I also find it intresting that it will open the VOB file, and not the M2V files.

For now, I just use DVD2AVI to create an intermediate file (D2V) that is used for TMPegEnc, and then use another program called VFAPIConv that will take that D2V file and create a proxy. Using this proxy creates an AVI file that allows me to open it in VV3 (but without the audio). Then I have to use another program to convert the AC3 file into 6 seperate WAV files.

Sort of a round-about way to get to the audio/video, but it works great. I was just hopeing that SoFo would see that it just makes sense to allow us to do it in VV in the first place.

Windows is set to use whatever codec to play back video files, whether they're mpg1, 2, or DIVX etc. THis is interesting, since after installing the beta stuff, windows thinks it's supposed to use the mainconcept codec every time it encounters a vob file on my system -- NOT the way it was set up, since I could use the ATI file player or windows media player in the past & now both are broken. Something else to fix @#$$!**@#!!!! NOT cool since I've got to go through and start reinstalling software.

Anyway, since windows is now set to use the mainconcept stuff, it of course won't work in the VV4 beta since that doesn't include anything mainconcept. And the Mainconcept codec won't work outside of Sonic Foundry apps.

At any rate, VV3 will open the quick test vob I just created but it has to be imported through the file menu -- windows doesn't know what a vob file is anymore (check your windows file associations from windows explorer) so obviously Vegas doesn't recognize the file extension & neither does anything else. When I did import it, Vegas 3 showed it as a mainconcept file. @#$$!**@#!!!!

So that's the problem folks - if you had decoder files installed, have to figure out which ones windows used and put it back or reinstall your other stuff to set the associations back to where they should be.

For what it's worth... Using vfapi and similar use the decoding software on your system outside of Vegas & then send the decoded images (the video stream) to your video editing software -- Vegas in this case just thinks it's dealing with a plain jane avi file.

I wouldn't call this a hidden feature, whether you're talking about breaking my system or opening vob files, since if things are set up properly, Vegas treats a vob file the same way it treats something DIVX - just uses the proper decoder. It doesn't know, or shouldn't, that a vob file is mpeg2. And as most have found, the mainconcept stuff does not open every mpeg2 file. I assume the ability to open any of the related files extensions (m2v etc) is also dependant on whether Vegas uses the built in decoder or not.

Anyway, hope this helps someone -- hope that SOFO notices this thread! -- wish the mainconcept folks weren't so @#$$!**@#!!!! arrogant to assume we don't use anything else, that there's not other (BETTER!) encoding/decoding software - & BTW, @#$$!**@#!!!! means every nasty word in my vocabulary that would get me kicked off. ;)

mike