AVI import - missing quicktime component

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Level 1

25 points

AVI import - missing quicktime component

Hi,

I am trying to refine an existing AVI movie in FCE. I have dragged the 1.9gig AVI file into the FCE browser and it plays in a stuttering fashion in the viewer. So using the INSERT option I have added it to the timeline and attempted to render it to see if that will solve the problem. However, the render does not appear to work (ie. it completes before any message can be read - not sure there is one).

So I am trying to play the AVI in Quicktime, but this returns a message saying some Quicktime components are missing (its the latest Quicktime Pro player). Then I am redirected to a website which has many third party looking downloads without an references to AVI.

Can anyone help.

cheers
eric

macbook Mac OS X (10.4.8) white & shiny & brandnew

Posted on Nov 27, 2006 2:02 PM

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Answer 1

MartinR

Level 6

19,019 points

Nov 27, 2006 6:14 PM in response to firman

AVI is a container, not a format. Do you know where/how the AVI was created, and specifically what codec was used.

FCE is a DV & HDV application, so if your source material isn't DV, it has to be converted first. My guess is that your AVI is MPEG2 and you need the Quicktime MPEG2 Playback Component - $19, downloadable from Apple. If that's the case, to convert your AVI to DV you would also need MPEG Streamclip (it's free and works great) or similar utility.

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Answer 2

firman Author

Level 1

25 points

Nov 28, 2006 12:02 AM in response to MartinR

Hi Martin,

Thanks for your reply. I was using a product called Cyberlink Powerdirector 5.0. I am fairly sure the codec used to produce the AVI I am dealing with was "Windows AVI - Microsoft MPEG-4 Video Codec V1 640x480, audio PCM at 44khz stereo".

What would you recommend in this case?

Thanks
Eric

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Answer 3

Nov 28, 2006 1:27 AM in response to firman

If you don't have Flip4Mac already, it's highly possible your solution lies here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/wmcomponents.mspx

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Answer 4

Nov 28, 2006 5:09 AM in response to firman

If it at least plays in Final Cut (albeit not well), you can try exporting using QuickTime Conversion (in the Export menu) to a QuickTime movie using the DV/DVCPRO NTSC codec for video at highest quality, and Uncompressed for audio, at 48 Khz, stereo, and 16 bit. That is essentially the same video format that Final Cut saves captured and rendered video in.

Or, after you drag the video into the timeline, render it. FCE doesn't play non-DV video very will in real-time.

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Answer 5

MartinR

Level 6

19,019 points

Nov 28, 2006 10:45 AM in response to firman

MPEG Streamclip, Flip4Mac or QTPro. Maybe Handbrake. All good products, some free, some not.

imho you should convert your file to DV first, and be sure to specify 48KHz audio during the conversion.

Hope that helps.

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