Updating Audio/Video codecs

Mike M. wrote on 1/31/2003, 11:44 PM
To update the codecs that Vegas uses for say Quicktime or Windows Media (or for that matter any codec), do you simply download the latest version of the player from either Apple or Microsoft? I guess I'm not sure about the process.

Also, is there anything I should worry about before updating either of these?

Thanks in advance.

Mike

Comments

craftech wrote on 2/1/2003, 12:24 AM
Preferably, install one or the other from a disc. You can then do a custom install.

On the internet each of them have their own way of trying to override the other. If you try to play media from the internet by clicking on a movie trailer for example you often get error messages which are sometimes obscured by pop-up ads neither of which you need in your face. You can enable Quicktime as the default player for Windows media files, but it still won't play them when you click on a Windows media file on the net. Instead it will pop-up an error message or crash particularly if you clicked on it from a Microsoft affiliated media site. Microsoft is now doing a lot of arm twisting to get everyone to upgrade to Media Player 9. Media Player 9 is still buggy, but you can't even download a version in between 6.4 and 9 from the Microsoft site unless you want a Checkoslovakian version of Media Player 7.1.

Quicktime loads two Java Script files into Autoexec.bat when you install it (which I don't like), and it sometimes doesn't work well in Vegas. Do a search(above) on it from past forum topics for specifics. It also has authoring software files you can install which I guess can be useful.
boomanbb wrote on 2/1/2003, 2:22 AM
Check the thread labeled "Missing wmv choices" for the web page to download the microsoft codecs without having to install from the net. If you search the Quicktime site you will find the standalone installer for Quicktime.
mikkie wrote on 2/1/2003, 7:57 AM
Regarding codecs, installing most like Picvideo, Morgan, &/or DiVX will make those codecs available throughout your system.

When it comes to Real, Winmedia, & Quicktime, VV3 at least uses plugins (hard to say what the finished support will be yet in the v.4 Beta). You can install the Real Player & Helix Producer on your system, & Vegas 3 & 4 appear to make full use of the later versions when encoding, but you'll miss a few features that are available in for example the opensource version of the Helix Producer (still in early development). Currently a realmedia 8 or 9 file will not open in Vegas (either version on my system)

Quicktime has one download, but 2 versions depending on if you pay or not. Encoding or creating a Q/Time 6 file in Vegas you have the option to encode using Q/Time's new mpg4 video compression, but not the mpg4 audio. The file you just created will open in Vegas, but after creating a proxie file.

The Winmedia 9 encoder can only be installed in win2k or xp. I don't know if it will be OS specific in VV4 - if you'll be able to encode winmedia 9 from Vegas running win98 SE for example. At this time there doesn't appear to be a way to get the encoding part of winmedia 9 working in win98 SE (or ME), using the earlier MS encoders.

Winmedia 9 encoding is not available in VV3 or the Beta, though it will be in the finished VV4. I don't know how many features will be supported comparred to the stand alone winmedia 9 encoder &/or the MS Moviemaker2. It could be problematic I suppose since the higher quality possible with winmedia 9 is in part due to their encoder, & that encoder is slow (slower then some would put up with comparred to winmedia 8 performance in VV3).

MS updated their winmedia 8 handling & codec as well with winmedia 9 - it shows up as winmedia 8.1, but to my knowledge (and based on what I've been able to test), this is not the winmedia 9 format in disguise. [in early tests with the winmedia 9 beta, media player 7.1 (not updated to play winmedia 9 files) would play 8.1 files for example]. Not encoding to winmedia 9 may not be a huge problem, because as above, a good portion of the quality increase comes from the encoder itself. [To test this yourself, use the MS encoder 9, encoding the same file as winmedia 9, 8, & 7.1]

Winmedia 9 includes the ability to edit winmedia 9 files without recompressing the parts that remain unchanged, as with a std avi file now days in Vegas (or most other editors). I don't know whether this ability will be included in any editor any time soon, other then the MS MovieMaker 2 available for xp.

mike