DV Codec Hell

jgourd wrote on 5/14/2002, 5:53 PM

Folks,

After installing MGI Video Wave which came with my Dazzle Hollywood bridge my DV codec listed in the device manager is "DVSoft". The DVSoft settings include the ability to route the picture to both the screen and the 1394 DV device I have connected.

I have been all over the world looking for a way to make this work, but so far it just wont. When I use the VV3 preview on external device, it works fine, but I need the standard Windows Media (DirectShow) player to playback through the DV device similarly to the way my old Buzz box could with MJPEG files.

1.) How can I tell if an avi is DV Type 1 or 2?
2.) How can I tell which codec is the codec that DirectShow is going to pick to play the file?
3.) How can force VV3 to render a specfic DV type (not to be confused by Open DML Type)?
4.) How can I untangle the DV codec madness so that I can make DirectShow videos play back on the DV device?
5.) Is my inability to do this because all my tests were with VV3 captures which are reported to be DV Type 2 and DirectShow wants Type 1?

Thanks
Jonathan

Comments

pelvis wrote on 5/14/2002, 8:26 PM

If you want a good Vegas experience: uninstall/delete anything made by MGI: drivers, codecs, apps, everything.

Stiffler wrote on 5/15/2002, 2:09 AM

jgourd wrote on 5/15/2002, 6:08 AM

While I appreciate the sentiment folks, you haven't actually answered my question.

Florian wrote on 5/15/2002, 7:04 AM

Hope this helps:

http://www.creativecow.net/rebirth/forum/read_thread.php?threadid=83194&forumid=24&postid=102142907968233

jgourd wrote on 5/15/2002, 1:11 PM

OK, I read the post, removed MGI and Main Actor. Of course DVSoft codec is still installed. Now what?

1. Will reinstalling VV3 replace my DV codec with theirs?
2. Will reinstalling DirectX 8.1 replace the DVsoft codec with Microsoft's?

Florian wrote on 5/16/2002, 4:12 AM

If you read the whole thread carefully they mention that you might have to REGEDIT your registry to remove the references to DVsoft codec. MAYBE reinstalling DirectX8.1 and/or Vegas might do it, no idea, I'm a relative newbie to Vegas myself.

OffTopic Rant: Exactly to avoid this kind of PITA and somehow controll the evils of the M$ uber-idiotic operating systems "features" (insert endless list here: removing drivers have to be done basically by hand, removing software leaves unimaginable crap around, incl. in your registry, etc, etc etc...) I use a "safety" feature: After a clean install of the M$ OS and adding critical applications/patches I do a complete mirror backup of the partition containing the OS (i.e. C: drive) using smth like Norton Ghost or (for computer literates out there) using a small Linux partition and "PartImage" tool. You can't possibly belive the amount of idiotic, hair-pulling crap I was able to avoid by simply rolling back to an older backup (i.e. cleaner system). Obviously, when you reach another "stable state" you can take a newer version of backup
I know this doesn't exactly address your problem but I strongly recommend it, especially if you keep several pieces of software that step on each other's toes (video players, DivX tools, NLEs, audio editors, etc, etc...). Believe me, works like magic. Using this I almost never have to use that despicable "Add/remove software/drivers" sh!t again..

BillyBoy wrote on 5/16/2002, 4:20 PM

A trick I use frequently after removing unwanted software is to double check using Norton Utilities to search for and remove "orphaned" and "dead" lines from the Registry so-called uninstall procedures may have overlooked. :-)

jgourd wrote on 5/16/2002, 5:51 PM

I bought the Main Concept DV codec. All is good except I still can't get DirectShow to play a DV video out to a DV device on the Firewire port.