Missing codec for video file

[Johnno]

Hi guys, although I’m a frequent visitor to the forums, I think this may be only my second question. Normally I find that other folks have had my issue and sorted them out so I just piggy back.
OK, I am using PE6, Windows XP. I have just purchased a new camera – Panasonic Lumix DMC – TZ7. One of the camera’s features is that it produces HD video output. The file extension is .MOV. (These are Quick Time files). Elements accepts the file, but when I select “play video” A message box pops up and advises that the file cannot be played because the codec needed to play it is not on my computer. Then it says “click here for more information” Unfortunately the additional information doesn’t mention what the codec is or where I can find it!
Have any of you guys run into this problem? I’m stumped! I hope you can help.
Thanks Johnno
:confused:

[Barb O]

1- This thread over on the Adobe site Premiere Elements forum discusses a question on the AVCHD Lite codec that is one of the codecs in which your camera records

http://forums.adobe.com/message/1952747#1952747

2- However, not all of the video choices on your camera use that codec. So I recommend that you look at which camera setting you used for those videos.

http://digitalcameraclub.com.au/panasonic-lumix-dmctz7-avchd-lite-hd-video-and-10-megapixels-p-361.html

will identify which codec is utilized for the various camera settings.

3- What version level of Apple Quicktime do you have installed on that Windows XP system?

[ATR]

Johnno

There is no Premiere Elements 6, so I am assuming that you meant Premiere Elements 7.

A very popular free and easy to use software for identifying codecs is called gspot.
You may want to give that a try
http://www.headbands.com/gspot/v26x/quick_start.html

Exactly what are you bringing into the Premiere Elements 7 Timeline, 1260 x 720 50p, and what is the project preset that you set for the Premiere Elements 7 project? Premiere Elements does not support "p" = progressive, only "i" interlaced. How do you intend to export your video?

When you referred to
Elements accepts the file, but when I select “play video”
are you hitting the play button under the Monitor in the Premiere Elements 7 Timeline? Apparently you are getting the video to the Timeline, is it ever visible in the Timeline Monitor before or after you select "play video" (to be defined)? On what Timeline tracks do you find the video and audio?

Premiere Elements questions are best placed in the Premiere Elements Forum here to avoid them getting lost in the Photoshop Elements ones. I will look into this issue further and comment here or in the Premiere Elements Forum if you repost your thread there.

To be continued.....

ATR

[Barb O]

ATR,

I interpreted the post to be for Photoshop Elements 6 because it was posted in the subforum for PSE 5/6. Also right clicking and then choosing Play would be consistent with Photoshop Elements Organizer .

Yes, my reference was to the Premiere Elements forum: however that was for the purpose of identifying a codec used by that specific camera.

[ATR]

BarbO

I would agree that there is confusion here based on:
a. PE6 which is not an uncommon reference to Premiere Elements 7
b. It is not uncommon for Premiere Elements threads to get posted non Premiere Elements Forums.
b. Mention of the Panasonic .mov movie
c. further supposed by a link to a Premiere Elements forum

In the final analysis, Johnno will post to clarify his technical as well as any posting issues, and we will take it from there.

ATR

[ATR]

Johnno

When you return with clarification, could you include which setting(s) you are using for the camera which give you the issues that you describe? And, please confirm that the file extension of the file is .mov. You mention HD in your post, so maybe it is one of the HD offerings

HD Movies
1280 x 720 60 fps AVCHD Lite
or
1280 x 720 30 fps Motion JPEG

Movie Clips
4:3 640 x 480 or 320 x 240 30 fps
or
16:9 848 x 480 30 fps
or
Quick Time Motion JPEG

ATR

[ATR]

Johnno

While awaiting your appearance in this thread, I did some experimenting.

I found the following online files from a Panasonic camera:
1280 x 720 HD Motion JPEG with a .mov file extension
1280 x 720 AVCHD with a .mts file extension

If this is really an Organizer video playback issue,
a. HD Motion JPEG with .mov extension, no problem getting it into Organizer and obtaining playback there with QuickTime
b. AVCHD with .mts file extension, Organizer File Menu/Photos from Files gave the unsupported message and would not go into the Organizer at all.

In the case of the AVCHD, if I changed the file extension from .mts to .mov, I could bring the file into the Organizer, but it would not play back.

From your post, I would guess that you are working with the 1280 x 720 HD Motion JPEG with the .mov file extension. So, if you cannot play the HD Motion JPEG in the Organizer, I would recheck to make sure that you have the latest version of Quicktime installed.

I am looking forward to finding out how this all turns out one way or the other.

ATR

[Johnno]

Greetings from down under….. What a brilliant response and apologies for any confusion I may have caused. :)
Clarification:
I am using Photoshop Elements 6, Windows XP Professional with SP3 installed.
My version of Quick Time is 7.6, I have checked and it appears to be the latest available here (Australia). Incidentally, the version of Quick Time that was supplied with the camera is older than my installed version (I need it for ITUNES) but I would assume that it is “backward compatible).
Camera Settings:
Record mode is: Motion JPEG, Quality HD (alternatives are VGA, QVGA).
Picture size is 10m;
Aspect ratio 4:3 dimensions 1280 x 720,
Frame rate 30 fps, color 24 bit
File format is Quick Time Motion JPEG - (I checked the properties of the file in Windows Explorer and under type of file it just says “Video Clip”) – not much help! But Adobe photo downloader lists it as .mov file. As does the Panasonic viewer, so it's a .mov file.
A bit more back ground….. To transfer files to the computer, I remove the memory card, insert it in a card reader, and send it via a hub and a usb connection. Once the file(s) are on the computer I can usually view them using Windows explorer and play the videos using the ‘open with’ option, in this case Quick Time player. With files from this camera, I can view the JPEG images but not the movies, I get a message saying missing disc. However, if I leave the card reader attached and access it through explorer, I can watch the movie no problem! Knowing that, I have tried copying the movie file form the card to the computer (i.e. bypassing the downloader) but the computer will not read the copy version!
It may well be that the problem is not with Elements, I started following this path when I got that message in the Organizer. I have checked with Panasonic ‘help’ who were, well, not much use.
So there we are. All very confusing! :cool:

[Johnno]

As suggested, I downloaded and tried the MC Coverter and it works:)

So what does this tell us ? I suppose first and foremost that the source .mov file from the camera is ok. That Elements can read the conversion AVI file so maybe it was a codec problem.

Clearly it doesn't explain all the other issues but it's progress. So the issue is now should I purchase the conversion software or is there a cheaper solution?

I have no idea :mad:

[ATR]

Johnno

Glad to learn that you feel that you are making progress.

But, I need to do some catch up on what you have done.

1. What is that MC Converter software and where was the suggestion to use it posted? What did you convert your Motion JPEG (.MOV) 1280 x 720 30 fps into using the MC Converter?

I was about to post to ask you to do a little mini test with an online download of a file type that should be the same as yours. It plays back great for me in the Photoshop Elements Organizer as well as in Windows Explorer.
The site where the file can be obtained is:
http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/DMCGH1/DMCGH1A.HTM#vids
and is the one named
Motion JPEG (.MOV) 1280 x 720 30 fps
Its file size is 48.5 MB
This file opens for me in the Photoshop Elements Organizer (Quicktime Player) as well as in Windows Explorer (Quicktime Player).
I used the file downloaded file as is and did not need to convert it to another format to get playback as indicated.

ATR

[swalkr]

I had the same problem with the proper codecs missing. After posting, asking questions and searching around I found this free download that either has all the codecs installed or bypasses the missing codecs. The beauty of this free download is that not only can you view your videos on the computer, but it gives you the option of transfering them to DVD-R to play on your home DVD player. This worked for me. You have nothing to lose because there is nothing to buy.

Download site:
http://vlcplayer-downloads.info/?gclid=CMCv4vOKx5oCFRKLxwodvAoD3Q

[Johnno]

Hello ATR,
Thanks for your continued interest.
Not sure where I saw the recommendation for the M2 Converter but here is the link: http://www.m2solutionsinc.com/products/pro.html (http://www.m2solutionsinc.com/products/pro.html)
What it does is convert files from one format to another. In my case it converted my source .mov file to .avi and it worked. It can also convert a single frame of any video to a single photo, same as you can in Elements. I understand that the resulting 'still' is of better quality than the ones produced by Elements though I have not done a comparison.

I downloaded the test file you recommended, and then I tried the following:
1) Try to play the video in QuickTime from the download folder in my Computer.
Result ---- It worked perfectly, sound and vision ok.

2) I imported the file into Elements using the ‘Organizer’ “get files from…” option.
Result, displayed thumbnail correctly in Organizer. However, When I double clicked on the thumbnail to play it, Video player screen came up, and played file but had no sound or picture!

So, compared to the file generated by my camera, the differences are:

The file will play directly from the computer, no error messages re missing components.
When I play it through Elements, it calls up the video player and plays it but there is no sound or vision. There are no messages re missing codec’s! :eek:

Bizarre
Johnno

[ATR]

Thanks for the follow up test. The results are indeed strange for the Photoshop Elements Organizer play back of that video sample. Before posting this response this morning, I went back to my Photoshop Elements 6 and retested that same video. I imported that video into the Organizer (File Menu/Photos from Files and Folders) and, when I double clicked its Organizer thumbnail, it did play back video and audio as the first time I tried it the other day.

I do not know how much more time you want to spend on this issue. When you tried to play the video from the Organizer thumbnail, did you recognize the player that opened...did it look like Windows Media Player, Quicktime, or something else? In all these discussions, have you checked in Folder Options to see what the computer has set as default for opening .mov files.

From the point of view of software for conversion from .mov to DV AVI, you could also include in your considerations MPEG Streamclip (its a free download):
http://www.squared5.com/svideo/mpeg-streamclip-mac.html

To be continued, if you want

ATR