AVI is just a wrapper for a large variety of codecs.
Use a free tool like MediaInfo to find out what codec it wants and report your findings back to us.
Please do NOT install a codec pack, especially the infamous K-Lite one, as they have been known to replace the good ones that come with Vegas with inferior ones.

Mike

64-bit versions of Vegas will not import AVI files containing the IV50 Indeo 5.x and cvid Cinepak codecs, as they are only 32-bit. Most other AVI files are fine.

Peter

Thanks everyone for the help and suggestions. This is what the software "Media Info" told me when I imported my 3D AVI file into it:
Any guesses what I should do next?
jack

******************************************************
General
Complete name : C:\Users\mraroid.jack-PC\Desktop\DXG 3D Movies\byard1.AVI
Format : AVI
Format/Info : Audio Video Interleave
File size : 105 MiB
Duration : 57s 958ms
Overall bit rate : 15.2 Mbps
Recorded date : 2013-04-25
Writing library : AMBAx
ICRT : 22:11:15

Video
ID : 0
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Codec ID : H264
Duration : 57s 958ms
Bit rate : 14.8 Mbps
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate : 29.970 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.238
Stream size : 102 MiB (97%)

Audio
ID : 1
Format : ADPCM
Codec ID : 11
Codec ID/Hint : Intel
Duration : 57s 956ms
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 384 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 4 bits
Stream size : 2.66 MiB (3%)
Interleave, duration : 43 ms (1.27 video frame)

Do you own the camera or device that produced the file or did someone give it to you?

The AVC video codec looks easy enough.

The PCM audio looks easy enough though the bit depth is nothing to write home to mama about.

Here's how I would proceed:

Try to indentify the device that wrote the file.

Try to re-wrap the file with a utility like aviDemux.

If you post a small sample of the file, I and/or others will try to figure it out and report.

Vegas is not expecting to find AVC in an AVI container. It should be in an MP4 container. You will probably need to download and install the x264vfw codec to get this working with an AVI file.

~jr

JR is correct.
x264vfw is available for 32- or 64-bit OS.
[http://sourceforge.net/projects/x264vfw/files/]

Third time in three days for this question.
;?)

It seems that I am unable to post a file attachment to his email post. I do not know how to break open a AVA file to give you a sample.

I do own the camera that took the movies. I have a data sheet with a lot of info on it, but I can not figure how to attach it. The camera is called a DXG-5F9VK. The vendor, DXG does not return phone calls. Here is some info on the camera on B&H:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/809299-REG/DXG_DXG_5F9VK_HD_DXG_5F9VK_HD_1080p_3d.html

(no laughing please! I saved some money so I could buy good software) :-)

Is this helpful? Where could I post a data sheet for this camera?

jack

That MediaInfo link installed AVG toolbar, arghhhh. Didn't give me the option to not install it. Crashed my browser and switched my homepage. It allowed me to uninstall, but hopefully that is all of the crap I have to deal with.

</rant>

John...

I will google aviDemux, find it, install it and report back. Thanks.
jack.

I will head to the link you posted and down load the codec musicvid10. Is it just a matter of loading the codec in my computer, or am am I going to use the software to convert my AVI files to a file that Sony Vages likes?

I will report back. Thanks again for all the help.

jack

MediaInfo gives you the option to not install the toolbar.
I don't think it would be on Sourceforge if that wasn't the case.
One does need to read carefully.

Was in a hurry, guess I missed that.

Musicvid10....

I found the 64 bit version of this codec and have installed it where it wanted to install it self. I still have the same issue as before. Should I drop this codec into the main file folder for Sony Vegas 12?

jack

I did find two file folders in the main Sony Vages directory called:

Microsoft.WindowsAPCICodePack.dll

&
Microsoft.WindowsAPICCodePack.Shell.dll

Should I drop that codec into one of the above?

jack

Normally the codec comes with an installer. You just run the installer, the codec gets registered in the system, and things start to work. Don't overcomplicate this.

AVI, like Quicktime, is a wrapper on various types of media. Lot's of things could be inside there. Normally, Vegas has absolutely no problem with AVI files as long as there's an underlying codec installed. During the DV camera years, AVI was the primary file type used in Vegas.

Did your camera come with a disk? I'd think they would have shipped this unit with an installer disc to install their own codec since h.264 in an AVI file is kind of a rare bird.

Rob

Although, as a general rule, i usually recommend that people smash whatever disc came with the camera and burn the pieces without ever putting it in your computer's drive. So far my experience with every single piece of included software that came with a camera is that installing it, at best, it's completely useless and makes the computer unstable and slow, and at worst can ruin pretty much every other piece of A/V/image software you already have installed.

The file is a simple .exe
Click on it and install.

Although, as a general rule...

Right. Don't know what I was thinking. That's my rule too. Especially if the disk came from my ISP or with a router.

Rob

musicvid10....

Thank you for your help. I have down loaded and installed this file/codec. It loaded in my Program Files (x86) directory. I tried to import my AVI file and received the same error code. I also tried some flat (not 3D) avi files and they did not load either.

So I took the .dll file and dropped it into the main folder (which was in my Program Files) for Vegas Pro 12 and rebooted. I tried again. Same issue.

Thoughts?

jack

Did you reboot your computer so the codec would register?
Honestly, I've never heard of h264/AVI files not opening in Vegas after default installation of the the appropriate codec for your OS and Vegas version..
Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

[EDIT]I see your audio is ADPCM. You'll almost certainly have to demux your audio and video in AVIDemux first. These little cameras that deliver nonstandard, unregistered codecs in generic wrappers are a real PITA>

After reading the manual, I am now going over the help files in Pro 12. At some point it said I could install a codec pack from Microsoft, and it provided a link. After installing this codec pack and rebooting, I can now import flat (not 3D) .avi content. I bought Pro 12 to edit 3D so I sure would like to get it working.

I ran media info again. This is what it says now. Any suggestions? I am sure someone else has had this problem.
jack

General
Complete name : C:\Users\mraroid.jack-PC\Desktop\DXG 3D Movies\fyard1.AVI
Format : AVI
Format/Info : Audio Video Interleave
File size : 65.3 MiB
Duration : 35s 435ms
Overall bit rate : 15.4 Mbps
Recorded date : 2013-04-25
Writing library : AMBAx
ICRT : 21:54:20

Video
ID : 0
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Codec ID : H264
Duration : 35s 435ms
Bit rate : 15.1 Mbps
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate : 29.970 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.242
Stream size : 63.6 MiB (97%)

Audio
ID : 1
Format : ADPCM
Codec ID : 11
Codec ID/Hint : Intel
Duration : 35s 420ms
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 384 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 4 bits
Stream size : 1.63 MiB (2%)
Interleave, duration : 43 ms (1.27 video frame)

Upload a file sample from the camera somewhere (not Youtube!).
It needs to go on a file sharing site where it will not get processed.
That's all I can suggest.

"
Nope, this is the first time this camera (and its strange codec combination) have been mentioned on this forum, to my knowledge.

FYI, there are as many flavors of AVI as there are jelly beans in a five gallon jar. Open source codecs and their variants are not generally supported natively in Vegas, which is commercial software.