You will make it easier for others to help you if you will download Mediainfo and post the tree or text view of what's in the .avi wrapper.

... or do what musicvid said.

musicvid - I am confused. I installed x264vfw from SF. Opened Vegas and still cannot insert the files into the timeline. What am I missing? I see all of the available settings, but really don't know what they mean or how to set it or what codec these files need or ... or ... or anything really.

Did you reboot your computer after installing the codec?
Did you install the correct version of the codec (32 or 64)?

Reboot = Success. Apparently I got the 32-bit version. Didn't see the 64b version - but will go looking for it now. Thanks for your help! That was a big hurdle that I needed to clear on this project.

Thought I was out of the woods - but apparently not. The 32 bit version allows me to view the video - without audio. When I drag it into the timeline - only the video comes in - no audio tracks.

I don't get it :(

Short answer, a video codec does not open audio.
So, post your complete media properties using MediaInfo, as john dennis suggested, and we'll go from there.
Also, upload 30 sec. of your original camcorder video somewhere (not Youtube) and let us look at it.

Sounds good ... first things first. I go to the MediaInfo page and there are multiple versions designated as GUI, CUI and DLL - I don't want to install a pile of stuff on my editing computer to find out which one is right.

I am running Vista 64 - which one should I grab?

http://mediainfo.sourceforge.net/en/Download/Windows

I am uploading a 30MB clip now and will post the URL when it's ready for download (it will be zipped).

Windows XP/2003/Vista/Seven, 64 bit

GUI v0.7.59 (without installer) (Ad supported)

Don't take any offers you get during installation from the ad supporters.

Thanks for your help John and musicvid. I won't be able to download that program till sometime tomorrow, but I have posted a clip that you can retrieve from my website: http://www.itechdevelopers.com/insignia/CLIP0073.zip. The clip is blurry (crappy little camera). It's of a mother running to catch her son passing by during the Ironman sporting event.

I'll report back with more info tomorrow... Thanks again.

General
Complete name : D:\Documents\John\Desktop\CLIP0073\CLIP0073.AVI
Format : AVI
Format/Info : Audio Video Interleave
File size : 29.5 MiB
Duration : 1mn 0s
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 4 093 Kbps
Recorded date : 2009-01-02
Writing library : AMBA
ICRT : 19:33:02

Video
ID : 0
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Main@L4.0
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames
Format settings, GOP : M=3, N=15
Codec ID : H264
Duration : 1mn 0s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 4 001 Kbps
Width : 1 280 pixels
Height : 720 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate : 29.970 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.145
Stream size : 28.9 MiB (98%)

Audio
ID : 1
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : LC
Codec ID : FF
Duration : 1mn 0s
Bit rate : 128 Kbps
Channel(s) : 1 channel
Channel positions : Front: C
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 471 KiB (2%)
Alignment : Split accross interleaves
Interleave, duration : 21 ms (0.64 video frame)

I haven't found an audio codec that works in Vegas but I was able to demux the audio to PCM stereo with AVIDemux and drop it on the Vegas time line.

"I was able to demux the audio to PCM stereo with AVIDemux and drop it on the Vegas time line. "
Exactly what I would have done.

"crappy little camera"
Indeed. The problem with these throwaway models (besides bad quality) is that they use open source codecs in order to save money. AVI vfw wrapper does not natively support either b-frame video or VBR audio, .

To say THANK YOU to both of you doesn't even come close to covering your time and effort on this ... but thanks :).

One more question. I got the AVIdemux program, but don't see how to "RUN" the job.

1) I opened a clip
2) I selected PCM Audio on the left
3) I got lost in the woods of indecision ... what do I click to render the job?

In AVIdemux set options as follows:

Video = Copy

Audio = PCM, Filter, Check "Resampling 48000". Change nothing else.

Format = AVI. It's a wrapper that can contain PCM audio.

File Save, Save Video. Click on the source file to pick up the name and, before you save, rename it to "CLIP0073-Audio.avi".

Vegas should see both the video and the audio, now.

John you are a saint. Thanks for all of your help. I now have the files in a usable format and can continue with this project. Musicvid - super thanks to you too!! I would be lost sometimes without these forums and good folks like the both of you.

--Kevin