just let me know and I'll post the link
for you. I even threw together and included a small .bat (batch) file
which will perform the necessary registrations for you. Attempting to
render your files in the Filter Graph Editor program should give us
some additional insight into what's going on here, so I think that
it's worth trying, aside from the fact that it's a useful program to
have anyway.

As far as the file that you're trying to play in GSpot, as shown in
your latest screenshot, is concerned, despite its size, if you want to
upload it, I'll download it, but I'm willing to bet that unless the
file is damaged in some way, it will playback just fine on my system,
since GSpot is reporting that the same codecs are needed as with your
original test file, so I'm not sure that it would prove much, but
that's also why I'm wondering if you can play in GSpot your original
test file. If you can play the original file in GSpot, then you should
be able to play this larger file as well.

It's really strange that in this latest example the audio couldn't be
rendered, since all that's needed, apart from the Default Direct Sound
Device (essentially, your sound output device whether an internal
sound card, an on-board (motherboard-embedded) sound chip, or an
external sound device of some sort, typically attached via FireWire or
USB), is the ACM Wrapper filter, which is a function contained within
the file quartz.dll, which is part of the heart of DirectX/DirectShow.

At least on my system, all that the ACM Wrapper filter is doing in
this case is taking in the 4-bit ADPCM stream and outputting a 16-bit
PCM stream. You *could* try re-registering quartz.dll, but that's sort
of a last resort approach. I might well do it on one of my systems,
but I hesitate to suggest that you do it on yours. Also, as asked
previously, do you know how to register a .dll file?

--
Frank, Independent Consultant, New York, NY
[Please remove 'nojunkmail.' from address to reply via e-mail.]
Read Frank's thoughts on HDV at http://www.humanvalues.net/hdv/
(also covers AVCHD and XDCAM EX).