After Vegas 4 install, Powerpoint won't import video

CHouck wrote on 5/19/2003, 2:12 PM
I've had a problem with my MPlay32.exe file ever since I installed Vegas 4 and I suspected it might be a vegas issue unfortunately the only way to repair the mplay32.exe file was to reinstall windows xp. So I did that, then I installed ppoint and tested out inserting a video and it worked great. Then I installed Vegas 4 and it stopped allowing me to import a video file. It seems like it changes your mplay32.exe file because after I install and try to insert a video into Powerpoint it says"Powerpoint couldn't insert a movie from the selected file. Either the file is non-standard or Quicktime is not installed properly." Any ideas of how to fix this ?

Anyone having any luck with this. Just so you know I'm trying to import an mpeg 1 file into powerpoint after vegas 4 installation.

Thanks,
CHouck

Comments

mikkie wrote on 5/19/2003, 2:37 PM
If you're running XP, then I'd suggest running media player 9 as you've already got most (all? of the faults folks don't like wmplayer 9 for.

Otherwise I'd take a look at what you're system is set to use to decode your video files by checking the properties in wmplayer or V/Dub or similar. *IF* it's using the wrong decoder, it's possible that registry entries got overwritten or left out during the Vegas install - reinstalling whatever codec you were using should restore these.

FWIW, haven't seen any real codec type conflicts within Vegas itself, so hopefully you'll be all right, though it certainly wouldn't hurt to set a restore point before reinstalling your codec or messing with the registry. You also might check out the file type association dialog in window's explorer -> tools -> folder options -> file types.

CHouck wrote on 5/19/2003, 3:02 PM
Well as far as installing Media Player 9 goes, I've had so many problems with Media Player 9 that I will stay as far away from it as possible (Bad playback buffering, scripted event problems, etc...) So I don't want to go down that road. Also as far as I know MPlay32.exe is totally seperate from Mediaplayer so if I upgrade the Mediaplayer it probably wouldn't do anything to the system. Also just so everyone knows I uninstalled Vegas 4 and the problem dissappeared so it definitely has to do with the Vegas installation. As far as codecs etc go, my mpeg files are set to use Mediaplayer 8 but in Powerpoint it runs them through Media Player 5.1 (which is mplay32.exe). Some how Vegas changes the association or something upon installation. Any ideas...

CHouck
gbrgn wrote on 5/19/2003, 3:27 PM
Hi,

I've had the same problem importing mpeg files to powerpoint since V4/b/c, wmv files OK however.
SonyDennis wrote on 5/19/2003, 4:39 PM
Perhaps there is some help here:

PowerPoint 2000 Movie Troubleshooter

///d@
ACTS wrote on 6/10/2003, 2:56 PM
Has anyone figured out a solution to this problem? I am using VV4c and Powerpoint XP (Office XP) with Windows 2000 Pro, all w/ most recent updates, on a laptop w/ Pentium III 850Mhz processor. VV4 installed precludes using MPEG1 files into Powerpoint; uninstalling VV4 allows Powerpoint to install and play MPEG1 files fine. Thanks for any additional suggestions.
SonyEPM wrote on 6/10/2003, 3:45 PM
Search for the following files on your system:

mcdsmpeg.ax

mcesmpeg.ax

mcspmpeg.ax

Rename them to:

mcdsmpeg.ax.hide

mcesmpeg.ax.hide

mcspmpeg.ax.hide

Reboot and you should be set.
ACTS wrote on 6/10/2003, 5:30 PM
Thank you, thank you, thank you, SonicEPM. Your solution worked perfectly. Will the changes affect the functionality of Vegas? Anyway, thanks again. Thanks also for your prompt reply.
WildBlue wrote on 6/10/2003, 9:57 PM
This solution is virtually the same one Sonic Foundry gave me to solve my inability to play MPEG1 files in Multimedia Builder after updating to 4.0B. It seems like Vegas 4.0B and beyond has caused conflicts with more than one piece of software. Has this been fixed in 4.0C?
SonyEPM wrote on 6/11/2003, 2:59 PM
We install a directshow reader for MPEG files when we install Vegas- this lets you view (among other things) MPEG-2 files in Windows Media Player. Apparently this can sometimes lead to conflicts with other MPEG readers on your machine, so the fix above disables the MPEG decoders we install. There is zero impact on Vegas itself if you make this modification.
WildBlue wrote on 6/12/2003, 8:36 AM
The problem with this for me is that I create CD-ROMs for clients, many of which have MPEG1 video due to the compatibility of this format, small size, and reasonable quality. If the Vegas user-base expands a lot, which it deserves to, no one I give these disks to with Vegas on their machine will be able to play them. Isn't there another solution? What's the tradeoff- how many Vegas users will not be able to play MPEG2 without your DirectShow Reader that's causing the problem (I'm guessing none). Or, is there another way to have the capability, without causing this problem?
SonyEPM wrote on 6/12/2003, 11:18 AM
Just about every Mac and Windows machine out there can playback MPEG-1 in either QT or WM player- if there's "universal codec" that would likely be on every machine, MPEG-1 is it. Nothing extra to install to view MPEG-1.

MPEG-2 is a different story. Because of licensing issues Microsoft and Apple don't give MPEG-2 decoders away with any of their free codec packs. If you are delivering MPEG-2 to a client for computer playback, you need to make sure they have an MPEG-2 decoder installed on their machine. If you install and register Vegas 3 or 4, you'll get an MPEG-1 & -2 decoder that works with Windows Media Player, but that doesn't mean all users who wish to VIEW the MPEG-2 filess you have generated will be able to play them back. There are lots of places around the net where you can download MPEG-2 decoders, but don't assume all-end users have done that.

WildBlue wrote on 6/12/2003, 11:43 AM
I understand your point about the need for you to deliver MPEG2 capabilities. I'm still concerned that the way you're delivering it will seriously hurt MPEG1's compatibility with users' machines as Vegas spreads- as you pointed out, MPEG1's great asset is it's nearly universal compatibility (combined with a relatively small file size and reasonable quality). For the first time, I'm questioning whether promoting Vegas would actually hurt the part of my livelihood that involves creating CDs containing MPEG1. With the rapid pace of change, in a couple of years this conversation may be irrelevant. But for now, are you contemplating a fix for this situation?
mikkie wrote on 6/12/2003, 12:39 PM
If I understand what your asking, I don't think the ability of your viewers to playback mpg1 is impacted whatsoever. If you're worried about other Vegas users having prob. viewing mpg1 files in other windows based apps, I would hope they'd have found that out and fixed their prob.

To my knowledge, the problem is the mainconcept files themselves, which have been know to attach themselves within windows and effect other software, usually when that other software includes mpg1 decoder software.. This site has a bit more info on the subject if you go to the FAQ page: http://www.nwlink.com/~zachd/ As the mainconcept files are distributed with several apps, IMO it's not just a SOFO prob. If they used another brand of codec, things could actually get worse, plus you'd likely have a reduction in the quality of your encodes.
mikkie wrote on 6/12/2003, 12:45 PM
FWIW and all ...
"I've had so many problems with Media Player 9 that I will stay as far away from it as possible (Bad playback buffering, scripted event problems, etc...) So I don't want to go down that road. Also as far as I know MPlay32.exe is totally seperate from Mediaplayer so if I upgrade the Mediaplayer it probably wouldn't do anything to the system. "

Actually the software is spread thruout windows more or less, not just the player itself. Know that's not, wasn't the source of your prob. now, but as winxp has the basics or precursor to wmplayer 9 already installed as part of the OS, you might be putting up with bugs that have been cured long ago not to mention dealing with some security issues.

For the powerpoint stuff, if you can find any of the stuff written in DV by Nels Johnson - in fact, here's an article posted currently http://www.dv.com/columns/columns_item.jhtml?LookupId=/xml/feature/2002/johnson0702&category=Video%20on%20the%20Web
rmack350 wrote on 7/24/2003, 12:09 AM
Hi Mikkie,

I think that the problem is that you can't even insert an mpeg1 file into powerpoint if the Main Concept decoders are installed. That's a problem because mpeg1 is probably the most reliable video file you can attach to a powerpoint slide.

Rob Mack
BBTV wrote on 7/25/2004, 12:22 PM
Sony Pictures Digital applications install the MainConcept MPEG-2 Directshow decoder to allow preview and playback of MPEG-2 video in video playback applications. If you encounter problems playing back MPEG video that was created by a Sony Pictures Digital application, do the following:
Do a search (Start-->Search-->For Files or Folders) for "mcdsmpeg.ax" and "mcspmpeg.ax".
Rename those files to "mcdsmpeg.ax.hide" and "mcspmpeg.ax.hide"
(Rename them back to the original name if you run into other trouble)