OT - windows and AVC/H.264

[Dekonick]

I have some video MP4's from a Sanyo VPC-CG10 - it records in AVC/H.264 format but my vista machine won't play any of the video's. What am I doing wrong? I have all of the updates and therefore it should work just fine.

[paulrad9]

Vista, huh? <- sorry, I couldn't resist ;)

[Dekonick]

Oh, I agree. Waiting for windows 7. In the mean time it is on a touchsmart PC that we just bought. I would expect a brand new PC with all updates to work with this supposed 'standard' HD recording format. Both HP and Sanyo have not been helpful. HP said 'get the codec' - great. From where? What site is safe to trust?

Guess the video recorder is going back whence it came...

unless a quick solution presents itself...

[paulrad9]

That would frustrate me to no end - you have great hardware and the last 1%, running on the PC, doesn't work.

[vqdriver]

it's the codec, not the equipment.
i'm not sure that it's even uniform across manufacturers yet. if you swap your camcorder for another, i suspect you'll run into the same problem.

my sister's AVC H.264 sony camcorder from last year will not work with the sony software that's currently on their support site, and i gave up trying to get it to work with adobe premiere. apparently they tweaked the codec (maddeningly with the same name) even in that timespan. in the end, i ended up just using the 2008 sony software to download and edit (very basic editing) the video just to be done with it.

what software are you trying to use?
just install and use the software packaged with your camcorder. it should have all the relevant drivers and appropriate codecs.

until the camera makers sort things out and standardize the damn codecs, don't expect MS to include any native support.

[vqdriver]

fyi, there's talk that avchd will be able to match the data rate of minidv tapes this year. so there may be another 'upgrade' coming to the format soon.

[jbrainin]

Oh, I agree. Waiting for windows 7. In the mean time it is on a touchsmart PC that we just bought. I would expect a brand new PC with all updates to work with this supposed 'standard' HD recording format. Both HP and Sanyo have not been helpful. HP said 'get the codec' - great. From where? What site is safe to trust?

Guess the video recorder is going back whence it came...

unless a quick solution presents itself...

There should be a cd/dvd that came with the camera containing the necessary files (codecs, etc.) for getting the files up and running. There appears to be no way to download the codec from the Sanyo US site.

[tylercheung]

google VLC or videolan client and install it. that'll play it.

[Dekonick]

Update - get this!

The camera has a link 'hidden' on its ROM - you have to attach the camera, with the memory card out. Then you use the camera as a card reader... with no memory card?!? - it gives a link to the 'support site' that I couldn't find anywhere on their US website. That site gives you a link to Apple - to download Quicktime. Great - Quicktime on my Microsoft machine. If I wanted that I would have a MAC - I want to use my media player and the built in HP touchsmart software... you dig ... touch with your finger - NO MOUSE, NO KEYBOARD.... no dice.

Sheesh - for everything that is bad about Microsoft and their monopoly, at least it has led to (somewhat) of a standard...for operating systems (try to find a 'standard linux' OS and as soon as you install it, it will have morphed...good and bad)

Standards are good for the mass market. This reminds me of machinery before mass production -

:crap:

[Dekonick]

Update - get this!

The camera has a link 'hidden' on its ROM - you have to attach the camera, with the memory card out. Then you use the camera as a card reader... with no memory card?!? - it gives a link to the 'support site' that I couldn't find anywhere on their US website. That site gives you a link to Apple - to download Quicktime. Great - Quicktime on my Microsoft machine. If I wanted that I would have a MAC - I want to use my media player and the built in HP touchsmart software... you dig ... touch with your finger - NO MOUSE, NO KEYBOARD.... no dice.

Sheesh - for everything that is bad about Microsoft and their monopoly, at least it has led to (somewhat) of a standard...for operating systems (try to find a 'standard linux' OS and as soon as you install it, it will have morphed...good and bad)

Standards are good for the mass market. This reminds me of machinery before mass production -

:crap:

[tylercheung]

actually quicktime is the main architecture for most AV standards, except if you use Ogg which will then require you to install GNU libraries. Quicktime is also the main architecture for H.264. Microsoft doesn't do standards, they just do proprietary protocols, and rather poorly at that. I'd say what you are seeing is the microsoft cruft breaking down, and needing an Apple product to come to the rescue.

VLC is the swiss army knife of media players, if it won't play it, nothing will.