Curious after other posts here regarding the downloadable Matrox digi-suite codecs, I installed the pack and ran a quick test or three... Hope this might prove helpful.
[http://www.matrox.com/video/support/ds/software/codec/home.cfm]
First off a disclaimer: Doing my best to be objective, I none-the-less dislike Matrox wholeheartedly, so in case any bias does creep in - sorry...
Package installation with XP Pro installs the Matrox mjpeg codec as well, setting it to primary, possibly (probably) overwriting &/or disabling whatever you're using now. Best bet is to have your current mjpeg codec installation files & numbers handy, so you can reinstall as needed.
As one example of what can happen in XP Pro, the Matrox install will make picvideo mjpg avi files not display in VV4c, picvideo mjpg will not show up with the other codecs in any dialog, and any picvideo mjpg encoded videos might play somewhat poorly in wmplayer, even though it says it's using the picvideo decoder.
One thing that the Matrox pack does do is give you a more Video For Windows compatible DV codec, one that will allow DV encoded files to be opened in stuff like V/Dub. In a post a few days ago I was talking about this, and how (at least when I tried it then and there) avi files encoded with the SOFO DV codec would not open in V/Dub etc. If you look at the file info in V/Dub, after opening any DV encoded avi file, it shows the Matrox decoder being used.
A few cautions... Using one decoder and another encoder can be iffy - if you want/need VFW support, might be better off rendering to the Matrox codec to begin with, or at least run a short test file to make sure everything's cool with your planned work flow/path.
The Matrox codec is also a bit older [(C) 2000] - which might or might not mean a thing. On an XP Pro system with later WMD drivers etc., VFW support is reduced already so I don't/can't know how this codec will work in all situations, and it will take the place of the MS decoder that natively plays/handles DV files [or whatever codec windows currently uses, ie: whatever might have been installed with your camera/firewire card.]
That said, perhaps it will be useful to some folks not needing the other codecs that come in the package. An XP Pro install includes the mjpg, DV, mpg2 I-frame, DVCPRO, & DVCPRO50 codecs.
mike
[http://www.matrox.com/video/support/ds/software/codec/home.cfm]
First off a disclaimer: Doing my best to be objective, I none-the-less dislike Matrox wholeheartedly, so in case any bias does creep in - sorry...
Package installation with XP Pro installs the Matrox mjpeg codec as well, setting it to primary, possibly (probably) overwriting &/or disabling whatever you're using now. Best bet is to have your current mjpeg codec installation files & numbers handy, so you can reinstall as needed.
As one example of what can happen in XP Pro, the Matrox install will make picvideo mjpg avi files not display in VV4c, picvideo mjpg will not show up with the other codecs in any dialog, and any picvideo mjpg encoded videos might play somewhat poorly in wmplayer, even though it says it's using the picvideo decoder.
One thing that the Matrox pack does do is give you a more Video For Windows compatible DV codec, one that will allow DV encoded files to be opened in stuff like V/Dub. In a post a few days ago I was talking about this, and how (at least when I tried it then and there) avi files encoded with the SOFO DV codec would not open in V/Dub etc. If you look at the file info in V/Dub, after opening any DV encoded avi file, it shows the Matrox decoder being used.
A few cautions... Using one decoder and another encoder can be iffy - if you want/need VFW support, might be better off rendering to the Matrox codec to begin with, or at least run a short test file to make sure everything's cool with your planned work flow/path.
The Matrox codec is also a bit older [(C) 2000] - which might or might not mean a thing. On an XP Pro system with later WMD drivers etc., VFW support is reduced already so I don't/can't know how this codec will work in all situations, and it will take the place of the MS decoder that natively plays/handles DV files [or whatever codec windows currently uses, ie: whatever might have been installed with your camera/firewire card.]
That said, perhaps it will be useful to some folks not needing the other codecs that come in the package. An XP Pro install includes the mjpg, DV, mpg2 I-frame, DVCPRO, & DVCPRO50 codecs.
mike