The dreaded codec issue

Melakward wrote on 8/20/2019, 8:03 PM

Heya all,

I'm currently using Vegas Pro 14 and wasn't having any issues with it until a recent update with Windows 10. I had to reinstall after the update because it wouldn't let me use Windows Update; I actually had to use the Windows disk to perform the update.

Files that I had saved as Vegas files and rendered successfully prior to the update could no longer be opened. I'm getting the dreaded "error occurred while opening a codec" message. I tried some of the troubleshooting tips here including the nuclear option of a codec pack but nothing has solved the issue.

Here is the MediaArea information for a file I'm currently working with. If it helps, I can also add the info for files that I was able to use previously:

General
Complete name                            : F:\Videos\The Blackwell Legacy\Part 1\Blackwell Legacy Part 1 Raw.avi
Format                                   : AVI
Format/Info                              : Audio Video Interleave
File size                                : 651 MiB
Duration                                 : 50 min 9 s
Overall bit rate                         : 1 814 kb/s
Writing application                      : Lavf54.6.100

Video
ID                                       : 0
Format                                   : AVC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile                           : Main@L3.1
Format settings                          : 1 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC                   : No
Format settings, Reference frames        : 1 frame
Format settings, GOP                     : M=1, N=40
Codec ID                                 : H264
Duration                                 : 50 min 8 s
Bit rate                                 : 1 482 kb/s
Width                                    : 720 pixels
Height                                   : 480 pixels
Display aspect ratio                     : 3:2
Frame rate                               : 60.000 FPS
Color space                              : YUV
Chroma subsampling                       : 4:2:0
Bit depth                                : 8 bits
Scan type                                : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)                       : 0.071
Stream size                              : 532 MiB (82%)
Color range                              : Limited
Color primaries                          : BT.709
Transfer characteristics                 : sRGB/sYCC
Matrix coefficients                      : BT.709

Audio
ID                                       : 1
Format                                   : MPEG Audio
Format version                           : Version 1
Format profile                           : Layer 3
Codec ID                                 : 55
Codec ID/Hint                            : MP3
Duration                                 : 50 min 9 s
Bit rate mode                            : Constant
Bit rate                                 : 320 kb/s
Channel(s)                               : 2 channels
Sampling rate                            : 48.0 kHz
Compression mode                         : Lossy
Stream size                              : 115 MiB (18%)
Alignment                                : Aligned on interleaves
Interleave, duration                     : 1000  ms (60.00 video frames)
Interleave, preload duration             : 984  ms
Writing library                          : LAME3.99.5

These are the properties of the file through Vegas. There was no plugin info. Could that be part of my problem?

General
  Name: Blackwell Legacy Part 1 Raw.avi
  Folder: F:\Videos\The Blackwell Legacy\Part 1
  Type: AVI File
  Size: 666.40 MB (682,396,516 bytes)
  Created: Sunday, August 18, 2019, 5:54:58 PM
  Modified: Sunday, August 18, 2019, 6:45:07 PM
  Accessed: Tuesday, August 20, 2019, 8:50:06 PM
  Attributes: Archive

Other metadata
  Regions/markers: no
  Command markers: no

Media manager
  Media tags: no

I used D3Dgear to record the footage. If it helps, I've uploaded a screenshot of the codec I'm using, as well as a list of available codecs.

Let me know if you need any additional information. Any advice/assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Comments

Musicvid wrote on 8/20/2019, 10:01 PM

AVC in AVI container is not natively supported in any version of Vegas.

Install the x264vfw codec from SourceForge to open the Video stream. You "may" need to demux and open the mp3 audio stream separately, as again, this vbr audio format is not native to AVI legacy container support..

You can pack a lot of stuff into an AVI wrapper. But like a street taco, not all of it may be recognizable.

Grazie wrote on 8/20/2019, 10:42 PM

You can pack a lot of stuff into an AVI wrapper. But like a street taco, not all of it may be recognizable.

@Musicvid - Thanks MV, luv it. This has got to be just the very best description of what a “Wrapper” can disguise. When I need to I’m gonna use TacWrap as shorthand.

The TacWrap Table (TTWT) Onto a slightly more serious way of making this more “digestible”, how about a simple Table with Columns of TacWraps across the Top and Rows of CODECS (?) down the Left side. Bad/good idea?

Musicvid wrote on 8/21/2019, 5:03 AM

Well, I suggest the poster serve his h264/AVC tacos in an MP4 wrapper, with a side of AAC salsa (err,... audio). And cheese.

A tutorial about codecs, containers, etc. terminology is here:

https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/speaking-good-video-a-beginner-s-guide--104463/

Grazie wrote on 8/21/2019, 5:08 AM

A tutorial about codecs, containers, etc. vocabulary is here:

@Musicvid - Has the link gone AWOL?

Grazie wrote on 8/21/2019, 5:09 AM

Ah, thar he be!

fr0sty wrote on 8/21/2019, 8:49 AM

Yeah, I generally avoid using AVI at all these days unless I'm rendering out uncompressed video with an alpha channel that I do not want to be tied to quicktime in any way.

Rednroll wrote on 8/21/2019, 9:40 AM

AVC in AVI container is not natively supported in any version of Vegas.

Install the x264vfw codec from SourceForge to open the Video stream. You "may" need to demux and open the mp3 audio stream separately, as again, this vbr audio format is not native to AVI legacy container support..

You can pack a lot of stuff into an AVI wrapper. But like a street taco, not all of it may be recognizable.

Well that's a kick in the pants. Here I was previously pointed towards AVI instead of MKV for my multi-audio track render streams in this discussion.

https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/the-reason-why-vegas-pro-don-t-support-mkv-files--111939/?page=2

Now I get to find out that AVC H264 which I plan on rendering my video out as is not supported?

Rednroll wrote on 8/21/2019, 9:48 AM

The TacWrap Table (TTWT) Onto a slightly more serious way of making this more “digestible”, how about a simple Table with Columns of TacWraps across the Top and Rows of CODECS (?) down the Left side. Bad/good idea?

Personally, that would be a very welcome resource to have. Coming from an audio background, wrapper container files, and all the different flavors of codecs which can and can't go in them, has always been my #1 frustration point whenever I have attempted to work with Video no matter how much reading I have done to try and better understand it all. Some of the time I'm pleasantly surprised when it works, but a lot of times I find myself spending time trying to determine why it doesn't and then turning to other free programs such as VLC media player and Handbrake to try and figure out why they don't and fix them so they do. It has always seemed crazy to me that everything I throw at VLC and Handbrake can work with every container/codec but the program which started off as supporting every audio format you could throw on the timeline often seems to choke on those same video files.

MV's overview, pretty much touches on the basics which I have already learned but what can and can't go into certain taco shells and what Vegas can and can't natively digest within those taco shell leaves my head spinning.

Melakward wrote on 8/21/2019, 4:22 PM

AVC in AVI container is not natively supported in any version of Vegas.

Install the x264vfw codec from SourceForge to open the Video stream. You "may" need to demux and open the mp3 audio stream separately, as again, this vbr audio format is not native to AVI legacy container support..

You can pack a lot of stuff into an AVI wrapper. But like a street taco, not all of it may be recognizable.

Thank you!

I installed the x264vfw codec and it worked! It was included on the troubleshooting post, but the link for it wasn't working so I skipped over it.

Thank you everyone else for your advice and assistance as well. It's most appreciated.